ZIL River Pier: Electric Boats, MCC Access and Routes 2 and 3

ZIL River Pier is a pier on Marka Shagal Embankment in the redeveloped area of the former ZIL car plant, in the south of the center. It is the western end of route 2 of Moscow’s regular river transport, which runs to Pechatniki, and the place where route 2 meets route 3, which runs to the Novospassky pier.

The nearest rail station is ZIL on the Moscow Central Circle, and the city transport page gives about 18 minutes on foot* from its exit 2. The pier has links to the Southern River Station and Kolomenskoye further along route 2. Routes, stops and timetables change as the network grows, so check the city’s river transport page before you go.

Quick Facts

Russian name	Причал «ЗИЛ»
Type	River pier / station
Built / opened	2023
Address	Marka Shagal Embankment, former ZIL plant area, Moscow (набережная Марка Шагала, территория бывшего завода ЗИЛ) OpenStreetMap · Google Maps
District	Danilovsky
Metro	ZIL (Moscow Central Circle (MCC, Line 14), The city transport page recommends exit 2, then about 18 minutes on foot along Likhachev Avenue; another source gives 1.5 km, about 15 to 20 minutes) Tekhnopark (Zamoskvoretskaya Line (Line 2, green), Listed as a nearby station by a third-party page; the walking time was not verified, and the status of the station was reported as uncertain)
Opening hours	The city's electric river boats are reported to run year-round, with daily service from about 7:00 to 23:00 (as of October 2026 – check the official site of the city river transport).
Admission	The embankment is free. A ticket is needed for the river boat; fares and payment methods were not verified.
Best time to visit	Late spring to early autumn is the most pleasant for the boats and the embankment, although the regular service is reported year-round. Weekends and warm evenings are the busiest. Crowd patterns were not verified.
Recommended duration	About 30 minutes to reach the pier and board; the trip to Pechatniki takes about 20 minutes, as reported.
Website	t.mos.ru/reka
Last updated	October 7, 2026

How to Get to and from ZIL River Pier

Option	Duration	Price	Notes
Electric river boat, route 2 to Pechatniki	About 20 minutes to Pechatniki, as reported	Check the operator's fare	Stops include Klenovy Bulvar, Southern River Station, Kolomenskaya Embankment and Pechatniki. The boats run year-round, reported daily from 7:00 to 23:00.
Electric river boat, route 3 to Novospassky	Varies by stops	Check the operator's fare	Stops include Avtozavodsky Bridge, Simonovsky and Torpedo; the Novospassky stop is by the monastery; change at the ZIL pier between routes 2 and 3.
MCC from the ZIL station	About 18 minutes on foot from exit 2 to the pier	Standard city fare; see the How to use the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) guide	Follow Likhachev Avenue from exit 2 to Marka Shagal Embankment. The MCC runs around the center.
Metro to Avtozavodskaya	A 25 to 30 minute walk to the pier, as reported; or ride the boat from the Avtozavodsky Bridge stop	Standard Metro fare; see the How to buy a Moscow Metro ticket guide	Zamoskvoretskaya Line (green, Line 2) and the MCC. The Avtozavodsky Bridge stop of route 3 is closer to the station than the ZIL pier.
Taxi	Depends on traffic	Check the app for the fare	Use a taxi app and the official pick-up point; there is city parking near the Nagatinskaya Embankment piers. See the How to use taxi apps in Moscow guide.

Why Visit ZIL River Pier?

The pier is the start of a river ride through an area that was closed to the public for decades: the former ZIL factory district, now rebuilt as a residential and business quarter along the Moskva River. From here a regular electric boat runs south to Nagatinsky Zaton, the Southern River Station and Kolomenskaya Embankment, and a second route runs north to the Novospassky Monastery.

It works as an interchange between the two routes, and as a way to reach the Southern River Station and the Kolomenskoye park by water. It is far from the main sights, so allow time for the walk from the station and check that the stops you want are open.

Highlights of ZIL River Pier

The ZIL pier on Marka Shagal Embankment

The pier lies on Marka Shagal Embankment, on the territory of the former ZIL plant, beside the residential complex called ZILART. It is described as a new pier long enough to receive most of the boats that work the city's excursion lines, and it is a stop on both of the regular routes. The pier is close to the Tyufeleva Roshcha park.

