Moscow Canal

The Moscow Canal is an outstanding engineering achievement of the 20th century that permanently changed the face of the capital. This large-scale hydraulic structure, stretching 128 kilometers, connected two great rivers—the Volga and the Moskva River—turning Moscow into a port of five seas and solving the critical problem of water supply for the megacity.

Background of Construction: From Idea to Implementation

The idea of connecting the Moskva River with the Volga originated as early as the time of Peter the Great, but for a long period it remained only a dream of engineers and urban planners. By the early 1930s, the situation with the capital’s water supply had reached a critical point. The Moskva River had become so shallow that near the Kremlin walls it could be crossed on foot. Existing water pipelines—the Khodynsky, Preobrazhensky, Andreevsky, Artesian, Mytishchi, and Rublyovsky systems—supplied only 15 million buckets of water per day, which, with a population of three million and a rapidly developing industry, was catastrophically insufficient. In 1931, a historic decision was made at the plenum of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) to fundamentally solve the problem of supplying the capital with water by connecting the Moskva River with the upper reaches of the Volga. The following year, the implementation of the grand project began—one destined to change the hydrological picture of the entire region.

Construction of the Canal: Record Timelines and a Dramatic History

Scale of Work and Implementation Timeframe

Construction of the canal began in September 1932 and lasted four years and eight months—a truly record-breaking timeframe for a project of such scale. For comparison, the famous Suez Canal took 14 years to build, and the Panama Canal as many as 35 years. At the peak of construction, the total workforce exceeded 220,000 people, more than 195,000 of whom were prisoners of the specially established Dmitrov corrective labor camp. During construction, 650 kilometers of railways were laid, 406 kilometers of power lines installed, and over two million cubic meters of concrete used. More than 240 hydraulic engineering structures were created, including 11 locks, 5 pumping stations, 8 hydroelectric power plants, 3 cargo ports, and 2 passenger ports.

Tragic Pages of History

The construction of the canal also has a tragic chapter: from September 1932 to January 1938, more than 22,000 people died in the Dmitrov corrective labor camp. Upon completion of the project, 55,000 prisoners were released early. This human cost remains a painful reminder of the era in which the canal was built.

Unique Technical Characteristics

Engineering Features of the Structure

The Moscow Canal stands out among similar structures worldwide due to its “energy-based” nature. Unlike many canals that rely on natural terrain, here water from the Volga is lifted to the watershed section using powerful pumping stations through five stages. The canal begins near the city of Dubna at the Ivankovo Reservoir and runs southward. The northern slope, 74 kilometers long, rises along the Klin-Dmitrov Ridge to a height of 38 meters above the Volga’s level, overcoming it through five locks with pumping stations. On the 50-kilometer-long watershed section are six reservoirs: Ikshinskoye, Pestovskoye, Pyalovskoye, Uchinskoye, Klyazminskoye, and Khimkinskoye. The southern slope, only 4 kilometers long, lowers vessels by 36 meters to the level of the Moskva River through two double-chamber locks.

Navigation Route Parameters

The canal’s technical parameters are impressive: the width at the water surface is 85 meters, at the bottom—46 meters, and the depth—5.5 meters. The locks are 290 meters long and 30 meters wide, allowing them to accommodate vessels with a carrying capacity of up to 5,000 tons. The canal has a trapezoidal profile, ensuring optimal bank stability and navigation efficiency.

Grand Opening and the First Months of Operation

In the spring of 1937, construction work was nearing completion. On March 23, a historic event took place—the blocking of the Volga River. The river was completely blocked for three minutes, after which the dam gates were gradually raised, directing water simultaneously along the old channel and into the new reservoir. Two weeks later, the Moscow Sea, as the Ivankovo Reservoir came to be known, was filled with water. By April 17, the entire canal was filled, and the level of the Moskva River rose by three meters. July 15, 1937 marked the ceremonial opening of the canal for passenger and cargo traffic. During the May holidays, the first steamships had already traveled along the new waterway to the very walls of the Kremlin. Interestingly, the official name “Moscow Canal” was given to the structure only in 1947, in honor of the capital’s 800th anniversary; before that, it was simply called the “Moscow–Volga Canal.”

