Patriarch's Ponds
Never Talk With Strangers
In Russian this park is called Патриарши пруды (Patriarshiy Prudy), in English Patriarch's Ponds. «Ponds» is in plural. Although there is only one pond in this park situated between Malaya Bronnaya ulitsa in the east, Bolshoi Patriarshy pereulok in the south, Patriarshy pereulok in the west, and Yermolaevsky pereulok in the north. It’s a big pond surrounded by a wide footpath with benches. Bulgakov lived nearby for some years in Bolshaya Sadovaya ulitsa or the Big Garden street.
Patriarch's Ponds
The name of the pond refers to the Patriarch, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church who had his residence close to the park. In the past there were three ponds, as suggested by the name af a street nearby: Trekhproedny pereulok or Threeponds avenue. In 1918, after the revolution, the ponds were renamed Pioneers' Ponds.
The house of the patriarch
In The Master and Margarita, a round dark object was thrown up the cobbled slope below the fence of the Patriarch's walk. It was the severed head of Berlioz. With this phrase the key is given for the rest of the novel. Woland is de devil himself who raises hell in Moscow for a couple of days with his companions. That's why Bulgakov gives us the following good advise: «Никогда не разговаривайте с неизвестными - Never talk with strangers»...
Where is the tramway?
The tram-car that will decapitate Berlioz «came racing along, turning down the newly laid line from Yermolaevsky to Bronnaya». Bulgakov needed to mention that the line was «newly» laid, because most historians agree that there was no tramway at that place. But the influence of Bulgakov's novel has resulted in many Muscovites «recalling» such a line.
However, in a long interview, published by literary critic and psychologist Leonid Parshin (1944-2010), Tatiana Lappa (1892-1982), Bulgakov's first wife said: «There was a tramway on Bolshaya Sadovaya, but not along the Patriarch's Ponds. We lived there for several years, and there was no tramway».
Boris Myagkov (1938-2003), a literature researcher who wrote several books about Bulgakov, said he had found a newspaper article from 1929, in which it was written that the construction of a tram line along Malaya Bronnaya and Spiridonovka was planned. Thorough investigation in the archives of the Управление организации пассажирских перевозок or the Administration of the Organization of Public Transport in Moscow, and several interviews with former employees of this organisation have not given any evidence of it, though.
Do Not Talk with Strangers
The Patriarch's park is still a popular place in Moscow, just because of this association with Bulgakov. Because of this popularity the soviet authorities placed there a statue of the classic fabulist Ivan Andreevich Krylov (1769-1844) in the ´70's. But it was of no avail. The Muscovites kept on associating the park with the autor of The Master and Margarita. In front of the park is the Café Margarita, a cult café for amateurs of Bulgakov and black magic.
On June 20, 2012, the connectedness of the Patriarch's Ponds with The Master and Margarita was again illustrated when a unique road sign turned out to be placed there overnight. It's a prohibition sign, showing the well-known silhouettes of Professor Woland, accompanied by his henchmen Koroviev and Behemoth. Under the sign is mentioned what exactly is supposed to be prohibited: Запрещено разговаривать ц незнакомцами of Do Not Talk with Strangers. The brains behind the operation appeared to be a certain Aleksandr Vilensky from Moscow and he would have been supported by the Bulgakov House, the museum and theatre situated on the ground floor of Bolshaya Savodaya ulitsa number 10.
Never Talk With Strangers
The prefecture of the Central District of the city of Moscow said in a reaction that the sign is not legal, but they are not considering to remove it. «It does not hurt anybody, and it serves as a reminder of the immortal work of Mikhail Bulgakov», a spokesman of the prefecture said.
Nikolay Golubev, director of the Bulgakov House
Disputes
Tourists who are visiting the Patriarch's Ponds in Moscow, will find a huge monument there, but are often surprised to see that it is a monument to the Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov, and not to Mikhail Bulgakov or The Master and Margarita. Does the city of Moscow not know that many people associate the Patriarch's Ponds with our beloved novel? They sure do. In 2002 and 2003, when your webmaster had just discovered The Master and Margarita, the area of the Patriarch Pond in Moscow was even in turmoil on this issue. On December 6, 2002, works had been started for the construction of a monument to Mikhail Bulgakov. Excavators were used to clean the Patriarch's Ponds and to build a large pumping plant that would function as a fountain in the form of a giant-sized primus stove, as part of the monument. Around this primus, characters of The Master and Margarita would be depicted. On December 8, 2002, however, there have been fierce protests against the monument. The dimensions of the primus, as well as the parking garage and the shopping center that were to be constructed together with it, were heavily criticized.
As a result of the efforts of, among others, Aleksandr Morozov, a self-proclaimed «Saviour of the House of Bulkagov» the atmosphere was so heated that sculptor Alexander Rukavishnikov announced, on February 6, 2003, that he no longer wanted to cooperate with the monument.
Alexander Rukavishnikov
The place at the Patriarch’s Ponds is now restored in its former glory, and Krylov is back on his bench.
In October 2012, the pond became hot news again by the decision of the Department of Culture of the city of Moscow to entrust the management of the Museum M.A. Bulgakov, which is situated in the nearby apartment number 50 of Bolshaya Sadovaya ulitsa number 10, to the Italian architect Gabriele Filippini and his Russian wife Olga Moskvina. In their project, they included a floating installation on Patriarch's Ponds. But we may use a typical Russian saying here: «Посмотрим» [posmotrim] or «We'll see», since nothing has happened since.
