Europe’s Largest Oceanarium: Moskvarium

Come and Meet Killer Whales, Sharks, and Dolphins in Moscow

Another interesting large-scale project from us at Kievskaya Ploshchad was the development of Moskvarium, Europe’s largest oceanographic center. As somebody like me, who enjoys diving as a hobby and finds the world underwater fascinating and beautiful, what can be better than to develop and open one of the largest oceanariums in the world?

Moskvarium building in Moscow

What Visitors Can Expect

What Visitors Can Expect

Moskvarium is not only fun but is also a great place to visit for educational and scientific reasons. It is the only year-round landlocked oceanographic center in the world. The space is divided into three zones: the aquarium, the swimming zone, and the water show zone. The aquarium is home to a fascinating variety of more than 8,000 marine creatures from every corner of the world. It consists of over 500 different species from areas like the Galapagos, Baikal, the Great Barrier Reef, Kamchatka, Greenland, and the Icelandic fjords. Some of the interesting inhabitants are nautilus, horseshoe crabs, electric fish, Dolphin, octopuses, stingrays, various sharks, and Cayman crocodiles. There is also the largest display of Russian freshwater fish including sturgeon (where the famous Russian caviar comes from).

Whales in Moskvarium in Moscow

Get to Know More About Sea Creatures and Meet a Few
The lecture hall at Moskvarium regularly hosts documentaries and educational talks on marine creatures. Guests can enjoy an amazing view of whales and dolphins as they are taken to a panoramic platform by the team of experienced staff members. The swimming zone consists of seven pools, each with a different theme: the African pond, the Asian pool, the Reef, the South American pool, and the Seas of Russia.

For those who would like to experience being intimately close to marine life, there is a specially allocated pool where visitors are encouraged to interact with creatures like crustaceans, carp, starfish, and stingrays who can be surprisingly friendly! Even children are allowed to touch these sea creatures — under professional supervision of course. Interested visitors who are not afraid to get wet have the opportunity to swim with dolphins. They are assisted by qualified marine animal instructors every step of the way.

Spectacular Shows

Moskvarium has an entertaining lineup of shows throughout the year, especially over the festive season. The auditorium can seat as many as 2,300 people at one time. On Christmas Eve, Russia’s main Santa Claus comes all the way from Veliky Ustyug to visit Moskvarium and its guests. New Year’s celebrations involve specially prepared musical shows that include acrobats and trapeze artists doing circus acts alongside marine mammals like dolphins, sea lions, belugas, killer whales, and walruses. There is also the World Travel show which is held on a gigantic water stage. This spectacular show involves three-dimensional projections that create 5D effects and also includes the marine animals as stars of the show.

Moskvarium Is Ready for Visitors from Across the Globe
After joining forces with Visit Russia, Moskvarium was marketed at their offices in Germany, Finland, Italy, China, and the United Arab Emirates, giving the oceanarium access to international clientele. Visit Russia is a tourism marketing center with a goal of transforming Russia into an attractive travel destination.

Marketing Efforts Paid Off

Visit Russia made sure that tourists from all over Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of the world learn about this fascinating and entertaining country and soon realize that attractions like Moskvarium are yet another excellent reason to visit Russia. Moskvarium soon began receiving group bookings from foreign visitors, and delegates from embassies started visiting. As the flow of foreign visitors became stronger, Moskvarium made sightseeing tours and audio guides available in other languages like English and German. It is anticipated that this steady stream of guests will continue to increase in the near future and Moskvarium is ready for it. The large oceanarium can comfortably receive more than two million visitors every year!