Moscow

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Moscow
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Moscow (English)
Москва (Russian)


Location of Moscow
Coordinates
[show location on an interactive map] 55°45′8″N 37°37′56″E / 55.75222, 37.63222Coordinates: [show location on an interactive map] 55°45′8″N 37°37′56″E / 55.75222, 37.63222
Coat of Arms
Administrative status
Federal subject
In jurisdiction of
Administrative center of Federal City

Local self-government
Charter
Municipal status
Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov
Legislative body
Area
Area 1,081 km² (417.4 sq mi)
Population (as of the 2002 Census)
Population
- Rank
- Density
10,650,000 inhabitants
1st
9,852/km² (25,516.6/sq mi)
Events
Founded 1147
Other information
Postal code 101xxx-129xxx
Dialing code +7 +7 495; +7 499
Official website
http://www.mos.ru

Moscow (Moskva) (Russian: Москва́, romanised: Moskva, IPA: [mʌsk'va] (help·info) see also other names) is the capital of Russia and the country's economic, financial, educational, and transportation centre. It is located on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District, in the European part of Russia. The name of the city is usually pronounced [ˈmɒskəʊ] in British English, and either [ˈmɑskaʊ] or [ˈmɑskoʊ] in American English. Moscow (Moskva) is the most populous city in Europe, whose population constitutes about 7% of the total Russian population [1]. Historically, it was the capital of the former Soviet Union and the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the pre-Imperial Russian state. It is the site of the Kremlin, which now serves as the ceremonial residence of the President of Russia.

Moscow's architecture and performing arts culture are 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. The Patriarch of Moscow, whose residence is the Danilov Monastery, serves as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Moscow also remains a major economic centre and is home to a large number of billionaires; it is perennially considered one of the most expensive cities for expatriate employees in the world.[2] It is home to many scientific and educational institutions, as well as numerous sport facilities. It possesses a complex transport system that includes the world's busiest metro system, which is famous for its architecture. Moscow also hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Government
* 3 Climate
* 4 City layout
* 5 Architecture
o 5.1 Views of Moscow
* 6 Culture
o 6.1 Museums and galleries
o 6.2 Theatres and other performing arts
o 6.3 Parks and landmarks
+ 6.3.1 Moscow tourist attractions
o 6.4 Sports
o 6.5 Leisure and entertainment
* 7 Education
* 8 Science and research
* 9 Transport
o 9.1 Intercity transport
o 9.2 Local transport
* 10 Economy
o 10.1 Business and Trade
o 10.2 Industry
o 10.3 Living costs
o 10.4 Employment
* 11 Future development
o 11.1 Moscow International Business Centre
o 11.2 Fourth Transport Ring
* 12 Demographics
* 13 Real estate and neighbourhoods
* 14 Media
* 15 Sister cities
* 16 Bibliography
* 17 See also
* 18 Notes and references
* 19 External links
o 19.1 General
o 19.2 Media
o 19.3 Images

[edit] History

Main article: History of Moscow

The Moscow Kremlin and the Moskva River
The Moscow Kremlin and the Moskva River

The city is named after the river (ancient Russian: гра́д Моско́в, literally the city by the Moskva River). The origin of the name is unknown, although several theories exist.[3] The most reliable[citation needed] theory is that the name derives from Mongolian Moshkha. There is also a theory that asserts the name comes from Finno-Ugric Moska tribe who lived along the Moskva river.Their main settlement was named Moskova which suggest some connections to Karelia and Tshuudis. One theory suggests that the source of the name is an ancient Finnic language, in which it means "dark" and "turbid". Alternatively, the name may come from the Finno-Permic Komi language, meaning "cow-river" or from the Finno-Volgaic Mordovian language, meaning "bear-river".In Tatar-Turkic languages this wooden Finno-Ugrian settlement was also called Moskova.

The first Russian reference to Moscow dates from 1147 when Yuri Dolgoruki called upon the prince of the Novgorod Republic to "come to me, brother, to Moscow."[4] Nine years later, in 1156, Prince Yuri Dolgoruki of Kiev ordered the construction of a wooden wall, which had to be rebuilt multiple times, to surround the emerging city.[5] After the sacking of 1237-1238, when the Mongol-Tatars burned the city to the ground and killed its inhabitants, Moscow recovered and became the capital of an independent principality in 1327.[6] Its favourable position on the headwaters of the Volga River contributed to steady expansion. Moscow developed into a stable and prosperous principality for many years and attracted a large number of refugees from across Russia.

Under Ivan I the city replaced Tver as capital 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. In 1380, prince Dmitri Donskoi of Moscow led a united Russian army to an important victory over the Tatars in the Battle of Kulikovo. Although this victory is regarded as important its result was somewhat exaggerated; the battle wasn't decisive. After 2 years of battle Moscow was completely destroyed 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.[7] Ivan III relocated the Russian capital to Moscow (the previous capital was Vladimir), and the city became the capital of an empire that would eventually encompass all of present-day Russia and other lands.

In 1609 the Swedish-Finnish army, led by Count Jacobus (Jaakko) De la Gardie ("Lazy Jaakko") and Evert (Eetvartti) Horn started its march from Velikiy Novgorod toward Moscow to help Tsar Vasili Shuiski, entered Moscow in 1610 and suppressed the rebellion against Tsar, but leaving it early next year 1611, following which the Polish-Lithuanian army invaded.

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 city ceased to be Russia's capital in 1712, after the founding of St. Petersburg by Peter the Great on the Baltic coast in 1703. When Napoleon invaded 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. 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 March 12, 1918, Moscow became the capital of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Soviet Union less than five years later.[8]
Kremlin Embankment and Moscow skyline with Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the left and Kremlin on the right
Kremlin Embankment and Moscow skyline with Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the left and Kremlin on the right

During the Great Patriotic War (a part of World War II after German invasion in the USSR), the Soviet State Committee of Defence and the General Staff of the Red Army was located in Moscow. 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. In November 1941, German Army Group Centre was stopped at the outskirts of the city and then driven off in the course of the Battle of Moscow. Many factories were evacuated, together with much of the government, and from October 20 the city was declared to be under siege. Its remaining inhabitants built and manned antitank defences, while the city was bombarded from the air. It is of some note that 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 ings, the construction of Moscow's metro system, which began in the early 1930s, continued through the war and by the end of the war several new metro lines were opened. On May 1, 1944 a medal For the defence of Moscow and in 1947 another medal In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow were instituted. On May 8, 1965 in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the victory in World War II, Moscow was one of twelve Soviet cities awarded the title of the Hero City. In 1980, it hosted the Summer Olympic Games.