Tip: Check the pier's signs, since the same area has stops for different routes.

Route 2 to Pechatniki

Route 2, called ZIL to Pechatniki, opened on 29 September 2023 and is about nine kilometers long. Its stops are ZIL, Nagatinsky, Zaton Novinki, Klenovy Bulvar, Southern River Station, Moskovskaya Verf, Nagatinsky Zaton, Kolomenskaya Embankment and Pechatniki. The full trip to Pechatniki is reported to take about 20 minutes. See the Southern River Station guide on this site.

Tip: Ride all the way to Pechatniki and back for a short river tour.

Route 3 to Novospassky

Route 3, called Novospassky to ZIL, opened on 20 June 2025 and has six stops: Novospassky, Derbenevskaya Embankment, Torpedo, Simonovsky, Avtozavodsky Bridge and ZIL. At the ZIL pier you can change to route 2. The Novospassky stop is by the monastery of the same name. See the Taganka guide on this site for the nearby area.

Tip: Use the Avtozavodsky Bridge or Simonovsky stops to reach the Avtozavodskaya Metro and MCC stations.

The ZIL area

The former ZIL plant was the largest industrial zone in the city, and for years its reconstruction was planned. The embankment has been rebuilt with a residential complex and a river pier, and the area is changing fast. The pier gives a view of this new quarter from the water.

Tip: Walk the new embankment for a look at the redevelopment.

The Southern River Station and the Kolomenskoye side

Further along route 2, the Southern River Station is a river terminal reopened in 2023, with an observation deck and long cruises, and the Kolomenskaya Embankment stop leads toward the Kolomenskoye park and its old wooden estate buildings. See the Southern River Station guide and the Kolomenskoye guide on this site.

Tip: Plan the stops so that you can visit Kolomenskoye on the same trip.

Links to the MCC and the Metro

The ZIL station of the Moscow Central Circle is the nearest rail link, and the Tekhnopark and Avtozavodskaya stations of the Zamoskvoretskaya Line are farther away. The Klenovy Bulvar stop on route 2 is five minutes from a station of the large ring line, as reported. See the How to use the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) guide on this site.

Tip: Check the walking distance, which is longer than the map suggests.

Atmosphere

The pier stands on a wide, newly built embankment, with paving, benches and the new residential blocks behind it, a quiet corner that was an industrial zone not long ago. Joggers and dog walkers pass along the river, and the electric boats glide in without much sound.

The area is busiest at weekends and on warm evenings, and very quiet on weekday mornings and in winter. Cranes and building sites still mark the redevelopment around the pier, and the Metro and the MCC are a walk away.

History of ZIL River Pier

The ZIL plant, the Likhachev works, was one of the largest industrial sites in Moscow, and the area along the river in the Danilovsky district was closed to the public for decades. Its reconstruction was planned for around ten years, and a river pier called ZILART was created as part of the residential complex of the same name on the embankment.

River passenger transport in Moscow declined after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and in the 2020s the city revived regular river services. The second regular route, called ZIL to Pechatniki, was opened on 29 September 2023 with a length of about nine kilometers, linking the ZIL territory, Nagatinsky Zaton, the Southern River Station, the Kolomenskaya Embankment and Pechatniki.

A free sightseeing route, Pechatniki to Southern River Station and back, was launched for the autumn before the full route. The third route, Novospassky to ZIL, opened on 20 June 2025, with six stops, and the ZIL pier became the transfer point between routes 2 and 3.

The network, operated by Vodohod for the Moscow government, is described as the first year-round fully electric river tram service in the world, and has grown to four routes and about 24 piers. Routes and timetables change, so check the current information on the city’s river transport page.

Tickets and Payment at ZIL River Pier

The regular river boats are a public transport route, operated for the city, and there is no advance booking: you go to the pier, pay by an available method and board. Fares and the payment methods for foreign visitors were not verified, so check the city’s river transport page and the Moscow Transport app before you travel. The boats run on a regular timetable, and if a stop is not on the route map, it is not yet open. Tour boats of other operators use separate tickets and piers.

