Прогулки по старой Москве. Большая Полянка

"Zamoskvorechye has always lagged behind the times. The reason for this lies in the name itself. Zamoskvorechye means beyond the Moscow River. That is, somewhere there, not in the main part of the city, but on the outskirts. Moreover, it is from there, from the south, Mongol-Tatar conquerors most often came.And, of course, the wise Muscovite was in no hurry to settle there.
Strange as it may seem, this delay in time is observed even now.
Zamoskvorechye is a paradise for those who love travel through the past. Here, for example, there are no Stalinist skyscrapers. None. Zamoskvorechye is generally squat. Two floors is already a lot. You can get by with one.
And at the same time, Zamoskvorechye does not look like a provincial Russian city. This is exactly Moscow , with the advantages and disadvantages inherent in this city - intellectuality, dignity, diversity coexist with narcissism and snobbery.And, of course, there is the unique smell of Moscow here - the very one that a Muscovite traveler feels in the first minute when he returns to his city.
True, in Zamoskvorechye this smell is thicker, cleaner. It smells of old Moscow houses, a unique old Moscow spirit has been preserved here."

Alexey Mitrofanov