Ecology of Moscow by districts and administrative districts

Recommendation points

• Central Administrative District
• Eastern Administrative District
• South-Eastern Administrative District
• Southern Administrative District
• South-Western Administrative District
• Western Administrative District
• Northwestern Administrative District
• Northern Administrative District
• North-Eastern Administrative District
• The most environmentally friendly areas of Moscow
• Areas of Moscow with the worst ecology

It is worth mentioning right away that in such a large city as Moscow, with a multi-million population, an abundance of industrial enterprises and a lot of cars, there is no need to talk about environmental cleanliness in any area at all. Rather, it will focus on the most favorable areas for living in the capital, in which the ecological situation differs for the better from the rest.

Peter Wenzel. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. 1745-1829

Environmentalists identify the following factors that have an adverse effect on the atmosphere of residential areas:

• the presence of industrial enterprises, such as fuming thermal power plants, engineering plants and oil enterprises;
• heavy traffic, a large number of highways and the predominance of conventional highways and avenues over boulevards with green spaces;
• proximity of incinerators and landfills.

Accordingly, the factors that make the atmosphere cleaner and living in a particular area more comfortable are traditionally referred to as:

• the presence of a green zone – forest parks, squares, green spaces near apartment buildings. According to environmental standards, one resident of a large city should have at least 5-7 square meters of “greenery”, of course, in the capital this norm is not met in almost any area, except for the most outskirts;
• the presence of reservoirs, preferably with clean water;
• lack of industrial enterprises.

There are two more factors that have a fairly significant impact on the degree of comfort of living in a particular area..

The first is the noise level, a problem that most Muscovites face on a daily basis. According to the approved sanitary standards, the level of noise pollution should not exceed 30-40 decibels in a residential area, and 45-55 decibels in the local area. However, even a small motor road, with not too heavy traffic, already generates noise at the level of 70 decibels. The worst is for residents of areas adjacent to such busy highways as Kutuzovsky, Leninsky and Leningradsky avenues, where the noise level at any time of the day can reach 75 decibels, which is simply dangerous for the human nervous system.

The second, invisible factor is electromagnetic fields. Although it is impossible to see and somehow feel electromagnetic radiation, scientists have proven that this factor also has a rather significant effect on human health and can cause various diseases. Sources of the electromagnetic field are transformer substations, cell towers, switchboards, transmitting antennas, so that the presence of these objects in a residential area already leads to a deterioration in the overall environmental situation. Unfortunately, so far the Russian norms of electromagnetic fields are almost 20 times higher than those adopted in Europe, so this factor is not taken into account at all when studying the ecological situation..

But the notorious “wind rose”, which was previously considered one of the most significant factors in the formation of the atmosphere of the capital, can not really have a big impact – the winds sweep over the ground at an altitude of 150-200 meters and cannot save the residents of the capital from car exhaust. … In a metropolis with an abundance of high-rise buildings that impede the free movement of air currents, this factor fades into the background.

So, which districts of Moscow can boast of the most favorable environmental conditions??

Central Administrative District

Let’s start, of course, with the Central Administrative District, which is considered to be the most polluted in the capital. However, this is not entirely true – of course, winding streets and a lot of cars create a situation where the exhaust of cars is not carried away by the wind, but accumulates at the surface of the earth, but a similar situation is observed in many other parts of the city..

Alexey Sukhovetsky. Ostozhenka. 2006

The worst situation is in such areas of the Central Administrative District as Ostozhenka and Prechistenka, where the concentration of exhaust gases in narrow lanes can exceed the established norms by 3-4 times. Also unfavorable from an ecological point of view are such prestigious areas of the center of Moscow as Arbat, Kitay-gorod, Basmanny, Krasnoselsky, Presnensky, Meshchansky, Tagansky, Yakimanka and Tverskoy districts..

However, the pluses of the Central Administrative District include the complete absence of large industrial enterprises and the ban on the entry of heavy vehicles. It is thanks to this that the ecological situation in the center of the capital is not the worst in Moscow, although the specialists failed to find at least one more favorable area for living in the Central Administrative District. The only advantage of the central districts is good video ecology, that is, an abundance of eye-pleasing views – churches, historical buildings, houses with interesting architectural solutions, differing in different heights – all this makes staying in the center of the capital more pleasant from a visual point of view.

Eastern Administrative District

The Eastern Administrative District of Moscow is more fortunate than others – a truly ecologically clean natural green zone – the Losiny Ostrov National Park – is located here. It is thanks to the presence of such a large, state-protected natural zone that the residential areas adjacent to the park are classified as favorable areas for living in the capital. Izmailovsky Park is also located in the Eastern Administrative District, which is also recognized by ecologists as a good place for walking with children and playing sports..