In 1991 Moscow was the scene of a 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.

See also: Coat of arms of Moscow

[edit] Government

Main article: Administrative divisions of Moscow

Administrative okrugs of Moscow
Administrative okrugs of Moscow
Mayor's office (former Comecon headquarters) highrise to the left and Russian government to the right, view from Kudrinskaya square Stalin skyscraper.
Mayor's office (former Comecon headquarters) highrise to the left and Russian government to the right, view from Kudrinskaya square Stalin skyscraper.

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 also designated as one of only two federal cities - Saint Petersburg being the other - within Russia. Lastly, Moscow is located within the central economic region, one of twelve regions within Russia with similar economic goals.

The entire city of Moscow is headed by one mayor (Yuriy 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, flags, and 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.

In addition to being the capital of Russia, Moscow is the administrative centre of Moscow Oblast. Since Moscow has status of a federal city, it is administratively separate from the oblast.

[edit] Climate
Average temperature (red) and precipitations (blue) in Moscow
Average temperature (red) and precipitations (blue) in Moscow

Moscow has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfb) with warm, somewhat humid summers and long, cold winters. Typical high temperatures in the warm months of July and August are around 22°C (72°F); in the winter, temperatures normally drop to approximately -12°C (10°F) highest temperature ever recorded was +36.7 °C (98.1 °F).[9] and lowest ever recorded -42.2C in January 1940. 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.
Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Year
Avg high °C (°F) -6.3 (20.7) -4.2 (24.4) 1.5 (34.7) 10.4 (50.7) 18.4 (65.1) 21.7 (71.1) 23.1 (73.6) 21.5 (70.7) 15.4 (59.7) 8.2 (46.8) 1.1 (34.0) -3.5 (25.7) 8.9 (48.0)
Avg low °C (°F) -12.3 (9.9) -11.1 (12.0) -5.6 (21.9) 1.7 (35.1) 7.6 (45.7) 11.5 (52.7) 13.5 (56.3) 12.0 (53.6) 7.1 (44.8) 2.1 (35.8) -3.3 (26.1) -8.6 (16.5) 1.2 (34.2)
Source: Worldweather.org

[edit] City layout
The layout of Moscow, from a 1784 map
The layout of Moscow, from a 1784 map

Moscow is situated on the banks of the Moskva River, which flows for just over five hundred kilometres through western Russia, in the centre of the East-European plain. There are 49 bridges across Moskva River and its canals within city limits.

Moscow's road system is centred roughly around the heart of the city, the Moscow Kremlin. From there, the roads in general radiate out to intersect with a sequence of circular roads or "rings" focused at the Kremlin.

The first and innermost major ring, Bulvarnoye Koltso (Boulevard Ring), was built at the former location of the sixteenth century city wall around what used to be called Bely Gorod (White Town).[6] 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 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.[6] 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.

[edit] Architecture
Ostankino Tower - the tallest free-standing structure in Eurasia
Ostankino Tower - the tallest free-standing structure in Eurasia

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.

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.[10] 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,[10] 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 second-tallest.[11] 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 - that provide glimpses of the city's past still dot various parts of the city. 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 the bourgeois decadence in 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. 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 the Moscow downtown involved in the project.

As in London, but on a broader scale, 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.

[edit] Views of Moscow

Presidium of Russian Academy of Sciences




Moscow International House of Music and Swissotel Krasnye Holmy




Paveletsky Tower Business center




Triumphal arch on Kutuzov Avenue, dedicated to victory over Napoleon's army


Bogdan Khmelnitsky Bridge




Riverside building




Old Andreevsky Bridge




Cathedral of Christ the Saviour


Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Borodinsky Bridge




Moscow International Business Center, Tower 2000




Square of Europe




Winter Moscow at night


Riverside Towers business center




Moscow monorail




Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building




"Friendship of Peoples" fountain in All-Russia Exhibition Centre



[edit] Culture

[edit] Museums and galleries
The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

The world-famous Moscow's museums and galleries with their collections, are some of the largest and most important in the world. Frequent art exhibitions thrive on both the new and the classic, as they once did in pre-Revolutionary times, and are derived from diverse branches of the arts - painting, photography, and sculpture.

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.[12] The Tretyakov Gallery is split into two buildings. The Old Tretyakov, the original gallery in the Tretyakovskaya area on the south bank of the Moskva River, houses the works of the classic Russian tradition.[13] 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.[13] The New Tretyakov, 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.
Tretyakov Gallery
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 wedged 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,[14] 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.[15] The Borodino Panorama[16] 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.

[edit] Theatres and other performing arts
Bolshoi theatre
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.[17]

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,[18] famous for ballet and estrade performances, is the place of frequent concerts of pop-stars such as Alla Pugacheva and is situated in the soon to be demolished building of Hotel Rossiya, the largest hotel in Europe.
Bolshoi Theatre during an April 2005 performance
Bolshoi Theatre during an April 2005 performance

Moscow International Performance Arts Centre,[19] 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[20] 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.[21] 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 Salut cinema where films from the Museum of Cinema[22] collection are shown regularly.

[edit] Parks and landmarks
Patriarchie Ponds in Moscow
Patriarchie Ponds in Moscow

There are 96 parks and 18 gardens in Moscow, including 4 botanical gardens. There are also 450 square kilometers (174 sq mi) of green zones besides 100 square kilometers (39 sq mi) of forests.[17] Moscow is a very green city if compared to other cities of comparable size in Western Europe and America. There are average 27 square meters (290 sq ft) of parks per person in Moscow compared with 6 for Paris, 7.5 in London and 8.6 in New York.[23]

The Central Park of Culture and Rest named after Maxim Gorky founded in 1928. The main part with area of 689,000 square metres (170 acres)[23] along the Moskva river contains estrades, children attractions, including the Observation Wheel water ponds with boats and water bicycles, dancing, tennis courts and other sport facilities. It borders the Neskuchniy Garden with area of 408,000 square metres (101 acres) — the oldest park in Moscow, and a former Emperor's residence, created as a result of integration of three estates of XVIII century, which contains also the Green Theatre, one of the largest open amphitheatres in Europe, able to contain up to 15 thousand people.[24]

Izmaylovskiy Park created in 1931 is one of the largest urban parks in the world along with Richmond Park in London. Its area of 15.34 square kilometers (5.92 sq mi) is 6 times greater than that of Central Park in New York.[23]
The Moscow Zoo entrance.
The Moscow Zoo entrance.

