Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
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The port of five seas, an outstanding example of Stalinist Empire style, a venue for concerts, film screenings, festivals, city holidays, training sessions, weddings. The Northern River Terminal is not just a transport hub, but a symbol of the renewed Moscow. On September 5, 2020, it opened after a large-scale reconstruction. In addition, the nearby embankment and park were improved. We tell you how the station has changed in five years.
The station is once again living the life that is embedded in its DNA
The Northern River Terminal was built together with the Moscow-Volga Canal (today the Moscow Canal). Immediately after its opening in 1937, it became a symbol of the slogan "Moscow – the port of five seas": river vessels departing from here could reach the Azov, Black, Caspian, Baltic and White Seas. In the 1990s, the port fell into disrepair: scheduled routes were cancelled, the building was occupied by offices and shops. Later, the station was closed due to its emergency condition.
The Northern River Terminal is a cultural heritage site of federal significance. The renovation of its building began in 2018, and in 2019, the improvement of the territory began.
The revival of the cultural heritage site of federal significance began in 2018. Specialists restored the facades of the building, reminiscent of a three-deck ship with a mast, one-and-a-half-meter porcelain medallions, sculptures and an antique clock, a spire with a star, a wide central staircase, interiors, panels, stained glass windows with state emblems, ceiling paintings, and tidied up the embankment and park. The port is worth visiting at least because it has become a monument to its era.
"This is a unique structure, a grandiose manifesto. The author of the project, Alexey Rukhlyadev, faced a difficult task: to create the quintessence of the new state and system in stone, to reflect their youth and aspiration. He searched for the right architectural language for a long time. The building harmoniously intertwined the future Stalinist Empire style (in 1937 it had not yet formed) and features of European trends: Art Deco, Neoclassicism, Venetian Gothic. The station is filled with works of art, which was new. Subsequently, this approach will be used in the capital's metro: stations will be decorated with bas-reliefs, sculptures, panels. The Moscow-Volga Canal was dug when the city was suffocating from dehydration, the river systems could no longer provide it with water. The culmination of the hydraulic structure was the Northern River Station. Arriving ships were greeted by porcelain medallions on the facades, which demonstrated the achievements and plans of the Land of Soviets – an icebreaker, a submarine, a flight over the North Pole, and the never-realized project of the Palace of Soviets. All this made the port a monument to its era," said Oksana Bondarenko, director
Museum of Moscow Transport.
You can get acquainted with the palace on the Khimki Reservoir on excursions of the Museum of Transport. They are held regularly, registration is open on the website. The guide will show architectural details and tell about legends associated with the station. For example, about what a "special purpose room" is. During the navigation season, excursion groups have a unique opportunity to climb onto the roof and see the legendary star with gems on the spire.
"Architect Alexey Rukhlyadev built not just a port, but one of the first public spaces in Moscow. Here you could play sports, send mail, dine in a restaurant, walk in the park. The Northern River Terminal and the Moscow-Volga Canal are the stars of cinema, scenes from cult films such as Volga-Volga and Po Semeynym Circumstances were filmed here. So the port was integrated into the cultural code of the city. Now it is once again living the life that is embedded in its DNA. This station is a symbol of the renewed Moscow, it unites history, transport, culture and sports," the mos.ru interlocutor emphasized.
During the improvement, the park was restored to its historical appearance and layout, supplemented with modern infrastructure. The concept was based on the project of engineer Timofey Shafransky. He was the author of the layout of the Northern River Terminal Park in 1936-1938. Some functional zones were reproduced according to his design, while others were created anew.
The surviving objects — the fence along Leningradskoe Shosse, the sculptures "Waterway" and "Sport", the arched pavilions of the piers and the control room — were restored. Two historical fountains were recreated on one of the longitudinal alleys, crowned with sculptural compositions in the form of a whooper swan. Both historical buildings adapted to modern needs and new structures made in the style of the 1930s-1950s were used to house the cafe and other objects.
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River cruises and transport exhibitions
With the revival of the Northern River Terminal, the capital has reminded us of its status as a port of five seas. Cruise ships and pleasure boats depart from its pier. You can sail to Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yaroslavl, Uglich and other cities of Russia. The port is equipped with modern passenger services. There is a comfortable waiting room and electric cars that take people with luggage to the ships. The flows of tourists and vacationers are distributed so that no one interferes with each other. A pop-up space of the Museum of Transport is open at the station.
"Twice a year we open a new exhibition on a topic related to transport: architecture, professions, history of the Northern Port. For example, one of them was dedicated to the history of the Moscow Children's River Shipping Company and the dreams of young captains about a great voyage. We showed an exhibition about the Moskvich car, timed to coincide with the biopic exhibition "The Dream of a Moskvich". Today, at the station, you can see the exhibition "Iron Ladies", timed to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the first line of the capital's metro. It introduces the equipment with which the construction of the metro begins – tunnel boring machines. Since ancient times, such machines have had female names, since the patroness of all miners was Saint Barbara," explained Oksana Bondarenko.
An exhibition about tunnel boring machines and women who built the metro has opened at the Northern River Terminal
Light shows, ceremonial raising of the spire and weddings
The Northern River Terminal celebrates the main holidays of the country and its capital: Russia Day, City Day, Victory Day, Moscow Transport Day. City festivals and film screenings are held here. In the warm season, the project site is located here "Music in the Metro": instrumental and vocal compositions are performed in the open air.
"One of the most memorable events was the "Park of Light" festival, which took place in July this year. The park, the embankment and the building's facade turned into a single light installation, and a theatrical performance took place in the canal's water area. Another bright spectacle was the opening of navigation. A parade of ships passes through the port along the Khimki Reservoir. A 27-meter spire is ceremoniously raised. By the way, in the last century it was raised three times: in honor of the opening of the canal, the victory in the Great Patriotic War and the 850th anniversary of Moscow in 1997. Now the mechanism is debugged, and the spire symbolizes the beginning and end of navigation, as it was originally intended," said Artem Mikhailov, head of the Northern River Terminal.
This year, Artem Mikhailov celebrated his wedding at the Northern River Station. The station joined the project "New Addresses of Happiness" in 2021. The employees of the capital's registry offices conduct the ceremonies after closing, from 20:00 to 00:00. Weddings here take place in the warm season – from May to September. After the wedding, the spouses have the opportunity to go up to the roof and have a photo shoot alone, without visitors. The port has become one of the favorite venues for newlyweds.
Dancing in the Park and Yoga on the Roof
Alleys, sculptures and fountains in the park, an embankment with a beach area and swimming pools, a model of the Moscow Canal, playgrounds and an amphitheater, a river cuisine restaurant with an interior in the Stalinist Empire style… The Northern River Terminal is a fashionable place to spend leisure time. There are open areas for playing streetball, table tennis and chess, workout zones, there are lanes for runners and cyclists. In addition, races and competitions are organized on the territory of the river terminal. In winter, there are two skating rinks with artificial and natural ice, a ski trail. The port has also joined the project "Sports Weekend". Anyone can train for free under the guidance of professional trainers.
"In the warm season, the park hosts functional (pumping up all muscle groups) and dance training. It's nice to keep fit in the fresh air, among fountains and greenery, like at a resort. And on the roof, you can do yoga and stretching. There is a picturesque view of the reservoir, which immediately lifts your spirits and motivates. These classes are always sold out. With the onset of cold weather, we move to the basement of the building, where there is an atmospheric space with sculptures. I conduct functional training and stretching classes. My groups include people of different levels of fitness and ages. Some come here from other parts of the city. After all, no gym can compare with the Severny Port," shared Vladimir Makhaev, trainer of the Sports Weekend project.
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