A more comfortable ecological situation has developed in the areas of Eastern Izmailovo, Northern Izmailovo, Kosino-Ukhtomsky and Novokosino.

Ecologists include such areas of the Eastern Administrative District as Perovo, Sokolinaya Gora and Preobrazhenskoe as unfavorable areas..

South-Eastern Administrative District

Here are located such large industrial enterprises as the Lublin Steel Plant, the Kapotnensky Oil Refinery, as well as a large number of enterprises located along the Moskva River, so this metropolitan area does not have a favorable ecological situation. The worst situation is with air pollution in Maryino, Kapotnya and Lyublino.

Sergey Goryaev. Moscow river. 1980

The ecological situation is somewhat better in Vykhino-Zhulebino and Kuzminki, where the park of the same name is located.

Southern Administrative District

Ecologists include Orekhovo-Borisovo Yuzhnoye, Orekhovo-Borisovo Severnoye, Chertanovo Yuzhnoye and Biryulyovo to areas with a favorable ecological situation located in the Southern Administrative District..

Lyubov Parkhomenko. Tsaritsyno. Pond. 1999

An unfavorable environmental situation has developed in Brateevo, Danilovsky, Donskoy, Moskvorechye-Saburovo, Nagorny, Nagatino-Sadovniki and Tsaritsyno. Despite the fact that in these areas there is no such intensive car traffic as in the Central Administrative District, however, the terrain itself favors the accumulation of harmful substances, and there is clearly not enough green space in these areas.

South-Western Administrative District

This section of the capital is considered to be the most environmentally friendly – there are no large industrial enterprises, there are a large number of forest park zones, the district is far enough from the center – all this, of course, contributes to the formation of a favorable atmosphere for living. However, road transport is as widespread in the south-west of Moscow as in other regions, so it is not necessary to say that the South-West Administrative District is an ecologically clean area..

The most favorable for living from the point of view of ecologists are the regions of the south-west – Gagarinsky, Lomonosovsky, Konkovo, North Butovo, South Butovo, Teply Stan and Yasenevo.

The worst situation with ecology is in the Academic District, Zyuzino, Cheryomushki, Kotlovka and Obruchevsky District.

Western Administrative District

More than other areas of this administrative districts of the capital with the ecological situation were lucky Novoperedelkino and Solntsevo, which are located behind the Moscow ring road. Troparevo-Nikulino and Fili-Davydkovo were also recognized as favorable for living..

But in Dorogomilovo and on Vernadsky Prospekt, the level of atmospheric pollution is much higher than the established safe standards.

Northwestern Administrative District

Another relatively safe district of Moscow from an environmental point of view. The western direction, in principle, is considered the most favorable for living, in such areas as Kurkino, Shchukino, Strogino, Mitino, remote from the center and close to forests, the level of air pollution is one of the lowest in the capital.

Ecologists classify only Khoroshevo-Mnevniki and partly South and North Tushino as unfavorable areas of the North-West Administrative District.

Northern Administrative District

The areas favorable for living – Golovinsky, Timiryazevsky and Molzhaninovsky, are distinguished by an increased level of pollution only in the industrial zone located in the Voikovskaya metro area.

North-Eastern Administrative District

Ecologists recognized Babushkinsky, Lianozovo, Bibirevo, Losinoostrovsky, Severny, Otradnoye and Yuzhnoye Medvedkovo as areas with a relatively favorable ecological situation..

Ecologically disadvantaged areas include Khoroshevsky, Alekseevsky, Marfino, Butyrsky, Maryina Roshcha, Rostokino, Ostankinsky and Yaroslavsky.

Mark Kostabi. Ecology Bandwagon. 1990

Choosing an area for purchasing an apartment, Muscovites increasingly began to pay attention to the environmental situation, and in the future this problem may become even more acute. Every city dweller would like to live away from noise, dust and industrial enterprises, and at the same time, the presence of a convenient transport interchange is one of the requirements when choosing a home. When purchasing an apartment, it is worth paying attention not only to the ecological situation in the area as a whole, but also to the level of landscaping of a particular courtyard of an apartment building, the remoteness of the house from highways, and it is better to choose an apartment with windows into the courtyard – the noise level in such residential premises is much lower.

The most environmentally friendly areas of Moscow

Areas of Moscow with the worst ecology

In general, it cannot be said that some particular area of ​​Moscow is particularly clean, and living in others is life-threatening – megalopolises always belong to zones with poor ecology. The main problem of the capital is a huge number of cars on its streets, but in Russia there are cities where the environmental situation is at an even more depressing level, for example, industrial Yekaterinburg, Norilsk, Cherepovets, Magnitogorsk and Lipetsk.