The opening of the aquarium is always an event that attracts attention. Unfortunately, often after some excitement, interest in the new product disappears, and it is visited only on weekends or on the child's birthday.
"Mosakvarium" at VDNH opened in August 2015, but interest in it did not disappear, and there are always people in the halls. What is the phenomenon of the pavilion number 23, you can find out only by visiting his show, after which again I want to return here.
The purpose of the new aquarium
The construction of an aquarium of this scale was caused by the presence of the public not only the desire to contemplate the next fish in aquariums, but also to gain knowledge about their habitat and experience new emotions, watching their tricks.
Mosakvarium (Moscow) is a center of oceanography and marine biology, the main mission of which was to introduce people to the lives of inhabitants from many parts of the planet. Three levels out of five in the huge building of the aquarium are occupied by aquariums, a huge pool for dolphins and killer whales and open water areas for reptiles and turtles.
Everything is arranged in such a way that near each aquarium, and there are 80 of them, there are signs with “files” on their “residents” indicating the area from where they came to Moscow. The fact that a lecture hall and a cinema is provided here suggests that this is not another commercial project, but a scientific center for the study of aquatic biome and the transfer of new knowledge to guests of the oceanarium.
According to reviews, “Mosakvarium” perfectly fulfills its mission, creating musical educational shows with the participation of marine animals.
Aquarium Location
Pavilion No. 23 once belonged to the greenhouse industry. The construction of an aquarium in a city located a few thousand kilometers from the nearest ocean is a bold and costly venture, but the idea paid off. Although many visitors complain about the cost of admission, there are always a lot of people here. The guests of the capital are interested in the mode of operation and the cost of tickets to the Mosakvarium. "How to get there?" - This question is also often asked.
Located to the left of the Cosmos pavilion with its famous rocket, the 4-story oceanarium is easy to find. It is easiest for visitors to get by metro to the VDNKh station and go to the old exit from the station.
Having entered the main entrance of the exhibition, you must go straight all the time, on the left side of the alley, and near the rocket at the Cosmos pavilion turn left. From here, the Mosakvarium (address: Mira Ave., 119, Pavilion 23) is clearly visible.
If you enter VDNH through other entrances, then the Vostok rocket should also be a guideline, visible from almost all places of the exhibition center.
Description of the Aquarium
According to reviews, Mosakvarium is by far the largest aquarium in Europe. Despite the fact that in many countries dolphinariums are closed, and performances with marine animals are prohibited, the Moscow novelty is in great demand among ordinary people.
A beautiful building made of glass, blue as an ocean wave, impresses with its scale. It has 5 levels and 4 floors:
- The zero level is underground, and it is here that aquariums of various sizes are located, representing the inhabitants of the seas, oceans, rivers and lakes. Here you can relax in the restaurants "Deck" and "Amazonia" before moving on.
- On the 1st floor there are ticket offices, a toy store, a photo studio and a cafe "Chocolate".
- The second floor is a recreation area with a restaurant and bar "Narnia".
- On the 3rd floor there is an auditorium with a huge swimming pool that allows not only dolphins and fur seals to frolic, but also to jump under the dome of the magnificent killer whales.
- On the 4th floor there are entrances for the VIP zone of the auditorium.
In addition to the pool in the auditorium, Mosakvarium at VDNH is equipped with seven more pools where you can swim with dolphins.
The mode of operation of the aquarium at VDNH
The only weekend of the 23rd pavilion at the exhibition is the last Monday of the month, which is considered sanitary. The rest of the time, the aquarium works from 10.00 to 22.00, but it should be remembered that after 21.00 visitors are no longer allowed.
It should also be borne in mind that Mosakvarium, the operating time of which is indicated above, conducts performances with the participation of marine animals only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at 15.00 and 19.00. They last a little over an hour.
The cost depends on the time of the visit, so you can’t be late for an appointment with the inhabitants of the oceanarium, since you simply won’t be able to pay the difference in price, you will have to buy a new ticket.
Mosakvarium: prices
How to get to this amazing place? To visit Mosakvarium, tickets can be purchased directly at the box office on the 1st floor or on the company's website. To visit a water show, buying electronic tickets is more profitable, because customers immediately see which seats in the hall are still available for sale and at what price. Printed and paid tickets should be presented at the entrance to the aquarium.
In the event that it is not possible to print tickets yourself, you can do this by going to Mosakvarium (it is better to check the address before the trip in advance and write down), indicating the number of the ticket and credit card with which payment was made.