An Architectural Masterpiece of the Socialist Era

The Concept of a Unified Architectural Ensemble

The canal was conceived not merely as a utilitarian hydraulic structure, but as a grand architectural complex intended to demonstrate the greatness of the socialist era. All facilities were designed in the style of Soviet neoclassicism and harmoniously integrated into the landscape. Architects A. M. Rukhlyadev, V. Ya. Movchan, V. F. Krinsky, D. B. Savitsky, and sculptors I. S. Efimov and N. Ya. Danko created a unique architectural ensemble. Each of the eleven locks has its own distinctive appearance and is crowned with decorative superstructures or sculptural compositions. For cladding the towers, marble, granite, and diorite of various shades, polished labradorite, and colored plaster were used. The towers of Lock No. 3 are adorned with impressive decorative sailing ships—caravels made of red copper.

The Northern River Terminal — a Symbol of Moscow

The largest and most recognizable structure of the canal is the Northern River Terminal, built in the shape of a huge snow-white ship. This building became an architectural symbol of Moscow as a “port of five seas”—the Baltic, Caspian, Black, Azov, and White seas. A star crowns the terminal’s tall spire, and fountains named “North” and “South” are located on the terraces, symbolizing the connection between southern and northern waterways.

The Importance of the Canal for Moscow and the Country

Water Supply of the Capital

The primary task for which the canal was created—providing Moscow with water—was solved brilliantly. Today, the canal supplies more than 60 percent of all the water consumed by the capital and its suburbs. Approximately 2 billion cubic meters of Volga water are pumped through it annually. From 1937 to 2007, over 100 billion cubic meters of water were transferred, ensuring water supply for millions of Muscovites for many generations. Water is taken directly into Moscow’s water supply system from the Pestovskoye and Uchinskoye reservoirs. Thanks to the canal, the Moskva River transformed from a shallow stream into a full-flowing water artery of the capital.

Transport Significance

The canal became a crucial link in the unified deep-water system of the European part of Russia, connecting Moscow with five seas. Annually, about 27 million tons of cargo and more than 500,000 passengers are transported along the canal. Over the entire period of operation, around 3 million lock operations have been carried out, and approximately 10 million vessels have passed through. During the Great Patriotic War, the canal played a strategic role, serving as a vital route for transporting goods, military equipment, rapid troop movements, and the evacuation of the population. In 1941, key hydraulic structures and the third lock with its caravel sculptures were destroyed during the fighting.

Current State and Recreation Areas

The canal operates during the navigation period from April 20 to November 1. Along its banks are numerous sanatoriums, boarding houses, recreation centers, and parks. The canal’s reservoirs have become the main recreation area for residents of the metropolitan region, offering opportunities for fishing, water sports, and leisure walks. Bicycle and pedestrian paths run along the entire route, and water excursion routes operate from various piers in Moscow. Visitors can observe the impressive process of vessel lockage, especially at the largest Lock No. 7, and explore engineering structures such as pumping stations, spillways, and two cable ferry crossings in Dubna and Meldino.

Interesting Facts about the Canal

In terms of environmental impact, the Moscow Canal is considered one of the most environmentally gentle among large hydraulic structures. Unlike many similar projects, it did not significantly damage the ecological condition of the Moscow region and in some areas even improved it. For navigation convenience, kilometer markers along the canal are measured from Moscow, and the conventional flow direction is set from the Ivankovo Reservoir toward the capital, although in reality the water is pumped in the opposite direction. At the beginning of the canal, on the banks of the Volga foreport, two 15-meter statues by sculptor S. D. Merkurov—Stalin and Lenin—were installed. The first was dismantled in 1962.

How to Get to the Canal

The Moscow Canal runs through the Moscow Region and partly through the Tver Region, making it easy to reach both by public transport and by car. The main access points include locks and embankments near the capital. From central Moscow, the most convenient way is to take the metro to the “Rechnoy Vokzal” station, from where you can continue by bus or taxi to the Northern River Terminal—the canal’s main passenger terminal. The Moscow Canal remains a unique monument of engineering thought and architecture, continuing to perform its functions nearly 90 years after its opening. It is a living testament to the large-scale transformations of the 20th century and continues to serve the city to this day.