Moscow Canal, Navigation canal in Central Administrative District, Russia
The Moscow Canal runs 128 km from the Volga at Dubna south to the Moskva River in Tushino, with a surface width of 85 m and a minimum depth of 5.5 m. Its locks measure 290 by 30 m. Near the Ivankovo Reservoir, a 25-meter statue of Lenin stands at the confluence of the Volga and the canal.
Built between 1932 and 1937 by up to 196,000 Gulag prisoners at a time, under Lazar Kogan and the OGPU, the canal opened on 14 July 1937. During the Battle of Moscow, water was pumped from the canal and its reservoirs onto the surrounding plains to stop the Wehrmacht encircling the city. In 1937 a 25-metre Lenin statue was raised at Dubna; the matching Stalin statue was demolished in 1961.
The Russian name Kanal imeni Moskvy reflects how the capital gained direct access to wider routes. On weekends, locals walk along the waterfront promenades and watch cargo and passenger vessels move between the locks.
Walking or cycling paths run along the banks, especially accessible near the docks and parks. Most viewpoints are located near the locks, where you can watch vessels passing through.
The system lifts vessels by a total of 38 meters (125 feet) as they move from the Volga level to the Moskva level. Some locks are deep enough to accommodate large cargo ships and river cruise boats, which take several minutes to pass through.
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