Fun Facts from River Boat Cruise in Moscow

While traveling on the Moscow River, in short time and without traffic jams or tiresome walking you can see all the gems of historical and cultural center of the capital. Depending on the itinerary and duration of the River Boat Cruise in Moscow, the tour can be 3 or 5 hour tour.

Moscow River

Moscow River is the main waterway of the Russian capital. Within the city, its length is 80 km, width varies from 120 m to 200 m. The narrowest part of the river is located near the Kremlin, and the most extensive is in the Luzhniki Stadium. The depth of the Moscow River averages from 3m to 6m, and in some places it reaches 14 m. Within the city Moscow river consists of a cascade of reservoirs.

Bridges in Moscow

Undoubtedly, bridges and embankments are among the most scenic spots of Moscow, as well as the most romantic.

Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge – Great Stone Bridge – is the main bridge of Moscow. Back in the 17th century on this site was constructed the first stone bridge of Moscow.

Patriarshy Bridge is one of the youngest bridges of Moscow, built in 2004. The bridge is pedestrian and connect the Christ the Saviour Cathedral with Bersenevskaya embankment, extremely popular place among locals for its trendy art galleries, cafes and panoramic views. Patriarshy Bridge used to be a shooting location for former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s to address the nation on his New Years’ speeches.

Borodinsky Bridge, erected in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, a fierce legendary battle during the Russo-French war of 1812, which every schoolboy in Russia knows about.

Bagration Bridge one of the pedestrian bridges with most picturesque views of the Moskva River with its numerous upper-level observation platforms. The bridge was built to mark the 850th anniversary of Moscow in 1997.

Krymsky Bridge was in Top 5 Europe’s longest bridges back in the early 20th century. The bridge was named after the ancient Krymsky ford which Crimean Tartars used to attack the Russian capital in the 16^th century..

Embankments of Moscow

Moscow river has 37 embankments, the most popular being Kremlevskaya, Sofiyskaya, Pushkinskaya, Vorobyovskaya and Kolomenskaya.

You can get the most spectacular views of the Kremlin from Kremlevskaya and Sofiyskaya embankments.

Pushkinkaya embankment is the most romantic in Moscow. It meanders along Gorky Park and Neskuchnyi garden and is rich for all kinds of entertainment as well as cozy nooks, including Olivkovy beach, the famous Zeleny theater as well as a pier for river cruisers.

Vorobyevskaya embankment is part of Vorobyevy Gory (Sparrow Hills) nature reserve. This place opens a beautiful panorama of the river and city from the observation deck and is believed to be the place for taking serious decision in life.

Embankment in Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve has a special charm due to its peculiar geographical relief. The river journey around Kolomenskoye would be the most peaceful in your life.

Taras Shevchenko embankment is popular among photographers for its modern Moscow City skyscrapers. Highly recommended for your night boat trip.

Embankments of Moscow are the pride of the capital. A distinctive feature of each of the promenades is its architecture and beautiful views. In addition, almost all the embankments of Moscow have a rich history and a lot of notable buildings.

Different epochs

Taking a walk along the Moscow River by boat, you will witness the architecture of Moscow from different eras and styles. Archaeological studies indicate that already in the XI century there stood a fortified settlement on Borovitsky hill, which is now called the Kremlin. Little fortress could not accommodate all the residents of the rapidly growing city, and the Grand Duke ordered the construction of a new Kremlin, larger than the former.

During the tour you will see

• Stalin skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya (Tinkers) embankment;
• St Basil’s Cathedral,
• The Kremlin,
• “House on the Embankment” – another Stalin skyscraper,
• Christ the Savior Cathedral,
• Monument to Peter I,
• The Central House of Artists,
• Gorky Park,
• Russian Academy of Sciences,
• Moscow State University,
• Luzhniki stadium,
• Novodevichy Monastery,
• Kiev railway station,
• Europe Square,
• Moscow City Hall,
• Government House,
• Expocentre Exhibition Complex
• and other famous sights of Moscow.

You will learn about the different epochs of the city from the foundation of Moscow in 1147 till Soviet times of 20^th century.

Boat trip around Kolomenskoe Park

The tour starts from the pier Klenovy (Maple) Boulevard and provides reat views of Nicholas Perervinsky monastery.

Nicholas Perervinsky monastery was founded during the Battle of Kulikov in about 1380. The monastery, got its name from the surrounding area – “Pererva”, which can be translated like “tear off” and because of the location –  here the river abruptly changed its course, turning to Kolomna, which was on the opposite bank.

Nowadays Kolomenskoye is State Art, Historical, Architectural and Natural Landscape Museum-Reserve, which doors are open to everyone who wants to get in touch with the ancient history of Russia.

Take a break from the big city hustle in the shady parks and gardens of the Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve. Don’t miss a wonderful Church of the Ascension and Tsar Alexey’s Palace in Kolomenskoye!

The banks of the Moscow River are decorated with numerous monasteries and temples.

Novospassky Monastery

It was founded in the thirteenth century on the spot where now stands the Danilovsky monastery (near Tulskaya metro station). After a few decades, in 1330, Ivan Kalita transferred the monastery on the Borovitskii hill of the Kremlin. However, in the fifteenth century, Spassky Monastery again moved, this time to a more spacious place on Krasnoholmskaya waterfront.

Church of St. Nicholas in Zayaitskom

Church of St. Nicholas was built in the middle of the XVIII century in baroque style. During the fire of 1812 the building survived, but the utensils were looted. Parishioners gathered donations and restored the temple. In Soviet times, it was closed and opened again only in 1992.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior

The previous church was erected in honor of the victory over Napoleon’s troops and was under construction for almost 44 years, but was demolished in 1937. The current building was constructed in 1994-1997. It is the tallest Orthodox church in the world and one of the largest.

The temple was built during the reign of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich in 1679-82 in late Muscovite Baroque style and can be characterized as bonfire temple. Each gable is a symbol of a heavenly fire.

Novodevichy Convent

One of the most famous monasteries in Moscow presumably founded in 1524. Novodevichy’s status among other monasteries was high enough, it was in this monastery where the women of the royal blood, the wives of Tsars and local rulers of Moscow were kept in prison as nuns.

St. Andrew’s church

(male acts as Compound Patriarch of Moscow)

St. Andrew’s church stands right on the slopes of the Sparrow Hills, on the way down to the Moscow River, on the territory of the Nature Reserve “Sparrow Hills”. The monastery is small in size but is very cozy. It’s situated in a quiet courtyard surrounded by temples, fruit trees and flowers.