In the heart of old Moscow, reclamation and reprieve

The Church of St. Maxim the Blessed and its leaning belltower next to St. Barbara Church, with the Kremlin beyond. (Christopher Marcisz for The Boston Globe)

MOSCOW - For decades, the Rossiya, Europe's largest hotel, towered over one of the oldest and most picturesque streets in the Russian capital. But in a welcome departure from the usual run of things, a redevelopment scheme designed to bring more condos, malls, and offices to the city's hot real estate market has corrected a longstanding mistake. At least for now.

Ulitsa Varvarka, or Saint Barbara Street, is a narrow lane running east from Red Square through what had been the Zaryadye district. Situated in the heart of the capital along the Moscow River, it is one of the oldest parts of the city, dating to the 13th century, when it was home to the city's largest merchant district. Since it was so close to the Kremlin and the seat of power, the area was a casualty of grandiose Soviet urban planning schemes in the 20th century. Its narrow streets and yards were razed during Josef Stalin's rule as part of a massive slum-clearing project.

In the 1960s, Premier Nikita Khrushchev ordered the construction of a hotel along the riverbank. The building, which was intended for delegates to the Congress of Soviets, featured a jaw-dropping 3,200 rooms. When it opened in 1967, it was little more than a massive, rectangular concrete block. Its grounds and driveways wound like vines around the amazing churches and monasteries on Varvarka that were mercifully spared, though they would be left to crumble in the shadow of the 21-story tower at the center of the hotel.

Nearly everyone came to agree that the Rossiya Hotel was too much. Demolition began early last year, and today is mostly completed. For now the simple wonders of Varvarka reside in relative peace.

The highlights are the street's small, diverse churches, which are a welcome contrast to the gaudy splendor of nearby St. Basil's. The first you come across as you walk east is the salmon and pink colored St. Barbara Church, built in a neoclassical style in 1796 at a time when Russia was looking to the West. Unlike traditional Orthodox churches with their exotic, multicolored onion domes, this church features a modest rotunda.

Next door, built a hundred years earlier, is the Church of St. Maxim the Blessed. It has a simple silver dome and a leaning belltower. Farther along is the Monastery of the Sign, with its central five-domed church in brown and gold. The Church of St. George, built in 1657, is down the street. Its bright blue domes atop red brick turrets are decorated with stars.

Other interesting buildings are wedged between the churches. The 500-year-old Old English Court is the restored home of the first British Embassy in Moscow. It features the thick walls and tiny windows necessary to survive a Russian winter before the advent of central heating and insulation. The same is true of the nearby Zaryadye Chambers, the original city dwelling of the Romanovs, one of Russia's most powerful noble families.

The entire area is preparing for the next stage of Russian history. The space is scheduled to become the kind of elaborate mixed-use development common in Moscow today. British architect Norman Foster's plan for Russia's next playground for the wealthy will supposedly recapture some of the spirit of the old Zaryadye district. What it will look like is not hard to imagine. On the north side of Ulitsa Varvarka is Gostiny Dvor, one of the poshest malls in the country with its expensive boutiques and restaurants, and outside, lines of parked BMWs and Benzes.

For now, the global economic crisis and disputes over the best use for the most desirable parcel remaining in the center of Moscow have put the project on hold. For Ulitsa Varvarka, the reprieve is welcome.

Christopher Marcisz can be reached at cwmarc@hotmail.com.