Park of the Northern River Station - the Soviet heritage of the capital. The park is a monument of landscape gardens of the period. The recreation area adjoins directly to the station building, which was built almost simultaneously with the park and the Moscow Canal. Construction work was carried out in the period from 1936 to 1938.
general description
The park zone is located along the Leningradskoye Highway, directly on the Khimki Reservoir. The total occupied area is 40.8 hectares. On the opposite side of the Leningradskoye Shosse is the Friendship Park.
In autumn and spring, the garden ensemble fascinates and surprises with the preserved atmosphere of the 30s of the last century. There are many flower beds, plants on which are planted in original compositions, tall trees, birdsong and snow-white sculptures, stylized under the river theme. There are playgrounds with unusual slides and swings. The layout of the entire zone has three avenues:
- two run parallel to the highway;
- one is perpendicular.
Today, the Park of the Northern River Station is practically excluded from the cultural life of the capital and is not on the architectural map of Moscow.
sights
The main entrance is adorned with the sculpture “Waterway”, created in 1937 by the sculptor Julia Kun. The sculpture depicts a girl holding a ship that is raised. The girl herself is a river, carrying ships on its own waves. A copy of the sculpture is located on the upper pool of gateway No. 5.
Further, in the Park of the Northern River Station there is a monument-bust of Academician A.N. Krylov A bust was installed in 1960 and is located near the station building.
Also on the territory is the sculpture "Sport", and the rest, which were originally very many here, have been lost. Cast iron anchors on granite pedestals are installed on the sides of the park entrance. The wrought-iron fence that encloses the park is an example of architectural art that has been partially lost and restored with new elements. Of course, there is the station building itself.
Station building
All people who visited the Khimki reservoir must take a photo of the park of the Northern River Station and the station itself. After all, this is a religious building, "lit up" in many Soviet films: "Volga-Volga", "New Moscow".
Two architects were involved in the design:
- Rukhlyadeva A.M.
- Krinsky V.F.
The building completely repeats the outlines of a huge double-deck steamer crowned with a tower and a spire (symbolizing a deck 24 meters high), on top of which there is a star that previously adorned the Spasskaya Tower. The entire building is inlaid with majolica, one of which depicts "Moscow of the Future". Arched openings and a flat roof give a striking resemblance of the building to a real steamboat.
On the sides of the building there are semicircular courtyards, where in the old days there were fountains called “South” (9 dolphins that played in water jets) and “North” (with bears and geese against a cliff).
On the tower, under the lighthouse, a clock works. They were brought from the Resurrection Cathedral, but it was established that they are more than 200 years old, and all the details are hand-made.
The tower is also equipped with a special mechanism that was supposed to lower and raise the spire (depending on the beginning or end of navigation), but this happened only a few times.
Modern entertainment
The Park of the Northern River Station today can offer not only walks along the alleys and the embankment, but also a number of modern entertainments. There are small cafes and barbecue facilities, dry closets on the territory. There is a place in the park where cyclists and skaters gather. But these are all summer entertainments, in winter a skating rink appears here.
Ice Arena
Park of the Northern River Station in Moscow is famous for winter entertainments. With the onset of cold weather, the territory turns into a huge rink.
There are two open this season:
- with artificial ice;
- natural.
Artificial ice covers the right side of the park. There is no fee for skiing, but there are no equipment rental services.
The central part and alleys are covered with natural ice. Entrance to this part of the ice rental is paid, there is a rental and sharpening of skates.
Long-term development plans
In the near future it is planned to open a new one near the park of the North Station, the recreation area will be called the “Park of the Five Seas”. There will be rides, playgrounds and restaurants.
The whole territory will resemble a map of the river system of the European part of our country. The adopted project is designed to recreate the atmosphere of the Khrushchev thaw. All paths and alleys will be restored in the old park, alternative pedestrian traffic routes will be created.
How to get there
The Park of the Northern River Station is located at 51 Leningradskoye Shosse. The nearest metro station is Rechnoy Vokzal, you need to get out from the direction of Druzhba Park. Then you should go along Festivalnaya Street through the underpass of the Leningradskoye Shosse and move towards the spire. The road from the metro station takes about 10 minutes when walking in walking increments.