Director of the Romanov Alley project Evgeny Panfilova spoke at a press briefing for journalists devoted to the opening of the gastronomic street.
As a part of the opening ceremony of Romanov Alley, on July 12 a press briefing was held for leading media. Evgenia Panfilova has been part of this project since its inception, and many of the ideas which have come to life today at Romanov Alley were her ideas. Among them were the backlit inscriptions of pleasant salutations in four world languages in the stone-block pavement along the street.
Ms. Panfilova spoke to the journalists about the features which make the gastronomic street unique and how the idea behind the project emerged. Romanov Alley is an unusual public space: a place where, on the one hand, the spirit of old Moscow has been preserved and also, on the other hand, there is an atmosphere similar to that on quaint European streets. “You will never see flashing neon signs on Romanov Alley. Everything will be finished in a classical style with elements of forged metal, which you can now see on the streetlamps and clock,” Evgenia noted.
PROJECT CONCEPT
Various options were considered during the development of the project’s concept: during the initial phase the choice was between a mono-street and a retail zone with a wide variety of tenants. The decision was eventually made in favor of a mono-street. Next came the selection of the theme for the street: an alley of boutiques, a jewelry street, banking street and even wedding-themed street. However, the lack of adequate showcase windows and the existence of a second line of buildings meant that such ideas could not be properly implemented.
“At this point we did a survey of the residents of the neighborhood about what they want to see in this place and what Romanov Alley should be. We also discussed this with the students of the MSU journalism school and the office workers of the Romanov Dvor business center. Everyone like the idea of creating a gastronomic street,” Evgenia said.
Today two establishments have opened on Romanov Alley and are welcoming visitors: the café-bakery Paul and the authentic Armenian restaurant Dolmama. In the future Romanov Alley will be home not only to restaurants and cafes but also meat shops, wine and chocolate boutiques, and culinary schools.