OREANDA-NEWS. On 30 March 2009 was announced, that Europe’s largest oceanarium with the area of more than 180,000 square metres is to be completed in Moscow in 2011. Its visitors will be able to see species of sharks, crabs, hippocampuses and other inhabitants of the seas and oceans.

“The oceanarium is to be located within Park Pobedy, near the Truimphal Arch, western Moscow. It will be easily reached from Park Pobedy station of the Moscow metro or by the surface transport. The structure will contain a cinema, hotel, business and shopping centre, entertainment venue and restaurants,” a source from City Hall said.

According to the official, the object is expected to become one of the most attractive educational and entertainment centres of Moscow, the core of which will be a huge aquarium with the area of roughly 24,000 square metres.

“The core of the oceanarium will be an acrylic tunnel creating an effect of presence on the sea bottom. Going through it the visitors will be able to see underwater life of inhabitants of the seas,” the source noted.

The main part of the exposition will be devoted to flora and fauna of Russian waters – the Barents, White, Caspian and Black Seas, the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan, Lake Baikal.

The oceanarium will also include expositions devoted to the warm waters of the planet – the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas, the Indian Ocean. Visitors to them will see a sea devil, an amazing shark show and traces of shipwrecks.

Besides a rich entertainment program, the oceanarium will offer its guests the educational programs on history and ecology.

The current market value of the project exceeds USD 600 million.