Moscow (in Russian Москва, Moskva , marked " Maskva") is the capital and more the big city of Russia and Europe.

Located on the river Moskova, in the European part of Russia and administratively in the central federal district, Moscow is the most populated city Europe with 12,6 million inhabitants in 2007. It is the economic, political center and academic of Russia, gathering 8,9% of the population of the country.

Moscow played a great part in the history of Russia: it was the capital of the Grand-duché of Moscow, then of the Russian Empire before Pierre the Large one does not transfer the capital in the new town of Saint-Pétersbourg then is become again capital in 1917 of the young Russian Soviet socialist republic then of the Union of the Soviet socialist republics. Moscow is also known for its architectural heritage: the the Kremlin with its palates and churches, the cathedral Saint-Basile on the Red Place, the cathedral of Christ Saver as well as the Seven Stalinist Sisters. The Monastère Danilov in Moscow is also the seat of the patriarch of the Russian orthodoxe church. Moscow has an important place in the Russian economy: it produces 25% of GDP of the Federation. The city is the seat many university institutions and cultural of the Federation. Moscow organized the Olympic Games of summer of 1980.

The historical core of the city is located on the hill which dominates left bank of the Moskova, at the place where are today the the Kremlin and the Red Place.

History

In XIVe century Iouri III Moskovski with Michel III the Saint Vladimirski prince of Tver the throne of the principality of Vladimir-Souzdal disputed (whose capital was the town of Vladimir). Ivan I {{er}} carried it and became the only collector of taxes for the Mongolian suzerains of the Gold Horde. This service made it possible to obtain concessions in particular to transmit the control of the principality to elder and not to divide it between all the children.

But, when the growth of the empire Lithuania N started to threaten all Russia, the Khan reinforced Moscow, in particular by making some the seat of the orthodoxe church, enabling him to become the most important city of Russia. It is generally allowed that Ivan III released finally the city of Mongolian control in 1480, raising it with the row of capital of an empire which will end up including all Russia, including the Siberia and many other territories.

The tyranny of the following tsars, like Ivan the Terrible, led to a weakening of the State, even when the empire extended. In 1571 the Tatars of the Crimea of the Ottoman Empire seized and burned the city. Between 1610 and 1612 of the Polish troops occupied Moscow as the Poland tried without success to install a monarch on the throne or to constitute a union between the Slavic States. However the Polish army only was partially supported by the aristocracy and its Russian equivalent carried out by the prince Pojarski obtained the election of Michel Romanov.

Moscow ceased being the capital of Russia when in 1703 Pierre Large the made build Saint-Pétersbourg on the coast of the Baltic. September 14th 1812, when Napoleon invades Moscow with the head of part of the Large army (less than 100.000 men out of 400.000), the city is set fire to by the governor Rostoptchine. The Tsar Alexandre refuses any negotiation, Napoleon leaves Moscow on October 19th. As from November, snow falls, the temperature falls brutally and reprocesses it by a devastated zone is a rout.

After the success of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Lénine made the capital again of it.

When the Germany invades Russia during the Opération Barbarossa (on June 22nd, 1941), the Center army Wehrmacht had Moscow like objective and arrived up to 60 km before having to move back.

August 19th, 1991 an insurrection sets fire to the gigantic Parliament of the Soviet Union. The USSR implose and consequently this event put an end to the functions Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, his last president.

Population

According to the census of 2002, the population of the city was of 10  382  754 people. The estimates for 2007 indicate that the population of the city exceeded the 10,5 million inhabitants. However, this figure holds account only legal residents and not of the illegal immigrants and other alive Gastarbeiters in the city, of which the number is estimated at several million. While precisely taking account of this vast number of clandestine immigrants, the number of Moslems in the city could go up to 1,5 million. The city would be in addition the place of residence of 100.000 Tchétchénes and between 50.000 and 150.000 Chinese. The million clandestine immigrants is originating in the Caucasus (Azerbaidjan, Arménie, Georgia), of the Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Ouzbékistan, Tadjikistan), as well as Ukraine and of Moldavie. One also notes an increase in flows of countries which did not belong to the ex-USSR. .

