by Irina Sheludkova

Yuri Veshninsky, a senior researcher at the Research Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage, researched current public perception of various areas of the city and drew up a map outlining the future desirability of each district.

Q: What was the subject of your research?

A: In my research, I looked at consistent patterns in people's evaluations of the city's different neighborhoods. I devel­oped a questionnaire to test Muscovites' attitude toward certain areas of town. Respondents were asked questions, like where they would want to move and why. Then I drew up a map based on the results of the survey.

Q: Which is the best part of Moscow?

A: As Moscow expanded over the years, most of the city's western part — from Rechnoi Vokzal to Yasenevo — turned into a prestigious zone, due to historical and environmental reasons. I call it Moscow's 'West End' after the upscale area with the same name in London.

There are three main sectors of prestigious housing in Moscow's West End. The leader is the southwest, with Leninsky Prospekt as its main trans­portation artery. It is considered to be home to the intellectual elite. The area has a concentration of many prestigious academic landmarks, such as Moscow State University and the Academy of Sciences. The western sector, from Kutuzovsky Prospekt to Krylatskoye, has always been a place where the gov­erning elite lived.

The northwestern sector, with Leningradsky Prospekt and Leningrad-skoye Shosse as transportation arteries, earned a reputation as the home to rep­resentatives of the military and industri­al complexes. Also, in one of the most prestigious parts of this area, near the Aeroport metro station, there is a com­plex of writers' houses known as Dvoryanskoye Gnezdo (Nobility's Nest) in urban folklore.

Q: What are the least attractive?

A: The industrial south and southeast, due to the bad environment and demographics. Each year, respondents call Vykhino Moscow's most dangerous neighborhood, partly because of the proximity of Lyubertsy, whose residents used to intimidate the whole city.

After the reconstruction in Marina Roscha, once notorious for its high crime rate, many of its former residents moved to the north of Moscow, thus hurting that area's image. Each area has its own lingering image which stuck in peoples minds, despite improvements in the area's infrastructure and demographics. Changing such perceptions is a process that takes decades.