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The North River Station is located in the northwest of Moscow. It is an important part of the capital's transport infrastructure and a popular tourist attraction. Muscovites and visitors flock here, not only to embark on a water journey from the dock. Many come to this corner of the capital to admire the magnificent palace-style building of the station, dine in its famous restaurant, and stroll in the landscaped park along the waterfront promenade.

Recently, an interesting installation has appeared on the granite promenade. Here, a 400-meter-long model of the Moscow-Volga Canal is presented, featuring models of locks and other hydraulic structures. The mini-canal has become a popular entertainment spot. Remote-controlled ship models swim in its waters. All interested parties are given remote controls to steer the agile ships.

The construction of the river station in northern Moscow is linked to the grand construction of the navigable Moscow-Volga Canal as part of the second five-year plan for the industrialisation of the Soviet Union. The building was established in 1933, even before the water of the artificial Khimki reservoir rose to the planned level of the river docks and promenades. The project's authors proposed to deviate from utilitarian designs for station buildings and to erect a real palace.

In addition to its function as a transport hub, the river station was assigned the role of a centre for culture, recreation, and entertainment. The façade was adorned with colonnades and sculptures, and the interiors were decorated with stucco and paintings. A vast park was laid out near the Khimki river port (its former name). The construction was completed after five years. The architect Alexei Rukhlyadev, who presented the river station project at an exhibition in Paris, received a prestigious diploma, and the Soviet government awarded the builder the Order of Lenin.

In the following decades, the North River Station served as the main departure point for cruise ships that sailed through the Moscow-Volga canal system to the southern seas of the country, as well as to the waters of the Baltic Sea and the Arctic White Sea. Additionally, the entrance hall was used as a cinema and concert hall.

During the crisis years of the 1990s, passenger river cruises came to a halt. For a time, there was an informal market in the spacious halls of the river port. During this period, significant damage was inflicted on the interiors and the decoration of the façades. Afterwards, the dilapidated building was closed and remained abandoned for a long time.

Extensive restoration work on the historic building began in 2017 and was completed in the autumn of 2020. The lost details of the façade stucco work and authentic interiors were restored. Additionally, 17 docks were modernised. The bottom of the reservoir was cleaned and deepened in the docking area. Modern communication tools and advanced navigation devices were installed in the updated control room. The boarding points for the ships are now equipped with systems that ensure passenger safety. Since 2020, the navigation seasons in the Moscow region have been opened at the renovated North River Station.

📍 Coordinates of the location (map point) available here

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