Vodootvodny Canal - 19th Century

19th Century

After the Fire of 1812, the western island and the dike separating it from the mainland were reclaimed for development (today, they form the Golden Mile of Khamovniki District). Moskva River was reduced to about its present-day width (see the 1824 map). The eastern end of Canal was also reduced to its ordinary width of 30 metres.

• 1807 map (actual)

• 1824 map (project)

• 1853 map (actual)

In 1835, the city built Babyegorodskaya Dam west of the island. The dam was disassembled each autumn and set back in place after the spring flood, so it was good for shipping but useless against floods. A new channel extension east was built to bypass the old 90-degree turn; as the 1853 map shows, the new canal cut Red Hills neighborhood away from the mainland. For a while, the island was cut into three parts, then, when Balchug moat was filled, in two.