Published on: 2026-09-17
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev, Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Oksana Lut, and the Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin the Central Moscow Hippodrome on Begovaya Street was reopened after comprehensive reconstruction.
“Moscow is once again becoming the center of equestrian sports in Russia. Congratulations to you. Huge thanks to our President, the Government of the Russian Federation for the invaluable assistance they provided in the restoration and creation of the new hippodrome, a unique facility in our country and in the world,” said Sergey Sobyanin.
The Central Moscow Hippodrome, the oldest in Russia and the world’s first trotting hippodrome, was founded in 1834. It is located on the territory of the former Khodynka Field at 22 Begovaya Street.
In its current form, the complex of the Central Moscow Hippodrome was formed in the 1950s. The main building and the gate pylons with equestrian sculptures (1898–1899, sculptors — Sergey Volnukhin and Konstantin Klodt), decorating the entrance from Leningradsky Prospect, are objects of regional cultural heritage.
Until the late 1980s, the Central Moscow Hippodrome was one of the busiest leisure spots in the capital. Then came a lull; from 1992 to 2000, no races were held. They were only resumed in the 2000s, but on a much smaller scale than during the heyday of the Moscow Hippodrome. Due to insufficient investment in infrastructure, it gradually began to decline.
Comprehensive reconstruction of the hippodrome
The comprehensive reconstruction project, developed by the Moscow Government together with the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, envisaged the revival of the Moscow Hippodrome as a unique sports and leisure center.
Work began in 2024. Before starting, specialists studied materials from the A.V. Shchusev State Museum of Architecture, the State Archive of the Russian Federation, sketches from the Ivan Zholtovsky workshop, and historical photographs.
Based on research, a restoration project was developed for the main building of the Central Moscow Hippodrome. The facade renovation primarily involved cleaning the surfaces and complementing the decor. Specialists repaired the pinnacles, vases, and stucco of the portico and stands, restored the historic brickwork, reinforced the load-bearing structures, updated protective coatings, and carefully preserved the original architectural elements. In addition, they installed internal engineering communications and also restored the historic details of the interior decor.
During the clearing of the tribune bas-reliefs, fragments of historical paintings were found. They were in very poor condition, but the fact of their discovery allowed the restoration project to be adjusted and included the recreation of the painted layer.
In addition, the quadriga and the horse sculptures located on the roof were restored. The craftsmen had to work at a height of over 20 meters. During the scientific and exploratory works, it was established that the sculptures have a complex structure. The horses’ framework consists entirely of metal angles covered with a “skin” made of a rare material — shpiatr (an alloy of zinc, tin, and additives). Then they cleaned old layers of paint and repair inserts, reinforced the black metal frameworks, restored lost elements from shpiatr cast according to a special recipe, and sealed cracks. Special attention was given to restoring the original plastic art using the chasing method. The process was completed by applying a protective coating.
As a result of the work carried out, it was possible to restore the historic appearance of the main building. The main spectator stand has a capacity of two thousand people. Initially, specialists considered various options, including installing modern seats and creating additional commercial spaces, but ultimately decided to preserve the spectator seats in the form they had in the 1950s according to the project of architect Ivan Zholtovsky (1867–1959). Visitors will see the hippodrome as it was during its heyday — with open stands and traditional wooden benches.
“I believe that we are not just returning a building, we are restoring a tradition, a true focal point for the citizens and guests of our capital. And together with you, we are opening a new chapter in the development of domestic horse breeding. After all, for the industry, the hippodrome is an important testing ground,” noted Dmitry Patrushev, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation.
The totalizator will resume operation for betting enthusiasts. In addition, the historic restaurant and the museum of the history of the Central Moscow Hippodrome have been preserved. Specialists carefully restored the interiors of three restaurant halls — the Royal and Column halls, designed in the Stalinist Empire style, as well as the “Hippodrome” hall in the constructivist style. They have been equipped with modern equipment.
Thanks to the reconstruction of the interior premises, the museum’s area was significantly increased. Three permanent exhibitions were placed here, which tell visitors about the history of the racecourse and the development of horse breeding in Russia. Among the exhibits are medals, cups, pieces of equipment, and other memorable artifacts related to the history of equestrian sports in the country. For example, here one can learn about the achievements of outstanding domestic athletes Nikolai Nasibov (1929–1996) and Vitaly Tanishin (born 1939).
