Vladimir Putin and Sergei Sobyanin launch a year-round Moskva River route

The first regular year-round river electric transport route has been opened on the Moskva River. Held at the Northern River Station, the ceremony was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

In addition, the president saw the exhibition called “Moskva River. Moscow Golden Ring" staged by the Moscow Transport Museum at the Northern River Station.  It tells about the history of the station itself, the evolution of domestic shipbuilding and the development of river routes.

For several years, the Northern River Station was under complex restoration. Now it is one of the most popular attractions among Moscow residents and visitors. Last year, more than 2.5 million people visited it, said the Moscow Mayor.

“We are implementing an ambitious project to revive regular river routes. 32 years ago, the Moscow river transport was stopped. Since then, it did not operate, although it used to be very popular with Muscovites, as the river navigation allows some residents to travel much faster by a river tram than passing around the roads. The old route can take an hour, while the new route takes from 15 to 20 minutes. The trams offer a wonderful view of the city from the Moskva River. I suppose that more than half of the passengers will choose this route to admire Moscow,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

Until June 23 inclusive, travel will be free. Passengers can pay for travel with Troika Travel Card, a bank card, including using NFC-enabled Android smartphones with a loaded card, or biometrics. In this case, the fare will not be debited.

The launch of electric vessels is a unique project for Moscow, Russia and the world. It is the world's first electric modern water transport, which will run along the river all year round.

“The new tram is generally unparalleled regular river transport in terms of comfort, ecology, design and a number of other parameters. We are the first to launch such a development, 80-90 per cent of components used are made in Russia. This is our competitive advantage, which we could consolidate in the future,” Sergei Sobyanin noted.

The first regular river transport route has connected the Kievsky Railway Station with the Heart of the Capital berths in the area of the residential complex of the same name on the Shelepikhinskaya Embankment, accommodating about 800,000 people.

The second regular route, Avtozavodsky Most-Pechatniki, with a length of 13 kilometers, is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2023. 700,000 people will be able to use it.

The launch of innovative electric vessels will improve transport services for about 1.5 million people living in 18 Moscow districts and provide them with alternative travel options.

Breathtaking views and time saving

For the first route, we have selected areas that are being actively developed so that residents immediately get used to the new mode of transport. Over 100,000 people pass through the area around Moscow City every day. In about 20 minutes, passengers will be able to get from the Kievskaya metro station to this business center without transfers. The route offers a beautiful view of the city.

“Eight electric vessels named after Moscow rivers (Sinichka, Setun, Presnya, Filka, Skhodnya, Ramenka, Yauza and Neglinka) will operate on the 6.5-kilometer route.  Each vessel can accommodate up to 50 passengers with seats for people with reduced mobility. The main components of the vessels, including all software, are Russian-made. The vessels are equipped with information screens and USB chargers, free Wi-Fi and platforms to transport scooters and bicycles,” the Moscow Mayor wrote in his Telegram channel.

In some cases, passengers will be able to save a lot of time compared to traveling by other modes of transport. For example, the journey from Fili Park to the Karamyshevsky berth takes more than one hour by bus, and only 13.5 minutes by water transport, which is five times faster.

The second route, Avtozavodsky Most-Pechatniki, is historic, several river tram routes used to operate from the Southern River Station to Pechatniki. Today, about 1.5 million square meters of real estate is being built in the area. The river route in some cases will allow passengers to save up to 30–40 minutes. It will take only three minutes to get from Pechatniki to the Kolomenskaya Embankment, from one bank to the other.

Vodohod.Passenger Port has become the river transport operator. In 2021, following the tender, the Moscow Government entered into a full life cycle contract with the company. According to it, the operator is in charge of the supply, repair and maintenance of electric vessels and floating docks for 15 years.

According to Sergei Sobyanin, one more route this year and three more routes in the coming years are to be launched. Almost the entire water area of the Moskva River within the city's boundaries will be covered in one way or another by passenger traffic. “Importantly, we have renovated the Northern River Station and the Southern River Station completely restoring the tourist fleet infrastructure. Today, we have revived the river “Moscow Golden Ring”, which was created in 1959,” added the Moscow Mayor.

To provide passenger service, 23 floating docks with a diameter of 10 and 16 meters accommodating up to 40 and 80 people will be installed on the Moskva River. In addition, two fleet maintenance stations will be built in the Mnevnikovskaya Poima (floodplain) and Nagatinsky Zaton (backwater).

Modern new berths receive up to two vessels at the same time. In the course of their development, a unique solution was used to charge the electric vessel during boarding and disembarking.

