“How did this become the First Bus Depot?” someone asks. Now we stand here before the historic site of 1-й автобусный парк. It is a place etched in Moscow’s urban transport history. Let me tell you its story.
The tale of 1-й автобусный парк begins not with buses but with horse-drawn carriages. In the mid-19th century lineyki offered Muscovites a ride. These were multi-seat carriages that lacked much comfort. These early forms of public transport operated along a few radial routes. They connected areas from the Red Square to the city’s outskirts.
As the 19th century drew to a close new technologies emerged. One of these was the automobile. In 1898 the first automobiles appeared in Moscow. Soon some entrepreneurs sought to use them for public transit.
One proposal in 1905 suggested a bus line from the Moskvoretsky Bridge to the Sushchevskaya district. It would use 10 “omnibus-motors”. However this idea never materialized. The city officials deemed the narrow streets unsuitable for such large vehicles.
Still the dream of motorized public transport persisted. Finally on May 24 1924 the Moscow Municipal Economy organized a trial run. Several imported and domestic buses ran on a route between Presnenskaya Zastava and Serebryany Bor. The experiment proved successful.
Then, on August 8 1924, Moscow’s first official bus line opened. It ran from Kalanchevskaya Square to Tverskaya Zastava. The city purchased eight English “Leyland” buses for this route. This marked the true beginning of Moscow’s bus system and thus 1-й автобусный парк.
The new bus line soon became popular. Additional routes were established to serve remote areas of the city. By late 1927, 130 buses served 18 lines covering 158 km.
The original location for the buses was at Ordynka. However, this garage was too small. A new larger facility was planned. This new garage was to be at Bakhmetyevskaya street. Part of it opened in 1927. All buses were moved there by 1929. The original point of interest, 1-й автобусный парк, was then opened at Дружинниковской улице.
New buses were added. By January 1 1932, 1-й автобусный парк had 268 buses including Leylands, MANs, and Soviet made Я-6 and AMO-4 models. The AMO plant was tasked with manufacturing new buses to replace the aging imports.
In the pre-war years bus transport continued to expand to cover all of Moscow. In 1937 all the Leyland buses were decommissioned and new ЗИС-8 models were introduced.
During World War II many buses were pressed into military service. However, some continued to serve key routes using gas generators for fuel. After the war, production of new buses resumed. In 1945, the depot was officially named First Park.
The 1950s saw the arrival of new ZIS-154 and ZIL-158 models. In 1968, 1-й автобусный парк moved to a new location.
Today, 1-й автобусный парк is a story of Moscow’s transport. It reflects a century of change in the city. From horse-drawn carriages to modern buses, Moscow has constantly sought to improve its urban transit.