“The reconstruction allowed us to create the most modern infrastructure at the Moscow Hippodrome. Now it will once again become the center of our entire testing system, the flagship of Russian hippodrome affairs. At the same time, the solutions implemented here should become a standard for the modernization of other hippodromes in our country,” emphasized Dmitry Patrushev, adding that horse races, runs, and other spectacular events are resuming at the central hippodrome of the capital.
The improvement of the Central Moscow Hippodrome is more than one-third completeHistorical pylons near the Central Moscow Hippodrome will be restoredThe construction of the stables is nearing completion at the Central Moscow Hippodrome
Modern competition zone
The updated competition area meets the highest international standards for equestrian events. The length of the prize racing track is 1.6 kilometers, and the width is 25 meters. This will allow races to be held with the maximum number of participants per race — up to 16 horses.
“The Moscow Hippodrome will become a venue for hosting international competitions. We have already begun discussions with our colleagues in other countries on how they can come here to showcase their achievements in prize horse breeding and continue holding our events,” shared Oksana Lut, Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.
The prize track for trotting races is 1.4 kilometers long and 25 meters wide, including a three-meter safety strip, designed for races that can include up to 10 horses.
The show jumping competition area includes the jumping and warm-up arenas, as well as technical facilities. In addition, two training tracks with soft and hard surfaces, each 1.2–1.3 kilometers long, have been set up. The different types of surfaces allow training to be adapted to specific tasks: practicing speed elements or working on endurance and running technique.
Service roads are intended for the movement of judges, technical staff, and specialists organizing television broadcasts. They will provide convenient and unobstructed access to key points of the hippodrome, as they do not intersect with the main sports areas and do not interfere with the competition.
Intense lighting with a power of at least 1,200 lux allows races and gallops to be held in the evening hours. In addition, the racecourse is equipped with automatic timing systems, photo finish, and video broadcasting.
For the first time, the space inside the racing and jogging tracks was improved — a tented finish zone (an additional area for spectators) and a platform for various cultural and sports events appeared here.
A 100-meter-long underground passage was built to access the inside of the racetrack. In addition, a double-track tunnel 190 meters long and 8.2 meters wide was provided for horses exiting the stables and returning, as well as a 300-meter-long tunnel five meters wide for large-sized maintenance equipment.
Modern horse yard
The most important part of the project was the creation of a modern equestrian yard — a large complex combining stables with a total area of over 40,000 square meters, a veterinary unit, and other necessary accompanying infrastructure.
The stables for racehorses and running horses have been equipped with ventilation systems, which will ensure an optimal microclimate for keeping the animals. Spacious stalls-boxes and auxiliary rooms, including feed kitchens, wash areas, and a night duty post, have been provided for the horses’ rest.
Barrels and waterers were provided for warming up and training horses, paddocks and tracks for exercise, and a paddock (an open-air area near the main building) for leading out and inspection before races.
For competition participants arriving with their horses from other cities and countries, a guest stable and a building with a dining hall and gym were constructed.
Special attention was paid to veterinary services. The modern veterinary unit includes a quarantine stable, an isolation ward, a rehabilitation center, and a doping control point. The veterinary clinic comprises post-operative wards, a doctor’s office, treatment rooms, an ultrasound room, an X-ray diagnostics room, preparation rooms for examinations and procedures, a pharmacy, and other offices, as well as rest rooms for the staff.
In addition, an arena for hippotherapy — therapeutic horseback riding — was introduced.
Comfortable public space
Inside the racing circle for visitors of the Moscow Hippodrome, a recreational area with a decorative pond has been created. Now you can comfortably relax by the water here at any time of the day.
In addition, they created a convenient network of roads and trails and a street lighting system, as well as installed about 100 small architectural forms — information stands, navigation signs, bike racks, and trash bins.
The hippodrome area was landscaped. Shrubs and trees were planted here, including pines, spruces, chestnuts, and maples. An important element of the landscape design was a live hedge of cotoneaster stretching over a kilometer. It serves several functions at once: acting as a visual accent, zoning the space, and also protecting the area from wind and dust. Lawns were sown over an area of nearly 6.5 hectares. For this, vertical leveling was performed: the terrain was evened out and a fertile soil layer was laid, which ensures good grass rooting and lawn durability.