If you want to visit the show, you should remember that buying a ticket to the aquarium is not an admission to the auditorium. For the show, season tickets are purchased separately, and their price is significantly different from the usual admission ticket.
From Monday to Thursday, the prices, depending on the time of day, are as follows:
- daily rate from 10.00 to 16.00 for adults - 600 rubles;
- full-day rate from 10.00 to 21.00 for an adult visitor - 800 rubles;
- a visit to a young client from 10.00 to 16.00 will cost 400 rubles. provided that its growth does not exceed 120 cm;
- a full day from 10.00 to 21.00 for a child with growth up to 120 cm will cost 500 p.
“Mosakvarium” offers completely different prices from Friday to Sunday:
- all-day rate from 10.00 to 21.00 for adults - 1000 r .;
- a ticket for a family of 2 adults and one child up to 12 years old costs 2500 p. (full day);
- A family of 2 adults and 2 children up to 12 years old will visit the oceanarium at 3200 p. (full day rate);
- for children with growth up to 120 cm all day in the aquarium these days will cost 600 p.
For visitors with benefits, tickets are sold exclusively through the ticket office upon presentation of documents certifying the right to a discount. These include disabled people of the 1st group, participants in the Second World War, the heroes of the USSR and the Russian Federation and their accompanying persons. The cost of a ticket in the presence of benefits is 10 p. per person.
Sea animal views
According to reviews, Mosakvarium does not lose its popularity due to the constant updating of the repertoire of water shows.
The first theatrical performance was the performance “World Travel”, which in an accessible form on the big screen tells about the inhabitants of the seas and oceans, as well as artists performing in the show: killer whales, sea ​​lions, belugas and dolphins.
The story of marine life is accompanied by tricks of marine animals. Killer whales are especially popular. Not every oceanarium in the world can boast of the content of these giants, but there are three of them in the Moscow show.
To get to the show, you need to buy a separate ticket, the cost of which directly depends on the sector in the auditorium. The cheapest places will cost 900 p., The following sectors are 1,500 and 1900 p., While for "wet seats" you will have to pay 2100 p.
The price of the show may vary depending on the performance. If killer whales participate in the show, the cost will be from 1000 to 5000 rubles.
In addition to the performance itself, Muscovites and guests of the city in 2016 expect an additional service in the form of swimming in the pool with dolphins. How much it will cost is still unknown, but given the prices of ordinary entrance tickets, it is unlikely that it will be available to everyone.
Aquariums
Eighty aquariums are located on the exposition with a length of 600 m. The total water volume is 3000 m 3 , given the pools for crocodiles and turtles.
According to reviews, Mosakvarium represents more than 500 species of fish, and the total number of inhabitants is 8,000 copies from different parts of the planet. To get acquainted with each of them, it will take many hours, so buying a ticket at a full-day rate is the most profitable investment.
In addition to closed aquariums, the aquarium provides children with the opportunity to hold starfish and shrimp in their hands in special outdoor mini-pools.
Another fascinating sight is the feeding of fish, which occurs:
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at 14.00, for sharks;
- on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday they feed the piranhas at 13.00;
- for archaic representatives from the Amazon - arapaime - feeding occurs, as in piranhas, but at 14.00.
Many visitors specially come to this time to see how the most dangerous sea and river predators eat.
Underwater tunnel
An equally popular place in the aquarium is the heavy-duty glass tunnel, located in a huge pool with sharks, killer whales and many exotic fish. For most visitors, this is an opportunity to capture themselves in a photograph with a shark or killer whale behind.
The quality of the glass determines the state of the entire tunnel. The more transparent it is, the better it is visible without distortion of the inhabitants of the pool, which means that this place is popular with visitors.
Reviews
The unusual excitement during the opening of a new aquarium at VDNH was caused primarily by the fact that it has killer whales. These marine giants are not found in every institution of this kind. According to visitors' reviews, the Mosakvarium itself, its staff and the inhabitants of the aquariums are impeccable, but ticket prices do not allow many to visit it.
If we compare the cost with similar institutions in Europe, then in the 23rd pavilion at the Exhibition of Economic Achievements they are not inferior to their "colleagues" abroad. Maybe in the future you can buy a coupon at Mosakvarium at a significant discount, as is happening today at the Chistye Prudy Aquarium.
The future of the aquarium
If over time the price of a ticket to the aquarium becomes lower, and the enterprise itself will pay more attention to scientific work, rather than commercial activities, then it will become a unique center of marine biology. In this case, he has a long and fruitful future, attracting people who are looking for knowledge, and not eager for the spectators of ordinary people.