Passengers can spend time in waiting areas with sofas, a cafe and a restroom. Boarding through turnstiles with a bright color background and large screen font adapted for visually impaired passengers and passengers with reduced mobility is available. A pavilion specialist will assist passengers if necessary.

The berths are equipped with information screens similar to those installed at public transport stops. Regular river transportation is fully integrated into the Moscow transport system. Passengers can pay for their travel using Troika Travel Card, Unified Travel Card for 90 and 365 days at no additional charge, a bank card or biometrics.

In honor of Moscow rivers

The introduction of domestic electric vessels for passenger transportation on the Moskva River is one of the most innovative transport projects of the Moscow Government. The main parts of the electric vessels, including the hull, traction motor, air conditioning system, glazing, skin panels, automated ramp, lighting control system, side doors and all control software, are completely Russian-made. In the future, electric vessels may become unmanned.

Eight electric vessels will run along the route. Each of them is unique and named after Moscow rivers: Sinichka, Setun, Presnya, Filka, Skhodnya, Ramenka, Yauza and Neglinka. This concept was supported by Moscow residents taking part in the Active Citizen project back in 2021. The vessels are about 22 meters long.

Comfortable chairs and tables provide comfort and allow passengers to use a laptop during the trip. Large panoramic windows and a saloon’s glazed roof have beautiful views of the city.

Before launching the regular route, the electric vessels have been tested, including during the winter period. At the same time, the rest of the river transportation infrastructure (berths, turnstiles and ticketing system) has been tested.

The use of electric vessels will improve the city environment: they will become a good example for private shipping companies.

History of Moscow water passenger transport

The original culture of river passenger transportation began to take shape on the Moskva River in the 1930s. The first river trams appeared in 1931. By 1933, more than 50 vessels popular with Moscow residents were sailing along the river.

On July 15, 1937, along with the Moscow-Volga canal, two river stations were opened: the Southern River Station on the left bank of the Nagatinskaya Poima (floodplain) and the Northern River Station on the Khimki Reservoir. From 1937 to 1941, the intra-city river passenger traffic increased to 4 or 5 million people per navigation.

Later, the Moscow River fleet worked as a full-fledged public transport. But in the 1990s, it was gradually declining. At the same time, the Northern and Southern River Stations stopped operating as intended, their buildings were in disrepair.

The river transport is reviving in the last decade. In 2020, following a grandiose restoration and improvement of the adjacent park and embankment, the Northern River Station was opened. In 2023, the building of the Southern River Station was reconstructed, work was carried out to improve part of the embankment and the area in front of the Station. The work to improve the area of the southern river gates will be completed by autumn.

Environmental rehabilitation of Moskva River water area

Since 2011, the Moscow Government has implemented a number of major projects to improve embankments and rehabilitate the environment of the Moskva River.

First of all, the water area was cleared of illegal floating objects that were not registered as ships. In total, 50 landing stages that cluttered the river channel and posed a real danger to the navigation and environment safety have been removed.

Thanks to the modernization of the Moscow Oil Refinery, city and local treatment facilities, as well as a significant reduction in vehicle emissions, the main source of pollution, the river water quality has been significantly improved.

In recent years, the content of ammonium nitrogen in the lower reaches has decreased by 70 per cent. In the central part of the city, the content of oil products and metals in the Moskva River has halved.

Embankment improvement

The total length of the waterfront of the Moskva River within the Moscow Ring Road is about 170 kilometers. As of 2010, its embankments did not meet modern accessibility and comfort requirements. The classic central granite embankments were used as motorways and were inconvenient for pedestrians.

Due to the deterioration of the infrastructure, the few pedestrian embankments were also inconvenient. A large part of the waterfront, especially in the lower reaches, was the usual unimproved river banks.

Since 2011, the Moscow Government has been implementing an integrated program to improve the embankments of the Moskva River. During this time, about 40 areas with a total length of more than 65 kilometers have been renovated, including almost all the historic granite embankments in the city center. About 33 per cent of the Moskva River waterfront meets the latest accessibility and comfort standards. The Krymskaya Embankment, one of the Moscow main promenades, was the first to be landscaped.

A single convenient pedestrian route has been arranged in the city center from Moscow City to Taganskaya Square, including Krasnopresnenskaya, Novodevichy, Kremlin, Moskvoretskaya and other embankments. Another route runs from the House of Music to Vorobyovy Gory along the Ozerkovskaya, Ovchinnikovskaya, Kadashevskaya, Krymskaya, Pushkinskaya and Andreyevskaya embankments. The total length of these routes is more than 27 kilometers.

In the river’s upper reaches, waterfront parks and beaches, including Severnoye Tushino, Northern River Station, Fili Park, Stroginskaya Poima (floodplain) and others, have been landscaped. In the lower reaches, new waterside landscaped parks have been arranged, including Kapotnya Park, 850-Letiya Moskvy Park, Brateevskaya Poima (floodplain) and others.

