Pleasure boats and revolutionary motor ships: what vehicles plied the Moskva River in different eras

Regular river transport is being revived in Moscow. In 2020, the Northern River Station opened after reconstruction; in April of this year, the Southern River Station opened. River cruises and urban water transport will be served by both of the stations.

“We have reopened the Southern River Station: its historical appearance and transport function have been completely restored. The work was carried out on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin. We are convinced that, like the Northern River Station, it will become a new favorite spot for Moscow residents and visitors and an important cultural platform. The area of the Moscow Transport Museum appeared in the building; the first exhibition, Moscow Passenger River, was launched, where visitors can learn more about the development of urban river transport,” said Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Moscow Mayor for Transport.

How was it possible to launch navigation on the Moskva River, which either flooded the city or dried up, why in the early 20th century boats could not replace horse-drawn trams and river trams, when the first river trams appeared, how the Moscow fleet helped evacuate residents during the war, and which Moscow motor ship could approach wild banks in distant villages? Nikita Golovanov, Chief Specialist of the Research Service of the Moscow Transport Museum, told mos.ru about the development of water transport in the Russian capital.

Flood and drought control

The history of the Moskva River is closely connected with the history of the city itself. For a long time, settlements grew near the river. It was used to fish, bathe, wash clothes and deliver goods. According to the design plan of the city signed by Catherine the Great in 1775, the river banks were to be reinforced, finished with stone and built up. Since the city regularly suffered from floods, in 1786, the Vodootvodny Canal used as a water drainage system was built. Muscovites called it a ditch: it resembled a rural stream.

“In the second half of the 19th century, this “ditch” was turned into a shipping channel. It was expanded and deepened, the new Babiegorodskaya Dam was built, and the mouth was blocked by the Krasnokholmskaya Dam and a lock. In 1857, Nikolay Lvov, the guard captain, presented a petition “for permission to set up a towing and passenger shipping company to navigate the Moskva, Oka and Volga rivers at his own expense.” This is how the Moscow River Shipping Company was born. A year later, two steamboats set sail: the Moskva cargo boat and the Nikolay passenger boat,” said Nikita Golovanov.

Later, the Moskvoretskaya lock system, the first and only hydraulic system in Russia built by a private company was launched. It included six hydrosystems, consisting of a dam and a lock. The 160 km waterway from the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge to the confluence of rivers Moskva and Oka became navigable. In the 1880s, regular city passenger traffic was launched. Small, shallow-draught steamboats plied the river. However, sometimes, boat trips were not available on summer days.

“In the late 19th century, the Moskva River was shallow. On hot days, the river dried up, and the water level depended on the weather and spillways. The guides said: “steamboats sail if the river level permits.” They departed from the pier every two hours starting at seven in the morning,” the scientific curator of the exhibition noted, showing the corresponding message in the 1905 guide.

High competition and flexible rates

By the 1910s, the river transportation competition in Moscow was strong. Passengers were transported by individuals and companies, such as Cherep-Spiridovich Shipping Company, Moskvoretskoe Passenger Shipping Company and Finnish Light Shipping Company. Entrepreneurs built piers and bought vessels at their own expense. Steamboats sailed from the Vodootvodny Canal near Bolotnaya Square to Vorobyovy Gory, and from the Moskvoretsky Bridge to the Nikolo-Perervinsky Monastery.

“The ticket cost 20 kopecks, which is two to four times more expensive than travelling by horse-drawn trams and river trams. That is why water travelling was available only to wealthy people. Ship owners offered river navigation as a recreational activity, not as urban transportation means. They said that instead of walking along a dusty boulevard, it would be more pleasant to board a steamboat enjoying a breeze and a beautiful view,” Nikita Golovanov specified.

Stepan Krynkin, the owner of the famous restaurant on Vorobyovy Gory, also had motor boats. Passengers could go sailing from the boat pier of the restaurant. Krynkin offered flexible rates. The ticket cost 25 kopecks from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and 50 kopecks after 10:00 p.m. The price grew when guests, having had a drink at the restaurant, went home.

First river trams and evacuation during the war

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Moscow fleet was nationalized, and ship traffic became irregular. In 1930, it completely stopped: sports organizations that developed water sports on the Moskva River insisted on this. However, a year later, thanks to the intervention of the All-Union River Transport Association, steamboat traffic was restored. The city was preparing for the launch of river transport.

The infrastructure was built from scratch: a backwater to repair ships, piers, stations and ship crews were needed. The Moscow Shipyard was involved in building tram-type boats. A “river tram" became a household name for all small passenger boats in Russia.

