In ancient times, cities were usually built on the banks of rivers, because they were natural communication routes. The Latin word communicatio translates as "make common, connect, communicate." Water arteries connected the city with the rest of the world.
Port of the Five Seas
If the city is a port, and even so many seas, it is natural that it is connected with them through various waterways. Therefore, the question "What river does Moscow stand on?" natural. And the very first answer, and it’s correct: “On the Moscow River”. The city, which is 850 years old, was built, like many fortified areas of that time, at the confluence of water flows. Many centuries before the appearance of the current capital of Russia, when there were forest-steppes on the site of forests near Moscow, that is, in the Stone Age, the basin of this river was already inhabited. The sites of the Neolithic times (the last stage of the Stone Age) were discovered by archaeologists in several areas of the current center of the capital, for example, on the Sparrow Hills.
Ancient settlement
Settled settlements appear in the floodplain of the river later. Due to climate change, nature has also changed, impenetrable forests have appeared, and people, in order to have contact with their neighbors, began to settle on the banks of large and small rivers of this region. Vyatichi lived here mainly. This tribal union of the Eastern Slavs retained its name longer than others, which is translated, according to one of the main versions, as "a great people." They existed in the VIII-XIII centuries and inhabited the upper and middle Oka basins. Already in the eighth century, the Vyatichi built their settlements on the banks of the rivers Setun and Ramenki, Gorodyny, Yauza and Kotlovka, Chertanovka and Neglinnaya. The answer to the question "What river does Moscow stand on?" suggests itself. The listed rivers are tributaries of either the Moscow River itself, or tributaries of its tributaries. That is, the city is located on the banks of numerous rivers, streams and streams.
Etymology of the name
It remains to understand what the name got from - the river from the city, or vice versa. But to find out this is not possible, since the debate has not subsided so far, and only flare up with renewed vigor from each newly appeared version, for example, so cute that the toponym “Moscow” translates as “power”. This is true - Moscow has always been the capital of a powerful state. But from time immemorial, the name was considered as a hydronym, that is, related to water, and translated from ancient dialects as "dark water", "muddy", and even "swamp". It must be understood that all these translations mean a deep, powerful river, perishing for enemies.
Standing at the merger
One way or another, but in 1147, on the banks of a large navigable river, on the place where the settlement was already in the VIII century, a city appears which, even then, thanks to the water-fiber transport routes was connected with the Volga and the Don, therefore with Novgorod and Smolensk, then the largest shopping centers in Russia.
Maybe the question “What river does Moscow stand on?” arises due to the fact that this water artery has up to 44 branches and rivers and streams flowing into it in this area? Some of the tributaries were quite large, and the newly formed fortified point was small, from the west and north-west it was washed by the Neglinnaya, and not just the Moscow River. And needed specifics, whose shore is closer - Neglinnaya, Yauza, Chertanovka or the Moscow River. So the answer may not be one. We must look at the purpose of the question, what time it refers to.
Familiar names since childhood
When recalling shots from the film “Faithful Friends”, where against the backdrop of the wide, navigable Yauza River , the song “... a boat floated and swayed along the Yauza River ...” sounds, quite a reasonable question may arise: “What river does Moscow stand on? " Indeed, the capital also stretches along the banks of this water stream.
This is Neglinka, a river in the very center of Moscow, enclosed in a pipe for 7.5 km. And before, merchants from all over the country approached its shores and warehouses. In confirmation of what has been said, one can cite the picture of the artist G. Lari, which depicts a powerful river with a large stone bridge over it. Neglinnaya served as a defense for the Kremlin from the west and northwest - it was so wide. Crafts developed on its shores, buildings were erected. And the answer to the question “On which river does the city of Moscow stand?”, Quite reasonably, the answer: “On Neglinka” could be heard from the lips of the inhabitants of this region. It was so full of water that such peculiar symbols of the capital as Kuznetsk, Petrovsky and Ascension bridges were thrown over it. It began at Maryina Grove. There were no other rivers there. Residents of the then Moscow region lived on the banks of the Neglinnaya.
Other rivers
Everything said about Yauza and Neglinnaya fully applies to Setun and Gorodnya - the largest tributaries of the Moscow River, which still have open channels. The huge district of Moscow, located in the south of the capital, got its name from the village of Chertanovka, which was located on the banks of the eponymous river, a tributary of Gorodnya. And its inhabitants would answer unequivocally to the question "What river does the city of Moscow stand on?" Of course, maybe in the XVII century the village of Chertanovka was not the area of the current metropolis, but the fact that the capital of Russia is located on the banks of several, once full-flowing rivers with their glorious history is a fact.
Geographic data
Of course, the largest of them is the Moscow River, it stands on a beautiful city of the same name. And her fame is appropriate. It is partially replenished at the expense of the Volga. Its length along the old channel is 502 km, along the new, “straightened” one - 473. The source is located on the Smolensk-Moscow Upland, and flows into the Oka. At the source is a small chapel. On the banks of this river are more than a dozen monasteries and 9, except the capital itself, cities. Among them are Kolomna, Mozhaysk, Voskresensk and Zvenigorod. The question "Moscow on which shore is located?" refers to ancient times, to the first mention of the current capital dating back to 1147. There is documentary evidence that already in 1156 there were fortifications on the territory of the Kremlin, and it occupied an area of 3 hectares. Its first buildings were erected on the high left bank, as befits a fortified area. All reliefs were used to make the city as inaccessible to enemies as possible.