The plans until 2028 include the improvement of another 27 embankments with a total length of 104.8 kilometers, including the Vorobyovskaya Embankment, work is being carried out in 2023.

In addition, Moscow is building new embankments in areas previously inaccessible to citizens, mainly in the reorganized industrial parks. They meet the modern standards with a considerable distance from the road to maximize the use of the recreational potential of the areas.

Marc Chagall Embankment, the Moscow’s largest embankment, has been built in the former ZIL industrial park. In addition, work is underway to landscape the Krutitskaya, Shelepikhinskaya, Simonovskaya and Karamyshevskaya embankments and to construct embankments in the Nagatinskaya Poima (floodplain), the southern part of the ZIL industrial park and Novinki Zaton (backwater), the area from Filevsky Park to the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theater and from the Kursky railway bridge to Brateyevsky Cascade Park with a total length of about 27 kilometers. The work is scheduled to be completed by 2026.

Northern and Southern river stations as part of the Moscow Golden Ring route

The complex restoration of the Northern River Station began in August 2018. In October 2019, specialists started landscaping the adjacent park and embankment. All work was completed in September 2020.

The project was commissioned by the Moscow Government. It provided for the return of the historical function of the station as a transport facility and a year-round recreation area. In addition, the palace station can be used for filming and holding important citywide events. Those who are interested in the history of Moscow transport will enjoy visiting the thematic museum housed in the station building. The Northern River Station opens and closes the navigation in the Moscow water area. A beautiful park located nearby has become a popular walking and leisure area.

Erected in the 1930s, the building of the Northern River Station has been completely restored. The unique listed building has been restored using archival drawings. Specialists have preserved most of the original elements of the building and interiors; the lost details have been recreated based on historical models.

The landscaped adjacent park has become a perfect place to relax. It got its original appearance and layout with high-quality modern recreation and entertainment infrastructure provided. During the work, specialists were guided by the project developed by Timofey Shafransky, archival materials and photographs. The park has 11 playgrounds and sports grounds. One of them was inspired by the film ‘Volga-Volga’ with a ship installed in the center resembling the Sevryuga steamer.

Two classical fountains have been recreated on the central alley; they are crowned with sculptural compositions of a whooper swan. The surviving ‘Waterway’ and ‘Sports’ sculptures have been restored. Specialists have also recreated an almost lost fence along the Leningradskoye Highway, almost a kilometer long: they have restored its bearing capacity and architectural elements, including lamps, anchor and star section compositions.

The landscaped embankment features recreation areas. All the 17 berths of the Northern River Station have been renovated with some of them recognized as cultural heritage site. The original appearance of the arched pavilions has been restored. The bottom level has also been leveled, now the water depth at the berths is from 2.1 to 3.6 meters. All household and construction wastes that used to block the navigation have been removed. The fender system for mooring 1937 ships has been replaced with a modern one. We have provided the power supply of moored ships from the waterside network and abandoned the use of diesel engines during parking, improving the environment in the park and nearby residential areas.

For the comfort of cruise passengers, a fenced boarding and disembarking area and new security check areas adapted to the needs of visitors with reduced mobility have been arranged.

A separate platform, from the 7th to the 12th berth, has been installed for sightseeing and walking routes. The control station got its historical appearance.

Following the restoration and adaptation, the Northern River Station can receive or send up to four vessels at the same time and up to 24 vessels per day. As at its best, the station capacity is over 1.5 million passengers per season.

St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Ples, Cherepovets, Uglich, Kostroma, Samara, Saratov, Gorodets, Myshkin, Valaam, Tver and Tutaev are the most popular water transport route destinations. Moscow is called the port of the five seas again.

After the renovation, the Northern River Station has become a comfortable year-round recreation area reviving its transport and public function.

In 2022, 2.5 million people visited the station. This year, 20 per cent more passengers and guests are expected, up to three million people. More than 1,000 cruises with 220,000 passengers on board have been launched. Motor vessels connect the Northern River Station with more than 30 Russian cities.

In 2023, a major reconstruction of the Southern River Station, which began in 2021, was completed. The project aimed to restore the original historical appearance and the main transport function of the station as one of the key navigation infrastructure on the Moskva River.

The renovated station’s building for passengers and guests features a waiting room with a coatroom and restrooms, a restaurant and a cafe for 80 people, a ticket office and an enquiry counter, tour operator offices, a multipurpose media room and an event hall. It boasts a roof with an area of more than a thousand square meters, an observation deck and an area to relax with sun loungers, offering a panoramic view of the Moskva River and the Dream Island amusement park. The building houses an exhibition staged by the Moscow Transport Museum. The first exposition is devoted to the history of Moscow river transport. It is updated regularly.