• Metro, MCC and bus: pay the city fare at the turnstiles; see the guides on buying a Metro ticket and on the MCC.
• Payment: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, so check the payment options on the official sites, and the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict some Russian payment services, so check this yourself.
• Touts: buy only from the official channels at the pier or on the official app.

Rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ, so check the official page of the river transport, t.mos.ru/reka, for all ticket categories.

How to Get to ZIL River Pier

The pier is on Marka Shagal Embankment, on the former ZIL plant territory. The nearest rail station is ZIL on the Moscow Central Circle (Line 14): the city transport page recommends exit 2 and then about 18 minutes on foot along Likhachev Avenue. The Tekhnopark and Avtozavodskaya stations of the green Zamoskvoretskaya Line (Line 2) are farther, with the walk from Avtozavodskaya reported at 25 to 30 minutes.

• Bus: several routes serve the district; see the How to use buses, trams and trolleybuses in Moscow guide.
• Taxi and parking: use a taxi app; city parking is reported near the Nagatinskaya Embankment piers.

Accessibility

No official accessibility details were found. The pier is a modern floating pier of the city's network, but step-free routes from the station, the gangway and the boats were not verified, so contact the operator before you travel.

Food Nearby

The new residential and business quarter around the pier has cafes and shops, and more are along the embankment. No individual venue was verified for this guide, so check opening hours on site.

What to Bring

A jacket for the water, comfortable shoes* for the walk, a charged phone for the transport app and cash in rubles for small purchases, since foreign cards are reported not to work.

Photography Rules

Photography is allowed on the embankment and on the boats, and drones are subject to Moscow's strict rules, so avoid flying them near the river and the building sites. Follow the crew's instructions on board.

Family Suitability

The embankment and a short boat ride suit families, but the 18-minute walk from the MCC station is long for small children and strollers, and the area is still a building site in places. The wind on the water is cool in spring and autumn.

Moscow Vibes Tips

• Take the official route from exit 2 of the ZIL MCC station, and allow for the 18 minutes along Likhachev Avenue.
• Use the Avtozavodsky Bridge stop of route 3 if you are coming from the Avtozavodskaya Metro and MCC stations.
• Change at the ZIL pier to move between routes 2 and 3.
• Ride route 2 to the Southern River Station if you want to see its observation deck.
• Check the route map for the open stops, since the network has grown each year.
• See the Kolomenskoye guide on this site if you want to continue from the Kolomenskaya Embankment stop.

Explore Nearby ZIL River Pier

Metro stations near ZIL River Pier

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  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  ZIL MCC Stationabout 1.1 km away (~19 min walk)

Sights near ZIL River Pier

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  Danilov Monastery Moscowabout 1.4 km away (~23 min walk) · typical visit: About 1 to 1.5 hours
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  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  Danilovsky Market Moscowabout 1.7 km away (~27 min walk) · typical visit: About 1 to 2 hours

Train stations and river piers near ZIL River Pier

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  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  Southern River Stationabout 3.0 km away

Related guides

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  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  Kolomenskoye: UNESCO Ascension Church, Wooden Palace and Park
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  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  How to use the Moscow Central Circle (MCC): Fares, Hours and Transfers
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  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  How to take a Moskva River cruise: Piers, Boats, Prices and Season
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Browse more: More in Danilovsky · All Airports & Transport · All River Piers and Stations

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FAQ: ZIL River Pier

Where is the ZIL River Pier?

On Marka Shagal Embankment, in the former ZIL plant area.

Which routes use it?

Route 2 (to Pechatniki) and route 3 (to Novospassky).

When did route 2 open?

On 29 September 2023, about nine kilometers long.

When did route 3 open?

On 20 June 2025, with six stops.

Which station is nearest?

ZIL on the MCC, about 18 minutes on foot from exit 2.

Does it run in winter?

The service is reported year-round.

Is it a tour boat?

No, it is a regular public electric boat.

Can I pay with a foreign card?

Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, and your country's sanctions rules may restrict some services, so check this yourself.

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