Swimming pool in the Luzhniki. Water park and ribbon building. What else will be built in Luzhniki What was the name of the outdoor pool on the site of the temple

Swimming pool "Moscow" in the open air existed in the capital from 1960 to 1994. It was located in the center of Moscow, on the banks of the Moscow River.

Outdoor swimming pool "Moscow" in 1971. Photo: V. Shiyanovsky / RIA Novosti

Now in its place is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

The huge pool was accessible to all segments of the population. The tragic fate that befell him is a black spot in the history of the capital.

Amazing innovation

The construction of the Moskva pool began in 1958 and two years later the first guests visited it.
There was no end to those wishing to swim in the new pool.
Even when passing by the pool in a trolleybus, at any time of the year one could see swimmers.

"Moscow" was the largest pool in the USSR and one of the largest pools in the world at that time. But not only this attracted people.

A fundamentally new concept of water recreation was appreciated. The paths in the pool were located in small areas, and the remaining space was covered with water.

Advantages of the pool "Moscow"

There were plenty of advantages that sometimes delighted residents at the Moskva pool:

1. The pool was created in a round shape and divided into several sectors, where there were separate men's and women's dressing rooms.
2. There was also a sports sector here, with its own entrance and no access to other sectors. It contained a steam room, a sauna and a tower with different levels of diving height.
3. Swimming in the pool did not require a doctor's note. Perhaps this is not such a virtue. But for people who are tired of running through queues in hospitals, this was a significant plus.
4. Tickets were sold at the box office near the exit from the Kropotkinskaya metro station. In the pool, hats, swimming trunks, slippers, swimsuits, diving tubes, masks and flippers were rented.
5. The sanitary condition of the water was strictly monitored, and a sampling was constantly taken. The water was passed through special filters and chlorinated. The sanitary and epidemiological station, for all 33 years of the existence of the pool, did not make any claims.
6. The pool was open all year round, even in winter time.

Disadvantages of the pool "Moscow"

Alas, the Moskva pool had only one, but a significant drawback - it caused corrosion of neighboring buildings.

This was due to the steam that enveloped the pool, especially in winter. Steam appeared due to the fact that:

1) the water temperature was maintained due to artificial heating;

2) the basin had a gigantic area of ​​evaporation of the water surface.

In addition, "Moscow" was located opposite the Pushkin Museum. Complaints were often received from the leaders of this institution, as the steam could spoil the museum exhibits.

pool closure

The central swimming pool "Moskva" ceased operations four years before its demolition. In 1991, the price of water and electricity rose sharply. The cost of maintenance has become unprofitable.

For more than 3 years, the pool bowl stood without water, which led to deformation of the expansion joints. The pipeline network was severely corroded. Restoring the original appearance was too expensive.

It began in 1958, and in 1960 the pool received its first visitors. The new sports facility quickly became a favorite place for Muscovites to relax and play sports. The pool was open all year round, even in winter you could see people swimming in it. It was the largest pool in the USSR and one of the largest pools in the world at that time. He implemented a fundamentally new concept of water recreation, when the pool had only a small segment of the lanes, and the rest of the space was available for swimming up and down.

Start of construction of the Palace of Soviets. Photo from the 1930s…

The palace was never built...

It's time for fascinating history. All of you probably know that there is a sea near Moscow (http://www.bibliotekar.ru/evrika/2-14.h tm). It is located at depths of 1000 - 1400 m). So, when the famous pool of Moscow was being built, there was an idea to fill the pool with this sea ​​water but for some reason it didn't happen.

Moscow has experience drilling wells offshore. Wells for the extraction of ancient sea water were drilled by workers of the Promburvod trust of the USSR Ministry of Assembly and Special Construction Works. One of the wells is at the Moscow Meat Processing Plant, on Talalikhina Street. There is another well on Talalikhina Street - at the balneological clinic. Wells have also been drilled in a number of sanatoriums near Moscow - Dorohovo, Monino, Arkhangelskoye and others. In wartime, salt was mined from these waters, when the enemy cut off the path to the original salt-mining regions.

