the Hermitage Garden, located on the Karetny Ryad, in its history has changed several owners and survived the desolation. He was one of the first gardens in which the Muscovites had fun and rested.
In the Main archival Fund of Moscow (the Glavarhiva) documents are stored, telling his story from the XVIII century. From documents you can see that the garden site was part of the family estate of Pushkin on Bozhedomka. Originally it was the possession of Leo Pushkin, grandfather of the famous poet. In 1797 his widow Olga Chicherin sold the estate of Senator Vasily Nelidovo. 1817-th this land was owned by General Alexander Tormasov, and then, the favourite of Catherine II, Ivan Rimsky-Korsakov, in which the garden became a place for walks of citizens.
By the middle of the XIX century the new owner was French restaurateur and entrepreneur Jean Morel. That’s when the garden was called “Hermitage”. It was the place of the fireworks, a choir singing Gypsies, and played with the best in Europe the orchestra Guns. In the garden was always a lot of people.
Later the land was transferred to theatre actor and Director Actually, Mikhail, “the Hermitage” has become a popular place for walks of citizens. After the actor was ruined, the garden gradually fell into disrepair. In 1894, the merchant Yakov Shchukin leased land in Karetny Ryad. Just over a year he has turned a wasteland into a blooming garden, a rebuilt former factory building as a theater, made two stage and canopies for the buffet. 18 Jun 1895 new Hermitage opened to the public. A year later there was the first Moscow show. From 1898 to 1901 in the garden regularly gave public performances of the Art theatre (MKHAT future).
to this day on the territory of the “Hermitage” preserved trees in the late XIX — early XX centuries. Among them, the berry tree, Norway maple, larch, oak, poplar, chestnut, cherry “Maak”, ash. 30 Jun 2014 the garden was taken under the protection of the cultural heritage Department of the city of Moscow as a piece of garden-Park art of regional importance. Today there are theatres, Hermitage, Sphere and New Opera, clubs and studios for children and adults, organising festivals, exhibitions, musical and theatrical performances, festivals and recreational activities.
