OREANDA-NEWS. On 22 August 2008 was announced, that the city authorities of Moscow are to have Old Arbat street reconstructed as well as Nikitsky, Strastnoy and Rozhdestvensky boulevards renewed by City Day, September 6-7.

“Three Moscow boulevards, Nikitsky, Strastnoy and Rozhdestvensky, will appear renewed after the overhaul. The total area of the reconstruction is 3.9 ha,” Sergey Baydakov, prefect of the central administrative district of Moscow said.

According to the official, the works included the substitution of cast-iron barriers, the laying of decorative low-sized tiles and granite gravel, the change of street lighting columns and the layout of flowerbeds.

“Besides, Muscovites will be able to see Old Arbat renewed by September 1. It will have a single pavement made from identical tiles, the name tiles located near Vakhtangov Theatre will be removed,” Mr Baydakov noted.

The prefect added that all unauthorized trade would be removed from Old Arbat, only the bookstalls and the authorized souvenir trade would remain there.