Eyewitness account: “Having heard about this, the director of the Moscow basin, I.S. Stopani, at his own peril and risk, began drilling work in the place where the monument to the tsar now stands. Slotting machine passed 70 meters. And no matter how you pass by, there is a solid mat from behind the fence of the drilling rig. I'm curious - what's the matter? Drillers say that the cover of the cutter is constantly clogged with something and does not work, they have to lift the tool to the surface. I took this “something” in my hands, it turned out to be an irregularly shaped piece of metal with a characteristic sheen on the saw cut. Most likely, it was an alloy of lead and tin, poured into the wells during the construction of the Temple in 1839. Wow foundation, the elements of which went to 70 meters.

But back to the drilling work of our time. The day came when the slotting machine had to be replaced by a drilling machine in order to go another approximately 1650 meters. For the work done, the drillers issued an invoice to the Moscow Sports Committee, almost equal to its annual budget. And the case hung in the proceedings. It ended up that the well was plugged in accordance with the established norms.

For the first time after its opening, there were rumors in Moscow that people often drown in it. Especially in winter. Allegedly, a certain sect of "heaters" was operating, avenging the construction of a "giant puddle" on the church site. To what extent this was true is not known. Most likely another urban legend.

The Moscow pool had a round shape, divided into several sectors, with dressing rooms for men and women. There was also a sports sector with a separate entrance and no access from the common sectors. In the sports sector there was a diving tower with different heights, a sauna and a steam room.

In order to swim in the Moscow pool, a certificate from a doctor was not required. Tickets were sold at the box office near the exit from the Kropotkinskaya metro station. Swimwear, swimming trunks, slippers, caps, fins, masks and snorkels were rented out in the pool. Various methods have been used to disinfect water. disinfectants. The medical staff of the Moscow pool strictly monitored the sanitary condition of the water, outlets and showers.

For all 33 years of the existence of the Moscow Basin, the sanitary and epidemiological station has never made a complaint about the quality of the water. The pool water was not only passed through sand filters, but also chlorinated. The pool was constantly operated by its own laboratory, water sampling was carried out every three hours (and samples were taken weekly by the sanitary and epidemiological station).

In the first ten years, bactericidal installations were included in the water treatment cycle, irradiating water with ultraviolet light (PRK-7 mercury-quartz lamps for 1.0 kW). Studies have shown that the water treatment cycle can be carried out without them, while water quality does not suffer.

Eyewitness account: “I worked part-time in the pool as a watchman (keep an eye on the water). Every day we took water for analysis. There was bleach and blue vitriol in the water. I sailed for 5 years and did not catch an infection, when the water began to bloom, they let the water down and cleaned the bottom. The bath is more likely to catch an infection. By the way, there are a lot of children whom we taught swimming there. Coaches from the Children's Sports School came and selected the most promising ones.

Without water

Student joke - the law of Archimedes for the pool "Moscow": A body immersed in the water of the pool "Moscow" displaces another body from the water.

Memoirs of an eyewitness: “I remember that it was not always cleaned on time, and once I had to swim with algae (the green ones that covered the bottom and walls of the pool). There were benches along the pool, and starting from April, many people could not only buy, but also sunbathe while sitting on these benches. I also remember that in the last years of the operation of this pool, something like “discotheques” were arranged there, either at night or just in the evening sessions, with loud music and multi-colored lighting.
"

1968. Please note: most of the area of ​​​​the Moskva pool was closed for swimming in those years (in the picture on the left). This was due to the fact that at a depth of 2.40 meters the bottom was very poorly visible. Especially in winter, when there was already strong steam above the water, and here the bottom was overgrown with green algae. Visibility was poor, and it was difficult to see a person who had sunk to the bottom. A few years will pass - the depth will be poured with concrete, the bowl will rise to a level of 1.85 m, and the entire pool area will again become available for swimming.

