Published on: 2026-10-19
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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Sergey Sobyanin opened the historic building of the Polivanov Gymnasium in Khamovniki after restoration. For more than 70 years, it has housed the children’s music school (CMS) named after V.I. Muradeli and the children’s art school (CAS) named after V.A. Serov.
At the solemn opening ceremony, honored guests included musicians Yuri Bashmet, Igor Butman, and Petr Lundstrem, Director of the State Symphony Orchestra “New Russia” Dmitry Grinchenko, President of the Russian Academy of Arts Vasily Tsereteli, artist-academicians of the Russian Academy of Arts Andrey Kovalchuk, Ivan Glazunov, and Alexander Rozhin (a graduate of the V.A. Serov Art School), as well as the Rector of the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov, Anatoly Lyubavin.
“One of the oldest art schools in Moscow. A large number of famous musicians have graduated from here. I hope you will have a good prospect as well. My colleagues and I once outlined a major program to renovate music schools and art schools in Moscow. This program is now practically completed. 160 schools in Moscow have been renovated, and tens of thousands of units of new equipment and musical instruments have been purchased,” noted Sergey Sobyanin.
Thanks to the comprehensive improvement of the street, the parks and embankments of Khamovniki attract many city residents for leisure. The current key task remains the completion of the renovation of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, which is to become the largest sports and recreational area in the capital. At the same time, the city does not forget the daily needs of residents. Alongside large-scale projects in the district, polyclinics, libraries, and other social facilities have been reconstructed, as well as courtyards and green areas improved.
Polivanovskaya Gymnasium
The historic building at 32/1 Prechistenka Street, construction 1, with an area of about 2,500 square meters, is part of the ensemble of the federally significant cultural heritage site “Estate: Stepanov House, Polivanov Gymnasium, 18th–19th centuries.” Its architectural dominant feature is an expressive eight-columned portico. It is raised on a basement floor and crowned with a triangular pediment featuring an exquisite sculpted frieze. The smooth columns without fluting represent an example of the strict Tuscan order, which gives the facade a special solemnity and harmony of form.
“The estate from the 18th–19th century on Prechistenka is a federally significant cultural heritage site. It was here that the private boys’ gymnasium of L.I. Polivanov was located. Its graduates included Valery Bryusov, Maximilian Voloshin, Alexander Golovin, and many others. It was also here that L.N. Tolstoy and A.N. Ostrovsky sent their sons to study,” the Mayor of Moscow wrote on his channel at
Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s channel on in the “Max” messenger
In the early 1920s, the estate was occupied by the State Academy of Artistic Sciences. At that time, the semicircular stable buildings in the courtyard were topped with a second wooden floor and adapted for housing.
By the middle of the 20th century, children’s music and art schools were established in the historic building on Prechistenka. Today, they are named after composer Vano Muradeli (1908–1970) and artist Valentin Serov (1865–1911). More than 1,200 students study at these institutions. The educational programs cover a wide range of areas: painting, classical vocal, as well as playing piano, string, wind, percussion, and folk instruments.
“The main thing, it seems to me, is that all the children already feel their life professional path and, coming to this school, they catch up. The soul grows because they come to the temple of art. And the fact that what they were engaged in is wonderfully supported by you, the Moscow Government. These are also children’s orchestra festivals, since we have had the Moscow schools orchestra for students aged nine to 15 for four years now. So I also have a direct relation to this,” noted People’s Artist of the USSR, conductor, teacher, public figure Yuri Bashmet.
Restoration of the main manor house on Prechistenka
A major restoration of the estate on Prechistenka took place in 2024–2026 on the instructions of Sergey Sobyanin. The work was carried out with the aim of preserving its historical appearance and interiors, as well as adapting it for modern use.
“Specialists have renovated the facade, the roof, and decorative elements, replaced engineering systems, windows, and doors. In particular, the oselkovy marble, sculptures, and stucco decoration in the halls, ceiling and vault paintings, parquet floors, cast-iron staircase, and slabs were restored,” wrote the Mayor of Moscow.
Source: Sergey Sobyanin’s channel on in the messenger “Max”
Vasily Tsereteli, President of the Russian Academy of Arts, Director of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, noted that children have been returned the historical heritage that was lost, and emphasized that truly the talents trained here go on to create works that later become museum treasures, our heritage.
