Vodootvodny Canal

The water diversion channel (Russian Водоотводный канал, transcription: Wodootwodny channel ) is a scale in the years 1783 to 1786 canal in the historical city center of Moscow. It runs parallel to the Moskva River near the Kremlin, where the river has a slightly curved shape. The 30 to 50 meters wide and about two feet deep channel branches off near the Gorky Park of the Moscow River and joins four kilometers east back into the river. He, together with the Moscow River, an artificial island, the building is part of the historic district Samoskworetschje.

Formation

The early emergence of the Moscow water diversion channel goes back to frequent floods that already since the 14th century, inhabited by people Quarters " behind the Moskva River " (which also means Samoskworetschje ) ravaged again and again. This was mainly due to very shallow location of the area, which meant that with continuing heavy rains increase the level of the Moskva River and the first thing the area flooded within its arc. According to written records, there were Samoskworetschje alone in the 18th century six strong floods. To solve this problem, we began to plan in the 1770s a bypass channel of the Moskva River, which was to divert a portion of the waters of the river and thus reduce its regular water level.

Originally a canal system was planned by the St. Petersburg model with a longitudinal and a plurality of transverse channels, a little later, the plan was simplified. 1783-1786 was planned by the French architect living in exile in Russia Nicolas Legrand a main channel parallel to the Moskva River Arch and in the middle portion of a cross- channel, but this was abandoned and built over in the 1870s. After the completion of the canal, the island thus formed was from then on from floods largely secure; the marshes be formed in the course of the many floods on the island were dried up, so much additional land could be won.

The easternmost section of the channel was originally parallel to the Garden Ring, but the mid-19th century was diverted into a new bed, so that the old bed formed a new cross- channel. This was abandoned only in the 1930s. The boat traffic on the water diversion channel was discontinued after the construction of new dams on the Moskva River in the 30s. Since the summer of 2008, however, smaller tour boats sail again the water diversion channel.

Today the channel span ten bridges, including four pure pedestrian bridges. As with the Moskva River in the city center, the banks of the canal are attached with quay walls. In several places, fountains were installed in the channel bed. The banks of the canal and its surroundings are due to the variety has survived until now old buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries as a tourist attraction.

At the beginning of the channel the monument to Peter I in 1997 built on an artificial island. With around 95 meters in height, it is one of the highest statues in the world.