Moscow ( or /ˈmɒskəʊ/ in English, ,
romanised:
Moskva,
IPA: ; see also
other names) is the
capital and the largest
city of
Russia. It is also the largest
metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of
Russia and the world, a
global city. It is also
the seventh largest city proper in the world, a
megacity. The population of Moscow (as of 1 June 2009) is 10,524,400.
It is located on the
Moscow River in the
Central Federal District, in the
European part of Russia. Moscow sits on the junction of three geological platforms. Historically, it was the capital of the former
Soviet Union,
Tsardom of Russia and the
Grand Duchy of Moscow. It is the site of the
Moscow Kremlin, one of the
World Heritage Sites in the city, which serves as the residence of the
President of Russia. The Russian parliament (the
State Duma and the
Federation Council) and the
Government of Russia also sit in Moscow.
Moscow is a major economic centre and is home to one of the largest numbers of
billionaires in the world; in 2008 Moscow was named the
world's most expensive city for foreign employees for the third year in a row. However, in 2009, Moscow moved to third after
Tokyo and
Osaka came in first and second, respectively.
[http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#Top_50]It is home to many scientific and educational institutions, as well as numerous sport facilities. It possesses a complex transport system, that includes 3 international airports, 9 railroad terminals, and the world's second busiest (after
Tokyo)
metro system which is famous for its architecture and artwork. Its metro is the busiest single-operator subway in the world.
Over time, the city has earned a variety of nicknames, most referring to its pre-eminent status in the nation: The Third Rome (Третий Рим), Whitestone (Белокаменная), The First Throne (Первопрестольная), The Forty Forties (Сорок Сороков.)
A person from Moscow is called a Muscovite in English,
Moskvich in Russian.
History
The city is named after the river (old , literally "the city by the Moskva River"). The origin of the name is unknown, although several theories exist. One theory suggests that the source of the name is an ancient
Finnic language, in which it means “dark” and “turbid”. The first Russian reference to Moscow dates from 1147 when
Yuri Dolgoruki called upon the prince of the
Novgorod-Severski to “come to me, brother, to Moscow.”
Nine years later, in 1156, Prince
Yuri Dolgoruki of
Rostov ordered the construction of a wooden wall, which had to be rebuilt multiple times, to surround the emerging city. After the sacking of 1237–1238, when the
Mongols burned the city to the ground and killed its inhabitants, Moscow recovered and became the capital of the independent
Vladimir-Suzdal principality in 1327.
Its favourable position on the headwaters of the
Volga River contributed to steady expansion. Moscow developed into a stable and prosperous principality, known as
Grand Duchy of Moscow, for many years and attracted a large number of refugees from across Russia.
Under
Ivan I the city replaced
Tver as a political centre of
Vladimir-Suzdal and became the sole collector of taxes for the
Mongol-Tatar rulers. By paying high tribute, Ivan won an important concession from the
Khan. Unlike other principalities, Moscow was not divided among his sons but was passed intact to his eldest. However, Moscow's opposition against foreign domination grew. In 1380, prince
Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow led a united Russian army to an important victory over the
Tatars in the
Battle of Kulikovo which was not decisive, though. Only two years later Moscow was sacked by khan
Tokhtamysh. In 1480,
Ivan III had
finally broken the Russians free from Tatar control, allowing Moscow to become the centre of power in Russia. Under Ivan III the city became the capital of an empire that would eventually encompass all of present-day Russia and other lands.
left|thumb|Monument to the city's founder, Yuri DolgorukiIn 1571, the
Crimean Tatars attacked and sacked Moscow, burning everything but the
Kremlin.
In 1609, the
Swedish army led by Count
Jacob De la Gardie and
Evert Horn started their march from
Veliky Novgorod toward Moscow to help
Tsar Vasili Shuiski, entered Moscow in 1610 and suppressed the rebellion against the Tsar, but left it early in 1611, following which the
Polish-Lithuanian army invaded. During the
Polish–Muscovite War (1605–1618) hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski entered Moscow after defeated Russians in the
Battle of Klushino. The 17th century was rich in popular risings, such as the
liberation of Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders (1612), the
Salt Riot (1648), the
Copper Riot (1662), and the
Moscow Uprising of 1682.