The town of Moscow east one of the rare cities of the Federation of Russia to have a positive population growth: in 2006 it amounted to +0,22%. The birthrate in 2006 was of 9,2 per thousand, and the mortality of 12 per thousand. The difference between the deaths and the births is pronounced definitely less in Moscow than at the national level: -0,28% in Moscow compared with -0,48% at the national level. The population growth of the city must with the fact that the city attracts the national immigrants and of the whole of the ex Soviet republics. The birthrate is also in fast and constant rise: one records 94.000 births in 2006 compared with approximately 70.000 with the beginning of the year 2000. The course of the 100.000 births should in addition be crossed in 2007, grace, inter alia, with the policy natalist launched by the government. Mortality with dropped also considerably and the life expectancy are 7 years higher than the national average.

Immigration remains a sensitive topic like everywhere else in Russia, the mayor of Moscow, Iouri Loujkov, recently announced that it would reduce the number of work permits from 800.000 to 500.000. Expulsions the clandestine ones should in addition continue. This climate agitated around immigration is also shown by the assassinations and the aggressions in racist matter increasingly more current in the capital. Moscow also comprises an internal system of passport which prohibits nonthe residents from remaining in the capital more than 90 days without recording near the authorities. Moreover, the increase in xenophobia in all the layers of the company is proven by multiple investigations and surveys, as well as the political orientation towards the extreme line of a number increasingly higher of residents.

At the religious level, the city is with a clear orthodoxe majority, while counting a Jewish community whose manpower suffered much from the vagueness of emigration towards Israel in the years 1990. The city also comprises a Muslim community constituting between 10% and 15% of the total population, primarily of the clandestine immigrants originating in the ex-USSR. As everywhere else in Russia the membership and the religious practice enormously increased during the last decade and the building sites of churches became frequent, in particular in the peripheries.

According to the census of 2002, the Russians constitute 84,83% of the population of Moscow, the Ukrainians being the most important minority with 2,44% and the Tatars the third with 1,6%. Come then the Azeri Arménie NS with 1,2% and with 0,9%.

Demographic trends of Moscow between 1400 and 2002:

Culture

Moscow is a dynamic city where the culture occupies a privileged place. The city thus offers many spectacles, ballets and plays like several museums universally known like the Galerie Tretiakov ( Russian art ), the museum Pouchkine ( fine art ), the Bolchoï or the Palais of the Armours ( decorative arts ).

Museums and art galleries

The Muscovite museums and galleries universally recognized thus that their collections, belong to largest and important museums of the world. The artistic exposures, that it is about the classic art or modern, there are very frequent, as at the time having preceded the revolutionary period . They gather all the artistic branches: the Painting, the Photography, the Sculpture…

One of the most famous museums of Moscow is the Galerie Tretiakov ( ГосударственнаяТретьяковскаягалерея ), founded by Pavel Mikhaïlovitch Tretiakov, a rich person philanthropist who made gift of his important personal collection at the city. The Tretiakov Gallery is currently divided into two buildings: old Tretiakov, the original gallery located in the Tretiakovskaya district, on southern bank of the Moskova, shelters the Russian traditional works. One can find work of famous revolutionary painters there pre , like Ilya Repine, as well as icons of old Russia. The visitors can see even there invaluable originals of the iconographe of the XVe century Andrei Roublev. New Tretiakov, created during the Soviet period , contains mainly works of Soviet artists, like those of some contemporary artists, but the chronology of the two galleries overlap on the level of the beginning of the XXe century. The new gallery included a reconstitution of famous the Monument with the Third International of Vladimir Tatline and a mixture of work of artists of avant-garde such as Kasimir Malevitch and Wassily Kandinsky. Elements of the socialist Réalisme can also be seen in this new gallery.

Another important Muscovite museum is the Musée of the Art schools Pouchkine ( ГосударственныймузейизобразительныхискусствимениА. С. Пушкина ), which was founded inter alia by the father of the poetess Marina Tsvetaeva. The Pouchkine Museum resembles the British Museum of London insofar as its rooms are a crossing of the ages of the world, rich person of many plaster pig iron and cast iron of old sculptures. However, it also shelters famous paintings of every era of Western art and one finds as well there works of Claude Monet or Paul Cézanne that those of Pablo Picasso.

The National Musée of History of Russia ( ГосударственныйИсторическиймузей ) is a Russian museum of history located between the Red Place and the Place of the Manège in Moscow. Its exposures are variable natures, prehistoric relics of tribes having lived in current Russia with drawings of a priceless value asset by the members of the dynasty of the Romanov. The full number of objects belonging to the collection of the museum is about several million. The Polytechnic Musée ( Политехническиймузей ) founded in 1872 is the largest technical museum of Russia, and discloses vast wide historical and technological inventions, including automats humanoïdes XVIIIe century and the first Soviet Ordinateur S. It contains more than 160.000 objects. The Museum-Panorama Borodino, located on the Koutouzov Avenue makes it possible to the visitors to live the experiment of a battle field thanks to a Diorama of 360°. It belongs to the immense historical memorial commemorating the victory of the Patriotic Guerre of 1812 vis-a-vis the Napoleonean army, which also included the Triumphal arch set up in 1827.

