Трамвай А

The car and the metro are the most common means of transportation in Moscow, but there still are many trams and trolley buses. Around Patriarch's Ponds there are no rails, so there is no risk of being decapitated. There never even was a tramway.

Line «A»

Around the Чистые пруды [Chistye Prudy] or Clean Ponds runs, since 1997, when the 850th anniversary of the city of Moscow was celebrated, line «A» again. All other lines have a number, except for this one. The «A» comes from Аннушка [Annushka] and the cars are painted with characters from The Master and Margarita. The ride is much shorter than in in 1911 when the line was used for the first time. At that time, it went along the entire Boulevard Ring. Now it goes from  Chistye Prudy metro station to the river, the old Zamoskvaresye district and the Danilov convent to the Oktyabrskaya metro station close to Gorky Park.

One of the cars is called Трактиръ Аннушка [Traktir Annushka] or Café Annushka and laps only around Chistye Prudy. It's a riding restaurant with simple, but quite good food and beverages in a cosey setting and at reasonable prices, from noon to «the last customer».

Tramway Annushka
Tramway Annushka

Annushka, trams and The Master and Margarita… it will always be a risky combination, even today. On Saturday, May 19, 2007, I decided to have another ride on tramway Annushka. It was a wonderful day with a bright sun over Moscow and the food was delicious - though the white wine could have been a little chillier. But all of the sudden the passengers were startled by an impact and the sound of breaking metal. A Ford Mondeo which wanted to turn to the left, along with the tramway, in the direction of Makarenko street, «slipped» and got pushed against the streetcar. Slipped? That’s what the driver said. It looks like Annushka moved her field of activity from Patriarchs’ Prudy to Chistye Prudy.

Tramway Annushka
Annushka doesn't rest...

Metro: Чистые пруды (Chistye Prudy)

 

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