The
plague of 1654–1656 killed half the population of Moscow. The city ceased to be Russia’s capital in 1712, after the founding of
Saint Petersburg by
Peter the Great near the
Baltic coast in 1703. The
Plague of 1771 was the last massive outbreak of plague in central Russia, claiming up to 100,000 lives in Moscow alone. During the
French invasion of Russia in 1812, the Muscovites
burned the city and evacuated, as
Napoleon’s forces were approaching on 14 September. Napoleon’s army, plagued by hunger, cold and poor supply lines, was forced to retreat and was nearly annihilated by the devastating Russian winter and sporadic attacks by Russian military forces.
thumb|right|Fire of Moscow, painting of Smirnov A.F., 1813/" class="wiki">French invasion of Russia in 1812,
Fire of Moscow, painting of Smirnov A.F., 1813
In January 1905, the institution of the City Governor, or
Mayor, was officially introduced in Moscow, and Alexander Adrianov became Moscow’s first official mayor. Following the
Russian Revolution of 1917, on 12 March 1918, Moscow became the capital of the
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and of the
Soviet Union less than five years later.
During
World War II (known in Russia as the
Great Patriotic War), after the
German invasion of the USSR, the Soviet
State Committee of Defence and the General Staff of the
Red Army was located in Moscow.
left|thumb|Red Square, painting of Fedor Alekseev, 1802
In 1941, sixteen divisions of the national volunteers (more than 160,000 people), twenty-five battalions (18,500 people) and four engineering regiments were formed among the Muscovites. That November, the German
Army Group Centre was stopped at the outskirts of the city and then driven off in the
Battle of Moscow. Many factories were evacuated, together with much of the government, and from 20 October the city was declared to be under
siege. Its remaining inhabitants built and manned
antitank defences, while the city was bombarded from the air.
Joseph Stalin refused to leave the city, meaning the general staff and the council of people's commissars remained in the city as well. Despite the siege and the bombings, the construction of
Moscow's metro system, continued through the war and by the end of the war several new metro lines were opened.
right|thumb|Map of Moscow, 1784On 1 May 1944, a medal
For the defence of Moscow and in 1947 another medal
In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow were instituted. In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the
victory over Nazi Germany, on 8 May 1965, Moscow became one of twelve Soviet cities awarded the title of
Hero City.
In 1980, it hosted the
Summer Olympic Games, which was boycotted by the
United States and several other Western countries due to the Soviet Union's involvement in
Afghanistan in late 1979. In 1991, Moscow was the scene of the
failed coup attempt by the government members opposed to the reforms of
Mikhail Gorbachev. When the USSR was dissolved in the same year, Moscow continued to be the capital of Russia.
Since then, the emergence of a
market economy in Moscow has produced an explosion of Western-style retailing, services,
architecture, and lifestyles. In 1998, it hosted the first
World Youth Games.
Geography, time and climate
Location
thumb|left|Satellite image of Moscow and suburbiathumb|right|MKAD interchange in northeastern Moscow
Moscow is situated on the banks of the
Moskva River, which flows for just over 500 km through the
East European Plain in central Russia.
49 bridges span the river and its canals within the city's limits.
Elevation of Moscow in
VVC, where situated head Moscow weather station, is 156 m (512 ft). The highest point is Teplostanskaya highland with 255 m (837 ft).. Width of Moscow city (not limiting
MKAD) from west to east is 39.7 km (24.7 mi), length from north to south – 51.7 km (32.1 mi).
Moscow's road system is centered roughly around the
Kremlin at the heart of the city. From there, roads generally radiate outwards to intersect with a sequence of circular roads (“rings”).
The first and innermost major ring, Bulvarnoye Koltso (
Boulevard Ring), was built at the former location of the sixteenth century city wall around that used to be called
Bely Gorod (White Town).
The Bulvarnoye Koltso is technically not a ring; it does not form a complete circle, but instead a
horseshoe-like arc that goes from the
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour to the
Yauza River. In addition, the Boulevard Ring changes street names numerous times throughout its journey across the city.
The second primary ring, located outside the bell end Boulevard Ring, is the Sadovoye Koltso (
Garden Ring). Like the Boulevard Ring, the Garden Ring follows the path of a sixteenth century wall that used to encompass part of the city.
The third ring, the Third Transport Ring, was completed in 2003 as a high-speed
freeway.
The Fourth Transport Ring, another freeway, is under construction to further reduce traffic congestion. The outermost ring within Moscow is the
Moscow Automobile Ring Road (often called the
MKAD from the Russian
Московская Кольцевая Автомобильная Дорога), which forms the approximate boundary of the city. Outside the city, some of the roads encompassing the city continue to follow this circular pattern seen inside city limits.
