Money Growing: Beach Town

It turns out that the heat comes to Moscow in the summer as unexpectedly as the snowfalls were in the winter. City departments and district prefectures at a loss this summer have deviated from usual practice and made excuses that they "didn't expect the heat." Recreation zones, which Muscovites long for in the summer, are the concern of prefectures of administrative districts and are municipal property. But alas, for the region's authorities having such riches as parks and other areas with natural greenery and reservoirs, beaches are not a question of strategic importance.

In the Russian capital there are 438 reservoirs. The length of the Moscow River that runs through the city boundaries is 75 km, and the length of other small rivers is 260 km, says Vladimir Plyasunov, chief of the Moscow city search and rescue service of the central administrative board of the RF Ministry of Emergency Measures at a press conference in Moscow, devoted to the safety of water bodies and the preparation of the city's beaches for the summer 2007 period. In the whole capital, which has a population of 14 million people, there are 62 recreation zones, including beaches, located in the Moscow region, but regarded as Moscow (Pirogovo, Khlebnikovo, Rublevo, etc.). At each one more than 200,000 people visit.

Heat with Convenience

The most popular recreation zone is at Serebryany Bor. Here there is a pine forest and sandy beaches and the Moscow River washes the banks of the resort's territory, all within the city's boundaries.

Serebryany Bor currently has the status of a special protected natural territory. Its area covers 328 hectares, and its border measures about 10 km. From north to south Serebryany Bor stretches 1.45 km, and from west to east 2.6 km. The most popular beaches are No. 2 (Ulitsa Tamanskaya) and No. 3 (4th line of Serebryany Bor). The beaches are equipped and have a special place for children to bathe and there are moorings for small private boats.

There is a boat station and in the summer small cafes and other food and drink facilities are open. There is a sanitary zone with toilets, shower cubicles and locker rooms. On the "sun deck," a fenced part of the beach with wooden flooring, it is possible to rest with the comfort of sun beds. Access to the water is via a mini-pier.

Beach No. 3 is more picturesque. Water comes right up to the beach, there are locker rooms, shower cabins, several volleyball courts, an open-air tennis court, a fitness center with gym, a children's mini-town and children's bathing area. In the summer you can hire sports equipment, scooters and catamarans. Food is not a problem and at the entrance to the beach there is a free-of-charge car park. Beach No. 1 (1st line of Serebryany Bor) is also equipped.

Also on the territory of Serebryany Bor are several spontaneous beaches, one of which carries the name "Youth," and the people that relax here are nudists. But here the beaches have no infrastructure, except for a volleyball court (near to "Youth"). Peddlers sell beer at a price approximately five times more expensive than in supermarkets.

The Strogino district is practically an island awashed by the Moscow River, but there are no modern, organized beaches, except for a recreation zone on the borders of the Strogino yacht port. A large part of the Stroginskiye flood land banks have spontaneous recreation zones or beaches where there are a few locker rooms, benches and volleyball courts here and there. It looks as if regional authorities prepared for the beach season as buildings have been painted, but it is clear neither the effort nor funds were sufficient. The boat station located at the entrance to Strogino is rendered habitable by fans of surfing.

For inhabitants of the Southwest Administration District the Troparevo recreation zone (Ulitsa Akademika Vinogradova) is popular. On the beach there are cubicles for changing clothes and a toilet. For fans of active leisure there are volleyball courts and a football field. For the smaller visitors there is a separate area with sandboxes, labyrinths and swings. Children's slot machines and attractions, several cafes, and the hire of boats and catamarans are also available.

Khimki-2 Beach (Nikolsky Tupik), to the right of the banks of the Khimkinsky water basin has a cafe, restaurant, children's and sports areas, and a hire service of sports equipment, boats and catamarans. There is a yacht club nearby and mooring for small boats. In Zelenengrad, there are three beaches: Ozero Chyornoye (6th micro district), Shkolnoye Ozero (10th micro district) and Bolshoi Gorodskoi Prud (Tsentralny prospekt).