Simultaneously with the completion of the hippodrome reconstruction, the square in front of the main building, Begovaya Alley, Skakovaya Alley, Skakovaya Street, as well as the adjacent residential blocks were improved. As a result, the territory of the Central Moscow Hippodrome has become a comfortable space not only for sports competitions but also for city residents’ walks and relaxation.
New street and road network
To improve transport accessibility to the Moscow Hippodrome, in September 2026 the construction and reconstruction of about 1.7 kilometers of roads along the tracks of the first Moscow Central Diameter were completed — from the Third Transport Ring to Leningradsky Prospekt, including sections of Nizhnyaya Street (about 650 meters) and Projected Passage No. 1808 (over a kilometer).
Throughout the entire new street and road network, bike lanes, comfortable sidewalks for pedestrians, and new lighting were installed, and the surrounding area was also improved.
History of the Moscow Hippodrome
The Central Moscow Hippodrome is one of the oldest racing hippodromes in the world. In Russia, it became the first venue with a full-fledged and permanent infrastructure for equestrian competitions: stables, horse preparation services, and stands — they appeared at the hippodrome in 1837. Back then, these were two small two-story gazebos located at the ends of the racing tracks.
Between 1896 and 1899, the main building was constructed according to the design by architects Ivan Baryutin (1868–1928) and Semyon Kulagin (1867–1951). It looked very elegant thanks to numerous turrets and a four-column portico. The main decoration was the equestrian sculptures by Konstantin Klodt (1868–1928) and Sergey Volnukhin (1859–1921). Konstantin Klodt was the grandson of the famous Pyotr Klodt (1805–1867), the author of the quadriga of the Bolshoi Theatre and numerous equestrian statues in Saint Petersburg.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the Moscow Hippodrome had become a popular venue for public entertainment and cultural events. In addition to races and horse racing, there were hot air balloon launches, cycling competitions, charity celebrations, and other events held here.
In July 1949, a fire broke out at the Central Moscow Hippodrome. The cause was a violation of the fire safety supervision ban on using open flames to remove old paint from the stands. As a result, all the stands and most of the main building burned down, leaving only the facade walls intact. Additionally, only one of the quadrigas survived the fire; from the second sculptural group, only the horses remained.
The restoration work on the hippodrome lasted from 1951 to 1955. It was overseen by the Architectural workshop-school of the academician of architecture I.V. Zholtovsky. Ivan Zholtovsky (1867–1959) skillfully incorporated the old structures into the new construction project. The burned wooden structures were replaced by a two-tier monolithic reinforced concrete structure with a canopy supported on thin columns. The sculptures that survived the fire were organically integrated into the new appearance of the hippodrome. The preserved quadriga took its place above the center of the portico, and the remaining horses from the second quadriga were placed at its edges and at the base of the tower.
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Equestrian sports in Moscow
It is estimated that more than 12,000 people practice equestrian sports in the capital. For organizing the training process, 93 sports zones have been arranged — city, federal, and private, including 36 indoor and 57 outdoor ones.
In 2023, Government of Moscow completed a comprehensive reconstruction of the largest equestrian sports development center in the capital — the Bitza Equestrian Complex in the Chertanovo Severnoye district. Currently, the modernization of the CSKA equestrian base in the Khovrino district (Dybenco Street, property 5) is underway, which is planned to be completed in 2027.
Due to the change in the rules of competitions in modern pentathlon, a comprehensive modernization of the Moscow Academy of Modern Pentathlon in the Severnaya district is planned to begin in October 2026.
In addition, it is planned to build two equestrian sports complexes with a total area of over 24 thousand square meters in the Vnukovo and Krasnopakhorsky districts of the TiNAO territory by 2030, financed by investors.
Within the Moscomsport system, based on the physical culture and sports association “Youth of Moscow,” a training program in equestrian sports is implemented, with over 540 people participating. There are 519 people with sports ranks, 20 holders of the master of sports title, and one international master of sports. Training is conducted by 29 coaches.
Moscow athletes make up one-third (33.7 percent) of the Russian national equestrian team.
Every year, over 200 equestrian competitions are held in the capital, including stages of the Cup, Russian championships and tournaments, Moscow city championships, sports school tournaments, as well as cups and tournaments of the Moscow Equestrian Sports Federation.
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