Time
thumb|left|Time zones of EuropeThe city recognizes a unique time schedule which is used for Moscow and most of western Russia, including
Saint Petersburg. During winter the areas operate in what is referred to as
Moscow Standard Time (MSK, МСК) which is 3 hours ahead of
UTC, or
UTC+3. During the summer, Moscow Time shifts forward an additional hour ahead of Moscow Standard Time to become
Moscow Summer Time (MSD), making it
UTC+4.
Climate
Moscow has a
humid continental climate (
Köppen climate classification Dfb) with warm, somewhat humid summers and long, cold winters. Typical high temperatures in the warm months of June, July and August are around , but during heat waves (which can occur between May and September), daytime high temperatures often top - sometimes for a week or a two at a time. In the winter, temperatures normally drop to approximately , though there can be periods of warmth with temperatures rising above . The highest temperature ever recorded was in August 1936, and the lowest ever recorded was in January 1940. During the past few years, many monthly and daily high temperature records have been set.
Snow cover (present for 3–5 months a year) typically begins at the end of November and melts by mid-March, but in recent years, snow cover has persisted for shorter periods than the long-term average.
Monthly rainfall totals vary minimally throughout the year, although the
precipitation levels tend to be higher during the summer than during the winter. Due to the significant variation in temperature between the winter and summer months as well as the limited fluctuation in precipitation levels during the summer, Moscow is considered to be within a
continental climate zone.
The average annual temperature in Moscow is , but for the last two years (2007-2008) the annual temperature has averaged above
. In contrast, during the first half of the 20th century, Moscow experienced light frost during the late summer months.
On average Moscow has 1731 hours of sunshine per year.
In 2004–2008, the average was between 1800 and 2000 hours
Administrative divisions and Government
thumb|[[Administrative divisions of Moscow|Administrative okrugs of Moscow:
1 City of Zelenograd,
2 Northern,
3 North-Eastern,
4 North-Western,
5 Central,
6 Eastern,
7 Southern,
8 South-Eastern,
9 South-Western,
10 Western]]
thumb|left|220px|View from the [[Seven Sisters (Moscow)|Seven Sisters in Kudrinskaya Square. The mayor's highrise office (the former
Comecon headquarters) is to the left, the Russian government building to the right]]
Government
Moscow is the seat of power for the Russian Federation. At the centre of the city, in
Central Administrative Okrug, is the
Moscow Kremlin, which houses the home of the
President of Russia as well as many of the facilities for the national government. This includes numerous
military headquarters and the headquarters of the
Moscow Military District. Moscow, like with any national
capital, is also the host of all the foreign
embassies and diplomats representing a multitude of nations in Russia. Moscow is designated as one of only two
Federal cities of Russia (the other one being
Saint Petersburg). Among the 83
federal subjects of Russia, Moscow represents the most populated one and the smallest one in terms of area. Lastly, Moscow is located within the
central economic region, one of
twelve regions within Russia with similar economic goals.
Administrative divisions
thumb|left|320px|Northern part of Moscow with [[Ostankino Tower,
Monument to the Conquerors of Space and
Prospekt Mira]]
The entire city of Moscow is headed by one
mayor (
Yury Luzhkov). It is divided into ten administrative okrugs and 123 districts. Nine of the ten administrative districts, except the City of Zelenograd (number 1 on the map), are located within City of Moscow main boundaries.
All administrative okrugs and districts have their own
coats of arms and flags, some districts also have elected head officials. Additionally, most districts have their own cable television, computer network, and official newspaper.
In addition to the districts, there are Territorial Units with Special Status, or territories. These usually include areas with small or no permanent populations, such as the case with the
All-Russia Exhibition Centre, the
Botanical Garden, large parks, and industrial zones. In recent years, some territories have been merged with different districts. There are no ethnic-specific regions in Moscow, as in the
Chinatowns that exist in some
North American and
East Asian cities. And although districts are not designated by income, as with most cities, those areas that are closer to the city centre,
metro stations or green zones are considered more prestigious.
Moscow also hosts some of the government bodies of
Moscow Oblast, although the city itself is administratively separate from the oblast.
[According to Article 24 of the Charter of Moscow Oblast, the government bodies of the oblast are located in the city of Moscow and throughout the territory of Moscow Oblast. However, Moscow is not officially named to be the administrative center of the oblast.]Architecture
right|thumb|[[Alexey Dushkin|Dushkin's tower. One of
Stalin's skyscrapers.]]
thumb|left|The [[Shukhov Tower in Moscow. Currently under threat of demolition, the tower is at the top of
UNESCO's Endangered Buildings list and there is an international campaign to save it.]]
thumb|right|[[Ostankino tower, the tallest free-standing structure in
Europe (540.1 m (1,772.0 ft)]]
thumb|right|MIBC Skycrapers.
thumb|right|"Alye Parusa" residential development, Shchukinothumb|right|Vorobyevy Gory residential development in MoscowMoscow’s architecture is world-renowned. Moscow is also well known as the site of
Saint Basil’s Cathedral, with its elegant
onion domes, as well as the
Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the
Seven Sisters.
