🌳 Hermitage Garden

ул. Каретный Ряд, 3

An old garden with theatres and a summer stage, a place where Muscovites have relaxed since the late 19th century.

The garden was founded by the theatre impresario Yakov Shchukin; the “New Hermitage” summer garden opened on 30 June 1894.
On 26 May (7 June) 1896 Moscow's first public screening of the Lumière brothers' cinematograph was held here.
On 14 (26) October 1898 the Moscow Art Theatre opened at the Hermitage Theatre with the play “Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich”.
The first four seasons of the Moscow Art Theatre were staged here, including the premieres of Chekhov's “The Seagull” and “Uncle Vanya”.
In 1903 the illusionist Harry Houdini performed in the garden, and over the years so did Chaliapin, Sobinov, Anna Pavlova and Sarah Bernhardt.
The lamp bases with the monogram “ЯЩ” (Yakov Shchukin's initials) are original: they are among the oldest lamps in Moscow.
The garden has busts of Victor Hugo, a gift from the Paris city hall, and of Dante, a gift from the Italian government; both were installed in 2000.

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