Across from the Moscow City business center, a new pedestrian route is being created along the Moskva River—from the Academician Korolev Bridge to the P. N. Fomenko Workshop Theater. It will be over 2.5 kilometers long; part of the route is already open to the public, and the main highlights will be two observation decks that will jut out over the water. The city plans to complete the work this year.
New riverside route opposite the business center
The project creates a full-fledged promenade on the right bank of the Moskva River opposite “Moscow City.” This is not merely a local waterfront improvement but the continuation of a larger vision: to connect residential neighborhoods, the business center, bridges, the theater district, and the embankments into a single convenient urban route.
Currently, the section from the Academician Korolev Bridge to the “Beregovoy” residential complex is already open to pedestrians. The next phase involves the improvement of the “Western Port” embankment, which will run from the residential complex to the Belorussky Bridge. At the same time, work is underway on the final section—from “Western Port” to “P. N. Fomenko’s Workshop.”
The Akademik Korolev Bridge itself was opened in September 2025. It connected the Shelepikhinskaya Embankment with the Filevskaya Floodplain and became one of the new transportation links in western Moscow; it is 315 meters long.
Viewing platforms, an amphitheater, and embankment expansion
The most striking feature of the future embankment is two observation decks above the water. The plan is for them to serve as vantage points overlooking the river, “Moscow City,” the bridges, and the opposite bank. This is an important element for the area: today, the Taras Shevchenko Embankment and the right bank opposite City are perceived more as a transit zone, but after the redevelopment, an independent public space will emerge here.
The project includes:
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a pedestrian route over 2.5 km long;
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two observation decks over the water;
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an amphitheater by the river next to the P. N. Fomenko Workshop Theater;
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pedestrian and bicycle paths;
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recreational areas on the waterfront.
To expand the waterfront space, builders are reinforcing the banks and creating artificial embankments under the Belorussky Bridge, Bagration Avenue, and the Dorogomilovsky Bridges. This will allow them not only to “renovate the surface” but also to effectively complete the missing sections of the embankment where the shoreline was previously too narrow to serve as a full-fledged public space.
Why This Is Important for “Moscow City”
This project is particularly important for “Moscow City” because the district is gradually ceasing to be merely a business cluster of skyscrapers and is becoming part of a larger urban environment by the water. The more bridges, walking paths, and connections to neighboring neighborhoods appear, the less the City is perceived as an isolated business island.
The new waterfront will strengthen pedestrian connectivity between Fili, “Western Port,” Dorogomilovo, Taras Shevchenko Embankment, and the business center. For residents, office workers, and tourists, this means more options for walks: it will be possible to stroll along the waterfront, head to the theater, view the City from the opposite bank, and continue on to the new bridge crossings.
The topic of pedestrian connectivity via the Dorogomilovsky Bridge is also being developed separately. Earlier reports mentioned a project to convert the lower deck of the bridge for pedestrian traffic: plans call for adapting approximately 225 meters of the lower level and supplementing the connection with a separate pedestrian bridge to the business district. If this connection is implemented, the new embankment will gain direct access to “Moscow City” and become part of a larger walking loop around the business center.
Moscow is bringing the river back to the city
In recent years, Moscow has been consistently developing its embankments as public spaces, rather than merely technical zones along the water. The new route from the Academician Korolev Bridge to the “P. N. Fomenko Workshop” fits well into this logic: not only are there paths here, but also points of interest—viewing platforms, an amphitheater, places to relax, and scenic vistas.
For the area across from “Moscow City,” this could be a significant change. The right bank will take on a more complete urban appearance, and the views of the business center’s skyscrapers will be reimagined. Whereas previously the best vantage point for viewing the City was often simply a section of the embankment opposite the towers, this panorama will now be complemented by specially designed pedestrian infrastructure.