The pool was open all year round, even in winter. The water temperature was maintained by means of artificial heating… Memoirs dedushkin1: “In winter, I remember, it was scary to look from the land at the “crazy” splashing in the 20-degree frost in puffs of steam. But I've been there many times in the winter. The water was warm, not cold at all. Only I had to dive often, otherwise my hair began to become covered with ice.

The pool had such a huge area of ​​evaporation of the water surface that it was the cause of corrosion in neighboring buildings. This was especially evident in winter, when a wall of steam constantly stood over the entire structure. The pool was located opposite the Pushkin Museum, from the latter there were complaints that such a neighborhood spoils the exhibits in it.

This is a children's bath (“splasher”) on the side of the fourth (male) pavilion of the Moscow pool. The temperature here was maintained at 32-34 degrees.

Last years…

The central swimming pool "Moskva" ceased operations four years before its demolition. In 1991, the prices for hot, cold water and electricity skyrocketed, the cost of maintenance became unprofitable. For more than 3 years, the pool bowl stood without water, which led to deformation of the expansion joints. The pipeline network was severely corroded.

Just on September 16, 1994, I was sitting in the office of the director of the pool, when the chief accountant brought an order from the Sports Committee to liquidate the pool.

The condition of the expansion joints of the pool after several years of standing without water

Having removed the concrete cushion of the pool, the builders found huge pits (clogged with debris and flooded with groundwater, left over from the supports of the Palace of Soviets.

Eyewitness account: “When the concrete foundation of the Palace of Soviets was cleared, they brought in a small brown machine to study the underlying soil. And when they took out the drilling tool, a fountain of water hit a height of 10-15 cm from the hole. When I came to the construction site that day, the hole was plugged with a wooden plug. And so in several places. Even before the start of construction, we predicted a strong backwater of the foundation by groundwater, this is not only the underflow runoff of the Chertoriy stream driven into the pipe (namely, underflow, i.e. not included in the collector). But one more direction was registered - from the side of the Museum of Fine Arts on Volkhonka. /---/ Previously, I thought that it would be very difficult to pass through concrete, because cement of the “DS” brand was developed for it. But the drilling wall tool easily pierced the base massif. To my surprise, the chief construction engineer replied that the concrete might be good, but the quality of the sand left much to be desired…”

Share your pool memories in the comments. I don't remember him at all. And you? Went? Did you swim? Was good?

On the site of the demolished Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the unbuilt Palace of Soviets, a colossal open pool. A symbol appeared on a sacred place new era- young, athletic, technically daring

The largest Orthodox cathedral was blown up in 1931 in order to build the largest state office instead - the project of a hundred-story Palace of Soviets with a statue of Lenin instead of a spire won the competition. Before the war, they managed to dig a foundation pit and lay the foundation, and then the work was stopped. When the skyscrapers were being designed, the Palace was still considered the main one. Having condemned architectural excesses, construction gigantism was abandoned. Only Khrushchev could make a political decision to pour a bathing pond a stone's throw from the Kremlin.

Of course, "Moscow" is the largest outdoor pool in the world: 13 thousand m 2 of water surface, up to 2 thousand people can swim at the same time. In addition to the sports sector with a tower and paths, the rest of the space is open. Is not Olympic Stadium, but a grandiose center of new water recreation. There are benches and deck chairs at the edges, apple orchards are planted around. The main attraction: the pool is year-round, in winter the water is also heated to 28-30 degrees. People floating in the cold in puffs of steam look especially fantastic when it snows.

Some people are afraid or disdain to climb into the collective font, but the majority met the new attraction with enthusiasm: in the 1960s, 24 million visits were counted. Sessions for an hour and a half: an hour in the water and 15 minutes in the shower before and after changing clothes. Ticket price - one and a half rubles "new", if a subscription - costs 50 kopecks. You don't need a doctor's note: the water is reliably disinfected. There is a rental of swimming trunks, swimwear and mandatory caps. The protests of believers are not heard - and who will give them the floor, but they say that canvases in the Pushkin Museum seem to be dampening diagonally across the Volkhonka. "Moskva" will work until 1991, when soaring prices for water and electricity will make the facility unprofitable. The bowl will be empty for four years, and then the pool will be demolished in order to "recreate" the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Phenomena mentioned in the text

