German Quarter
Central part of the district, with radial Myasnitskaya Street, Pokrovka Street and Solyanka Street, was gradually urbanized since the 15th century. Central street, known as Maroseika and Pokrovka, was part of a royal route to country estates in Izmailovo and hosted court gardens and nobility; by 1638, 62 of 83 households belonged to upper classes (Sytin, p. 103). At the same time, it was popular among foreigners; however, in 1643 the Church persuaded Tsar Alexey to limit foreign presence and by 1652 all Catholics and Lutherans had to relocate to German Quarter, 2-3 kilometers north-west on the same route.