Sokolniki Park, which got its name from the falcon hunting that occurred here in the past, is one of the oldest in Moscow and has an area of 6 square kilometers (2 sq mi). From a central circle with a large fountain radiate birch, maple and elm tree alleys. Farther, after the Deer ponds, there is a labyrinth, composed of green paths.

Losiny Ostrov National Park (literally - "Elk Island"), bordering the Sokolniki park, with total area of more than 116 square kilometers (45 sq mi) is the first national park of Russia, located in Moscow and Moscow Oblast. It is presumed to be the largest forest in a city of comparable size.[citation needed] It is also known as the "city taiga", where elk can be seen.

Tsytsin Main Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences, founded in 1945 is the largest in Europe.[25] It covers territory of 3.61 square kilometers (1.39 sq mi) bordering the All-Russian Exhibition Centre and contains a live exhibition of more than 20 thousand of different species of plants from different parts of the world as well as scientific research laboratory. It also contains a rosarium with 20 thousand rose bushes, dendrarium and an oak forest with average age of trees exceeding 100 years as well as a greenhouse on more than 5000 square meters.[23]

Lilac park founded in 1958 is known for its permanent sculpture exposition and a large rosarium.
Ostankino palace in Moscow
Ostankino palace in Moscow

Moscow has always been a popular destination for tourists. Some of the better known attractions include the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site, Moscow Kremlin and Red Square,[26] which was built between the 14th and 17th centuries.[27] Kolomenskoye is another popular attraction with its UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Church of the Ascension, which dates from 1532.[28]

Other popular attractions include the Moscow Zoo, home to nearly a thousands species and more than 6,500 specimens.[29] Each year, the zoo attracts more than 1.2 million visitors.[29] The long days will also afford one more time to cover the immense wealth of historical, cultural or simply popular sites in Moscow.

[edit] Moscow tourist attractions

see List of Moscow tourist attractions

[edit] Sports
Ice palace in Moscow, built in 2006
Ice palace in Moscow, built in 2006

Moscow possesses a large number of various sport facilities and over 500 Olympic champions lived in the city by 2005[30]. Moscow is home to sixty-three stadiums (besides eight football and eleven light athletics maneges), of which Luzhniki Stadium is the largest and the 4th biggest in Europe. Forty other sport complexes are located within the city, including twenty-four with artificial ice. There are also seven horse racing tracks in Moscow,[17] of which Central Moscow Hippodrome,[31] founded in 1834, is the largest.

Moscow was the host city of the 1980 Summer Olympics, although the yachting events were held at Tallinn, in present-day Estonia. Large athletic facilities and the main international airport, Sheremetyevo Terminal 2, were built in preparation for the 1980 Summer Olympics. Moscow had also made a bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, when final voting commenced on 6 July 2005, Moscow was the first city to be eliminated from further rounds. The Games were finally awarded to London.
Central Moscow Hippodrome facade
Central Moscow Hippodrome facade
Grand Sport Arena of Luzhniki Stadium as seen from Sparrow Hills
Grand Sport Arena of Luzhniki Stadium as seen from Sparrow Hills

Football is probably the most popular spectator sport among the young, followed by ice hockey. Clubs such as Dynamo, CSKA, Lokomotiv and Spartak are prominent on the European stage and the members of Russian Premier League.

Because of Moscow's cold locale, winter sports have a large following as well. Many of Moscow's large parks offer marked trails for skiers and frozen ponds and canals for skaters.

Moscow also hosts the annual Kremlin Cup, a popular tennis tournament on both the WTA and ATP tours. In 2006 the event is to be held from the 9th-15 October on both the women and men's tennis tour. It is regarded as a very prestigious tournament and is one of the ten Tier-I events on the women's tour and a host of Russian players feature every year.

[edit] Leisure and entertainment

There is a vibrant night life in Moscow. The major and one of the most popular nightlife areas is around Tverskaya Street. The southern part of Tverskaya Street near the Manege Square and the Red Square area is known as an area with many expensive, luxurious bars and restaurants, and is considered being a playground for New Russians and celebrities. Tverskaya Street is also one of the busiest shopping streets in Moscow.

The adjoining Tretyakovsky Proyezd, also south of Tverskaya Street, in Kitai-gorod, is host to upscale boutique stores such as Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., Armani, Prada and Bentley.[32]

Many famous night clubs and casinos, such as Metelitsa located along Noviy Arbat street. There is also a number of night clubs which vary in type and character, including those which cater primarily to , and patrons.

[edit] Education

See also: Education in Russia

Moscow State University at Sparrow Hills
Moscow State University at Sparrow Hills

There are 1696 high schools in Moscow, as well as 91 colleges.[17] Besides these, there are 222 institutions offering higher education in Moscow, including 60 state universities[17] and the Lomonosov Moscow State University, which was founded in 1755.[33] The university main building located in Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) is 240 meters (787 ft) tall and when completed, was the tallest building outside the United States.[34] The university has over 30,000 undergraduate and 7,000 postgraduate students, who have a choice of twenty-nine faculties and 450 departments for study. Additionally, approximately 10,000 high school students take courses at the university, while over two thousand researchers work. The Moscow State University library contains over nine million books, making it one of the largest libraries in all of Russia. Its acclaim throughout the international academic community has meant that over 11,000 international students have graduated from the university, with many coming to Moscow to learn the Russian language.

Bauman Moscow State Technical University, founded in 1830, is located in the centre of Moscow and provides more than 18,000 undergraduate and 1,000 postgraduate students with an education in science and engineering offering a wide range of technical degrees.[35] Since it opened enrolment to students from outside Russia in 1991, Bauman Moscow State Technical University has increased its international enrolment to up to two hundred.[36]

The Moscow Conservatory,[37] founded in 1866 is a prominent music school in Russia, whose graduates included Sergey Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, Aram Khachaturian, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Alfred Schnittke.
Moscow Power Engineering Institute entrance
Moscow Power Engineering Institute entrance

The Gerasimov All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography, abbreviated as VGIK, is the world's oldest educational institution in Cinematography, founded by Vladimir Gardin in 1919. Sergei Eisenstein, Vsevolod Pudovkin, and Aleksey Batalov were among its most distinguished professors and Mikhail Vartanov, Sergei Parajanov, Andrey Tarkovsky, Nikita Mikhalkov, Eldar Ryazanov, Aleksandr Sokurov, Yuriy Norshteyn, Aleksandr Petrov, Vasily Shukshin, Konrad Wolf among graduates.

