Moskvitch-class motorship

Moskvich in Moscow
Moskvich in Kalyazin

Moskvitch (Russian: Москвич) (projects 515, 544, 554) is a series of Soviet local passenger river ships.

The first Moskvich ships were built in 1948 in the Moscow factory of shipbuilding. Moskvich ships did not receive names, only numbers. They were identified by the letter M followed by the ship's number, for example M-270. Later though, some ships owned by private operators have received their own names. Moskvichs were built in Moscow until the 1960s.

Moskvich ships were used for short sightseeing trips, but also as a type of public transport, called “water tramway” (concept similar to water taxi). As of 2007, many Moskvichs are still in service. Most of them are used for sightseeing, some are used as sailing restaurants.