Theaters and performing arts

Moscow is also the heart of the performing arts, including the ballet, the symphonic music and the cinema, in Russia. The city comprises 93 theaters, 132 cinemas and 24 concert halls.

Among the many theaters and Muscovite ballets, one finds in particular the Théâtre Bolchoï (in Russian, Grand Theater ) and the Théâtre Maly ( Petit Theater ), as well as the Théâtre Vakhtangov and the Théâtre of Art of Moscow ( МосковскийХудожественныйАкадемическийТеатр ). The one typical season repertories in Moscow are exhaustive and modern interpretations of traditional works, that it is of opera or theater, are currency. The Concert hall " Rossiya" ( Государственныйцентральныйконцертныйзал " Россия" ), known for its ballets and its representations, is the place in frequent concerts of the pop-stars as Alla Pougatcheva and is in the middle of the Hôtel Rossiya, the largest hotel of Europe, which will be demolished soon.

Moscow has several symphony orchestras of reputation, the first of which the Philharmonic orchestra of Moscow and the National orchestra of Russia. One can also quote the Symphony orchestra Tchaïkovski of the Radio of Moscow, the Symphony orchestra of the federation of Russia and the Symphony orchestra Capella of the State of Russia.

The International Center of the Performing arts of Moscow, open in 2003, so known under the name of International House of the Music of Moscow ( МосковскиймеждународныйДоммузыки ), is famous for its spectacles of classical music. It also has largest Orgue of Russia, installed in the Svetlanov room.

The town of Moscow also comprises two large circuses: the Circus of Moscow, internationally considered, and the Circus of Moscow of the Boulevard Tsvetnoï, which comprised in its rows celebrates it actor and clown Youri Nikouline.

The industry of the Soviet cinema forms integral part of the history of film and the studio Mosfilm was in the middle of many Soviet traditional films, as a person in charge at the same time of artistic productions and popular films. However, in spite of the presence continues and the reputation of internationally recognized Russian scenario writers, the studios then prolific were done more discrete. The rare and historical films can be viewed with the cinema Salut where films of the collection of the Museum of the Cinema are regularly projected.

Green areas

There are 96 parks and 18 gardens in Moscow, including 4 botanical gardens. On the whole, the green areas represent 450 km ², without counting more than 100 km ² of forest. If one compares it with the of the same cities cuts America or Western Europe, Moscow is a city relatively rich in greenery. Each Muscovite has on average 27m ², against 6 with Paris, 8,6 with New York and 7,5 with London. One often finds in the parks of Moscow of the statues of important personalities of the city: Nikolaï Gogol and Alexandre Pouchkine thus forms part of the many people immortalized in the green areas of Moscow. The near total of the statues of personalities of the Soviet era disappeared. Many was gathered in the Parc the Statues on the edges Moskova not far from the center.

The Park Gorki, of the name of the writer Maxime Gorki, was founded in 1928. Its principal part, of a surface of 69 hectares along the Moskova, contains estrades, plays for children among whom the ponds of the Large Wheel in which float watery boats and bicycle, of the courts of tennis and other sporting installations. The park skirts the Jardin Neskoutchni, the oldest park of the city, old residence of the Emperor, a surface of 41 hectares, which contains the Open-air theater, one of the vastest amphitheaters with open roof of Europe, of a capacity of 15.000 people.

The Parc Izmaylovski created in 1931 is one broadest in the world. It has a surface of 15,34 km ², that is to say 6 times that of Central Park to New York. The Park Sokolniki, is one of oldest of Moscow and its surface of 6 km ² is the quadruple of the London park of Hyde Park. It comprises a labyrinth made up of green ways.

The National park Losiny Ostrov ( Национальныйпарк " ЛосиныйОстров" = National park of the Island to the Dashes ), in edge of the Sokolniki Park, of a surface of more than 116 km ² is the first park of Russia, located in the Oblast of Moscow. It is claimed that it would be the largest forest within a comparable town of size. It is also known under the name of " Taïga urbaine" , and dashes in freedom easily there are found.