Moscow State Institute of International Relations, founded in 1944, remains Russia's best known school of international relations and diplomacy, with six different schools focused on international relations. Approximately 4,500 students make up the university's student body and over 700,000 Russian and foreign-language books - of which 20,000 are considered rare - can be found in the library of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.[38]

Among other prominent institutions are the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, also known as Phystech, Moscow Aviation Institute and the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology has taught numerous Noble Prize winners, including Pyotr Kapitsa, Nikolay Semyonov, Lev Landau and Alexandr Prokhorov, while the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute is known for its research in nuclear physics.[39] Other institutions, such as the Financial Academy, the State University of Management, the Plekhanov Academy of Economics and the Higher School of Economics offer degrees in management and economic theory. Several Moscow institutions have divisions in other regions and countries around the world.

Although Moscow has a number of famous Soviet-era higher educational institutions, most of which are more oriented towards engineering or the fundamental science, in recent years Moscow has seen a significant growth in the number of commercial and private institutions that offer classes in business and management. Many state institutions have expanded their education scope and increased their student enrolments. Institutions in Moscow, as well as the rest of post-Soviet Russia, have begun to offer new international certificates and postgraduate degrees, including the Master of Business Administration. Student exchange programs with different (especially, European) countries also have become widespread in Moscow's universities, while many schools within the Russian capital will also offer seminars, lectures, and courses for corporate employees and businessmen.

[edit] Science and research
The headquarters of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
The headquarters of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

Moscow is known as one of the most important science centres in Russia. The headquarters of the Russian Academy of Sciences are located in Moscow as well as numerous research and applied science institutions.

The Kurchatov Institute, Russia's leading research and development institution in the field of nuclear energy, where the first nuclear reactor in Europe was built, Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Kapitza Institute for Physical Problems and Steklov Institute of Mathematics are all situated in Moscow.

There are 452 libraries in the city, including 168 for children.[17] The Russian State Library,[40] founded in 1862 is the national library of Russia. The Russian State Library is home to over 275 kilometres of shelves and forty-two million items, including over seventeen million books and serial volumes, thirteen million journals, 350,000 music scores and sound records, and 150,000 maps, making it the largest library in Russia and one of the largest in the world. Items in 247 different languages comprise approximately twenty-nine percent of the collection.[41][42]

The State Public Historical Library, founded in 1863 is the largest library, specialising in Russian history. Its collection contains four million items in 112 languages (including 47 languages of the former USSR), mostly on Russian and world history, heraldry, numismatics, and the history of science.[43]

[edit] Transport

[edit] Intercity transport
Kievsky Rail Terminal as seen from the Moskva River embankment
Kievsky Rail Terminal as seen from the Moskva River embankment

There are five primary commercial airports serving Moscow: Sheremetyevo International Airport, Domodedovo International Airport, Bykovo Airport, Ostafievo International Airport and Vnukovo International Airport. Sheremetyevo International Airport is the most common entry point for foreign passengers, handling sixty percent of all international flights.[44] Domodedovo International Airport is the leading airport in Russia in terms of passenger throughput, and is the primary gateway to long-haul domestic and CIS destinations and its international traffic rivals Sheremetyevo's. The three other airports particularly offer flights within Russia and to and from states from the former Soviet Union.[45] Moscow's airports vary in distances from MKAD beltway: Bykovo is the farthest, at 35 kilometres (21 mi); Domodedovo is next at 22 kilometres (13.7 mi); Vnukovo is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi); Sheremetyevo is 10 kilometres (6.25 mi); and Ostafievo, the nearest, is about 8 kilometers (5 mi) from MKAD.[44]

There are also several smaller airports near Moscow, such as Airport Myachkovo, intended for private aircraft, helicopters and charters.[46]
North river terminal in Moscow
North river terminal in Moscow

Likewise, Moscow employs several train stations to serve the city. All of Moscow's nine rail terminals (or vokzals) - Belorussky Rail Terminal, Kazanskiy Rail Terminal, Kievskiy Rail Terminal, Kurskiy Rail Terminal, Leningradskiy Rail Terminal, Paveletskiy Rail Terminal, Rizhskiy Rail Terminal, Savyolovskiy Rail Terminal, and Yaroslavlskiy Rail Terminal - are located close to the city centre, but they each handle trains from different parts of Europe and Asia.[47] There are also many smaller railway stations in Moscow. As trains are relatively cheap, they are the mode of preference for travelling Russians, especially when departing to Saint Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city. Moscow is also the western terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which traverses nearly 9,300 kilometers (5,779 mi) of territory to Vladivostok.

Moscow also has two passenger terminals, (South River Terminal and North River Terminal or Rechnoy vokzal), on the river and regular ship routes and cruises along Moskva and Oka rivers, which are used mostly for entertainment. North river terminal, built in 1937 is also the main hub for long-range river routes. There are also three freight ports serving Moscow. Besides this Moscow has a bus terminal for long-range and intercity passenger buses (Central Bus Terminal) with daily overturn of about 25 thousand passengers serving about 40% of long-range bus routes in Moscow.[48]

[edit] Local transport
Map of Moscow metro in 2006
Map of Moscow metro in 2006

Local transport includes the Moscow Metro, a metro system famous for its art, murals, mosaics, and ornate chandeliers. When it first opened in 1935, the system had just one line. But today, the Moscow Metro contains twelve lines, mostly underground with a total of 172 stations. Park Pobedy ("Victory Park"), completed in 2003, is the deepest metro station in the world, which also contains the longest escalators in Europe. The Moscow Metro is one of world's busiest metro systems, serving more than seven million passengers daily.[49] There is also a monorail line, operated by the same company. Facing serious transportation problems Moscow has wide plans of expansion of Moscow Metro.
Moscow Monorail
Moscow Monorail

As Metro stations outside the city centre are far apart in comparison to other cities, up to four kilometres (2.5 mi), an extensive bus network radiates from each station to the surrounding residential zones. Suburbs and satellite cities also connected by commuter elektrichka (electric rail network). The buses are very frequent, often more than one a minute. Every large street in the city is served by at least one bus route. There are also extensive tram and trolleybus networks.