Stalin skyscrapers 1952

The first high-rise buildings were built in Moscow. Although there are no others and will not be, skyscrapers will be called Stalinist. They are the main monument of the era

Architectural excesses 1955

Having declared the former architectural style “decorative”, the government intends to carry out henceforth almost only standard construction of an economy class. However, the population, including the elite, will prefer apartments in "Stalinist" houses

New money 1961

Since January 1, 1961, a monetary reform has been carried out in the USSR. This is a denomination: old-style rubles are exchanged for new ones at a ratio of ten to one with the same decrease in the scale of prices

Peter I. XXC 1997

In the very center of the capital, on opposite sides of the Moskva River, two superdominants have been erected. The largest monument to Peter the Great in Russia was erected and the largest Orthodox cathedral in the world, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, was “recreated”. Zurab Tsereteli, the new president of the Russian Academy of Arts, is fruitfully cooperating with the mayor's office on both priority projects.

The blogger mgsupgs writes: “During my childhood, the Moskva pool was located on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. He was hated by believers, residents of neighboring houses and employees of the Pushkin Museum. According to the latter, the exhibits deteriorated from the fumes. At the end of the last century, when the pool was closed, divine grace immediately descended on the exhibits. Heavy giant icicles, icicles hung in the neighborhoods there, and frost lay on the windows and concrete.

(Total 12 photos)

1. The idea to go to this legendary pool, which has now become history, was submitted by Oleg Muravyov. He was there once with his parents.

2. - They don't even need a certificate, - Oleg said. And this circumstance became the most weighty argument. A doctor's note was a major barrier. After all, in order to get it, you had to go to the clinic, go through a special commission. Oh, those wild Soviet times. Many corruption schemes have not yet worked. And it was hard for all of us to live without the gracious corruption that makes life easier. Although, I suspect, for money, a certificate could be obtained even then.

Immediately, from all sides, stories rained down on us that syphilitics and lepers were swimming in the Moskva pool. Such a dominance of viruses and bacteria in the local climate is connected precisely with the lack of certificates. I got stuck in my memory scary tale about one boy who only once went for a swim, and the next day his nose fell through. Others said that in the steam that rises above the pool, you can see the ruined temple. That sometimes the ghosts of pious old women rush over the waters of the pool. And the worst thing is that a gang of killers is working in the Moskva pool. They specialize in little boys without parents. They drag them down by their legs until they drown. One boy went one day to the pool "Moscow" - and did not return. Only the next day his parents received a call from the police. And they said to take their son from the morgue. His father came to the morgue, saw that the boy was all blue and swollen, and his tongue was sticking out of his mouth, realized that his son had been drowned, and also went to the pool. And the next day, this boy's mother got a call and was told to take this boy's father from the morgue ... In general, we went to the Moskva pool with the appropriate attitude - being ready for anything. The three of us went. Me, Seryoga and Oleg Muravyov. He himself was no longer happy that he started all this. We were nine years old, no more. And the parents, having found out where we pointed the fins, would never let us go alone. But we were desperate boys, we left secretly, taking swimming trunks and towels. Oleg said that swimming trunks are rented there. But after the story about the boy without a nose, I did not want to swim in other people's swimming trunks. The nose fell off, something else could fall off - no less valuable.

3. I remember we received cardboard tickets. The sector number was indicated on them - the pool was divided by sectors. I undressed and put my clothes in a metal locker. There were few people in the locker room. All with very suspicious faces. As if they were looking closely at who came without parents, who would be drowned today, and who should be left for later. One man looked at me so frowningly that I hurriedly shouted: “I'm with dad! He will come now." The stranger glared angrily and jumped into the water, disappeared from sight. Only now I saw that in order to get into the radial reservoir, you need to swim a certain distance under water. How far is difficult to say. I imagined that I was out of breath, and I was banging my head against the ceiling, hoping to get out, and recoiled. But the guys had already dived under the concrete side, and disappeared, so I had no choice but to gather my courage and follow them. Otherwise, you will be branded as a coward. I hesitated a little more and jumped into the water. It turned out to be not far to swim, and now I emerged into thick steam. Bathers in this whitish mist, flying lumps, looked strange. The steam was cool and the water very warm. And that's why I wanted to immerse myself in it with my head. I swam to the side, and immediately ran into Seryoga.

