The drainage canal of the Moskva River, which is very popular not only among tourists, but also among local residents, is one of the numerous architectural sights of the capital today. And that's all, because it was laid through the historical center of Moscow, where the main tourist attractions and places of worship are located. The embankments and bridges of the canal are a favorite area for walks and photo shoots with an excellent panorama.
Historical background
An artificial structure (Vodootvodny canal in Moscow), whose history dates back to 1783, was the solution to the problem of periodic floods of the Moskva River, flooding of nearby houses and repair of damaged pillars of the Big Bridge. The old bed of the Moskva River was used to drain water, which made it possible to carry out design work in conjunction with the existing architectural development of the area, so the layout of the streets was almost not changed. Only a few wooden buildings were demolished. Another positive factor in the construction of the canal was the drainage of wetlands in the lowlands of the region. The watercourse begins just above the Big Bridge and connects with the Moscow River atarea of the lock embankment. Among the people, the channel received a simple name "ditch".
In 1836, the water management of the city again underwent changes. One of the innovations was the construction on the Moskva River, between the embankments of Bersenevskaya and Kropotskinskaya, the Babiegorodskaya dam, which made it possible to launch ships through the canal. And near the eastern mouth of the "ditch" a dam was erected with a lock, which a century later was dismantled during the construction and launch of the Moscow Canal. In memory of this gateway, a bridge and an embankment were named.
Now the water artery reaches a width of 30 to 50 m, an average depth of 2 m, and a length of almost 4 km. The drainage canal, connecting with the Moscow River, forms Balchug Island.
Canal embankments
There are 6 embankments along the canal: Gateway, Bolotnaya, Kadashevskaya, Yakimanskaya and Sadovnicheskaya. The banks of the channel are reinforced with concrete fences, which, in turn, are lined with decorative stone - granite. Along the embankments there are many buildings built in the 17th-19th centuries and having historical value: workers' barracks, merchant estates, manufactories and residential buildings. Some of them are now given over to offices and cafes.
Canal bridges
Bridges were built along the entire length of the drainage canal, there are 11 of them, five of which are pedestrian.
If we consider them in order, then the first and youngest is the Patriarchal Bridge. It was built from 2004 to 2007. It starts from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and ends at Yakimanskaya Embankment.
Further, the Small Stone Bridge was built, which became a continuation of the Big Bridge. Big and Small - so they are called in pairs. The Small Bridge was built back in 1938 and connects two streets - Serafimovicha and Bolshaya Polyanka.
Then comes the most famous footbridge. It has several names - Luzhkov, Tretyakovsky, because of the proximity of the art gallery complex. There is also the Lovers' Bridge, due to the presence of "trees of love" and a bench of "reconciliation" on it. And it connects Kadashevskaya Embankment and Bolotnaya Square.
The next Maly Moskvoretsky Bridge built in 1938. It is connected with the Bolshoi Bridge, and Bolshaya Ordynka begins from it. Pig-iron - got its name from the material from which it was made. It was built in 1966 and still exists today.
Sadovnichesky Bridge was opened in 1963 for the convenience of pedestrians.
The Commissariat Bridge was built in 1927. The name is associated with an institution that was engaged in supplying the army. It is a continuation of the Bolshoi Ustyinsky Bridge, which is located in the Zamoskvorechye area.
Zverev bridge 4 m wide, 33 m long. The date of its construction is 1930, and it is named after Zverev Lane.
Big Krasnokholmsky bridge passes into Small Krasnokholmsky and is located in the area of the Garden Ring.
You can go to the Moscow House of Music along the Second Sluice Bridge. This pedestrian crossing was built in 1997.
And you can finish this list with the First Gateway Bridge. So named because there was once a gateway nearby, whichblocked the channel.
Slow walks along the bridges are a great opportunity to enjoy the colorful panorama around, the view from above on the drainage canal in Moscow. The photos taken at the same time will add to the collection of memorable pictures.
Sights of the channel. Monument to Peter
One of them is a gigantic 100-meter monument of a landmark personality in Russian history, erected on an artificial island at the point where the drainage canal leaves the Moscow River. The monument to Peter is a unique engineering structure, both technically and aesthetically. Seeing him is involuntarily breathtaking. The base of the sculpture is made of stainless steel, and everything else is made of bronze. The monument was assembled in parts. Lastly, the ship was mounted, each shroud of which consists of several cables woven together, which completely excludes their mobility.
The sails inside have a hollow copper frame to reduce the mass of the monument. To give the monument durability, the main material was subjected to high-pressure sand treatment with further coating with wax and varnish. To give monumentality, the scroll in the hand of Peter I, as well as St. Andrew's crosses, as a symbol of the Russian navy he created, were gilded. The monument was framed with fountains, symbolizing the sea surface, dissected by ships.
The opening of the monument was carried out in early September 1997 and timed to coincide with the celebration of the 850th anniversary of Moscow.
Trees of Love
Another place in the central part of Moscow that is unlikely to remainunnoticed - the Luzhkov bridge, with an alley of trees hung with locks. Newlyweds come here from all over the area to capture this memorable event in beautiful photos and hang a lock on a tree as a symbol of strong family ties - and, as usual, throw the key into the waters of the canal. The first tree of love appeared on the bridge in 2007 and quickly "overgrown" with locks. At one time, the bridge, which began to collapse under the weight of such decor, had to be reconstructed, special trees were supplied for the castles, made by blacksmiths, which, as they fill up, are transferred to the nearby Bolotnaya embankment. Every year the number of trees is increasing and it looks very romantic and interesting.
Fountains
Not far from the remarkable Luzhkov Bridge, in honor of the 800th anniversary of Moscow, the first floating fountains in the capital, based on pontoons, were installed on the drainage channel. An interesting architectural solution is a whole complex of stationary and rotating fountains in the water area of the canal: jets erupt upwards directly from the water, and at night they are also illuminated by multi-colored spotlights.
River trams
In 2008, to increase the tourist attractiveness of the city, passenger excursion ships of small capacity and dimensions were launched through the canal. Such a trip is a great opportunity to enjoy the sights of the central part of Moscow for an hour.
Reviews of tourists
Coming to Moscow, most tourists, one way or anotherotherwise, they end up near the drainage canal of the Moscow River, since many significant historical objects of the capital are located nearby, and the “ditch” itself is considered an architectural monument. Experienced travelers advise without fail to take a walk along the water area of the canal on a sightseeing tram, take a walk along the beautiful embankments, admire the colorful views of the city from pedestrian bridges and be sure to take a photo against the backdrop of floating fountains. A sea of pleasant impressions and positive charge is provided.
