[3] Central to the district is Khodynka Field, which, as an open space in the northwest of Moscow was long the site of agriculture, battles, celebrations and the first airfield in Russia.

[4] During the Time of Troubles in the early 1600s, the field was the site of a battle between the forces of Tsar Vasili IV and those of False Dmitry II.

Throughout the 19th century, the field was the site of public celebrations, ending tragically in 1896 when a stampede during festivities for the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II killed 1,389 people.

[4] The airfield attracted a variety aerospace industry to the district, including the Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Ilyushin Aviation Complex.

The presence of open space in recent years has led to the development of major public facilities, such as the VEB multi-use arena ("Arena CSKA"), the Megasport Sport Palace (also known as the Ice Sports Palace on Khondynka Field), and Aviapark, which as of 2014 was the largest shopping center in Europe.