- Well, how? my friend shouted, snorting.

- Generally class! I squealed with delight.

4. We started splashing, splashing, and screaming, being in the seventh heaven. For us, Soviet children, swimming in the middle of winter was something of a miracle. Of course, there was no talk of any trips to exotic islands then. And our very busy parents rarely went to the pools with us. What is there. To be honest, we never went at all. The pool was high end entertainment. It still needed to be hit. For this purpose, somewhere, by pull, by enterprises, only their own, subscriptions were issued. In this sense, the Moskva pool was a unique and socially significant building - it equalized everyone, a worker and a collective farm woman with a party boss and a trade representative, gave everyone the opportunity to visit a thoroughly chlorinated paradise in any weather. Even if it was snowing from the sky, even if there were bitter frosts in the capital, the pool was open to everyone.

Soon we were swimming, and we wanted to play pranks. Under water, I grabbed some pretty girl in a blue cap by the leg. She squealed so much that, just in case, we swam under the ropes with plastic plaques that separated the sectors - we moved further away. It was almost impossible to find hooligans in a dense steam.

5. To get back to the locker rooms, you had to dive again. This time I coped with fear easily - I knew that it was not far to swim. Got out. And suddenly I saw some kid about ten years old rummaging in my locker. At first, he jumped back in fright, but then he looked at me, realized that I was younger than him, much shorter, and twisted his mouth in a nasty grin.

- What are you doing? Well, what are you? – he said with some intonation unfamiliar to me before. His speech was abrupt, and therefore very threatening.

“This is my locker,” I said, noticing that the door was wide open.

- Well, okay, well, that's all ... What are you? - He approached me was ... But then Seryoga got out of the water, followed by Oleg Muravyov. Both of them were tall guys, almost a head taller than me. The balance of power immediately changed.

"Hold him," I called out. - It's a thief. He went through my locker.

The guys immediately grabbed the boy. He began to struggle and squeal in monosyllables:

— What are you? What are you doing guys?

Immediately, a tall man in a cap appeared from somewhere.

"So," he said, "what's going on here?"

“We… caught the thief,” I said, choking with indignation.

- Are you a thief? the man asked the boy sternly.

- A slander, uncle, I swear by my mother ... - he shouted.

- So, be quiet, - the man raised his fives, waved as if he was about to hit the thief in the face, but did not, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the exit, saying: - Well, let's go to the police. Now I will hand you over to the Miltons... Oh, and I will hand you over...

I went to the locker. I saw that my things were upside down. But nothing is missing. Which, however, is not surprising. I had absolutely nothing to take.

6. We got dressed and, discussing this unpleasant incident, which rather spoiled my mood, left the pool and headed for the subway. My comrades convincingly reasoned that this thief would definitely not be in trouble now. They had the most positive opinion about the man in the cap.

- This is a famous swimmer, - said Oleg. “I recognized him. He recently won a competition. Sailed first. And he was immediately given a gold medal.

- In what competitions? Seryoga asked.

— For the Kremlin Cup.

- Then it is clear. Sergei nodded.

A big surprise was waiting for me at the subway. Near the tent with draft beer at the table were “a swimmer, the winner of the Kremlin Cup” and a kid who ransacked my locker. Both were sipping a foamy drink from half-liter cans.

- How is it? .. - I was taken aback. He stood and looked at them. Even my jaw dropped. It didn’t fit in my head that the peasant, instead of taking the thief to the police, was drinking beer with him. In addition, it was clearly too early for him to drink beer.

