Old Fields

Along Teatralny proezd, archaeologists uncovered the 16th-century fortified wall that used to surround Kitai Gorod, as well as the foundations of the 1493 Trinity Church. Coins, jewellery and tombstones were also excavated from the site, which is called Starye Polya, or `old fields'. Besides the remains of the wall and the church, you can now see the memorial statue of Ivan Fyodorov, the 16th-century printer responsible for Russia's first book.

The gated walkway Tretyakovsky proezd leads into Kitai Gorod. The archway, built in the 1870s, was apparently financed by the Tretyakov brothers, founders of their namesake gallery. Apparently, the construction of the medieval-style gate and the opening of the passageway was an attempt to relieve traffic on Nikolskaya ulitsa. Since its re-opening in 2000, Tretyakovsky proezd is lined with exclusive shops selling luxury goods, including Mercury, which financed much of the restoration.