Published on: 2026-10-05
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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Moscow archaeologists have restored a collection of archaeological finds discovered in Korobeynikov Lane. Archaeological excavations were conducted here in the spring of 2026. Among the artifacts found are fragments of ceramic, faience, and porcelain dishes, stove tiles, weapon bullets, old coins, figurines, children’s toys, as well as glass containers. The finds will be transferred to the Museum of Moscow in the near future.
“Capital archaeologists conducted extensive research in the Korobeynikov Lane area. Specialists studied the coastal zone of the pond that was located here in the 18th–19th centuries. During the excavations, about a thousand individual finds were uncovered. Among them were coins, bullets, and buttons from that period. Alongside fragments of stove tiles, ceramic, porcelain, and faience dishes, as well as glass beads, archaeologists found numerous containers for ointments and lipsticks. Among them, a particularly notable piece is an elegant porcelain jar with gold stripes, hand painting, and a bright landscape. Another interesting find was a figurine of a barefoot girl in a summer hat with loose hair, who lifts the edge of her dress with one hand as if preparing to step into the water. As of today, archaeologists have already cleaned and restored all the artifacts. Soon, these unique testimonies of Moscow life from past centuries will be transferred to the museum collection of Moscow,” said the head of the capital’s Department of Cultural Heritage.
Ceramic and glass containers occupy a special place in the collection of finds: vials, bottles, flasks, and jars. They were intended for storing medicines, perfumery, and cosmetics. This collection has been supplemented with vials bearing the markings of well-known Moscow pharmacies and perfumery manufacturers “Ferein,” “Keller,” “Ermans.”
Among the glass vials is an inkwell from the Faber company with a glass stopper shaped like a crescent. The history of this brand spans several centuries and is full of interesting events. Founded in 1761 in one of the Western European countries, the company became one of the leading firms in its industry and was very popular in the territory of the Russian Empire.
Another interesting item is a glass jar formerly used for candies from the confectionery factory “Heirs of Yani and Yanula Panayot.” The factory was founded in 1880 by Yani Panayot, a native of the city of Rodosto (now Tekirdağ, Turkey), who was Greek by nationality. Having assimilated into Russian culture, he became known as Ivan Pavlovich Yani and established the production of oriental sweets in Moscow, building a confectionery factory in Denisovsky Lane. His confectioneries sold rahat-lukum, pastila, and marmalade. At the end of the 19th century, the wrappers and boxes of candies from the steam factory “Trading House Heirs of Yani Yanula Panayot with sons in Moscow” bore medals and indicated that the Yani family became official suppliers to “His Majesty the King of Greece” and the “King of Serbia.”
Numerous toys, figurines, and board game accessories speak about the hobbies of adult and young Muscovites of the 19th century: ceramic and porcelain figurines, tin soldiers, miniature toy beer mugs for the game of biryulki, as well as domino tiles.
The area around Korobeynikov Lane, where extensive archaeological research was conducted, conceals a centuries-old history of the development of the capital’s territories. The lane received its present name back in the 18th century after a local homeowner, but the settlement of these lands began much earlier.
Before the defensive walls of the wooden town were built along the line of today’s Garden Ring in 1591–1592, this area was considered a distant suburb. The development of the outskirts proceeded gradually, following the population growth of ancient Moscow. The earliest written evidence of the development of this district is considered by scholars to be the mention of the village Semchinskoye. Researchers determine its exact location by the historical position of the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God “in the Semchinskoye hamlet.”
For the first time in chronicles, this territory is mentioned in 1336 — in the first spiritual charter of the Grand Duke Ivan Kalita, who bequeathed the “village of Semtsinskoye” to his son Ivan (the future Ivan II the Red). Later, in 1565, by the decree of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, these lands were included in the oprichnina. The village finally became part of the city limits only after the monarch’s death, quickly transforming from a suburban settlement into a bustling urban sloboda.
The first archaeological excavations here began back in the 1930s during the large-scale construction of the Moscow Metro. Today, thanks to modern excavations, archaeologists are able to uncover new chapters of the daily life of citizens from past eras.
Traditionally, all archaeological finds are transferred to the Museum Fund of the Russian Federation after restoration. In 2026, the collections were replenished with nearly three thousand items discovered during archaeological excavations. In total, over the past five years, more than 50,000 individual finds have been transferred to the funds.
Photographic materials and other information about Moscow’s cultural heritage are posted in the “Cultural Heritage” section of the city media bank “Mosphoto”.
A large-scale project is presented on the mos.ru portal special project, dedicated to the development of Moscow’s key sectors. Among them are transportation, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and construction. The special project helps to learn how the capital has changed over the past years, which initiatives aimed at making residents’ lives even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its inhabitants in the near future.
On the project page “Culture, Heritage, and Leisure Industry” one can learn about how architectural monuments are preserved in the capital. Moscow is the center of the country’s cultural life and ranks among the leading metropolises in terms of the number of museums and exhibition halls. The city has created a film cluster that unites the Moskino film factory on Ryazansky Avenue, the Gorky Film Studio, and the Moskino film park.
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