“Damn it,” Seryoga said. - Do not understand.

“They seem to be at the same time,” Oleg said.

— Come on, famous swimmer? With him? Seryoga did not believe.

Apparently I was wrong! Oleg blurted out. - It's not him.

“Look,” I pointed in the direction of the subway. A policeman was on duty near the glass doors. - Now I'll go up to him and say that they are thieves.

"That's right," Seryoga agreed.

"Don't," Oleg shook his head. “It will only get worse.

8. But I was already on my way to the policeman. Soon I continued to suffocate from righteous indignation and told him my version of events. The guys stood nearby, not daring to approach. The policeman listened very attentively to my story, muttered: "Wait here" and went to the tent with beer. And we stayed at the entrance to the subway. As it soon became clear, the disposition was correct. The policeman approached the criminal couple, saluted, after which some kind of conversation ensued between them. Then the "swimmer" took out an identity card from his pocket and showed it with a grin, after which he waved at us. The policeman buried his face in his ID, saluted again, turned on his heels and walked towards us. He looked determined and did not promise anything good. Both in the gait and in the expression of the face, deep irritation was read. I don't know how it happened. But I shouted: "Run!" And we immediately rushed to the subway ...

Less than a minute passed. And we were already sitting in the carriage, carried away into a dark tunnel.

“Damn,” Seryoga voiced our general mood.

They seem to be everything! at the same time!!! - said Oleg Muravyov.

And the policeman? Seryoga asked.

- And he too.

"Damn it," Seryoga repeated.

9. I never went to the Moskva pool again. Sergei seems too. But Oleg Muravyov regularly visited there with his parents. He said that he did not see any of those whom we met that day there.

“You are a pioneer,” I reproached him.

- So what, - objected Oleg, - one does not interfere with the other.

10. Over the years, it turned out that he was right. And in the minds of the majority of Russians, Christian dogmas coexist perfectly with atheistic morality. Party card holders can pray in churches. Those who believe in communism believe at the same time in the kingdom of heaven - just in case. And temples in our great country can grow on the site of Soviet pools, where pioneers sometimes crossed themselves to drive away the ghost of a pious old woman.

There was once a pool on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which today is remembered by those whose childhood, youth or mature years fell on the Soviet period. This metropolitan attraction delighted both local residents and guests of Belokamennaya. But not for long - only 35 years. In the nineties, the pool, famous throughout the USSR, was closed. On the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, blown up in the early thirties, the cathedral was again erected.

background

On the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the pool was built in the late fifties. That is, almost twenty years after the religious building was blown up. This temple has had a long interesting story. It was built in 1883. The architect Konstantin Ton, according to legend, spent forty years building it.

Previously, on the territory that today is occupied by the most famous Moscow church, there was a monastery. It burned down in the middle of the 16th century. A new monastery was built in its place, but it was not destined to exist for a long time either. The Troubled Times have arrived. The monastery was badly damaged, but was rebuilt in 1625. During the time of Nicholas I, the monastery was transferred to Krasnoye Selo. A majestic temple was built in its place.

At the end of the twenties, a decision of the Politburo was issued, according to which the Cathedral of Christ the Savior should be destroyed. There were no plans to build a pool in its place then. The Palace of Soviets was supposed to be built here, the project of which was approved back in 1922. The idea of ​​​​building the tallest building in the world really liked Joseph Stalin, but, to the chagrin of the Generalissimo, it turned out to be unfeasible.

The temple was blown up in December 1931. Already on next year started building the Palace of Soviets. The war has begun. Construction work was frozen, and the metal structures intended for the majestic Soviet building were used during the battle for Moscow.