There are over 2.6 million cars in the city on a daily basis.[17] Recent years have seen the growth in the number of cars, which have caused traffic jams and the lack of parking space to become major problems.

The MKAD, along with the Third Transport Ring and the future Fourth Transport Ring, is one of only three freeways that run within Moscow city limits. However, as one can easily observe from a map of Moscow area, there are several other roadway systems that form concentric circles around the city.

See also: Moscow Metro

[edit] Economy

See also: Economy of Russia

Moscow skyline in 2006, with construction in the right
Moscow skyline in 2006, with construction in the right

In 2006, Mercer Management Consulting named Moscow the world's most expensive city for expatriate employees, ahead of perennial winner Tokyo, due to the stable Russian ruble as well as increasing housing prices within the city.[50] Some prices are considerably higher for the foreign visitor than for locals. For locals, small apartments bought or given by the state in the Soviet era, coupled with extremely low utility costs and a low income tax of 13% serve to lower the cost of living greatly.

[edit] Business and Trade

A significant portion of Russia's profits and development is concentrated in Moscow as many multi-national corporations have branches and offices in the city. The plush offices and the lifestyles of the typical corporate employee in Moscow are often indistinguishable from any Western European city, although the average salary for the Muscovite is lower.[51] Since the Russian financial crisis in late 1998, various business sectors in Moscow have shown exponential rates of growth. Many new business centres and office buildings have been built in recent years, but Moscow still experiences shortages in office space. As a result, many former industrial and research facilities are being reconstructed to become suitable for office use.

However, while the overall stability has improved in the recent years, crime and corruption continue to remain a problem hindering business development. The Mafia also runs extortion rackets in most parts of the city, though there are no reliable data to understand how large their influence is.

The Cherkizovskiy marketplace, controlled by the Azeri diaspora is the largest marketplace in Europe with daily turnover of about thirty million dollars and about ten thousand sellers[52] from different countries (including the China, Turkey, Azerbaijan and India). It is administratively divided into twelve parts and covers a wide sector of the city.

Moscow is one of the top cities in the world for billionaires; in 2006, Forbes ranked Moscow second in highest number of billionaires, surpassed only by New York City.[53] In 2004, Russia's thirty-six billionaires (of whom only three did not live in Moscow) held the equivalent of twenty-four percent of Russia's gross domestic product.[54] The nouveau riche, also called the "New Russians", often pejoratively, have a reputation for flaunting their wealth; the avenues for doing so, and subtly, have also increased in recent times - a sense of fashion and self-consciousness has instilled itself through the many haute couture and haute cuisine spots in Moscow.

[edit] Industry

Primary industries in Moscow include the chemical, metallurgy, food, textile, furniture, energy production, software development and machinery industries.

The Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant is one of the leading producers of military and civil helicopters in the world. Automobile plants ZiL and AZLK, as well as the Voitovich Rail Vehicle plant, are situated in Moscow and Metrowagonmash metro waggon plant is located just outside the city limits. The Poljot Moscow watch factory produces reliable military, professional and sport watches well known in Russia and abroad. Yuri Gagarin in his trip into space used "Shturmanskie", produced by this factory. The Kristall distillery[55] is the oldest distillery in Russia producing various vodka types, including "Stolichnaya" while a wide assortment of wines are produced at several Moscow wine plants, including Moscow Interrepublican Vinery.[56] The Moscow Jewelry Factory[57] and the Jewellerprom[58] are important producers of jewelry in Russia; Jewellerprom used to produce the famous and exclusive Order of Victory, awarded to those aiding the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II. There are also many other industries located just outside the city of Moscow, as well as many microelectronic industries in Zelenograd.

Moscow also hosts headquarters of various software development companies, including such as worldwide-known producer of anti-virus software Kaspersky Lab, business software and games producer 1C Company, developer of text recognition and translation software ABBYY software house and many others.

Despite the economic growth experienced in Moscow since the dawn of the twenty-first century, many industries have undergone various crises in recent years. Some of them have been sold to foreign investors, such as OTIS and British American Tobacco, and others have been closed down to make for new buildings constructed as business centres. Additionally, some industry is now being transferred out of Moscow to improve the ecological state of the city. Nevertheless, the city of Moscow remains one of Russia's major industrial centres.

[edit] Living costs
Triumph-Palace building, built in 2005, the tallest building in Europe (the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt holds second place) is just one of many prestigious residential complexes
Triumph-Palace building, built in 2005, the tallest building in Europe (the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt holds second place) is just one of many prestigious residential complexes

During Soviet times apartments were lent to people by the government according to the square meters-per-person norm (some groups, including people's artists, heroes and prominent scientists had bonuses according to their honours). Private ownership of apartments was limited until 1990s, when people were permitted to secure property rights to the places they inhabited. Since the Soviet era, estate owners have had to pay the service charge for their residences, a fixed amount based on persons per living area. Due to the current economic situation, the price of real estate in Moscow continues to rise. Today, one could expect to pay US$4000 in average per square meter (11 sq ft) in the outskirts of the city[59] or US$6000-$7000 per square meter in a prestigious district. The price sometimes may exceed US$40000 per square meter in a flat.[60][61][62] A typical one-bedroom apartment is about thirty square meters (323 sq ft), a typical two-bedroom apartment is forty-five square meters (485 sq ft), and a typical three-bedroom apartment is seventy square meters (753 sq ft). Many cannot move out of their apartments, especially if a family lives in a two-room apartment originally granted by the state during the Soviet era. Some city residents have attempted to cope with the cost of living by renting their apartments while staying in dachas (country house) outside the city.

In 2007, Moscow ranked top on the List of most expensive cities for second year in a row.

[edit] Employment

As of 2006, there are 8.47 million Muscovites able to work. 1.73 million are employed by the state, 4.42 million are employed by private companies, and 1.99 million are employed by small businesses. There are 74,400 officially registered unemployed working age, of which 34,400 are eligible for unemployment benefits.[17]

[edit] Future development

[edit] Moscow International Business Centre
MIBC buildings under construction
MIBC buildings under construction

Moscow International Business Centre or Moscow-City is a projected part of central Moscow. Geographically situated in Presnensky District, located at the Third Ring, the Moscow-City area is under intense development.

