Moscow Canal

The Moscow - Volga Canal (Russian Канал имени Москвы - Canal imeni Moskvy, " Moscow Canal " ) is a canal in Russia, connecting the Volga with the Moskva River. Why would the correct name Moskva - Volga Canal. It runs on the territory of the Tver Oblasts and Moscow and to a small extent on the city of Moscow, and has a length of 128 kilometers.

History

Even Peter the Great had thought Volga and Moskva river to connect to a channel, 1825-1844 has even begun construction. On 15 June 1931, the Central Committee of the Communist Party decided to build a canal, which should initially only for water supplies from Moscow. At the same time the Moscow River should be regulated. The construction of the Moscow -Volga Canal was one of the biggest projects in the Five Year Plan 1932-1937. For him, the camp was Dmitlag ( first Dmitrowlag ) opened with the city of Dmitrov in the center, between 1932 and 1938, the largest within the Gulag. At the time of the greatest expansion in 1936 contributed 192 034 prisoners slave labor in Dmitlag.

The prisoners were first exposed in the wild terrain and had to cope themselves. The work was extremely hard outdoor work could only be canceled at temperatures of minus 30 degrees. 200 grams of groats, macaroni 200 grams and 100 grams of vegetable oil were calculated per capita and day. More to eat it was only necessary for the fulfillment of the plan. The work was performed without lunch. Many prisoners were shot on the run. In the first two years 1933 and 1934, 8,873 and 6,041 people died, leaving a total of 22 842 people for the channel their lives. In the forests and swamps mass graves were decorated. Although Soviet standards an unprecedented number was contracted to technical devices, the earthworks were handled mainly by hand. Along the canal route but worked well as free workers, who had settled in the Canal Zone or commuted from Moscow. Towards the end of the site was even a popular destination for Moscow celebrities.

The channel was on 15 July 1937 as the Moskva - Volga Canal ( Канал Москва - Волга ) opened. On this occasion, 50,000 prisoners were released. At the same time the management of the canal project and the camp was arrested in the Canal Zone during the Great Terror. The head of the Dmitlag Semyon Firin was arrested on 28 April 1937. Even as the Festflotille opening of the channel on April 30, was traveling, had several head of canal construction site to disembark and were managed with black limousines in the Lubyanka prison. For the 800th anniversary of the city of Moscow in 1947, the canal was in honor of the city in Moscow Canal ( Канал имени Москвы ) renamed and now bears its present name.

Course

The channel begins at Iwankowoer Reservoir near the city Dubna, where there is also a dam, and the Iwankower hydroelectric plant. The confluence with the Moskva River is located in Moscow's Tushino place. In its first 74 kilometers of the canal runs through the northern slope of the Klin - Dmitrov - mountain range, this 38 meter height with the help of six locks (No. 2-6) must be overcome.

In its further course is a series of reservoirs, which account for 19.5 kilometers. The navigable part of the canal ends in the northern inland port of Moscow, then it flows to a length of three kilometers in the Moscow River. Here there are two locks ( Nos. 7 and 8 ); the channel flows here through a causeway, partly above the Volokolamsk highway.

Each of the eight locks is individually designed for himself; as architecturally noteworthy is also the northern inland port in Khimki, designed by architect Ruchjadew, among others Krinski

The channel is in need of renovation, recent studies go of reconstruction costs 1,5 and 3 billion rubles from.