Meshchansky District, Administrative district in Central Moscow, Russia.
The Meshchansky District is an administrative area in central Moscow stretching from the Kitai-gorod area northward to Kamer-Kollezhsky Val. Its boundaries are marked by the Neglinnaya River along one side and Bolshaya Lubyanka Street on another, separating it from neighboring districts.
Ukrainian and Belarusian settlers founded over 690 households here during the late 17th century, establishing the Meshchanskaya settlement. This community, which took root during the Russo-Polish War period, became the foundation for what is now an important city district.
The Sretensky Monastery and Theological Academy remain important spiritual sites in this area. A monument near the former Mariinsky Hospital marks the birthplace of writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky, connecting the district to Russian literary history.
The district houses major government institutions like the Federal Security Service and the Central Bank of Russia. Some areas may have access restrictions, so it is helpful to plan your route around main public streets and monuments.
The name comes from meshchane, a historical term for ordinary city residents who were neither merchants nor government officials. This label reveals the modest background of the area's earliest inhabitants and their social standing in old Russia.
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