The goal of MIBC "Moscow-City" is to create a zone, the first in Russia, and in all of Eastern Europe, that will combine business activity, living space and entertainment. It will be a city within a city. The project was conceived by the Moscow government in 1992.

The construction of MIBC "Moscow-City" takes place on the Krasnopresnenskaya embankment. The whole project takes up 1 square kilometer (247 acres). This area is the only spot in downtown Moscow that can accommodate a project of this magnitude. Today, most of the buildings there are old factories and industrial complexes.

The Federation Tower, now being built is to be the completed in 2008, will become the tallest building in Europe when completed.

At overall completion the plan is to have the highest building in the world; the Russia Tower is planned to be completed by 2010 at a height of 648 meters (2,126 ft).[63] Also to be included in the project are a waterpark and other recreational facilities; trade and entertainment complexes, numerous prestigious office and residential buildings, Wedding Palace, the transport node and the new site of the Moscow government. The construction of four new metro stations in the territory has already been completed, of which two have already opened and two others are reserved for future metro lines crossing MIBC, some additional stations were planned. A rail shuttle service, directly connecting MIBC with Sheremetyevo Airport is also planned.

[edit] Fourth Transport Ring

A Fourth Ring freeway (in addition to Moscow Automobile Ring Road, Garden Ring and the Third Ring) is designed and being built in Moscow. It is to be completed by 2012 and will have total length of 61 kilometers (38 mi).[64][65][66]

[edit] Demographics

Population: According to the 2002 Census the population of the city was 10,382,754, however, this figure only takes into account legal residents, and not the several million estimated illegal immigrants and gastarbeiters living in the city. Moscow is home to an estimated 1.5 million Muslims, including about 100,000 Chechens.

Historically, Moscow was the largest city in the Soviet Union, however its collapse has led to a decline in Siberian cities as well as most other Russian cities. As a result, Moscow's growth and dominance over St. Petersburg and the rest of the nation has accelerated.

Due to a low birth rate[67] and high mortality rate, the population of Russia has been declining by about 700,000 persons per year since the fall of the Soviet Union. In 2003 the number of deaths exceeded the number of births by approximately 49,400.[68] While the birth rate has risen in more recent years, the average age of Moscow's population continues to increase. In 2004 there were more than twice as many people over the age of 55 as there were under the age of 14.[68]

Substantial numbers of internal migrants mean that Moscow's population is still increasing, whereas the population of many other Russian cities is in decline. Migrants are attracted by Moscow's strong economy which contrasts sharply with the stagnation in many other parts of Russia. In order to help regulate population growth, Moscow has an internal passport system that prohibits non-residents from staying in the capital for more than ninety days without registration.

Ethnic groups: The 2002 Census reported the national composition as:

* Russian 84.83%
* Ukrainian 2.44%
* Polish 1.9%
* Tatar 1.60%
* Armenian 1.20%
* Azeri 0.92%
* Jewish 0.76%
* Belarusian 0.57%
* Georgian 0.52%
* Moldovan 0.35%
* Tajik 0.34%
* Uzbek 0.23%
* Mordvin 0.22%
* Chuvash 0.16%
* Vietnamese 0.15%
* Chechen 0.14%
* Chinese 0.12%
* Ossetian 0.10%
* Korean 0.08%
* Kazakh 0.08%
* Pushtu 0.06%
* Bashkir 0.06%
* German 0.05%
* Avar 0.05%
* and many other groups of less than five thousand persons each.

* Just over 4% of the inhabitants declined to state their ethnicity on the census questionnaire.[69]

[edit] Real estate and neighbourhoods
Residential apartments in Strogino District
Residential apartments in Strogino District

The following are some of the most expensive neighbourhoods in order:

Patriarch’s Ponds is the most expensive and luxurious neighbourhood within the Garden Ring. The neighbourhood is located in the centre of Moscow, between the Boulevard Ring and the Garden Ring, but is still pretty quiet. It is also home to a number of embassies that gives the neighbourhood a higher security status.

Another prestigious neighbourhood is Arbat named after Arbat Street, one of the oldest streets in Moscow and a major tourist attraction with souvenirs, restaurants, art shops and musicians. Arbat is also home to a number of embassies.

Kropotkinskaya is a prestigious neighbourhood located along the Prechistenka Street and the Moskva River. The neighbourhood is home to the most of the embassies in Moscow. It is also home to the Pushkin Art Museum and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

Tverskaya Street and its surrounding streets like Tretyakov Drive, Stoleshnikov Lane, Tverskoy Boulevard and the Theatre Square are home to luxury hotels and expensive boutiques. Tverskaya Street is located next to the Red Square and Kremlin and is the busiest shopping street in Moscow. It is called the main street and has existed since the 12th century. The street is named after Tver, as it’s heading to that direction.

Clean Ponds is located along the Clean Ponds Boulevard on the Boulevard Ring. The prestigious neighbourhood is home to many pre-revolutionary buildings, medieval churches, and embassies.

Zamoskvorechye District (lit. beyond the Moskva River) is very popular among the French community as the neighbourhood is home to the French embassy. The neighbourhood is also home to the famous Tretyakov Gallery.

Krasnaya Presnya is one of the more modern neighbourhoods in Moscow, as it was reconstructed in the 1990s. It is now a more fashionable area than it was before and home to embassies and the Moscow Zoo.

See also History of Moscow for historical population growth and List of districts and neighbourhoods in Moscow

[edit] Media

Moscow is the headquarters of nearly all Russian nationwide television networks, radio stations, newspapers and magazines.

English-language media include The Moscow Times and Moscow News which are, respectively, the largest[70] and oldest English-language weekly newspapers in all of Russia. The eXile is a newspaper intended for English-speaking expatriates in Moscow and is known for its satirical nature and pranks on Russian politicians.[71] Expert, Kommersant, and Gazeta are Russian-language media headquartered in Moscow. Expert and Kommersant are among the country's leading and oldest Russian-language business newspapers.

Other notable media of Moscow include the Echo of Moscow, the first Soviet and Russian private news radio and information agency, and NTV, one of the first privately owned Russian television stations.

