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The Night Watch and the Day Watch both have large offices in Moscow, which are very common locations for scenes in the books. Based on their descriptions and their relationship to other real places in Moscow, what can we say about their specific locations?

Where are the Moscow Night and Day Watch offices?

BONUS: where is the Moscow office of the Inquisition? This should be much harder to find out, since:

"The address of the Inquisition!" I exclaimed, suddenly realising the problem.

"Now you're thinking. Could you send a letter to the Inquisition?"

I didn't answer. I'd been put firmly in my place. Gesar had told me straight out about the letter to the Inquisition!

"In our Watch I'm the only person who knows their address. In the Day Watch, I presume Zabulon is the only one. So where does that leave us, Gorodetsky?"

-- The Twilight Watch, Chapter 1

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  • The office of Day Watch in so-named movie is hotel Cosmos in Moscow ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos_Hotel ). But in the books it likely can be another location
    – Schullz
    Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 14:30
  • 2
    @Schullz Definitely not a hotel in the books. Also, screw the film :-)
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 14:48

1 Answer 1

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+50

Night Watch office is in the Moscow area called Sokol.

Через полчаса я доехал до "Сокола", выбрался наверх. Вокруг было шумно, в воздухе – выхлопная автомобильная гарь. И все-таки – весна.
... Наш офис не в худшем московском районе. Далеко не в худшем, если не сравнивать с резиденцией Дневного Дозора. Но Кремль при любом раскладе не для нас: слишком сильные следы наложило прошлое на Красную площадь и древние кирпичные стены. ("Night Watch", Story #2, "Among his own", Chapter 1)

In half an hour, I got to Sokol station, and climbed upstairs. It was noisy around me, the air full of car exhaust. But still - spring.
...
Our office is not in the worst area of Moscow. Far from the worst, if you don't compare it to Day Watch residence. But the Kremlin isn't for us in any case: the past has stamped its residue too hard on the Red Square and the ancient brick walls ("Night Watch", Story #2, "Among his own", Chapter 1)

and

Я сам полиция! – Пастухов одной рукой достал из кармана «корочку» и сунул водителю под нос. – Никакого Склифа. Гони на Сокол.
Зачем на Сокол? – поразился водитель.
Там офис Ночного Дозора, - сказал Пастухов, укладывая девочку на сиденье и подсовывая ей под голову ее же сумку. ("Шестой Дозор", Часть первая - Вынужденные действия - Пролог)

"I'm the police!" Pastukhov took out his police ID shell[1] and showed it to the driver. "No Sklif![2] To Sokol, quickly!"
"Why Sokol?" asked the confused driver.
"That's where the Night Watch Office is," said Pastukhov, putting the girl on the car seat and placing her bag under her head. ("Sixth Watch", Part One - Necessary Actions - Preface)

[1] - In Russia, law enforcement officers carry their IDs in special hard-body mini wallets called "shells/covers", acting as a combination of US badge and LEO ID

[2] - Sklif is a diminutive of "Sklifosifsky", a main central emergency services and trauma hospital in Moscow

Day Watch is on the Tverskaya Street which is near Kremlin.

До самого офиса Дневного Дозора на Тверской. Хорошо, что мне попался замечательный водитель ("Дневной Дозор", Глава 4)

Straight to the Day Watch office on Tverskaya. It's a good thing I got an excellent driver ("Day Watch", Chapter 4)

Also, see confirmation in the next section.

By book #6 (14 years later), Day Watch moved from Tverskaya to Moscow-City (aka Moscow International Business Center):

Раньше офис Дневного Дозора располагался на Тверской улице, недалеко от Кремля. ... пару лет назад Темные перебрались в Москва-Сити, откупив три этажа одного из офисных небоскребов. ("Шестой Дозор", Часть первая, "Вынужденные действия", Глава 3)

Previously, the Day Watch office was located on Tverskaya Street, not far from the Kremlin. ... a couple of years ago, The Dark Others moved to the Moscow-City, buying up three floors in one of the office towers. ("The Sixths Watch", Part 1, "Forced actions", Chapter 3)

Bonus Round: the Inquisition's Moscow office (or at least one of their buildings) is in the main Moscow State University building.

Or, at least, that's where they held the court hearing that involved the Mirror - however, in Book #3, Geser discusses with Anton that Anton doesn't know the Inquisition's address, and therefore MSU, which Anton knows about, isn't their main office (hat/tip @Rand, the original question author).

Главное здание МГУ, – сообщил Эдгар. – В башне. Там Шагрон внизу со своей машиной, можешь поехать с ним. ("Дневной Дозор", Глава 20)

"The main building of Moscow State University," Edgar stated. "In the tower." ("Day Watch", Chapter 20)


Maps

Moscow metro lines plan, Day and Night Watch's offices circled in red

map of a part of Moscow streets, with Day and Night Watch's offices highlighted

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  • 4
    I'm ignoring the films as being even less canon than Harry Potter films. Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 16:17
  • 1
    Russian=>English tranlations are mine. NOT from English books. Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 16:26
  • 1
    Nice job on the main question! But the answer to the bonus can't be right: if the address of the Inquisition office was such a big secret, they wouldn't have held a court hearing there with half the Others of Moscow in attendance. Anton came to that hearing, but at the start of the next book he still had no idea of the Inquisition's address. So +1 but no tick yet :-) Re films: I've heard they're very different from the books, and wouldn't touch them with a bargepole. Re translations: I may take the liberty of improving them slightly... Also, welcome back - good to see you posting again! :-D
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 17:12
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    @Randal'Thor - yes, I think you're right. Updated the wording. And TY. I find it hard to resist a "Watches" question :) Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 17:14
  • 2
    @Randal'Thor - To tempt you into asking: Maps. With hand drawn circles. Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 20:11

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