Vinzavod
A cluster of brick brewery buildings east of the Kremlin now houses one of Moscow’s most active contemporary art centers.
At a glance
Vinzavod occupies seven industrial buildings dating to the late 19th century, once part of the “Moscow Bavaria” brewery and winery complex. Opened in 2007, it functions today as a hub for galleries, studios and exhibitions. The site sits near the corner of Mruzovsky Lane and 4th Syromyatnichesky Lane. It remains heritage-listed.
History
The land began as an estate owned by a Guards captain named Melgunov, who sold it to his sister, Princess Catherine Volkonskaya. Ownership passed through several hands. In 1810, Nicephorus Prokofiev opened a malt-brewing factory on the grounds. Frederick Danielson later expanded the property with a residential wing and a two-story brewery and malt house. Mid-century, the Moscow-Kursk railway sliced through the western portion of the estate, oddly boosting the value of the malt building at its new corner position. Brothers Ivan and Cyril Tarusin acquired the factory in the 1870s and ran it as “Moscow Bavaria,” a beer and mead producer. By 1909, part of the estate had passed to representatives of philanthropist H. S. Ledentsov, and the main house became a four-year college. Businessman Roman Trotsenko later founded the contemporary art center on the same footprint, giving the industrial shell a new cultural life.
What you see
Seven brick buildings form the core of the complex. Their industrial bones remain visible. Warehouse volumes, exposed brick, and old loading spaces have been adapted rather than erased. Walking between the structures, visitors move through what was once a working brewery yard. The scale is low and dense, unlike the grand civic architecture elsewhere in central Moscow. Signs of the site’s layered past — malt house, winery, college wing — sit close together, giving the complex an assembled, working-building character rather than a single unified design.
Cultural significance
Vinzavod is credited with helping shift contemporary art in Moscow out of state institutions and into independent, gallery-driven spaces. Lina Krasnyanskaya, who had led the center’s Best of Russia project, became executive director in 2016, steering its exhibition program further. The site’s industrial heritage is part of its appeal. Reuse, not replacement, defines its identity.
Key facts
- Location: Moscow, Russia
- Opened as an art center: 2007
- Original buildings: late 19th century
- Former use: “Moscow Bavaria” brewery and winery
- Founder: Roman Trotsenko
- Heritage status: listed
Practical information & getting there
Vinzavod sits near Kursky railway station, close to the corner of Mruzovsky Lane and 4th Syromyatnichesky Lane. You can reach it easily on foot from nearby metro stations serving central Moscow. Exhibitions and gallery hours vary by event, so check the official website before visiting. The complex is walkable and compact, with courtyards linking the former brewery buildings.
Sources & resources
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