Zhukovsky Street
In the very heart of Moscow, in the quiet Basmanny District, nestles a small but incredibly significant street. Only 380 metres long, it connects Bolshoy Kharitonyevsky Lane with Makarenko Street and runs parallel to Chistoprudny Boulevard. Behind this modest length lies an entire layer of Moscow history, closely intertwined with the fate of the founder of Russian aviation. The street’s current name is Ulitsa Zhukovskogo (Zhukovsky Street). The history of this place goes back to the 19th century. On Moscow maps of the 1850s-1870s, it was designated as Krivoy (Crooked) Lane, a name it probably received because of its original configuration. Later, the lane was renamed Mylnikov Lane, after the surname of one of the local property owners. This was a quiet, merchant-class area, but it was here that the future of Russian aviation was destined to take shape. From 1904 to 1921, at house number 8, the great scientist Nikolai Yegorovich Zhukovsky, the founder of hydrodynamics and aerodynamics, spent the last years of his life. It was in this apartment that a historic meeting took place in November 1918, which marked the beginning of the establishment of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI). In 1936, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the scientist’s death, the former Mylnikov Lane was renamed in his honour. Thus, the quiet little street received a name that forever linked it with the history of Russian science. Despite its modest size, Zhukovsky Street can boast a genuine collection of architectural styles from the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. A walk along it is a journey through time. For example, the apartment building at number 5, built in 1911 to the design of architect M. E. Priyomyshev, is a vivid example of pre-revolutionary architecture. The mansion of M. Girshman at number 10 was erected in 1897 by architect S. Eibuschitz. It is famous for being the place where Valentin Serov painted portraits of the lady of the house, Henrietta Girshman. In Soviet times, the building housed the “Committee for Friendship with the Peoples of the East,” and later the cultural bureau of the Egyptian Embassy. The apartment building of the merchant’s wife Natalya Bykova at number 9 was recognized as an architectural monument of regional significance in 2018. This six-storey Art Nouveau building was designed by Ivan Kondratenko, a renowned master of Russian Art Nouveau. A special highlight of the building is the interiors of the main entrance, which have been preserved in their original form. No less remarkable is house number 3/4, which faces the intersection with Bolshoy Kharitonyevsky Lane and is notable for its corner architecture. Zhukovsky Street also left its mark on literature. At house number 4, the writer Valentin Kataev lived in the 1920s. In his memoirs, he lovingly described this apartment and its inhabitants, calling it a “passage yard” for friends who at that time “rushed from the south” to conquer Moscow. His room faced the street, and Kataev mentioned that it could easily be recognized by its fan-shaped iron grille. Today, Zhukovsky Street is a quiet, green artery with one-way traffic, where residential buildings, offices, and cultural institutions coexist harmoniously. At house number 4, a bookstore and lecture hall called “Chitalka” still operate, continuing the traditions of this literary place. And the house where the great scientist lived, at number 8, is now
Address: Moscow, Zhukovsky St.
