Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds
Subway station «Mayakovskaya»
The novel The Master and Margarita famously begins here. This is a very popular area for strolling – once for the writer and his friends, and now for Bulgakov’s fans. From 1932 to 1994 the ponds were known as the Pionersky Ponds
Historically, this area was known as Goat Marsh. In the seventeenth century, Patriarch’s settlement appeared here. Patriarch’s Ponds were originally three ponds ordered by Patriarch Ioakim in 1683-1684 to farm fish for his table. In the first half of the nineteenth century, they were filled in, leaving one decorative pond around which a square was established. Patriarch’s Ponds were one of Bulgakov’s favourite places in Moscow and he had a great number of stories connected to them. According to L.E. Belozerskaya, the writer discussed important issues at Patriarch’s Ponds (‘One especially intimate conversation in which M.A. – a closed person – was extremely open bought me over and changed my attitude on single life’).
According to M. Chudakova, E. Bulgakova told her how, in 1929, when he had already begun work on his novel, Bulgakov took her to Patriarch’s Ponds at night under a full moon to visit a certain mysterious old man. B. Lakshin also wrote about this in his memoirs: ‘There they were met by some old man with a white beard in a long coat (he had returned from exile through Astrakhan) and a young man… They had luxurious foods for those times – salmon and caviar. Whilst, they were looking for the flat, E. asked, “Misha, where are you taking me?” He simply answered, “Shhh…” and raised a finger to his lips. They sat by the fireplace. The old man asked, “Can I kiss you?” He kissed her and looking her in the eyes, said, “Witch”. “How did he guess?” cried Bulgakov.’