The Moscow Oceanarium at VDNKh welcomed its first guests, dreaming of plunging into the fantastic world of marine life, on August 5, 2015. It became the first oceanarium in the world, located in a metropolis and remote from the sea coast for many kilometers.
Description of the aquarium
Officially, this institution is called the Moskvarium Center for Oceanography and Marine Biology at VDNKh. The oceanarium, the opening of which aroused great interest among the residents of the Russian capital and its guests, was placed in a giant unique building. The building with panoramic windows along the facade, one basement and four ground floors covers an area of 53,000 m2.
Its interior is divided into 3 thematic zones:
- Aquariums inhabited by aquatic life.
- Hall for water shows with marine mammals.
- Center with seven pools for swimming with dolphins. The opening of the complex is scheduled for the end of 2015-beginning of 2016. While the dolphins are getting used to the new environment.
Visitor reviews emphasize that it is convenient for all people to move inside, including those whose capabilities are limited. The premises are equipped with ramps, elevators, handrails, between them there are no thresholds that impede movement.
The floors are equipped with restaurants and cafes. Their foyer has seating areas. The shops sell toys, souvenirs and other small things. Prices for goods and food, according to guests, are high. Bringing drinks, sandwiches and other edibles is prohibited.
Tours
Sightseeing and thematic tours are organized for guests. They last 45 minutes. Group tours include 25-45 visitors. Through the panoramic windows, guests watch large marine animals, including representatives of the dolphin family.
Aquariums are divided into thematic expositions. Aquatic life in them is organized in the same way as in the natural ecosystems of different seas. From the feedback of visitors, it becomes clear that taking pictures with a flash and making videos in Moskvarium is prohibited.
Which exhibitions to see?
In 80 aquariums covering an area of 12,000 m2, over 8,000 aquatic life collected from all over the planet are displayed. Animals and fish live in comfortable conditions. With the help of unique systems in aquariums, they create an appropriate microclimate and produce high-quality water treatment. Animal he alth is maintained in specialized laboratories equipped with modern equipment.
A variety of living creatures were collected in the aquarium at VDNKh,adapted to existence in cold and warm waters. Migratory stingrays settled in the aquariums of the basement floor, amazing with their wingspan and the ability to soar on them in the water column.
The ichthyofauna of South America and Africa is represented by electric fish, whose bodies are capable of emitting a wave current and buzzing like transformers. Impulsive fish have an interesting way of self-defense. They scare off enemies with crackling and buzzing.
Amazing cichlids and carp-tooth representatives live in aquariums with African ichthyofauna. Cichlids are fish with bright blue and gold colors that do not release eggs from their mouths until they turn into fry.
Caviar of carp-tooths does not die within 2-4 months if the reservoir is dry, or it was washed ashore by waves. Ichthyologists or aquarists, having found dried eggs among grains of sand and algae, send them in ordinary postal envelopes.
The unique oceanarium in Moscow (VDNH) invites visitors to view the exposition "Reservoirs of South America". Here aquariums are inhabited by neon fish. The Giants of the Seas exposition introduces guests to the habits of dolphins, beluga whales and killer whales.
Wonderful coral gardens appear in front of visitors in the Reef Hall, among which fan worms, sand eels and sea apples live. A beautiful seal has found a cozy home in the aquariums with an exposition called "Baikal".
The amazing scope of the aquarium at VDNKh demonstrates blacktip sharks and their natural companion fish in the main aquarium. Scurry next to himrezkalov fish. Philosopher fish and others swim in their company. Underwater inhabitants capable of contacting people were placed in a touch-pool. Guests enjoy touching starfish, hermit crabs, rays and other animals.
Dolphin therapy
In the fall of 2015, it is planned to open a Center with seven pools for sharing swimming with dolphins. Now smart mammals are being trained to communicate with people swimming with them in the same pool.
Show programs
Visitors have access to tickets to the aquarium at VDNKh, where amazing shows with killer whales take place. Performances are given by dolphins that lived in the Sea of Okhotsk: 10-year-old Narnia, 7-year-old Norom and 4-year-old Juliet. On days when killer whales and other marine mammals do not perform shows, visitors watch their free swimming through panoramic windows.
The Oceanarium at VDNKh is equipped with a hall for water shows that can accommodate 2,300 people. It is equipped with four stages adjacent to a huge pool in which marine mammals feel at ease. They are happy to tumble, swim, play with each other in the water and on stage. In response to the cries of "bravo" dolphins enthusiastically squeak.
Show program "Around the World"
The show program is arranged in the main hall, which looks like a huge cinema with a swimming pool. The show is accompanied by special effects. Dolphins, beluga whales, killer whales and seals are involved in the program. Intermissions show documentaries about marine life.
How much aretickets?
The cheapest tickets to the aquarium at VDNKh are on weekdays from 10-00 to 16-00. For adults, a ticket costs 600, and for children - 400 rubles. From 16-00 to 21-00 you will have to pay 800 and 500 rubles, respectively. At the same time, children's tickets are sold not only by age, but also by height: for a child of 12 years old or who has reached 120 centimeters in height (even if, for example, he is 11 years old), you will have to pay as an adult.
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, tickets are offered to buy for a child for 600 rubles, and for an adult - for 1000. It is profitable to buy family tickets at the Aquarium in Moscow (VDNKh). For a family of two adults and a child, a visit to the oceanarium will cost 2,500 rubles. The savings in this case is 100 rubles.
But a family of 2 parents and 2 children does not win anything when buying a family ticket. Its cost is equal to the price of individual tickets. A family ticket costs 3200 rubles. It costs the same to buy 4 separate tickets.
Price for 3D tours
Price for 3D tours is slightly lower than for regular visits. On weekdays for adults you need to pay 500, and for children - 250 rubles. On weekends, the price of an adult ticket is 600, and a child ticket is 300 rubles.
Discounts on weekdays are received by those visitors who came to the oceanarium at VDNKh on their birthday. The schedule (the ticket price depends on it) does not provide discounts (350 rubles for adults and 150 children) for birthdays on Saturdays and Sundays.
Price for water shows and diving
Show performancestake place at 15:00 or 19:00. The cost of tickets depends on the seats in the hall. It varies in the range of 900-2100 rubles. Diving takes 45 minutes. The price of this pleasure is 7000 rubles.
Certificates for a year
One-year certificates are being sold to the Moscow Oceanarium at VDNKh. For one person, it costs 800 rubles. For certificates for 2 and 3 persons they sell 1500 and 2000 respectively.
How Moskvarium works
The institution is open daily from 10-00 to 22-00. The last guests are allowed into it at 21-00. However, keep in mind that access at this time is open only to aquariums, restaurants, the store and the Chocolate Girl.
The area where the water shows are held is only accessible on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, when they give performances with marine animals. On the last Monday of each month, the establishment is closed to the public. This day has been declared sanitary.
From the guest reviews it follows that it is best to visit the aquarium at VDNKh before 10 am or in the evening (although tickets are more expensive at this time). During these hours, there is not such a large influx of people. There are a lot of visitors in the institution between 12 and 16 o'clock. There is a long queue at the ticket office.
