Moscow Canal

This long path for water joins two big rivers.

It connects the Moskva River to the Volga River. The city needed more water to drink. It also needed water for work. Many people worked to build the canal.

This canal helps boats reach five different seas. It also helps protect the city. People can visit the water to rest. It is a very important path for the land.

The Moscow Canal is a long path for water in Russia.

It connects the Moskva River to the Volga River. In the 1930s, Moscow needed more water. The city needed water to drink and for work.

Leaders decided to use the Volga River to help.

Many people worked to build the canal between 1932 and 1937. These workers were prisoners from a system called the gulag. At one time, 196,000 prisoners worked there. One study says 600,000 prisoners passed through the site. Many people died during the work.

The canal opened in July 1937. It helps boats reach five different seas. Because of this, people call it the "port of the five seas." It also provides half of the water Moscow uses. People use the shores to rest and play.

The canal helped defend Moscow during World War II. To stop enemies, workers pumped water from the canal. They sent the water into the plains around the city. This helped keep the city safe.

The Moscow Canal is a very important waterway in Russia.

It connects the Moskva River to the Volga River. This path helps move water and boats across the land. The canal is located in Moscow and the Moscow Oblast. It starts in the Tushino area of northwest Moscow. Then, it runs north to meet the Volga at Dubna. This is just above the Ivankovo Reservoir dam.

This canal was built to solve a big problem. By the early 1930s, Moscow was growing very fast. The city needed more water for drinking and for industry. The old Rublevskoye pipeline could not do the job alone. Leaders decided to use the Volga River to help. They wanted to bring water to the capital city. They also wanted to use the water for transportation. This plan was approved in June of 1931.

Building the canal was a very hard job. Construction began in June 1932 and ended in 1937. Many people worked on it, including 200,000 gulag prisoners. At one time, 196,000 prisoners were at the site. Some studies say 600,000 prisoners passed through the site. Matvei Berman and Lazar Kogan were leaders in the work. Many people died while working on the canal. Hospital records show 22,842 deaths related to the work.

The canal finally opened in July 1937. It connects Moscow to a large system of water. This is called the Unified Deep Water System. It lets boats reach five different seas. These are the White, Baltic, Caspian, Azov, and Black Seas. Because of this, people call it the "port of the five seas."

The canal provides half of the water Moscow uses. People also use the shores for fun and rest.

The canal even helped during World War II. It played a role in the defense of Moscow. Enemy armies tried to surround the city. To stop them, workers pumped water from the canal. They sent the water into the plains nearby. This helped protect the city from the attackers. Today, you can see a tall statue of Lenin at Dubna. It stands where the Volga meets the canal.

The Moscow Canal is a vital artificial waterway in Russia. It connects the Moskva River to the Volga River. This connection helps supply water to the capital city. It also allows for large-scale transportation. The canal is located in Moscow and the Moscow Oblast.

It begins in the Tushino area of northwest Moscow. From there, it runs north to meet the Volga River. This meeting point is in the town of Dubna. It sits just upstream from the Ivankovo Reservoir dam.

By the early 1930s, Moscow faced a serious water crisis. The city was growing very quickly. This growth caused a shortage of drinking and industrial water. The existing Rublevskoye water pipeline could not meet the city's needs. On June 15, 1931, the Soviet Communist Party addressed this. Lazar Kaganovich reported on the water situation in the capital. The committee recommended using the Volga River. This would provide water and create new transport routes. On June 1, 1932, the route through Dmitrov was officially approved.

Construction was a massive and difficult undertaking. It took place between 1932 and 1937. The project was directed by the Soviet secret police. Matvei Berman and Lazar Kogan were key leaders in the work. Much of the labor came from gulag prisoners. At one time, 196,000 prisoners worked at the site. Some estimates suggest over 600,000 prisoners passed through the construction area. The Dmitrovsky corrective labor camp, known as Dmitlag, was organized for this task. Ilya Vitalievich Udovenko headed this administration. The work was extremely dangerous for the laborers. Hospital records show 22,842 deaths associated with the canal work. This number does not include those killed at work or shot.

The canal officially opened in July 1937. On April 17, 1937, the gates were opened to let Volga water in. The construction was fully completed on July 1. A grand opening ceremony was held on July 14, 1937. After the work was done, some prisoners stayed to help. In 1938, the NKVD requested that their criminal records be removed. This applied to prisoners who finished their sentences and stayed voluntarily. The canal quickly became a key part of the Russian water network. It linked Moscow to the Unified Deep Water System.

This connection is why the canal is called the "port of the five seas." It provides access to the White Sea and the Baltic Sea. It also connects to the Caspian Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea. The canal is also essential for daily life in Moscow. It provides about half of the water the city consumes. Many people also use the reservoirs for recreation. The canal has specific measurements for ships to use. The minimum depth of the canal is 4 meters. The locks used to move boats have dimensions of 100 by 12 meters.

The canal played a critical role during World War II. It helped defend Moscow during the Battle of Moscow. The Wehrmacht planned to encircle the city from the north and south. To stop this, the canal was used as a defense. Water was pumped from the canal and its reservoirs into the surrounding plains. This helped protect the city from being surrounded. The canal proved to be more than just a way to move water. It was a tool for national defense during a time of war.

Today, the canal remains a major landmark. In Dubna, where the Volga meets the canal, there is a famous statue. It is one of the tallest statues of Vladimir Lenin in the world. It was built in 1937. There was once a statue of Joseph Stalin of a similar size nearby. However, that statue was demolished in 1961 during de-stalinization. The canal continues to serve its original purposes. It remains a vital link in Russia's water and transport systems.