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Maxim Gorky was the sculptor of Russian literary society in the 1930s. It is to him that we owe the creation of the writers' village in Peredelkino. He conceived the project in the spring of 1932. Gorky traveled to Moscow to select a dozen or so talented writers and provide them with all the necessary working conditions. His colleague Boris Pilnyak proposed building a dacha cooperative near Moscow. They hoped that solving the housing problem would help writers focus on their work.
Thanks to his connections with the Bolsheviks, Gorky was able to meet with Joseph Stalin and personally discuss the construction of a town near Moscow. The political leader supported the initiative. In 1934, construction began on the first dachas in Peredelkino. Twenty-eight people moved in, including Demyan Bedny, Boris Pasternak, and Marietta Shaginyan. The writers could own the houses for life, but upon their death, they were transferred to new residents.
What to see in Peredelkino
Many people come to the writers' town to visit Boris Pasternak's dacha, located at 3 Pavlenko Street. Despite his status and literary achievements, Pasternak lived modestly. He worked extensively in his study and loved to "dig in the earth." Neighbors often saw the writer with a shovel in his garden. Pasternak grew potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and tomatoes, boasting of his harvest. His dacha in Peredelkino is known as the place where he wrote Doctor Zhivago, considered the epitome of the Russian epic novel. The writer died on May 30, 1960. He was buried in the local necropolis. Thirty years later, a museum opened in Pasternak's house.
The dacha of Korney Chukovsky on 3 Serafimovich Street deserves special attention. The creator of "The Fly-Tsokotukha" and "Moidodyr" – beloved works of Soviet children – often hosted gatherings of village boys and girls in his house. He invited children to visit, treated them to potatoes baked over a campfire, and listened to their stories.
Chukovsky assembled a unique library in his office. It is now open to children and adults. The writer's personal belongings are also kept there. Chukovsky outlived Pasternak by nine years; he died in 1969. He was buried there, in Peredelkino, not far from Pasternak's grave. The poets Robert Rozhdestvensky and Yevgeny Yevtushenko are buried nearby.
Peredelkino today
Modern Peredelkino is the capital of new Russian literature. Since 2021, when the first competitive selection took place, writers, translators, and artists have lived and worked here. Residents are provided with three meals a day, coworking space, and creative support. They are also offered meetings with potential publishers and pitching sessions.
The center of attraction in Peredelkino is the House of Creativity, built in 1955. A glass extension has been added next to it. Master classes, lectures, book club meetings, and concerts are held here almost daily. There are several cafes and restaurants on the premises.
Things to do in Peredelkino
- Walk along the literary trail.
- Relax in the historic wooden gazebo.
- Buy books at the Writers' House.
- Attend a book reading.
- Read or work in the coworking space.
Staying at the AZIMUT City Hotel Comcity, you can also visit the Govorovsky Forest, Meshchersky Nature Park, the Ostafyevo Museum-Reserve, and the Great Moscow Circus.
