Shcherbinka
In 2012 a town Shcherbinka became by part of New Moscow, but at this days it is a typical satellite town of Moscow.
The center
Usually the core of town of Podmoskovye is a rail station, where suburban electric trains stopped. So we decided to begin our exploration of the town from district near the station. In the end of April there already worked a fountain. On the background you can see a plain church. Obvious it is a modern building. Usual panel houses around. It seems there is nothing special.
If look closely you can see unusual things here too. Every nozzle of fountain has own tap with hieroglyphs. It interesting, is a person who responsible for it open an every tap one after other every morning?
From other side of the fountain there is some more interesting. A child playground. We love them. Than there more playgrounds in a town than it more suitable for living of families.
A most lovely characters of Russian tales – Emelya and the Pike.
Someone can’t know this animal from the first sight. May be it is chupakabra.
Let’s look on building in the center.
A usual street of near Podmoskovye.
A business center was built in the yard. It doesn’t beautify the place, thought.
A new part
Shcherbinka is situated very close to Moscow (should we say to Old Moscow now?) and, correspondingly, there should be a lot of beautiful new houses with perfectly developed infrastructure. Let check it on the example of new block in Industrialnaya street.
Let start inspection with our lovely topic, from playgrounds.
Children solve equations during games.
We was plesasantly surprised when we saw new trainers. All are working, tested on themselves.
And what is it? When 10 years agoe people bought flats here a developer answer with proud: “Kindergarten”. Than the developer was bankrupt and building are staying unfinished.
An aryck near of the new block. It should remember native places to migrants from Central Asia.
We decided to finish exploring of the town and look on outskirts.
A railroad ring and “Cat’s house”
The largest object of Shcherbinka is an experimental railroad ring of the Institute of the Railroad Transport.
If you want to pass to the ring without any difficulty, you need to drive inside first, into Novokuryanovo village. Then you need walk across the field. A lapwing entertained me when I walk to embankment. It surprise for me, that they live just in 6 km from MKAD.
Coltsfoot were flowering everywhere around.
And now a tests of tech. A railroad stations constantly changes its name: “Syuzva”, “Lyubinskaya”, “Rastorguevo” are among others.
You may ask: “Why they need a station on the experimental ring?”. Your question is fully appropriate.
And there is an answer. The station isn’t real, it stays on the roof of the building. The station is fake and it is using for a movie filming. A personal of the station call it “Cat’s house”. Because the style of it looks as the house of Aunt Cat from the well-known tale.
Suddenly opened a door, and a security came out from the Cat’s house. Probably he bored and he didn’t chase away me from here. The security explained to me that station was built in 70s. Early there often filmed movies, but not recently.
A table with one of the station’s name.
Let’s walk to height building. This is a corporate university of Russian Railways.
There is a steam locomotive near. This locomotive was built in 1954 and one of the last from steam locomotives of L-series. This locomotive was on of the best and most popular in USSR.
A gradient of rails is well distinguished on this photo.
After admire by technics let’s go into more silent and peaceful places.
Ostafyefo
A church in Ostafyevo village.
Though we don’t have a religious feels to churches we like to walk around it. Because usually it is a nice place.
Scillas are flowering. You often can see this primroses in our forests.
Crocuses.
Let’s go into Ostafyevo estate. Entrance is 20 rubles, and visiting to museum will 100 rubles. The museum closes at 5PM but you can walks inside till late. There is a big park.
The main building is under reconstruction now
A pond is important object in the estate.
Karamzin, an author of 12 volume “History of the Russian State” lived here for a long time. 8 volumes from his epic work was created in Ostafyevo. This oak was planted 150 years ago in the memory of Karamzin.
A museum and cafe work inside the main building. They work till 5PM and we have a lack of time. So we choose the cafe and decided to visit a museum other time.
After short relax period we continued our excursion.
This is a monument to “History of the Russian State”.
Spring of 2013 was late. Only in April the nature started to alive.
A globe-flower.
The name of architect of the estate isn’t known.
A field of Mars. It was organized in memory of Russian victory in 1812.
A Kenox grove. It was planted in 2004.
A rotunda. A pergola “Apollo’s Temple” was recreated in 2012. As sign said it was took years of scientific research and more then 10 millions of rubles.
We don’t know exactly how this 10 millions was spent but the rotunda started to destroy less after than one year.
A bridge. It was here from 1805. In 1950s it was destroyed and recreated in 1999.
Information
- The Center (55°30’32″N – 37°33’48″E)
- Block of new houses (55°30’11″N – 37°33’24″E)
- The “Cat’s house” (55°30’47″N – 37°33’18″E)
- At this place you should leave a car and walk to the experimental ring (55°31′01.4″N – 37°33′13.5″E)
- Ostafyefo (55°29’41″N – 37°30’10″E)
Time: whole day.
Budget: entrance into the estate 20 rub, the museum – 100 rub, eat in the cafe from 200 rub/person.
Transport: 6 km from MKAD by Crimean highway or by electric train from Kurskiy station to Shcherbinka. You can reach Ostafyevo by bus from Shcherbinka.