After the restoration, comfortable conditions were created in the building for studying. Bright and spacious classrooms for painting and graphic arts appeared here. The large concert hall, known as the concert hall on Prechistenka, is once again ready to host not only educational events but also concerts featuring professional musicians. Thanks to its excellent acoustics, it is rightly considered one of the best chamber halls in the capital.
“We completed all the restoration and repair work in two years. We restored the cast-iron tiles, all the monumental paintings, and sculptures. We fully equipped everything with modern engineering systems and created comfortable zones for the work of our wonderful children,” added the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the city’s Department of Culture.
More than 800 units of modern equipment and interior solutions were purchased for the V.I. Muradeli Children’s Music School. High-class grand pianos and pianos, professional acoustic systems, and a modern upper stage mechanics system were installed in the main hall. The new lighting complex with modern spotlights and elegant stage curtains allows for events of any scale to be held.
Ergonomic student furniture, specialized easels, well-designed storage systems, and a spacious cloakroom have appeared at the V.A. Serov Children’s Art School — a total of more than 1,600 pieces of equipment. The space has been complemented with office furniture, textile elements including blinds and light-adjustable roller shades, and technologically advanced track lighting, as well as interior floor lamps. For the educational process, a reliable programmable muffle furnace was installed, ensuring safety when working with materials.
“Most importantly, it is not only that restoration is being carried out, but also that instruments are being purchased. Instruments are what remain for decades, including pianos and so on. Musicians study for 17 years. We study even longer than doctors, so this is of great importance,” said Petr Lundstrem, Deputy Chairman of the Commission for Culture and Preservation of Spiritual Heritage of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
Creative education in Moscow
In the capital, more than 720 thousand children are covered by additional education programs in the field of culture and art. Among them, over 100 thousand study in children’s art schools, colleges, and the institute of music, which are subordinate to Department of Culture of the City of Moscow.
This year, over 50,000 applications were submitted to Moscow art schools as part of the admissions campaign. This is a record figure that allowed for a worthy competitive selection.
In 2025, 38 thousand students participated in international, all-Russian, and city competitions. They won over 30 thousand awards, with more than 10 thousand of them at the international level.
Government of Moscow continues the renovation of buildings and the material and technical base of city institutions with the aim of creating comfortable conditions for obtaining creative education. Thus, within the framework of the city project “Art for Children,” more than 160 buildings of children’s art schools (DASHI) were repaired from 2018 to 2024, and two new buildings were also constructed — for the Ferenc Liszt Children’s Music School and the M.I. Glinka Children’s Art School.
In 2025, after the renovation, the children’s music schools named after N.P. Rakov and A.K. Lyadov began operating. In 2026, a new building of the Children’s Art School was opened in the city of Moskovsky, and the restoration of the buildings of the Children’s Music School named after V.I. Muradeli and the Children’s Art School named after V.A. Serov was completed.
Since 2018, schools have received more than 13,600 musical instruments, over 54,200 pieces of furniture, and more than 11,300 units of technological equipment.
Starting from 2025, the city will provide grants for obtaining higher education in the field of culture and arts. These grants cover up to 100 percent of the tuition fees at the university and are intended for graduates of schools and art colleges who have demonstrated high performance and have creative achievements but were unable to secure a state-funded spot through the general competition. Such grants were awarded to 49 talented individuals.
In addition, last year the circle of participants in grant programs for gifted students of music and art schools and creative colleges was expanded. Now, not only students of city institutions and secondary specialized educational institutions in the arts can apply for support, but also students of federal and private educational institutions licensed to implement creative educational programs.
My District. Khamovniki
In the Khamovniki district, 108 thousand Muscovites live. Located in the historic center of the capital, the district combines a rich cultural and spiritual heritage with well-developed social and sports infrastructure. Here you can find important sites — the Novodevichy Convent, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin, as well as the city’s largest sports cluster, Luzhniki.
Major improvement works on the central streets and other public spaces in Khamovniki were carried out under the “My Street” program. At that time, Ostozhenka, Prechistenka, and Gogolevsky Boulevard were improved. In the following years, work covered Komsomolsky Prospect, Dovatora Street, Lev Tolstoy Street, Savelieva Street, Pogodinskaya Street, 10th Anniversary of October Street, as well as more than 10 historic lanes, including Sivtsev Vrazhek, Glazovsky, Plotnikov, Gagarinsky, Bolshoy Levshinsky, Nashchokinsky, Chisty, Prechistensky, Sechenovsky, Bolshoy Chudov, Bolshoy and Maly Vlasyevsky.
