Northern River Station has welcomed >14.7 million visitors in six years

Six years ago, in 2020, the Northern River Station re-opened its doors after a large-scale restoration project. Since then, it has welcomed over 14.7 million visitors, as announced by Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Moscow Mayor for Transport and Industry.

“We are continuing to drive the capital’s river stations by the order of the Moscow Mayor. Today, the renovated Northern River Station is the capital’s landmark and a popular tourist attraction. Since the beginning of 2026, it has hosted more than 290 events. And over the summer, the station was attended by one million people,” says Maxim Liksutov.

Indeed, Moscow is driving river transport. Following the renovation of the Northern and Southern River Stations, the capital has regained the role of a ‘port of five seas’, sending ships to dozens of cities across the country and even to the Black, Caspian, Azov, White, and Baltic Seas.

Going on a cruise and even more

During the summer navigation season, the Northern River Station serves as a key transport hub for the city as it has 17 berths along the embankment, which can accommodate around 20 cruise ships simultaneously at the peak of the summer season.

Over the six years, the berths have handled more than 8,000 arrivals and departures of cruise ships plying to dozens of cities and tourist destinations, such as Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Perm, Kostroma, Samara, Arkhangelsk, Rostov, etc.

The cruise itineraries feature tours, a variety of onboard activities, and walks through the most picturesque locations; tickets can be bought on tour operators’ websites or at offices inside the river stations.

Before cruise ships depart on their voyages, Mosgortrans staff at the Northern River Station replenish drinking water, conduct technical inspections and equipment checks, providing shore-based power for onboard systems and handling cargo using electric vehicles, while passengers and their luggage are carried to the ships by forty-six electric cars.

During the previous navigation season, the Northern and Southern River Stations handled 2,200 arrivals and departures, with over 360,000 passengers on board — the highest record in more than 30 years.

In addition, during the summer navigation season, ferry routes operate to Khimki berth in the Moscow Region and Zakharkovo berth in Moscow’s Yuzhnoye Tushino. Riverboats are used as an affordable and fast alternative to traveling by metro or surface transport.

Everything for passengers — all year round

Northern River Station is in fact a regional cultural heritage site, its main building was awarded the status in 1987. Once the renovation project was over, it has been able to offer everything for passenger comfort, including a waiting area, a café, and accessibility features for passengers with reduced mobility, specially equipped electric carts helping travelers get to their cruise ships.

The station building also features an exhibition space for the Museum of Moscow Transport, a gift shop, a rooftop observation deck accessible via a museum-led tour, and a restaurant that was restored alongside the station.

Operating all year round, the river station comprises a landscaped waterfront, a park with flowerbeds, and a stream mimicking the Moscow Canal; infrastructure for an active lifestyle has been thoughtfully designed to feature scooter and bicycle rental points, bike paths, sports and children’s playgrounds. It hosts a range of celebrations, festivals, workshops, and tours, offering an ice rink on the main square in winter and an open-air cinema and outdoor sports workouts in summer; there is also a recreation area with swimming pools available during the warm season.