Gabriele Filippini's plan
New developments
In November 2015, with the 125th anniversary of Bulgakov coming up, the Department of Monuments of the city had given its approval to an initiative of the Bulgakov House to use some of Rukavishnikov’s sculptures to highlight a tourist walk from Patriarch's Ponds to the Bulgakov House on Bolshaya Sadovaya ulitsa no. 10.
The notorious primus stove would not be part of it, but Bulgakov himself would be sitting on a bench at the pond, near the road sign with the words «Never talk to strangers», which was placed there by «unknown people» on June 20, 2012. The news was announced by Nikolay Golubev, the director of the Bulgakov House, to the newspaper Izvestia. According to Golubev, this spot is exactly the place where the conversation between Mikhail Berlioz, Ivan Bezdomny and Woland has been situated by Bulgakov in The Master and Margarita.
Photo editing of Bulgakov on his bench
Rukavishnikov himself was not so keen on the fact that his monument would be divided into pieces, but he was glad that his sculptures, which have been lying in storage for more than 15 years, would finally see the light of day. «I designed an interesting, unusual architectural monument, of which nothing is really left. But I suppose this is better than nothing,» he said. We are wondering how that is going to end
Café Margarita
At the east side of the Patriarch's Pond, on Malaya Bronnaya ulitsa 28, you will find Café Margarita. The front door of this small, intimate café is marked by a colourful mural, depicting a scene from The Master and Margarita. This has long been a favourite with tourists and locals.
Café Margarita
The Pavilion
Most photos of the Patriarch Pond show the yellow-colored Pavilion, which by many is considered the typical landmark in this neighbourhood. The first version of the pavilion appeared before the revolution on the north side of the park, where now is situated the statue of Krylov. It was a wooden construction with a landing pier intended for pleasure boats, which was demolished in 1913.
The pavilion in 1913
In 1938 a wooden pavilion was built on the south side of the park according to the plans of the engineer David Borisovich Khazanov (1914-1983). According to some, it would have been the intention to make it serve as a resting place for tram drivers. However, it is very doubtful whether it has ever had that function. In 1929 a newspaper article had been published in which it was suggested that the construction of a tram line at Malaya Bronnaya and Spiridonovka was being considered. A study by Boris Myagkov (1938-2003), a literature researcher who has written several books about Mikhail Bulgakov, revealed that these plans have never been implemented.
What we know for sure is that the pavilion in the 60s was equipped with all the facilities to welcome skaters during the long Moscow winters: there was a dressing room, a storage room, a skating rental service and a buffet. What we also know for sure is that the Patriarch's Ponds in the 1930s had a different view than the one we can see in Yuri Kara's film from 1994/2011 or Vladimir Bortko's television series from 2005. After all, they show a pavilion which did not exist at the time that Bulgakov wrote The Master and Margarita.
The wooden pavilion in 1913 in 1950
In 1983-1986 the wooden pavilion was replaced by a stone version, which was designed with great respect for the character and style of the wooden building. One of the architects was Mikhail Davidovich Khazanov (°1951), a son of the designer of the wooden pavilion.
In 2011 the pavilion was completely renovated and given a different purpose. The Moscow restorer Kirill Gusev opened the restaurant Павильон [Pavilion] on behalf of the restaurant chain Ресторанный Синдикат [Restoranni Sindakat], which also runs the famous Oblomov restaurant in Moscow. Among the items on the menu were the dishes that Mikhail Bulgakov described when he sang the praises of the writers' house Griboyedov in a dialogue between the regulars Amvrosi and Foka.
In an exceptionally beautiful setting, you could enjoy perch au naturel, eggs en cocotte, soup printanier and sterlet slices interlaid with crayfish tails, while overlooking the ponds where, at the hour of the hot spring sunset two citizens appeared. I haven’t seen the famous Fliyaki gospodarskye on the menu thoug.
The pavilion as a restaurant
In August 2017, the famous restorer Alexandr Oganezov opened the Italian restaurant Gilda in the building, but that did not last long either. The case was closed in October 2018. After that, the restaurant was taken over by the group Aleksandr Rappoport. Under the leadership of the young chef Yevgeny Tsyganov, mainly fish dishes were served. In October 2021, when the famous Michelin guide awarded its first stars to Russian restaurants, he was one of the lucky ones.
The residents of the neighbourhood of the Patriarch's Ponds in Moscow are now looking with suspicion at what is going to happen. There would be plans to demolish the building and replace it with a new one intended for the organization of luxurious receptions and parties. On February 22, 2019, a photo was published on the internet presenting the new project.
Design for the new pavilion
In 2003, the Patriarch's Ponds and the surrounding park were classified as Cultural Heritage, which means that in principle nothing can be changed on the landmark. However, the pavilion has no historical value since it was built in the 1980s. The building is in private hands. However, it is not so clear who the owner is, what makes it difficult to gather concrete and reliable information about what they want to do with it.
Metro: Маяковская (Mayakovskaya)
English subtitles
All films based on The Master and Margarita have been subtitled by your webmaster in English, French, Dutch, German, Spanish and Italian. Click on the link belw to find them.
