Almost throughout its history, the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain has attracted the attention of architects and developers. And now, after almost 80 years that have passed since the construction of the island, things have moved. The construction of this island, located in the immediate vicinity of Red Square, has begun.
Background
Mnevnikovskaya floodplain is not a natural formation, but a man-made structure. At the end of the 1930s, a lock was built in the bend of the Moskva River and the navigable channel Karamyshevskoe straightening was dug. This is how a man-made island with an area exceeding 350 hectares appeared. A water protection zone of the dam appeared on most of the island, and the rest of the territory was occupied by warehouses and motor depots that grew as if by magic.
The floodplain itself was included in the city only at the end of the 40s, but the fate of the island was of little interest to the city authorities. There began to bring household and other garbage. The territory of the island has turned into a huge unauthorized dump.
The floodplain was remembered under Khrushchev. NikitaSergeevich paid a visit to the USA, and although he himself did not have time to visit Disneyland, which had just opened at that time, but, having heard a lot of reviews about the American amusement park, he decided to build a bigger and better park in the USSR than in the West.
Mnevnikovskaya floodplain was chosen for the amusement park. Moscow, as the capital, was to become the center for the implementation of a grandiose plan. The project of the park "Wonderland" was developed. Architect V. Dolganov based the project on a map of the USSR. The project should have displayed the oceans, and the seas, and the mountains, and the deserts, the whole vast Motherland. But Khrushchev left the post of general secretary before the project was approved, and work was stopped.
The collapse of the USSR inspired the Moscow government to rebuild the island, which is a 15-minute drive from Red Square. It was planned to open an amusement park there with a capacity of up to 100,000 people. The well-known sculptor Zurab Tsereteli won the competition announced by the mayor of Moscow with the project "Park of Miracles". As conceived by the architect, the park was to become a miniature copy of the world map, with themed attractions, museums and shops. By personal decree of President Yeltsin, the entire island was transferred to Tsereteli for unlimited use. But over the years, a restaurant and other illegal structures have been built on the island, including an incinerator and a concrete factory. And the promised wonderland never appeared, but the garbage dump continued to grow. In 2006, Tsereteli's rights to own the island were annulled in court.
Again, the developers proposed to build an elite golf course on the islandclub, theater, skating rink and expensive villas. Such an advantageous location of a small piece of land promised big profits. We even decided on an investor, which was a South Korean company. But the crisis that broke out in 2008 prevented the implementation of grandiose plans.
Under Luzhkov, several attempts at development were made, which were never destined to be realized.
For decades, garbage from all over Moscow continued to be brought here. Recently, negligent companies for the removal of solid waste, in violation of all prohibitions, have taken garbage at night, which was repeatedly signaled by local residents. To solve the problem of the growing landfill and improve the island, it was decided to start large-scale construction.
New age of the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain
In 2012, the Moscow Mayor's Office, headed by S. Sobyanin, announced a competition for the development of the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain. About 30 architectural companies from 9 countries of the world took part in the competition. The interest in the competition was huge. The competition jury selected 3 projects, and work began on building up the cluttered island. The activists were categorically against the development of the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain island, because part of its territory was recognized as specially protected in the days of the USSR.
Indeed, part of the territory is recognized as specially protected, besides, there is a small but residential village of Terekhovo on the island. At the moment, about 87 people live in it. This village is part of the historical heritage, the first mention of itare found in the annals of the XII century.
Parliament Island
On the island of Mnevnikovskaya floodplain, according to the approved plan, the Parliamentary Center will be built, which will occupy the northern part of the island. Members of Parliament will not be left without a proper social infrastructure that will meet world standards. Both houses of parliament and members of the Federal Council are planned to be relocated here. The area that the deputies will occupy here is five times larger than what they currently occupy.
Sports facilities
Part of the territory will be given over to sports facilities. The largest ice palace in the capital, capable of accommodating up to 20,000 spectators, should be built here. There are also halls for other sports. The plans of investors also include the construction of a center for water sports under the working name "Artificial Wave". The grandiose plans of the developers are complemented by a surf park. All sports facilities will complement existing facilities.
Mega park
Designers plan to combine three parks: Filevsky, Krylatsky and Mnevnikovsky into one, connecting them with bridges. The unified green zone should become the largest park inside the Moscow Ring Road, the area of which will exceed 650 hectares. It is planned to improve the entire territory by laying pedestrian and bicycle paths, constructing sports grounds and play areas. The park in the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain promises to become a mega-park for all ages.
Transport links
The grandiose ideas of developers and the development of the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain are unthinkable without a developed transport connection. The North-Western chord will pass through the territory of the floodplain. In addition, at least one metro station will be laid here. Its location will be the village of Terekhovo. Depending on the workload of the branch and the actual population of the island, the number of stations may increase to three.
Exact address
Mnevnikovskaya floodplain is located near the Kremlin, the journey by car will take about 15 minutes. Administratively, it belongs to the North-Western Autonomous Okrug, to the Khoroshevo-Mnevniki district, the village of Terekhovo.
Residential buildings
Most of the Mnevnikovskaya Poyma project is commercial development. But residential complexes are also being built here. Utesov Residential Complex has already been built, new high-rise buildings are growing nearby. There are many people who want to buy housing practically in the center of the capital, and even in the nature protection zone. New residents will receive brand new apartments in an elite area of the city with new infrastructure and thoughtful transport links.
Disputed lands
The start of construction in the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain is necessary, despite the protests of activists and local residents. The Greens refer to the fact that this area is protected by the Department of Natural Resources and cannot be used for development. Activists also do not believe unscrupulous officials who promise that only the polluted part of the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain will be built up, and the protected area will not be affected. Much has been donedebate about the fact that this island is of artificial origin and part of the territory is swampy. According to experts, construction on such soil is difficult and expensive. Yes, and erected buildings may not resist as a result of landslides and other natural processes. But, as practice shows, high-rise residential complexes of elite housing are being built on the island.
A lot of controversy is also caused by the project to build a road that will pass through nature conservation lands.
No matter how many disputes there are around the island of Mnevnikovskaya floodplain, the development plan is approved by the government of the capital. As the competition showed, the interest in this land is huge. The participation of architectural companies from China, the US, Britain and other countries shows the interest of international investors.