In 2023, as part of the first stage of integrated improvement, a part of the Southern River Station embankment with a length of 150 meters and the area in front of its building were renovated. A 500-meter-long mooring wall has been repaired with silt removed and a mooring area deepened. Now the specialists have launched the second stage of improvement, which they expect to complete by autumn. The embankment will be renovated with a comfortable public space arranged next to the station.

Five berths will accommodate ships of various classes, from pleasure boats to cruise ships. Four passenger pavilions with information display systems will ensure convenient and safe embarkation and disembarkation.

Convenient recreation areas will be arranged along the embankment. The old railing will be replaced with a modern one, comfortable benches and new hardscape will be installed. It will offer a scenic view of the Moskva River.

The pedestrian area on a part of the embankment and in front of the station has been paved with granite tiles. Convenient passages and entrances to the station building,  a special tourist bus stop and parking lots for bicycles, scooters and cars are available to the guests.

Opposite the station, a ground public transport stop has been installed. From the side of the Dream Island amusement park, a signalized crossing through Proektiruemy Proyezd No. 4062 running to the main entrance to the station building has been built.

Modern lights have been installed and trees have been planted on the square in front of the building of the Southern River Station. Lounge and waiting areas with benches, green spaces and flower beds are expected to be built by September.

Passengers will be able to go on cruises to 30 Russian cities. River vessels will depart for Ryazan, Murom, Kasimov, Nizhny Novgorod, Cheboksary, Kazan, Ufa and other destinations.

The revival of the river stations will reclaim the popularity of the famous Moscow Golden Ring cruise route, which starts at the Northern River Station, passes through Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Kolomna and ends at the Southern River Station. The journey is about 2,000 kilometers and takes from seven to 10 days.

The route was opened in 1959. Following the revival, it will become a real gem of the river navigation season.

Summer beaches

Moscow river stations have become both transport hubs and beach vacation spots.

In the southern part of the embankment of the Northern River Station, a beach complex was equipped with swimming pools, sun loungers and umbrellas to protect visitors against sun, changing rooms, restrooms and showers, a summer kitchen and a juice bar.

The area has a three skimmer-type pools, in which special tanks with a pipeline are installed, designed for constant filtration of the upper, most polluted layer of water. The pools are heated with a minimum water temperature of 26°C.

In the large pool measuring 24 x 15 meters and 1.5 meters deep, only adults are allowed to swim.

Families with children can use the 9 x 9 meter swimming pool with a depth of one meter.

The third pool, 9 x 5 meters and 0.75 meters deep, is designed for the youngest visitors, who can also use inflatable toys and armbands. It heats up to 30-32°C.

The pools are equipped with a modern cleaning system providing round-the-clock remote water control and dosing of active oxygen. The water is disinfected using ultraviolet radiation. Multilayer sand filters provide high-quality mechanical purification of water from impurities, and automatic dosing of algaecide allows purifying water from algae.

The locker rooms feature lockers to store personal belongings, restrooms and showers.

Sun loungers, umbrellas to protect guests against sun, shell sofas with a folding canopy and multi-seat soft beds with canopies and pillows have been installed around the perimeter of the pools.

The juice bar and summer kitchen offer snacks and European cuisine. The visitors can order soft drinks: signature lemonades, detox cocktails, smoothies, freshly squeezed juices, tea or coffee.

The guests can also try Greek cuisine at Rechnoy Restaurant. It has panoramic windows and a summer terrace overlooking the Khimki Reservoir.

This year, the beach area was expanded from 4,000 to 7,000 square meters with another large pool and additional sun loungers installed.  Over 135,000 people are expected to visit the spot this season.

Dream Beach Club, a new beach complex located in the Nagatinskaya Poima (floodplain) next to the Southern River Station, welcomed its first visitors in June 2023.

It has five heated pools, including the Russia’s largest outdoor pool with an area of 1,700 square meters, a children's pool with water slides covering an area of 675 square meters, a children's ball pit with fountains covering an area of 340 square meters, a wave pool with an area of 675 square meters and a VIP pool with an area of 430 square meters.

To make the guests’ experience more comfortable, the necessary related infrastructure, including sun loungers, changing rooms, showers, cafes, restaurants and other facilities, are provided.

Visitors to the beach complex can use the services of the Dream Island Marina yacht club, including a wake park. Two wakeboard reversible winches and jumping areas to learn jumps and tricks are available to water sports enthusiasts.  Guests can hire the necessary equipment.