The Renovation of the city center of Serpukhov | Architectural bureau Mirror Group

In the very heart of the city of Serpukhov there lies the Lenin square (its older names Torgovaya and Bazarnaya relating to its market function), created in 1783 as the main commercial location on the way from Tula to Moscow. The square has been redefined several times, its most recent image was created in the 1960-ies. With time, due to the chaotic placement of parking lots and kiosks together with the fading of the pedestrian areas, the square became disused and lost its role of the city’s nucleus. The square’s incongruity with the up-to-date requirements demanded a fundamental change. 

The core idea of the Square’s beautification is to restitute its focal point role for the citizens, having its historical background and being a space for people. Our ambition was to make the Square an attractive place for recreation and the departure point of tourist’s walking routes. From here one can access the nearby gardens with fountains, monuments, flowerbeds, sculptures and a playground.

The renovation of the Square included creating a dual ringway with one-line traffic. It permits the drivers to pass the historic facades and easily find the parking spaces for passenger cars which were created in the Square. Separate bike lanes and rest zones have been developed for cyclists and alternative transport – there one can “ground” oneself and behold the beauty of the historic architecture with its spears and towers on the perimeter of the Square. 

The Square’s center bears locations for cultural events and entertainment with an amphitheater and a mini-scene for performances. There is an open-air exposition here, showing the city’s history and its major attractions. The stylized modern sunshades can protect you from the sun and from the rain; the street tables and tabourets offer rest or invite for boardgames. 

The project uses natural materials – stone and wood. The modern walkways – an important feature for Russia’s midlands with their poor weather – are easily cleaned and don’t hold water. The downpipes of the buildings lead now into the exhaust drains, which prevents the formation of puddles and glaze ice on the walkway stones. The asphalt concrete of different colors separates the roads from the pedestrian zones which run symmetrically in all directions from the center. The illumination and the greening have added charm to the renewed Square which has finally become a full-scale architectural ensemble and the major focal point of the district’s chief town.