Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
13 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
14 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
15 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
16 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Russia Moscow Old English Yard

Old English Yard

The "Mystery and Company of Merchant Adventurers" is an Elizabethan-era hangout in Moscow.

Moscow, Russia

Added By
Stanislav Stanković
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanestane/13...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanestane/13...
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Old English Yard is not a name for a landmark one would expect to encounter in the very center of the Russian capital. Tucked away beyond the far side of the Red Square this unimposing building is overlooked by most visitors. However, old English yard hides a fascinating history.

The story of this place with an unusual name starts with an even more flamboyantly named company. "Mystery and Company of Merchant Adventurers for the Discovery of Regions, Dominions, Islands, and Places unknown," or "Muscovy Company" as it would be known for the most of its long existence, was founded in London in 1551 by three gentlemen of fortune, Richard Chancellor, Sebastian Cabot, and Sir Hugh Willoughby, with the intent of establishing a new trade route with the far east. With the assumption that sailing at higher latitudes would mean a shorter route to China, these gentlemen decided to look for a northeastern sea passage beyond the northernmost tip of Scandinavia and above the coast of Siberia.

The first expedition set sail on 10 May 1553, under the joint command of Sir Willoughby and Mr. Chancellor. Unfortunately, the expedition ran into a storm near the Lofoten islands in Norway, and Chancellor's ships got separated from the rest of the convoy. Determined to reach his goal, Sir Willoughby pushed forward and managed to sail as far as Novaya Zemlya, only to get his ship stuck in ice. He and his men met their end in the Arctic winter of 1554.

Richard Chancellor had much more luck. He managed to find his way to the White Sea and the port of Nikolo-Korelsky Monastery,  a settlement of orthodox monks in the far north. The news of exotic guests soon reached Moscow and the court of Czar Ivan the Terrible. Czar Ivan was delighted at the news of foreign merchants reaching the shores of his domain. At the time Russia was cut off from the rest of Europe by its Polish and Swedish enemies, while the trade on the Baltic sea was firmly in the hands of Hanseatic Merchants who extorted hefty fees for their efforts, and the Black sea was a Turkish domain. The Englishmen, who had found another way in, were immediately summoned to the capital.

The meeting with the Czar was a start of a lucrative business, which would last until 1917 and the October revolution. For almost 450 year the Muscovy Company would serve as an important trade and diplomatic link between two empires and the Old English Yard functioned as Company's Moscow headquarter until its end.

Related Tags

Ruins

Know Before You Go

Take metro lines 6 or 7 to Kitai Gorod metro station.

Community Contributors

Added By

stanestane

Edited By

serpent

  • serpent

Published

October 19, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscovy_Company
Old English Yard
Ul. Varvarka 4A
Moscow, 109012
Russia
55.752344, 37.626961
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Romanov Boyar Residence

Moscow, Russia

miles away

Lenin's Mausoleum

Moscow, Russia

miles away

Tsar Bell

Moscow, Russia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Moscow

Moscow

Russia

Places 47
Stories 7

Nearby Places

Romanov Boyar Residence

Moscow, Russia

miles away

Lenin's Mausoleum

Moscow, Russia

miles away

Tsar Bell

Moscow, Russia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Moscow

Moscow

Russia

Places 47
Stories 7

Related Places

  • Tynemouth Castle.

    Tynemouth, England

    Tynemouth Priory and Castle

    Royal burial place of the Kings of Ancient Britain

  • Tharandt, Germany

    Tharandt Castle Ruin

    Near Dresden, a scenic medieval castle ruin offers atmospheric views, educational ties to forestry, and a glimpse into Saxony’s past.

  • Barnsley, England

    Tankersley Old Hall Ruins

    The ruins of a significant 16th-century building once appeared in a 1969 film.

  • View inside the P-4.

    Walferdange, Luxembourg

    Raschpëtzer Qanat

    A Roman water tunnel still flows 2,000 years on.

  • Greifswald, Germany

    Eldena Abbey

    These crumbling monastery ruins inspired a master of German Romanticism.

  • The arch is visible below the surface

    Lleida, Spain

    Pont de Montiberri

    A river hides a charming medieval bridge.

  • View from below.

    Urubamba, Peru

    Machu Colca

    This archaeological site features an early version of today’s refrigerators.

  • The ruins in 2014

    Seacliff, New Zealand

    Seacliff Asylum Ruins

    The remains of a notorious mental institution that became known for its structural design failures and experiments carried out on patients.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.