The Botanical garden of the Academy of Science Tsytsine, founded in 1945, is largest of Europe, covering a territory of 3,61 km ², in edge of the Center panrusse of the exposures and are exposed there more than 20.000 species different of plants from various parts of the world. It comprises also a scientific research laboratory.

The Zoo of Moscow is the residence of almost a thousand of species and more than 6.500 specimens. It is an attraction very appraisal which accommodates each year more than 1,2 million adult visitors.

Economy

Since 2006, Moscow is classified as being the most expensive city in the world for the expatriates mainly because of the price of the real estate. The scarcity of the real estate especially the real estate of standing, the reinforcement of the rouble and the important presence of the new Russian millionaires explain partly why Moscow occupies this first place. Moreover, certain prices are much higher for the foreigners than for the inhabitants. The inhabitants often occupy of small apartments which were given to them free or sold at prices symbolic systems during the Soviet period or with the beginnings of the year 1990, this being added to the very weak prices of the public services and the energy and with an income tax from only 13%, which make it possible to strongly decrease the overall costs of the life for the inhabitants of the capital. This weak income tax and these low costs of housing and energy (electricity and gas) have as principal consequence to make that the share of the income which can be put in consumption is much higher than in Western Europe.

Place of the city in the Russian economy :

Moscow and its area concentrate nearly one the third of the Russian activity, against approximately 10% of the population. The city profits from the majority of the overseas investments and the growth is stronger there than at the national level. Moscow concentrates the strong majority of the subsidiary companies of foreign companies established in the country.

Almost the whole of the large companies have their head office there. A ditch also separates the city from the remainder of the country: the average wages are, officially, more than 3 times higher at Moscow than elsewhere in the country. Unemployment is non-existent there and great low poverty. The middle-classes and easy on-are largely represented in the capital.

Cost of living :

During the Soviet era, the apartments were rented with the families according to the criterion of number of square meters per anybody. Certain privileged groups, like the artists, the communist heroes and the scientists of reputation were entitled to no-claims bonus however. The private property was limited until the years 1990, where the inhabitants could reach the property and bought the apartment in which they lived. Since the beginning of the economic boom, the prices of the real estate in Moscow do not cease increasing: the bar of the 4000$/3000€ was reached. In the prestigious districts of the center have can expect to pay 6000$ even 7000$, respectively 4500€ and 5000€ per square meter. In certain ultra programs - luxurious the prices reached the sum of 40.000$ is 30.000€ per square meter.

These prices complicated the life of many Muscovites wishing to change residence to move in another more comfortable residence or simply larger. However the rise of the prices bends, in particular because of the frenzy of construction. The real estate should become again soon accessible for a growing number of Muscovites, whose average revenue increases by 25% to 30% per annum.

Unemployment and standard of living:

In 2006, meadows of 8,5 million Muscovites are active. 1,73 million are employed by the State, 4,42 million by private companies and 2 million by small and medium-size companies. Unemployment rate in the city varies, according to the estimates, between 0,5% and 1,2% of the active population.

On the 74.400 unemployed listed in 2006, meadows of half was qualifiable for allowances.

The city with the strongest concentration of billionaires in the world after New York, as well as the strongest concentration of millionaires, of which the number could approach the 150.000. The average revenue is difficult to determine, so much the share of the versed wages " hand with the main" is strong. The official data and estimates are often in on this side real standard of living of the Muscovites. On the other hand, certain precise data circulate for certain professions: the wages of a marketing director plank with the monthly 20.000€, a secretary beginner can hope for 1000€ monthly. Moscow is also the city in the world or a banker can hope for the best wages: double of that of New York for example. One can affirm that the standard of living of the Muscovites exploded these last years, to reach that of Western Europe. This progression should be still accentuated during the years to come, because the deceleration of the growth and the rise of the wages is still not with the day order. The GDP per capita of the capital should reach and exceed 40.000$ before long.

Climate

The climate is known as continental, i.e. it comprises strong temperature variations between the summer and the winter. Moscow knows cold winters, and wet and hot summers. Spring and the autumn are short. In summer the temperature often borders 25°C and it goes down around -10°C the winter. The strongest recorded temperature was of 36,7°C and lowest of -42,2°C in January 1940. Precipitations are distributed about regularly with the length of the year, although their quantity is higher the summer than than the winter.

Transport

Of the nine Muscovite stations (Station of Kiev, Station of Leningrad,…) leave the train and suburban trains which serve the immense country whose Transsibérien celebrates it.

