In the Kitay Gorod district, Nikolskaya (Никольская) connects the great man made wonders of Red Square with the children's mall on Lubyanka Square. Dated to the 1500's, it is one of the oldest streets in Moscow and takes its name from the Greek Monastery of St. Nicholas which is first mentioned in records of 1390, the remains of which can be seen at No. 11.
The north side of the street is lined with historic buildings, such as the Kazan Cathedral, and the Monastery of the Holy Saviour. The Nikolskaya Street and the neighbouring Tretyakovsky Proyezd (Третьяковский проезд) are the centre of Moscow's luxury shopping district. The south side of Nikolskaya is dominated by the beautiful GUM department store which also forms part of the Red Square. The shopping mall dates back to 1893 and you can find traditional comfort food in Soviet-style cafeterias amongst European designer stores.