Balchug

Balchug (Russian: Ба́лчуг, IPA: [ˈbɑltɕʊk]), also known as Bolotny Island ("The Marsh Island", Russian: Боло́тный о́стров), is an island in the very centre of Moscow, Russia, in between the Moskva River (right across from the Kremlin) and its old riverbed, which was turned into the Vodootvodny Canal in 1786.

Like other islands on Moskva River, it does not have an official Russian name; rather, each neighborhood on the island has its own name. Balchug refers to the Balchug Street, which crosses the island's center parallel to the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge, and three city blocks around it. The island represents a key part of the historical Zamoskvorechye area. It is located in the Zamoskvorechye and Yakimanka municipal districts.

This section is based on P.V.Sytin's "History of Moscow Streets" (1948)

Balchug is one of the oldest Moscow streets outside of the Kremlin walls. It emerged towards the end of the 14th century, when the new Kremlin built by Dmitri Donskoi pushed the posad settlement into what is known today as the Red Square as well as areas further east. The main trading road to the south and the river crossing also moved to the east, to present-day Balchug and Pyatnitskaya streets. The name Balchug comes from Tatar balčyk, meaning "dirt" or "mud". Muddy conditions in the area were caused by migrations of the river bed, frequent floods, and inadequate drainage.

The word "balchug" is most probably derived from Turkish "balchik" which means dense mud.

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