For a long time, the view of the city was dominated by numerous Orthodox churches. The look of the city changed drastically during Soviet times, mostly due to
Joseph Stalin, who oversaw a large-scale effort to modernise the city. He introduced broad avenues and roadways, some of them over ten lanes wide, but he also destroyed a great number of historically significant architectural works. The
Sukharev Tower, as well as numerous mansions and stores lining the major streets, and various works of religious architecture, such as the
Kazan Cathedral and the
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, were all destroyed during Stalin’s rule. During the 1990s, however, both the latter were rebuilt amid criticism due to the high costs and lack of historical perspective.
Architect
Vladimir Shukhov was responsible for building several of Moscow’s landmarks during early Soviet Russia. The
Shukhov Tower, just one of many
hyperboloid towers designed by Shukhov, was built between 1919 and 1922 as a transmission tower for a
Russian broadcasting company.
Shukhov also left a lasting legacy to the
Constructivist architecture of early Soviet Russia. He designed spacious elongated shop galleries, most notably the
Upper Trade Rows (GUM) on
Red Square,
bridged with innovative metal-and-glass vaults.
Stalin, however, is also credited with building the
The Seven Sisters, comprising seven, cathedral-like structures. A defining feature of Moscow’s skyline, their imposing form was allegedly inspired by the
Manhattan Municipal Building in
New York City, and their style with intricate exteriors and a large central spire has been described as
Stalinist Gothic architecture. All seven towers can be seen from most elevations in the city; they are among the tallest constructions in central Moscow apart from the
Ostankino Tower which, when it was completed in 1967, was the tallest free-standing land structure in the world and today remains the world’s third-tallest after the
Burj Dubai in Dubai and the
CN Tower in Toronto.
The Soviet policy of providing mandatory housing for every citizen and his or her family, and the rapid growth of the Muscovite population in Soviet times, also led to the construction of large, monotonous housing blocks, which can often be differentiated by age, sturdiness of construction, or ‘style’ according to the neighbourhood and the materials used. Most of these date from the post-Stalin era and the styles are often named after the leader then in power (Brezhnev, Khrushchev, etc) and they are usually ill-maintained.
The Stalinist-era constructions, usually in the central city, are massive and usually ornamented with
Socialist realism motifs that imitate
classical themes. However, small churches almost always
Eastern Orthodox found across the city provide glimpses of its past. The Old
Arbat, a popular tourist street that was once the heart of a bohemian area, preserves most of its buildings from prior to the twentieth century. Many buildings found off the main streets of the inner city (behind the Stalinist
facades of
Tverskaya Street, for example) are also examples of
bourgeois architecture typical of
Tsarist times.
Ostankino,
Kuskovo,
Uzkoye and other large estates just outside Moscow originally belong to nobles from the Tsarist era, and some
convents and monasteries, both inside and outside the city, are open to Muscovites and tourists.
Attempts are being made to restore many of the city’s best-kept examples of pre-Soviet architecture. These revamped structures are easily spotted by their bright new colours and spotless facades. There are a few examples of notable, early Soviet
avant-garde work too, such as the house of the architect
Konstantin Melnikov in the
Arbat area. Many of these restorations were criticized for their disrespect of historical authenticity.
Facadism is also widely practiced. Later examples of interesting Soviet architecture are usually marked by their impressive size and the semi-
Modernist styles employed, such as with the
Novy Arbat project, familiarly known as “false teeth of Moscow” and notorious for the wide-scale disruption of a historic area in central Moscow involved in the project.
Plaques on house exteriors will inform passers-by that a well-known personality once lived there. Frequently, the plaques are dedicated to Soviet celebrities not well-known outside of Russia. There are also many "house-museums" of famous Russian writers, composers, and artists in the city.
Moscow's skyline is quickly modernizing with several new towers under construction.
