| Neglinnaya | |
|---|---|
 The Neglinnaya discharges into theMoskva through two tunnels, of which this is one. | |
 | |
| Native name | Неглинная (Russian) |
| Location | |
| Country | Russia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Moskva |
• coordinates | 55°44′59″N37°37′35″E / 55.74972°N 37.62639°E /55.74972; 37.62639 |
| Length | 7.5 km (4.7 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Moskva→Oka→Volga→Caspian Sea |
TheNeglinnaya (Russian:Неглинная,IPA:[nʲɪˈɡlʲinːəjə]), also known asNeglinka,Neglinna, Neglimna (Неглинка, Неглинна, Неглимна), is a 7.5 kmunderground river in the central part ofMoscow and atributary of the riverMoskva. It flows in the tunnels under Samotechnaya Street,Tsvetnoy Boulevard,Neglinnaya Street andAlexander Garden andZaryadye. The Neglinnaya discharges into the Moskva through two separate tunnels nearBolshoy Kamenny Bridge andBolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge.
The river in its natural state used to flow openly from the northern parts ofMoscow to the south across the very centre of the city. TheKremlin was built on a hill east of the Neglinnaya, using the river as a moat. The moat did not stop foreign invasions but slowed development of territories west of the Kremlin; initially, the city grew eastward, intoRed Square andKitay-gorod. When Muscovites began settling on the western side, territories around the Neglinnaya remained vacant due to frequent flooding.
Muscovites constructed a number ofdams, creating a chain of six interconnectedponds, used for firefighting, withwatermills,forges,workshops andpublic baths (Moscow's two best-known public baths, Central andSandunоvskie, built in 1890s, are still located onNeglinnaya Street). There were fourbridges across the Neglinnaya River:Voskresensky Bridge (its fragments unearthed during a 1994 excavation), three-spanKuznetsky Bridge,Trinity Bridge andPetrovsky Bridge (the remains of the last were discovered during the reconstruction of theMaly Theatre).
The first plans to rebuild the Neglinnaya River, presented in 1775, materialized in 1792. A newmasonrycanal, onesazhen (2.13 m) wide, was laid parallel to the Neglinnaya; after diverting water into the channel, builders filled the old river bed with earth. After theFire of Moscow (1812), the canal was so polluted that the city cleared it and covered with a masonry vault, creating the firstNeglinnaya Tunnel (1817–1819), which also formed present-dayNeglinnaya Street andTheatre Square. Before centralised city sewage (1887), the tunnel doubled as a sewer, dumping the refuse into the Moskva River.
The first reconstruction (1910–1914) replaced part of the tunnel with a larger pipe, but was terminated byWorld War I. This new pipe, designed by engineer Schekotov (Schekotov Tunnel), was adequate by any standard, and could suffice, if completed in full length. Narrow cross-section of old pipe, however, could not accommodate the volume of water, especially duringhigh water andfreshets, flooding central streets; the most recent catastrophic floods occurred in 1965 (twice) and 1973 (also twice).
In 1966, the city built a second arm for the Neglinnaya River (length: 1 km,width: 4m), cutting the path underZaryadye. In 1974–1989, after the 1973 flood, the city built a completely-new 4 km tunnel, 3.47 m high and 4.90 m wide, from Durova Street toMetropol Hotel (where the tunnel forks into two branches). The old tunnel was reused as a pipe and cable conduit.
Present-day ponds onManezhnaya Square (1996) are not the Neglinnaya River but an imitation. The real river runs too deep to be properly displayed. The area is dotted with diminutive statues on subjects taken from Russianfables designed byZurab Tsereteli.
