I like the feeling of space you can get early in the morning on a sunny Sunday in big city.
It is Sadovoe koltso, Garden ring (unfortunately the road won over the gardens during the years), which goes around the city center.
The protective bank (rampart?) made of soil surrounded Moscow from enemies since the beginning of 17th century. Later it was reconstructed in wood and was about 5m(16') high. By the end of the 17th century it became the customs border around the city. And in the beginning of 19th the wall was in no use and partly destroyed, the city spreading. So authorities decided to construct the wide road around the city.
200 years later the Garden ring shows the bounds of the city center, when the whole city grew and its bounds changed so dramatically.
Wiki (ENG).
Google map.
Posted by Irina.
