Khamovniki, Moscow: a quiet centre inside the river bend
Khamovniki in Moscow: Ostozhenka, Frunzenskaya Embankment and Luzhniki. Who the district suits, what living here costs you and three scored addresses.
Contents 6 sections
What the district is like
Khamovniki fills the bend of the Moskva River between the Garden Ring and Luzhniki. In the north are Ostozhenka and Prechistenka, with old mansions and small luxury blocks. The middle is Stalin-era housing along Komsomolsky Prospekt and Frunzenskaya Embankment. In the south stand the Novodevichy Convent and the Luzhniki sports park.
On paper it belongs to the Central district, but it has few crowds or offices. It has old courtyards, schools and a market, and people pay for quiet streets within a walk of the Kremlin.
Errands on foot
The red metro line runs the length of the district, with Kropotkinskaya, Park Kultury, Frunzenskaya, Sportivnaya and Vorobyovy Gory, and the Moscow Central Circle stops by the stadium. From most courtyards a station is a short walk away; at the far end of the embankment it takes noticeably longer.
Groceries come from the chain stores on Komsomolsky Prospekt and from Usachevsky Market. For a walk people go to the square by the Novodevichy ponds, to the Trubetskoy estate, or across the Andreyevsky Bridge into Neskuchny Garden. There are plenty of schools and clinics, which is rare for central Moscow.
What we measured
We picked three addresses in different parts of the district: a building on Ostozhenka near the Garden Ring, one on Komsomolsky Prospekt, and one deep in the blocks on Usacheva Street. The set runs from a grand avenue to a quiet courtyard.
| Address | Score | Groceries | Station or stop | School | Park | Noise and air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ostozhenka Street, 25, Moscow | 79.5 | 4 min | 7 minPark Kultury | 4 min | 10 min | −7.5 |
| Komsomolskiy Avenue, 28, Moscow | 80.3 | 4 min | 1 minFrunzenskaya | 8 min | 1 min | −7.5 |
| Usachyova street, 11I, Moscow | 79.0 | 5 min | 10 minFrunzenskaya | 4 min | 5 min | −8.1 |
Map numbers match the table rows. Use the plus button to zoom in.
The noise and air row explains why an address on the avenue loses to one in a courtyard when the shops around them are the same. How the score works gives the rules behind it.
Who it suits
- Families who want a school, a clinic and a park without a car.
- People who work in the centre and want to walk there or ride two stops.
- Anyone drawn to Stalin-era buildings with high ceilings and big courtyards.
- Relocating professionals who want to live centrally and still sleep in silence.
What it costs you
Khamovniki is one of the most expensive districts in Moscow, and almost nothing new gets built, so the choice is small and slow to change. Courtyard parking is tight. The embankment and Komsomolsky Prospekt carry traffic around the clock, so ask which way the windows face. On match and concert days at Luzhniki the southern end fills with crowds.
Neighbours
North of the Garden Ring lies Presnensky district, with the Patriarch Ponds and Moscow City. Across the river on the Sparrow Hills is Ramenki, with the university and new housing estates. When Khamovniki is the wish and the budget does not stretch, people usually look there.