The Rublevo recreation zone (Myakininskoye shosse) located outside the city in a picturesque bay is famous for its sandy beaches. The territory is arranged well, with first-aid points and a boat station where you can hire boats, water pedalos and catamarans. At the entrance to the zone there is a car park.

In the Western Administrative District the fashionable place to relax in the summer is Super Beach on the bank of the Grebny canal. Soft sand has been arranged and there are volleyball and football areas that have been covered by a special grassy carpet. On the banks of the canal there is a gym, a shooting range and an artificial rock face for rock-climbing. There is even a swimming pool with clean water and the unique service of a beauty salon. The territory has been adapted to hold corporate functions.

Inhabitants of the Eastern Administrative District choose the Terletsky forest park where a cascade from five ponds flows into the Serebryanko River. But for a long time the territory around the water body has not been equipped with modern conveniences, and therefore it is forbidden to bathe here.

All recreation zones where it is forbidden to bathe are free-of-charge for visitors, while city authorized beaches work on a paid basis. For example, the entrance price to Serebryany Bor's organized beaches ranges from 50 to 500 rubles (Sun Deck). At Rublevo on weekdays adults pay 20 rubles and children and pensioners pay 5 rubles, while at the weekends adults pay 30 rubles and children and pensioners 10 rubles.

The prices to rent sports equipment vary. For example, at beach No. 2 at Serebryany Bor a 1-hour game of table tennis or badminton will set you back 200 rubles, the rent of a volleyball court costs 500 rubles, and to hire a boat costs 300 rubles. At Rublevo to hire a pedalo it costs 200 rubles per hour and for boats twice as much. At Troparevo it is possible to hire a boat for 90 rubles and a catamaran for 100 rubles for 30 minutes.

Open Season

The beach season in the capital traditionally lasts from June 1 to August 31. Different services of the city prepare for its opening. For example, Rospotrebnadzor takes samples of water to check that its physical and chemical parameters conform to the requirements of sanitary regulations and gives a verdict of whether the water body will be an authorized zone or will function in the "bathing is forbidden" mode.

A positive outcome from the test depends not only on the quality of water, but also on the presence of infrastructure (drinking water supply, shower cubicles, locker rooms and toilets, sun beds, benches, children's playgrounds, food facilities, etc.).

In addition, the sands' radiation levels are checked and research on the soil and sampling of water from drinking fountains and open reservoirs are carried out. According to the regulations for equipped beaches there should also be notices of the rules of behavior in the water, a first-aid post, a police post, and a rescue station.

According to Vladimir Plyasunova, in Moscow there are currently 23 search and rescue stations and one diving rescue detachment in addition to search and rescue groups in each administrative district whose purpose is to take precautions and the prevent accidents in water. This season 415 people have started working for services involving water, 62 boats have been given to water rescue stations, or 3-4 boats per station. The operating time of recreation zones is regulated: they are open from 9.00 till 23.00.

In connection with the abnormally hot weather the search and rescue services were put on high alert. "Proceeding from statistical data if within several days the temperature is above 25 degrees, an avalanche of visitors will hit reservoirs, and plans of action for rescuers in that case will be defined," says Plyasunov.

Before the start of the season the government of Moscow releases its decision on which water bodies will be authorized recreation zones based on the research and test results. The decision "On the organization of summer rest and the safety of the population at reservoirs of the city in 2007" names 18 recreation zones with bathing (13 of them within the city boundaries) and 44 without bathing.

Rospotrebnadzor initially named 13 rest zones for bathing in Moscow. In the Central Administrative District these are Akademicheskiye prudy, Vodny Stadion and Levoberezhye. In the Northwest Administrative District they are at Serebryany Bor - 2, Serebryany Bor - 3 and Khimki-2. In the Southwest district they are at Troparevo, in the West Administrative District at Rublevo and Meshcherskoye, in the East Administrative District at Ozero Beloye and in Zelenengrad at Ozero Chyornoye, Shkolnoye Ozero and Bolshoi Gorodskoi Prud.