In June 1931, the first river station opened in Moscow. It was located on Krasnokholmskaya Embankment (now Kosmodamianskaya). The first river tram route ran from Shluzovaya Embankment to Dorogomilovo. The fixed schedule (from 5:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. with a 20-minute headway) also appeared. The boat interiors were well-thought-out: mahogany finish, silk curtains, chessboards, bag nets. But most importantly, they were affordable: the fare varied from 10 to 30 kopecks, depending on the number of stops. In 2023, the ticket would cost about 60 rubles. The exhibition of the Transport Museum shows unique archival footage of the first river trams that transported passengers along the Moskva River.

In 1937, along with the Moskva-Volga Canal, two river stations were opened: the Southern River Station on Varshavskoye Motorway and the Northern River Station on the Khimki Reservoir. But in 1941, Moscow fleet had to support the war effort. Motor ships supplied the city and evacuated residents, equipment and museum valuables. The Southern River Station and the berths of the Southern River Port became centers of Moscow evacuation using the waterways.

“River transport operated to its maximum. 10 per cent of the two million evacuated residents were transported by river transport workers. In July 1941 alone, 110,000 people were evacuated, while the long distance traffic of the entire navigation in 1940 amounted to about 160,000,” added Nikita Golovanov.

Revolutionary Zarya and Moscow Circumnavigation

After the war ended, the fleet renewal was discussed. In 1948, a Moskvich-class vessel (Project 544) was launched at Moscow Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant in Nagatino. Over the next three decades, it was built at various plants throughout the country. For many years, Moskvich determined the appearance of river basins of the entire USSR. In total, more than 500 vessels of this type were built. Later, Moskvich’s elder brother, Ozerny Moskvich, or simply OMik, joined the ranks of the flotilla. The practice of Moscow Children’s River Shipping Company took place using these vessels. Students between grades 7 to 10 mastered river skills during their long trips.

The Zarya motor ship also built in Nagatino revolutionized areas with poor infrastructure and shallow rivers in the 1960s. Only the Zarya ship could approach undeveloped wild banks in Siberia, Ural and the Far East. The vessel connected the Russian capital with distant villages. From the late 1960s, the Moskva motor ship was used for city transportation. By the way, the exhibition includes the pennants of the major Moscow shipping companies, Moscow River Shipping Company and the Moskva-Volga Canal.

“After shipbuilding developed, route networks were being improved. In 1974, 64 urban and suburban lines were already open. River trams were used as a full-fledged urban transport again. They became a must-have for tourists. In 1975, the passenger traffic reached 20 million people,” said Nikita Golovanov.

The most famous river cruise in the Soviet era was Moscow Circumnavigation. Motor ships plied the circular route: Southern River Station - Oka - Nizhny Novgorod - Volga - Moscow Canal - Northern River Station.

Port of five seas, or the revival of urban river transport

In the 1990s, the fleet was privatized, and the station buildings were no longer used for their intended purpose. Regular routes were closed.

The revival of the Moscow river transport began in the last decade. Last season, about 50 private ships sailed along the Moskva River daily, carrying passengers along the following routes:

– Northern (Kievsky - Kitay-Gorod);

– Historical (Vorobyovy Gory - Novospassky);

– Central (Gorky Park - Zaryadye);

– Circular (Tretyakovsky - Patriarshy);

– Southern (Kitay-Gorod - Klenovy Boulevard);

– Kolomenskoye (Kolomenskoye - Brateevo);

– Serebryany Bor;

– Northern River Station - Khimki.

This year, two new routes were opened: Nagatinsky (Pechatniki - Klenovy Boulevard) and Zapadny (City Expocentre - Troitse-Lykovo).

Marking the centenary of the launch of the first river trams, Moscow will have another update. After 17 years, two regular river electric transport routes will be gradually launched: Fili Park - Kievsky and Pechatniki - Avtozavodsky Bridge. The world’s first year-round electric vessels will navigate. Berths for two routes are to be built gradually, taking into account the ongoing development and the readiness of embankments.

“The Russian capital has again become a port of five seas. Modern routes have been planned using the current schemes for developing urban transport, and yet they largely resemble the Soviet ones. Time passes, but the main spots remain unchanged. One of these adapted routes is the Northern River Station - Zakharkovo crossing. But today river transport operates year-round. Passengers will not have to change the route during the inter-navigation period,” Nikita Golovanov emphasized.

The Moscow Passenger River exhibition will run in the space of the Moscow Transport Museum at the Southern River Station for a year. It is open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (free entry).