Kratovo: Marble Bridge, Pond and Children’s Railway

• Kratovo Pond was created in 1913, after a dam was built across the Khripanka River. This resulted in the formation of two small islands.
• The Moscow Children’s Railway opened on May 2, 1937. Its stations at the time included Put Ilyicha, now Yunost, and Shkolnaya.
• The marble bridge at Kratovo Pond was rebuilt in 1999 according to the original design, using white marble.
• The children’s railway is 2.3 kilometers long and is operated by students aged 11 to 17.

The marble bridge is considered one of the settlement’s symbols. It was designed by architect Alexander Ivanovich (Oganesovich) Tamanyan. When it was rebuilt in 1999, the original design was faithfully followed and white marble was used. Its features include decorated balusters, four spires and two spheres, each one meter high.

The bridge therefore brings together several clearly distinct features: a design history attributed to a named architect, its reconstruction in 1999 and striking architectural details. Together with the pond, it is one of the specific points of interest for anyone interested in Kratovo’s architectural history. The pond itself was created by damming the Khripanka River; the two small islands formed at the same time are also part of its described appearance.

The Moscow Children’s Railway opened on May 2, 1937, with the stations Put Ilyicha and Shkolnaya; Put Ilyicha station is now called Yunost. The railway is 2.3 kilometers long and operated by young people: the students are between 11 and 17 years old. Both its long history and its distinctive operating model are defining features of this railway.

A description published in 2020 gives the seasonal operating period as late May through the last Sunday in August. According to it, a six-car train runs from Pionerskaya to Yunost. Before your trip, check the current operating days and dates, as the season information cited is from 2020. Treat the stations in operation at the 1937 opening and the route’s endpoints listed in this description as separate details about the railway’s history and its service.

Summer houses began to be built in Kratovo in 1935. Later, among those who lived there or spent summers there were writers Mikhail Zoshchenko and Alexander Serafimovich, pianist Sergei Prokofiev, actress Valentina Talyzina, director Sergei Eisenstein and composer Vladimir Shainsky. These names add a cultural dimension to the settlement’s history, alongside the railway and the bridge.

Another dated point of interest is the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Derzhavnaya” in Kratovo. It was solemnly consecrated on November 17, 2019. The two-story building has a dome and four pillars and was built in the Novgorod architectural style. The church thus offers a different architectural point of reference from the marble bridge: here, the focus is on church architecture and a clearly specified date of consecration.

For those interested in a train ride, the children’s railway offers a service with a specified season and a described connection between Pionerskaya and Yunost. For planning your trip, it is helpful to distinguish between the railway’s historic opening and the seasonal service mentioned in 2020: the first describes the railway’s history, while the second describes a limited-time service whose current dates you should check in advance.

The “Nebesnaya tropa” adventure park offers a rope course set among the trees, with routes of varying difficulty. Check before visiting whether it is currently operating. The railway and the rope course appeal to different interests, so when planning you can decide whether you would rather include a historic train ride or a course with different levels of difficulty.

Discover more destinations: Gromkovo, Aborino, Karinskoye, Marfino, Matveykovo, Krasnoznamensk, Trasna, Lyubyatino.

How was Kratovo Pond formed?

The pond was created in 1913, after a dam was built across the Khripanka River. This formed a body of water with two small islands.

When did the Moscow Children’s Railway open?

It opened on May 2, 1937. At the time, its stations included Put Ilyicha, now Yunost, and Shkolnaya.

What period is given for the seasonal train service?

A description published in 2020 gives the operating period as late May through the last Sunday in August. Check the current operating days and dates before your trip.

For the broader travel guide: Moscow.