History Flavored Starbucks in Moscow
Coffee is well-known for its goût de terroir —“the taste of the place” - distinctive flavor that comes from its land of origin. Still, few know that genius loci (spirit of a place) is almost equally important in creating a unique impression of a good coffee. To put it straight: it’s not only what you put in the cup, it’s also where that matters.
Moscow’s appearance, just like most other heavily globalized cities in the world, is changing rapidly, losing its historic heritage to modern architecture, infrastructure and, alas, to a dynamic lifestyle. Still, there are some refuges - historic districts and communities still intact which make you feel comfortable after the crowded modernistic glassy city of office buildings and traffic jams.
Historic Pokrovka street located downtown Moscow next to the Kremlin is among such places. For native Muscovites the street and its vicinity have long been a symbol of Old Moscow (watch the all-time famous Russian TV-movie ‘Pokrovskie Vorota’ to make sure about that one).
With over 500 years of historic heritage, time almost has stopped here. Old 2-3 storey stone houses, narrow lanes, crooked sideways and lots of churches make it possible for you to imagine Moscow sometime early in the 19th century.
People come to Pokrovka street after work to spend time dining or just walking around. That perfectly matched the Starbucks’ ‘third place’ idea.
A new Starbucks coffee shop recently opened at 5, Pokrovka street, adding something to the area’s modern prominence of a cosmopolitan center, something like Little Italy in NYC. Restaurants are always full here, especially on Friday nights and weekends.
This building was an annex to the ancient Assumption of the Virgin Mary Cathedral, built late in the 17th century but pulled down in 1930s. The building has seen a lot of refurbishment and renovation. A part of the original cathedral wall and belfry stairway decorated with stylish bás-relief has remained intact. These decorations have become the pride of Starbucks on Pokrovka str.
A fireplace and lots of soft upholstered sitting places – armchairs and even sofas, all help to make you feel at home here. From the second floor, you can enjoy a panoramic view of historic Pokrovka is one of the oldest of Moscow streets.
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