Stalin dreamed of building on the site of the temple not just a multi-tiered structure with several columns and a monument to Lenin at the top. This building was supposed to be taller than the Empire State Building. The Stalin skyscraper could be seen at a distance of 35 km. But, as already mentioned, this project failed to materialize. Superstitious people believed that it was not without reason that higher powers intervened in the construction process.

foundation pit

After Great Victory construction was resumed. However, it was not possible to complete it - first of all, it was necessary to restore factories, factories and residential buildings. From the grandiose construction there was a huge foundation pit. What could have been built instead of the Palace of Soviets on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior? Swimming pool. In Moscow, there was no more suitable place for the construction of an artificial reservoir. concrete foundation and steel structures, left over from construction, were regularly filled with water and resembled a swamp, which has no place at all in the center of the capital.

grandiose project

Nikita Khrushchev, the party's first secretary, came up with the idea of ​​building a swimming pool on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In the photo below you can see how this artificial reservoir looked like, which has become one of the favorite places of Muscovites.

The project was developed by architect Dmitry Chechulin. The construction of an outdoor pool on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior began in 1958. The main architect and his assistant were faced with the task of using the preserved foundation to the maximum. The artificial reservoir was built inside a concrete ring, which was originally intended for the foundation of the hall of the Palace of Soviets, which Stalin dreamed of.

"Moscow"

The outdoor pool on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, destroyed by order of the atheist government, was not a completely unique structure. In Moscow, there was a similar artificially created reservoir in Turchaninov Lane. It was called "Moscow". After the opening of the pool on Kropotkinskaya Embankment, it was renamed "The Seagull". The new one was called "Moscow", thereby emphasizing its significance.

The institution operates all year round. It became the largest swimming pool in the Soviet Union and one of the largest in the world. This grandiose building was visited by celebrities, both Soviet and foreign. At the end of 1960, Che Guevara himself visited here.

It cannot be said that Muscovites accepted with joy the opening of a year-round pool on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The history of its origin included many unpleasant facts: from the explosion of a looted church to unsuccessful attempts to implement a dubious project to build the tallest building in the world. Nevertheless, children and teenagers visited Moscow with pleasure. Even the archpriest once spoke about the pool with warmth, calling it "an amazing and mysterious place."

Peculiarities

The water temperature was regulated by artificial heating. It never dropped below 18°C. Visitors to the pool were allowed even in cold weather. But if the air temperature dropped below -20 °C, it was still closed for safety reasons. The fact is that in severe frosts, so thick steam rose above the water that the rescuers did not see the swimmers.

Many houses on Kropotkinskaya embankment suffered from corrosion. There is an opinion that the reason is the evaporation of water from the Moskva pool. The proximity of an artificial reservoir also had a negative effect on the exhibits of the Pushkin Museum.

The water coming from the city water supply was passed through filters and then chlorinated. The institution employed specialists who regularly checked its quality. In the pool there were groups of wellness, therapeutic swimming for both children and adults. There was also a section for professional athletes with separate entrance. The pool was divided into 8 lanes. A ten-meter tower was installed in the center.

Not only was the pool a great place to relax, but also the area adjacent to it. There was a well-maintained beach, small pools for children, benches, pavilions with a buffet, a cloakroom and a cash desk.

The depth of the pool "Moscow" was originally four meters. However, accidents were not uncommon here, and therefore the bottom had to be poured with concrete. After partial reconstruction, the depth of the artificial reservoir was just over two meters.

City's legends

The pool "Moscow" is perceived by many as a pool on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. But this is not entirely true. The temple was located next to the Moscow pool, built in the late 50s. There are several urban legends that tell about the mystical power that these places possessed.

The construction of the Palace of Soviets was suspended even before the start of the war due to the arrest of several officials. Then a pool appeared here, in which people regularly drowned. Frequent accidents gave rise to a rumor about "heater sectarians" who allegedly avenge the destroyed temple. Another legend about the Moskva pool: in the winter months, not a simple steam rose above the water. In it, if desired, one could see the outlines of a destroyed religious building.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior

In the late 1980s, the authorities softened against the church. The words that the temple should be restored no longer seemed seditious. But believing people not only made loud speeches - they acted. In 1992, a significant amount was collected for Christ the Savior. However, the money burned as a result of inflation. The foundation stone was installed back in 1990. A year later, the pool was closed. The construction of the temple began in the mid-nineties.