But later an amendment was made to the department's website according to which as of May 31, 2007, at Akademicheskiye prudy, Vodny stadion, Dinamo, Levoberezhye and Troparevo bathing is forbidden (the quality of water of the reservoirs does not meet the requirements of the Sanitary law and regulation No. 2.1.5.980-00 "The hygienic requirements for the protection of manmade waters").

Moreover Rospotrebnadzor added five recreation zones without bathing: Bitsa (South Administrative District), Lebedyansky prudy and Cherkizovsky prudy (Southwest Administrative District), and Oleny prudy and Putyayevskiye prudy (West Administrative District). Inspections are being carried out at Serebryano-Vinogradny prud and Kuskovo (the sanitary condition of water areas and adjoining territory is satisfactory), and also at recreation zones without bathing at Lefortovo, Lyublino and Kuzminky (Southeast Administrative District). These zones were previously rejected after the results of previous tests.

It is forbidden to bathe at Patriarshiye prudy and Chistiye prudy, at Kalitnikovsky, Novospassky, Ostankinsky, Borisovsky and Kuzminsky, at Krasnaya Presnya, Stroginskaya Poima, Lake Bezdonnoye, etc. Though on hot days the people of the capital will splash about in any pool that is to the slightest degree suitable directly next to a sign that reads "Bathing is forbidden!"

Beach Prospects

Considering the big interest of city dwellers to rest in nature, the Moscow government decree dated January 15, 2002, No. 24-PP "On the scheme of the location of rescue-sanitary complexes in the territory of Moscow and modifications and additions to the governmental order of Moscow dated August 24, 1999, No. 780" has approved the city target program "The creation of saving-improving complexes on water" for realization until 2010. The program provides for the reconstruction and construction of new rescue stations to transform them into water rescue-sanitary complexes (SOK), which will include a rescue station, a beach, a boat station, educational, sanitary and cultural centers, design and trade centers, and also technical centers and safety centers.

One of the participants of the program is Berega Moskvy. The organization offers a full range of services on the construction and subsequent operation of mooring constructions. The Strogino yacht port, the first yacht club on the Moscow River within the city's boundaries, is equipped to European standards. The project was carried out with the support of the Northwest Administrative District prefecture, and several departments of wildlife management in Moscow.

On the territory you can hire boats, catamarans and pedalos, and walks on a boat with the captain can be organized. Water sports include banana boat rides and rubber tire rides. There is a children's entertainment complex with a mini-zoo, and also an area for team games (paintballng, etc.). For owners of small boats there is supervised parking on the water for up to 50 boats measuring from 5 to 15 m, moorings and equipped service-columns for water and electricity supply direct to the vessel. The yacht club also has a restaurant and two clubs.

Berega Moskvy is developing a project for an artificial beach on the pontoon. According to Dmitry Solovyov, deputy general director of the company, the cost of the project will total 500,000 euros, which will be paid for by the client, a private company.

On a floating platform there is a restaurant, swimming pools with a cleaning and heating system, a length of space where sun beds are laid, showers, two toilets and changing rooms. According to Solovyov, the floating platform can be placed on any reservoir. "It is a good and economic way of solving the problem of rest in the capital," he says. "The design is completely independent, you need only connect it to electricity."

The Beach Club complex near Vodny Stadion metro station on Khimkinsky water basin is currently undergoing reconstruction, and will be equipped with shower cabins, toilets, sun beds and other infrastructure. The beach is divided into two parts: a general area for roughly 1,500 people, and a VIP-zone for 500 people. For those who come to the beach in their own yachts and boats, special mooring is provided.

A program on establishing a beach zone and cleaning the reservoir at Terletskiye prudy will be carried out. It is planned for the banks of the ponds to be changed, for a fountain to be added, and after a long break Muscovites will again be able bathe in the reservoir.