“Located on seven hills”, it sounds very beautiful
The seven hills of Moscow on which it is spread are no less popular than the river itself. Many cities of the world claim the right to belong to such settlements - Amman (Jordan), Vilnius, Prague, Edinburgh, Yekaterinburg, Karlovy Vary. And also domestic ones - Khanty-Mansiysk, Mines, Kirov. Accurately and reliably on seven hills Moscow and Rome are located. There are lists in which Constantinople, Kiev, Washington are indicated. Among them there are Russian ones - Nizhny Novgorod and Smolensk, Izhevsk, Ufa and some others. Of course, the city becomes more attractive for visiting, having such a link in a business card.
Moscow hills
One way or another, many can name the hills of Moscow right away. Their place names caress the ears of any person who loves Russian culture - the Vvedensky mountains (which includes the Vorobyovy Gory and Lefortovo hill), Tagansky (aka Zayauzye or Shvyaya Gorka) and Sretensky (or Sukharevsky) hills, Tverskaya (Passion Hill) and Borovitsky, " Three mountains ”, which includes the areas of Vagankovo and Presnya.
Earlier, for example, in the middle of the 16th century, the seven hills of Moscow were called somewhat differently - Chertolsky Hill and Pskov Hill, Staro-Vagankovsky and Red Hills, Ivanovo Hill, Takansky and Borovitsky Hills. And they were all separated by small rivers and small rivers, through which, if they are not hidden in pipes, and the banks are picturesque and full of sights, nowadays water excursion routes are organized.
Originality of the main capital river
The most impressive, of course, are walks along the Moscow River. Of course, the coastal waters of the “imperial”, as one article says, rivers are not clogged with various landing stages, in which Moscow movie stars, like Pierre Richard, live, but why within the boundaries of such a unique and distinctive city as Moscow, the main waterway and not be "imperial." Moreover, walks along the Moscow River are now so diverse that it is difficult to call them one specific word. Diverse in time, length, purpose of routes and proposed watercraft, they become an independent industry aimed at improving the life of Muscovites.
Variety of routes
Small, beloved all over the world, trams and large modern motor ships for corporate walks, floating restaurants and small boats for individual orders. The range of services is very wide and diverse, because trips along the Moscow River have always been very popular. There is no film about the capital of Russia in which there would be no scene associated with a boat trip, especially the scenes of the passage of hydrofoils under the famous bridges of the capital, about which so much has been written. The name of the legendary Bolshoi Kamenny Bridge even called the novel of the author Alexander Terekhov. There are excursion routes providing for passage under the main bridges of the capital - Crimean and Patriarchal, Moskvoretsky and Bolshoi Kamenny.
And how good is the bridge of Bogdan Khmelnitsky! One of its bases has a sea tram station, which departs from here every half hour from 11-00 to 21-00. There are a lot of such stations on the Moscow River. What places are not covered by water walking routes, where you can’t be reached on the Moscow River by water tram! Recently, the park of river recreational facilities has replenished very much and has changed even externally. There are very nice two-deck catamarans, there are high-speed small vessels in the air cavity - they are colorful and cozy. In the daytime, they can be used as land transport, for example, to get to the place of work or back. One of the oldest and most famous, longest and most popular routes is a walk from the Kiev railway station to the Novospassky bridge. In the summer, all routes are in demand.
Solution of problems
The central city waterway, of course, has its own problems. The Internet plays a huge role in modern life. It is impossible to overestimate it, despite the fact that anyone can express their opinion. Catchy article titles, harsh opinions - that's it. Therefore, it is difficult to surprise or offend anyone in our time with such a phrase as “Moscow City Hall does not know what river the city stands on”. Attracting attention is possible. The rivers were shallow and disappeared, others climbed into pipes. And if there are 44 of them, then perhaps not all the native Muscovites, like the employees of the mayor's office, know their names, and should be concerned about their problems. In the same article, the main river of the capital is called "imperial" and "dead." The river waters feed the city - can such a source be called dead? Or a sign of liveliness is the presence of dance halls on the water? So they will still be. But if the article is intended to draw the attention of the city authorities to existing problems, then “why not?” - You can resort to such a phrase. Maybe they will reach out.
Questions for the quiz
Of course, all Muscovites are not required to remember the names of reservoirs and streams scattered across the vast territory of the modern city. But residents of certain microdistricts know and love their large and small rivers. In Moscow there are places where there are still swamps with cranberries, lilies of the valley bloom along the banks of the local river, and foxes are found on the islands, and more. For example, in the north-west of the capital, in the Alesha Forest, through whose territory the Bratovka River flows, the left tributary of the Skhodnya. And why not here! Rare populations of flora and fauna, extraordinary scenic spots. But not all Muscovites know this. So the question starting with the words “what river is in Moscow ...” can be ended with such definitions as “the most beautiful, popular, famous, forgotten, not included in the modern list, disappeared”.