Also improved are the “Trubetskoy Estate” park, the squares at Devichye Pole, near the Zachatyevsky Monastery, by the Sportivnaya metro station, and in the 1st Alley of Truzhenikov. In 2026, the Prechistenskaya, Frunzenskaya, Novodevichy, and Rostov embankments were renovated, as well as Novodevichy Drive. The park by the Novodevichy ponds and the boulevard along Khamovnichesky Val—from Komsomolsky Prospect to Luzhnetsky Drive—became more pleasant for walks. Over the past five years, 95 courtyards have been renovated in Khamovniki.
At the same time, cultural institutions in the district were being renovated. The restoration of the M.A. Bulgakov Museum on Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street has been completed, and the major overhaul of the premises of the Theatre of Music and Poetry under the direction of Elena Kamburova (Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street, building 53) has been finished. Specialists also repaired libraries, which have become modern bibliocenters. These include the Central City Children’s Library named after A.P. Gaidar (3rd Frunzenskaya Street, building 9, and Rostov Embankment, building 5) and Library No. 4 named after E.A. Furtseva (Frunzenskaya Embankment, building 50).
In addition, this year, after restoration, the V.A. Serov Children’s Art School and the V.I. Muradeli Children’s Music School have reopened their doors.
By the end of the year, local repairs of the facade and premises of the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Center (Ostozhenka Street, building 25, structure 1) are planned. In 2027, the completion of the major renovation of the building of the Moscow State Museum “Burganov House” (Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane, building 17, structure 1) with landscaping of the territory is planned.
After comprehensive reconstruction, medical institutions also resumed operations: branch No. 2 of polyclinic No. 68 (42 Plyushchikha Street, building 1) and the main building of children’s polyclinic No. 38 (2 10th Anniversary of October Street, building 1).
As part of the “My School” program, the building of school No. 1535 (Usacheva Street, house 50) is undergoing a complete reconstruction. For the older generation in the district, a center has been opened Moscow Longevity Center (3 Timura Frunze Street, building 4) — a space for communication, creativity, and active leisure.
As part of the development of transport infrastructure in the area, 12 new bus and electric bus routes have appeared, and more than 80 modern bus shelters have been installed. Drivers can use 13 charging stations of the “Energy of Moscow” project for electric vehicles, and cyclists — about 160 bike parking spots.
In addition, in the Khamovniki district, the restoration of the vestibules of the Kropotkinskaya metro station and the reconstruction of the fire station on Prechistenka have been completed.
A year-round weekend market operates at the “Sportivnaya” metro station. Here you can buy fresh farm products from various regions of Russia.
A large-scale project to develop sports infrastructure is being successfully implemented in Khamovniki—the revival of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex. In recent years, the Large Sports Arena, which became the main stadium of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has been renovated here. The complex now includes the Irina Viner Gymnastics Palace, the International Sambo Center and Boxing Center, the Water Sports Palace, the Kristall Ice Palace, the Tennis Palace, as well as a cable car connecting Luzhniki with the Vorobyovy Gory. The multipurpose sports hall “Druzhba” has also been updated. Plans include the reconstruction of the Small Sports Arena, the construction of a Sports Palace, and new venues for football, tennis, table tennis, and padel.
Starting from 2025, a comprehensive improvement project will be implemented in Luzhniki, aimed at transforming the area into the largest recreational space in Moscow while maintaining sports as the main dominant feature.
In the first stage, the central square was renovated. In winter, a skating rink is flooded here, and in summer the “Water Surface” fountain operates. A gastronomic cluster was formed on the square and adjacent alleys. The pier was also reconstructed – it now accommodates electric boats on the fourth river route Luzhniki — Kievsky.
The second phase of improvement began this year. The space around the Large Sports Arena was made more comfortable, and a festival square was arranged. Currently, the sports area “Under the Bridge” is being renovated. There will be courts for streetball and workout, including those adapted for people with disabilities, a children’s playground, and an open skate park.
At the same time, the Luzhnetskaya embankment is being refurbished. It is planned to replace the surface of the running and cycling paths, as well as to create themed playgrounds for children of different ages. They will be dedicated to tennis, figure skating, and running.
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