Fairy tales keep living in our hearts even when we become adults. Magic never disappears from life completely, it just secretes itself in the nooks, where only true romantics can find it. In various corners of Moscow you can come at intricately painted towers, fantastic museums and images of fairy tale characters that bring us back to the world of childhood. The main thing here is to know where to look for it!
Izmailovo Kremlin
The fancy world of carved Russian tower palaces, figured turrets and painted "gingerbread cottages" exists not only in animated films! Little visitors of the Izmailovo Kremlin can participate in excursions in the Russian Toy Museum and art workshops, while adults will be interested in seeing the Russian Vodka Museum and the Bread Museum, the Antiquarian Market and shop stalls of ethnic Russian souvenirs.
Address: 73, Izmailovskoye Highway, Moscow
Fairy Tale House (Pertsova's Profitable House)
Not only children, but adults as well believe in fairy tales. An original house with peaked turrets, tower balconies and walls decorated with fairy tale designs appeared in the Prechistenskaya Embankment in the early 20th century. It looks as if it has descended from pages of a children's book. The magic building decorated with images of mythological animals, carved platbands and traditional ornaments was built by engineer Pertsov, a fan of Russian art.
Address: 1/35, Soymonovsky Drive, Moscow
Dom-Teremok aka Tower House
Dom-teremok is designed in the style of Russian Fancy typical for merchant and seigniorial houses of medieval Russia. Carved platbands, eaves and turrets create a fairytale like ensemble, which seems to have come down to us from bygone epic times. However, the relict look of the house is only external, while its rooms are equipped with all technical novelties of the 21st century.
Address: 5, Khvostov Lane, 5
Literary Yard of Krylov's Fables
The world of amusing characters of wise and funny fables by Ivan Krylov exists actually! These fable characters known to the Russians since childhood are settled in the literary yard nooked amidst Moscow's high-rise buildings: a crow holding a piece of cheese in its beak, a cunning fox, an unlucky musical quartet of a goat, a donkey, a bear and a monkey, and a greedy pig munching on oak roots. The stone animals are favourite game "companions" of local children and peculiar moral and philosophical reminder for adults.
Address: 2, Otkrytoye Highway, Moscow
Merchant Igumnov's House
The historical old mansion of merchant Igumnov is well-known not only for its carved columns, turrets and tent domes in style of Russian Art Nouveau, but also for many of its stories and legends. It is known that back in 1901 merchant Igumnov organized a scandalous ball party in the tower, having covered its floor with gold coins. Moreover, a legend says that the house owner's ex-mistress was immured in one of the walls of the mysterios castle and her ghost is till wandering around the halls of the mansion…
Address: 43, Bolshaya Yakimanka Street
Dragon House in Moscow Area
This picture-book boarding house in Pirogovo is designed to resemble a mythical dragon coiled amidst trees. The ecological project of the famous architect Totan Kuzembayev does not break integrity of the natural landscape. The roof of the building is smoothly blended with a grass lawn, whereas its panoramic windows and glass walls of its verandah make you feel an integral part of the nature around.
Address: 3, Klyazmensky Reservoir Settlement, Mytishchi District, Moscow Region
Author: Vera Ivanova