Rostokinskiy Aqueduct
The Rostokino Aqueduct is a hydraulic engineering structure of the defunct Mytishchi water supply system. It is the only surviving aqueduct of the five originally built for this system. It passes over the valley of the Yauza River. It is a federally protected cultural heritage site of the peoples of the Russian Federation. The Rostokino Aqueduct is located in the northeast of Moscow, on the border of the Rostokino and Alexeyevsky districts, near the 2nd Rostokino Bridge. The nearest metro station is “VDNKh” (Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya line). The aqueduct was built in 1783-1784 by decree of Empress Catherine II to supply Moscow with drinking water. Stone from the dismantled wall of the Bely Gorod (White City), on the site of which the Boulevard Ring was later formed, was used for cladding the facades. The inclined gallery for water was designed so that the water flowed without the use of pumps. (Originally, the gallery was lined with lead to prevent the water flow from eroding the structure.) The aqueduct served its original purpose until 1902. For the next 60 years, it was used as a support for a water main, and from 1962 to 2004, it served as a support for a heating main. In 2007, after the heating main was dismantled, the aqueduct was converted into a pedestrian bridge: railings, a decorative roof, and architectural lighting were added. Structure of the aqueduct: length – 356 meters, height – up to 15 meters, and the structure consists of 21 spans. In 2024-2025, by decision of Sergey Sobyanin, a comprehensive restoration of the Rostokino Aqueduct was carried out, covering an area of 1,160 square meters. As a result of the restoration: specialists strengthened the structure’s supports and the arches’ vaults, restored stone surfaces and the brickwork of the facades, cleaned and painted the metal gratings, and restored the gazebo-pavilions, staircases, platforms, and parapets. A historical chute with an imitation water flow was recreated in the gallery, allowing visitors to imagine how Moscow’s water supply system operated two centuries ago. Thanks to the restoration, the aqueduct’s gallery is once again accessible to pedestrians choosing walking routes through the Yauza Park. The Rostokino Aqueduct is within walking distance from the VDNKh metro station or the Rostokino MCC station. The aqueduct is open for pedestrian passage on weekends from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Address: Moscow, Rostokinsky Aqueduct Park
