Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is the only surviving pond in Moscow’s Presnensky District, one of the city’s most recognizable spots, and the setting for the opening pages of Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita. Surrounded by an old public garden and upscale residential development, the pond has long become a symbol of both literary and historical Moscow.

Until the 17th century, the site was occupied by Goat Marsh (Kozye Boloto), used as a waste dump and a place of execution for disgraced boyars and clergy: in 1568 boyar Ivan Fyodorov was executed here, and in 1702 an elder accused of sorcery was burned. In the early 17th century, the marshy area became a patriarchal residence with the churches of St. Hermolaus and St. Spyridon of Trimythous, and in 1683 Patriarch Joachim ordered the swamp drained and three fish ponds dug — hence the name of the neighboring Tryokhprudny (Three Ponds) Lane. After the patriarchate was abolished, the ponds were abandoned and the area became marshy again.

After the fire of 1812, only one of the three ponds was preserved; it was cleared and a small garden was laid out around it. In the early 20th century, the surrounding area was actively built up with apartment buildings, and the pond itself was nearly filled in after a severe flood in 1897 — the idea was abandoned due to protests from residents of the densely populated neighborhood. During the Soviet era, in 1932, the pond received the ideologically appropriate name “Pioneer Ponds,” and only in 1992 was the historic name restored.

Since the early 20th century, a winter skating rink has been set up on the pond — legend has it that Leo Tolstoy brought his daughters here to skate; today the ice rink covers about 12,000 square meters and is lit up by floodlights in the evenings. But it was Bulgakov’s novel that brought the place true nationwide fame, opening precisely here with the encounter between Berlioz and Bezdomny and the mysterious foreigner. In 1999, a competition was announced for a monument to the writer and his characters, designed by sculptor Alexander Rukavishnikov, but local residents opposed the large-scale ensemble with a fountain, and the monument was never installed.

In 2012, a sign with an ironic inscription referencing the novel’s plot appeared near the water, and in 2015, as part of the “My Street” beautification program, parking was removed from the surrounding streets, sidewalks were widened, and wires were laid underground, after which pedestrian traffic around the pond noticeably increased. The previously unnamed garden nearby was officially named in Bulgakov’s honor at the same time.

Today, Patriarch’s Ponds remains one of the most atmospheric places in central Moscow: city festivals, book fairs, and Bulgakov evenings are held here, and the pond is equally appealing to literature enthusiasts and to residents of the surrounding lanes seeking a quiet stroll just steps from the Garden Ring.