In recent years, the city administration has been widely criticized for heavy destruction that has affected many historical buildings. As much as a third of historic Moscow has been destroyed in the past few years to make space for luxury apartments and hotels.Other historical buildings, including such landmarks as the 1930 Moskva hotel and the 1913 department store Voyentorg, have been razed and reconstructed anew,with the inevitable loss of every historical value.Critics also blame the government for not applying the conservation laws:in the last 12 years more than 50 buildings with monument status were torn down, several of those dating back to the seventeenth century. Some critics also wonder if the money used for the reconstruction of razed buildings could not be used for the renovation of decaying structures, that include many works by architect
Konstantin Melnikov and
Mayakovskaya metro station.
Some organisations, such as and , are trying to draw the international public attention to these problems.
Culture
Overview
thumb|right|Moscow International House of Musicthumb|right|The [[Pushkin Museum|Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts]]
One of the most notable art museums in Moscow is the
Tretyakov Gallery, which was founded by
Pavel Tretyakov, a wealthy patron of the arts who donated a large private collection to the city. The Tretyakov Gallery is split into two buildings. The Old Tretyakov gallery, the original gallery in the
Tretyakovskaya area on the south bank of the
Moskva River, houses the works of the classic Russian tradition.
The works of famous pre-
Revolutionary painters, such as
Ilya Repin, as well as the works of early Russian
icon painters can be found in the Old Tretyakov Gallery. Visitors can even see rare originals by early-fifteenth century
iconographer Andrei Rublev.
The New Tretyakov gallery, created in Soviet times, mainly contains the works of Soviet artists, as well as of a few contemporary artists, but there is some overlap with the Old Tretyakov Gallery for early twentieth century art. The new gallery includes a small reconstruction of
Vladimir Tatlin's famous
Monument to the Third International and a mixture of other
avant-garde works by artists like
Kazimir Malevich and
Wassily Kandinsky.
Socialist realism features can also be found within the halls of the New Tretyakov Gallery.
thumb|left|[[State Historical Museum|Moscow State Historical Museum.]]
thumb|left|Tretyakov Gallery.
Another art museum in the city of Moscow is the
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, which was founded by, among others,
Marina Tsvetaeva's father. The Pushkin Museum is similar to the
British Museum in
London in that its halls are a cross-section of world civilisations, with many plaster casts of ancient sculptures. However, it also hosts famous paintings from every major Western era of art; works by
Claude Monet,
Paul Cézanne, and
Pablo Picasso are all sampled there.
The
State Historical Museum of Russia (Государственный Исторический музей) is a museum of Russian history located between
Red Square and
Manege Square in Moscow. Its exhibitions range from relics of the prehistoric tribes inhabiting present-day Russia, through priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. The total number of objects in the museum's collection numbers in the millions. The
Polytechnical Museum, founded in 1872 is the largest technical museum in Russia, offering a wide array of historical inventions and technological achievements, including humanoid automata of the 18th century and the first Soviet computers. Its collection contains more than 160,000 items. The Borodino Panorama museum located on Kutuzov Avenue provides an opportunity for visitors to experience being on a battlefield with a 360°
diorama. It is a part of the large historical memorial commemorating the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 over Napoleon’s army, that includes also the Triumphal arch erected in 1827. There is also a military history museum not to be missed, it includes statues, military hardware, along with powerful tales of that time.
right|thumb|Bolshoi Theatre.Moscow is also the heart of Russian performing arts, including
ballet and film. There are ninety-three theatres, 132 cinemas and twenty-four concert-halls in Moscow. Among Moscow’s many theatres and ballet studios is the
Bolshoi Theatre and the Malyi Theatre as well as
Vakhtangov Theatre and
Moscow Art Theatre. The repertories in a typical Moscow season are exhaustive and modern interpretations of classic works, whether operatic or theatrical, are quite common. State Central Concert Hall Rossia, famous for ballet and estrade performances, is the place of frequent concerts of pop and rock stars and is situated in the soon to be demolished building of
Hotel Rossiya, the largest hotel in Europe.
left|thumb|The Bolshoi Theatre during an April 2005 performance.
Moscow International Performance Arts Centre, opened in 2003, also known as
Moscow International House of Music, is known for its performances in classical music. It also has the largest
organ in Russia installed in Svetlanov Hall.
There are also two large
circuses in Moscow:
Moscow State Circus and
Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard named after
Yuri Nikulin.
Soviet films are integral to film history and the
Mosfilm studio was at the heart of many Soviet classic films as it is responsible for both artistic and mainstream productions. However, despite the continued presence and reputation of internationally renowned Russian filmmakers, the once prolific native studios are much quieter. Rare and historical films may be seen in the Salut cinema, where films from the
Museum of Cinema collection are shown regularly.
Parks and landmarks
|
thumb|Tsaritsino park.
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