See also: List of Moscow newspapers

[edit] Sister cities
The factual accuracy of this section is disputed.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page

* Flag of Turkey Akhisar, Turkey
* Flag of Algeria Algiers, Algeria
* Flag of Turkey Ankara, Turkey
* Flag of Greece Athens, Greece
* Flag of Thailand Bangkok, Thailand
* Flag of Serbia Belgrade, Serbia
* Flag of Germany Berlin, Germany
* Flag of the United States Chicago, United States
* Flag of the United Arab Emirates Dubai, United Arab Emirates
* Flag of Germany Düsseldorf, Germany
* Flag of Cuba Havana, Cuba
* Flag of Poland Krakow, Poland
* Flag of Slovenia Ljubljana, Slovenia
* Flag of the United Kingdom London, United Kingdom
* Flag of Spain Madrid, Spain
* Flag of Montenegro Podgorica, Montenegro
* Flag of South Korea Seoul, South Korea
* Flag of Israel Tel Aviv, Israel
* Flag of Japan Tokyo, Japan
* Flag of Poland Warsaw, Poland
* Flag of Armenia Yerevan, Armenia

[edit] Bibliography

* Caroline Brooke. Moscow: A Cultural History. 2006 (Oxford University Press)
* Karel Neubert. "Portrait of Moscow". 1964
* Albert J. Schmidt. "The Architecture and Planning of Classical Moscow: A Cultural History". 1989
* Kathleen Berton. "Moscow: An Architectural History". St. Martin's, 1991
* Marcel Girard. "Splendours of Moscow and Its Surroundings", trans. from French. 1967
* John Bushnell. "Moscow Graffiti: Language and Subculture". Unwin Hyman, 1990
* S.S. Hromov et al. (eds.). "History of Moscow: An Outline", trans. from Russian. 1981
* Galina Dutkina. "Moscow Days: Life and Hard Times in the New Russia". Trans. Catherine Fitzpatrick. Kodansha America, 1995

[edit] See also

* History of Russia
* Moscow-City
* Muscovy
* Moscow Millionaire Fair
* Third Rome
* List of mayors of Moscow
* Moya Moskva (My Moscow) - Anthem of Moscow
* List of cities by population
* Megacity

[edit] Notes and references

1. ^ http://academic.missouriwestern.edu/ascher/russia/people.htm
2. ^ Boykewich, Stephen. "Moscow Named World's Most Expensive City", The Moscow Times, 2006-06-27. Retrieved on 2006-07-03.
3. ^ Russian: On the origins of Moskva
4. ^ Comins-Richmond, Walter. The History of Moscow. Occidental College. Retrieved on 2006-07-03.
5. ^ Russia Engages the World: The Building of the Kremlin, 1156-1516. The New York Public Library. Retrieved on 2006-07-03.
6. ^ a b c Along the Moscow Golden Ring. Moscow,Russia Tourist Information centre. Retrieved on 2006-07-05.
7. ^ Vogel, Michael. The Mongol Connection: Mongol Influences on the Development of Moscow. Indiana University South Bend. Retrieved on 2006-07-03.
8. ^ Geographi. The Russian Embassy. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
9. ^ Monthly Averages for Moscow, Russia. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
10. ^ a b Memorial. Melnikov Institute. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
11. ^ Shukshin, Andrei (2000-08-30). Moscow TV Broadcasts Set to Resume After Fire. Reuters via The Moscow Times. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
12. ^ See also: The Official Site of the Tretyakov Gallery Retrieved on 2006-07-08.
13. ^ a b About The State Tretyakov Gallery. The State Tretyakov Gallery. Retrieved on 2006-07-10.
14. ^ See also: (Russian) The Official Site of the Polytechnical Museum Retrieved on 2006-07-23. ((English) English version)
15. ^ The Museum Collections. Polytechnical Museum. Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
16. ^ See also: The official site of Borodino Panorama museum
17. ^ a b c d e f g h
18. ^ See also: The Official Site of the State Central Concert Hall "Rossia". Retrieved on 2006-07-17.
19. ^ See also: The Official Site of the Moscow International Performance Arts Centre. Retrieved on 2006-08-09.
20. ^ See also: (Russian) The Official Site of the Moscow Nikulun Circus. Retrieved on 2006-07-17.
21. ^ History of the Mosfilm concern studios foundation. MosFilm. Retrieved on 2006-07-10.
22. ^ See also: The Official Site of the Museum of Cinema. Retrieved on 2006-07-22.
23. ^ a b c d (Russian) Green dress of Moscow
24. ^ (Russian) Neskuchniy Garden
25. ^ (Russian) The Official Site of the Main Moscow Botanical Garden. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
26. ^ UNESCO considers the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square to be part of a single World Heritage Site. See also UNESCO's profile on this site.
27. ^ Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow. World Heritage List. UNESCO. Retrieved on 2006-07-15.
28. ^ Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye. World Heritage List. UNESCO. Retrieved on 2006-07-15.
29. ^ a b General Information. Moscow Zoo. Retrieved on 2006-07-15.
30. ^ BBC Sport: The mood in Moscow
31. ^ See also: (Russian) The Official Site of the Central Moscow Hippodrome
32. ^ Go Magazine. The Moscow Times. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
33. ^ MSU History. Moscow State University. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
34. ^ Templeton, John Marks (1997-10-01). Is Progress Speeding Up?: Our Multiplying Multitudes of Blessings, 99. ISBN 1-890151-02-5.
35. ^ Fedorov, I.B.. General (English). МГТУ им.Н.Э.Баумана ((Bauman Moscow State Technical University). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
36. ^ International Relations. международная деятельность МГТУ (Bauman Moscow State Technical University). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
37. ^ See also: The Official Site of the Moscow Conservatory. Retrieved on 2006-07-17.
38. ^ " Facts and Figures. MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations). Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
39. ^ Moscow State Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI). International Centre for Relativistic Astrophysics. Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
40. ^ See also: The official homepage of the Russian State Library
41. ^ (Russian) Краткая статистическая справка. Russian State Library (2006-01-01). Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
42. ^ Stacks. The Russian State Library. Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
43. ^ (Russian) Official site of the State Public Historical Library
44. ^ a b "A City of Four Airports", MosNews, 2004-06-21. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
45. ^ Getting to Russia: Arriving by Plane. The Moscow Times. Retrieved on 2006-07-03.
46. ^ (Russian)Airport Myachkovo changed the owners
47. ^ Getting to Russia: Arriving by Train. The Moscow Times. Retrieved on 2006-07-03.
48. ^ See also: (Russian) [1] Realty news. Retrieved on 2006-07-22.
49. ^ (Russian) Московский метрополитен. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
50. ^ Sahadi, Jeanne. "World's most expensive cities", CNNMoney, 2006-06-23. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
51. ^ "Average monthly salaries hit all-time high in Russia", Pravda, 2005-08-04. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
52. ^ (Russian) Aleksandrov, Yuri. "Новые лимитчики", New Times, 2005-12-11. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
53. ^ Number of billionaires surges. CNNMoney (2006-03-09). Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
54. ^ Klebnikov, Paul. "Russia's Richest People: The Golden Hundred", Forbes, 2004-07-22. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
55. ^ See also: The Official Site of the Moscow Cristall distillery. Retrieved on 2006-07-08.
56. ^ See also: (Russian) The Official Site of the Moscow Interrepublican Vinery. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
57. ^ See also: (Russian) The Official Site of the Moscow Jewelry Factory. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
58. ^ See also: (Russian) The Official Site of the Experimental Moscow Jewelry Atelier Jewellerprom. Retrieved on 2006-07-07
59. ^ http://rus.intermark.ru/about-us/press/mt_20_10/ US$4,000 for a Square Meter of Apartment Space. The Moscow Times
60. ^ (Russian) The absolute record of realty cost is broken
61. ^ Humphries, Conor. "Dividing the Spoils of the Boom", The Moscow Times, 2006-06-20. Retrieved on 2006-07-14.
62. ^ (Russian) Costs of realty in Moscow (2006)
63. ^ Russia Tower www.emporis.com Retrieved 6 January 2007.
64. ^ (Russian)http://www.gazeta.ru/auto/2006/02/27_a_551381.shtml
65. ^ (Russian)http://www.prime-realty.ru/cmi/c5/5.146..htm
66. ^ Plan of the Fourth Transport Road
67. ^ Heleniak, Timothy. "Russia's Demographic Decline Continues", Population Reference Bureau. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
68. ^ a b Information Memorandum: City Economy. State Debt Committee of the City of Moscow (January 2005). Retrieved on 2006-07-15.
69. ^ (2002). "National Composition of Population for Regions of the Russian Federation" (XLS). 2002 Russian All-Population Census. Retrieved on 2006-07-20.
70. ^ Advertising Information. The Moscow Times. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.
71. ^ McMeekin, Sean. "From Russia With Malice", Reason Online. Retrieved on 2006-07-06.

