River walks on the Moskva river along the Vodootvodny Canal around Golden island aboard the Maria Ermolova premium boat

There are a great number of boat walks on the Moskva river especially in the city centre. You can choose boats of any class and service level, various programmes from dinner cruises till kids’ fests onboard. However most river walks in Moscow are performed in the main city river area from the Moscow City to Novospasskiy Bridge. This route includes all the main sights along the main Moskva river bed. But as for the Maria Ermolova boat its route is unique – the boat passes the main Moskva river bed and the Vodootvodny Canal in Zamoskvorechye District.

The Vodootvodny Canal was built at the end of the XVIII century and was used to pass away water during seasonal floods and during repair works in the main Moskva river bed. In the XIX century the canal became navigable and was in active use up to the 30s of the XX century when the Moscow-Volga Canal was put into operation and the Karamyshevskaya and Nagatinskaya dams started to regulate
the Moskva river flow.

Before the end of the 2000s the canal wasn’t used for navigation. They even suggested covering it with soil and building a road in its place. However since 2008 small river boats of the Moika type and motorboats have started to perform excursion walks along the canal. There is a unique system of floating fountains placed on the canal in the district of Bolotnaya square. The fountains are a particularly effective sight at evening and night time.

The Maria Ermolova boat built in Tver in 2010 as per project 05371. It combines small sizes and the draft allowing to enter the Vodootvodny Canal, high rates of comfort for passengers and contemporary operational characteristics. There are two decks on the boat. The lower panoramic cabin is for lunches and dinners. Its distinctive feature is fully opening windows which allow to enjoy the fresh and cool river air in good weather.

There is a small dance floor and a few bar chairs abaft the lower deck. In comparison to other boats you don’t hear the engine noise and the vibration due to the installed modern pump-jet. There is cane furniture on the upper open deck where you can rest after a meal and feel the romantic beauty of river walks on the Moskva river.