[edit] External links
Find more information on Moscow by searching Wikipedia's sister projects
Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
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Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
Learning resources from Wikiversity
Wikinews has related news:
Power crisis in Moscow and central Russia largest ever recorded

[edit] General

* Interactive digital map of Moscow (English) (Russian)
* Official Moscow Administration Site (Russian)
* Moscow Guide (tr)
* Committee for Tourism of Moscow City Government
* WikiMapia: Moscow - aerial, satellite view of Moscow showing city landmarks
* Virtual Moscow. It integrates Google Maps with significant tourist locations, vivid photographs and a large number of great panoramic views.
* Historical weather records for Moscow
* The Luzhniki Stadium has been chosen by UEFA to host the 2008 UEFA Champions League final
* White Pages of Moscow
* Moscow on Wikitravel
* Moscow.Info

[edit] Media

* The Moscow Times - official site of Moscow's leading English-language newspaper
* The Moscow News - one of Moscow's oldest English-language newspapers
* Russia Profile - In-depth coverage of international, political, business and cultural events in Russia (in English)

[edit] Images

* Moscow House of Photography
* Some images from Ukraina Hotel
* Photographs of Moscow in March 2007 (select the folders 'moskau1' until 'moskau15')
* Moscow Aerials, high definition footage of Kremlin, Pushkin Squire, city skyline at sunset

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Krais Altai · Kamchatka · Khabarovsk · Krasnodar · Krasnoyarsk · Perm · Primorsky · Stavropol
Oblasts Amur · Arkhangelsk · Astrakhan · Belgorod · Bryansk · Chelyabinsk · Chita1 · Irkutsk2 · Ivanovo · Kaliningrad · Kaluga · Kemerovo · Kirov · Kostroma · Kurgan · Kursk · Leningrad · Lipetsk · Magadan · Moscow · Murmansk · Nizhny Novgorod · Novgorod · Novosibirsk · Omsk · Orenburg · Oryol · Penza · Pskov · Rostov · Ryazan · Sakhalin · Samara · Saratov · Smolensk · Sverdlovsk · Tambov · Tomsk · Tula · Tver · Tyumen · Ulyanovsk · Vladimir · Volgograd · Vologda · Voronezh · Yaroslavl
Federal cities Moscow · St. Petersburg
Autonomous oblasts Jewish
Autonomous okrugs Aga Buryatia1 · Chukotka · Khantia-Mansia · Nenetsia · Ust-Orda Buryatia2 · Yamalia
Federal districts
Central · Far Eastern · Northwestern · Siberian · Southern · Urals · Volga

1 On March 1, 2008, Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug are due to merge to form Zabaykalsky Krai.
2 On January 1, 2008, Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug is due to merge into Irkutsk Oblast.
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Summer Olympic Games host cities

1896: Athens • 1900: Paris • 1904: St. Louis • 1908: London • 1912: Stockholm • 1920: Antwerp • 1924: Paris • 1928: Amsterdam • 1932: Los Angeles • 1936: Berlin • 1948: London • 1952: Helsinki • 1956: Melbourne • 1960: Rome • 1964: Tokyo • 1968: Mexico City • 1972: Munich • 1976: Montreal • 1980: Moscow • 1984: Los Angeles • 1988: Seoul • 1992: Barcelona • 1996: Atlanta • 2000: Sydney • 2004: Athens • 2008: Beijing • 2012: London

1920 olympics poster
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Hero Cities of the former Soviet Union

Leningrad · Odessa · Sevastopol · Stalingrad · Kiev · Brest Fortress · Moscow · Kerch · Novorossiysk · Minsk · Tula · Murmansk · Smolensk
Golden Ring of Russia

Alexandrov | Bogolyubovo | Gorokhovets | Gus-Khrustalny | Ivanovo | Kideksha | Kostroma | Moscow | Palekh | Pereslavl-Zalessky | Plyos | Rostov | Sergiyev Posad | Suzdal | Tutayev | Uglich | Vladimir | Yaroslavl | Yuryev-Polsky


Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow"

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since July 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | Accuracy disputes | Host cities of the Summer Olympic Games | Capitals in Europe | Moscow | Federal cities of Russia | Holy cities | Hero Cities of the Soviet Union
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