The highway network consists of three rings of peripheral (of which outside - the MKAD - is of a circumference of more than 100 km) and large avenues which have up to 16 ways. Moscow however became, with the development of the economy and the increase in the number of cars, one of the most bottled cities world.

Moscow has five airports: International airport Cheremetievo-1 and Cheremetievo-2, International airport Domodedovo, Airport Bykovo, and Airport Vnoukovo. A sixth airport (Cheremetievo-3) must be inaugurated in 2007. The international airport of Domodedovo is connected to the station of Paveletskaïa by a non-stop train which joined the airport in 40 minutes every 30 minutes.

A channel allows a river access to the the Volga what makes call the city the port of the five seas .

The city has an excellent network of subway. The Métro of Moscow is famous for its luxurious stations. Dug deeply, its construction started in 1935. It comprises 12 lines (11 transversals and 1 circular) and more than 170 stations. The depth of many stations is explained by the fact why they were supposed to be used as shelters in the event of attack of the city. The network of monorail is still embryonic. If the network of subway functions very well with a regular and frequent service, the low number of stations and the distance between them within sight of the size of the agglomeration to be served and the number of passengers to be transported make that the subway is constantly crammed at the rush hours. Consequently, much of Muscovites prefer to take their car, which worsens the congestion of the city.

A network of bus and trolley bus comes to supplement the subway by irrigating as well the center as the peripheral districts. Many buses and private light vans supplementing this service.

The number of vehicles knew a fast rise these last years. The congestions became a problem of size for the majority of the Muscovites, who frequently spend several hours per day in transport. The authorities of the city right now began the construction of new roads to flux the traffic and the refittings of large arteries, like the Leninski avenue, were already finished.

The February 6th 2004 in a subway train close to the station Avtozavodskaïa, a bomb killed at least 40 people and fact of many casualties.

Town planning

detailed Article: administrative Divisions of Moscow

For a long time, the sight of the city was dominated by many Orthodoxes churches. The aspect of the city changed enormously during the Soviet era, in particular under the action of Joseph Stalin, who decided of Master in place a policy of modernization of the city with large scales. It set up broad avenues, some containing sometimes up to ten ways, but it also destroyed a great number of architectural works of historical importances, like the Cathedral of Kazan and the Cathédrale of Christ Saver, which were destroyed during the reign of Stalin. These two cathedrals were rebuilt during the years 1990.

The architect Vladimir Choukhov was the author of the construction of many Moscovites buildings during the first years of the Soviet Russia. The Shoukhov tower, is one of the hyperboloidal turns create by Shoukhov, which was built between 1919 and 1922, like turn of transmission for the Russian company of retransmission. Shoukhov also left a heritage to Constructiviste architecture of the Soviet Russia. It created roomy commercial arcades, in particular the Goum on the Red Place, with refined architecture.

The Stalinist skyscrapers are important components of the landscape and a distinctive sign of the city, as well as witnesses of the town planning of the time of triumphing Communism. The Moskva hotel offers an asymmetrical frontage: two different projects had been proposed on the same sheet with Stalin and this one had signed the document without specifying which it preferred. By fear, the building was built by taking again half of each project. Only the frontage of the new building giving on the place of the Theaters will change aspect.

During the communist time, have assisted with overall massive construction residential collectives with the periphery of the city, as everywhere else in Eastern Europe.

The Orthodoxes churches resisted however well the vagueness of destruction of Communism and are always visible today and strew the historical heart with the city. Moreover, the many ones were built after the fall of Communism or are still today in construction. The district of old Arbat and the lanes of the street Tverskaïa are examples of architectures tsarist and middle-class woman. Moscow also comprises several second home of noble time of the tsar and today is renovated and opened with the visit and attracts many tourists and Muscovites. The restoration of architecture pre-Communist is an important component of the urban policy of today in order to giving again all its glare at the historical center of the city.

The street Tverskaïa, is the principal avenue of the city.

Future developments

Moskva City is the future district of business of the city. It is located out of the historical center, in the district of Presnensky. The zone of Moskva City experiences an intense development. The project was initially conceived in 1992 and aims at developing an economic zone and dwellings. Size of the zone east of one square kilometer. This zone is only being able to accommodate the project of large scales, because it sheltered only factories and of old industrial complexes.

The Tour Federation should be completed in 2008 and will be the highest tower of Europe. It should be détrônée in 2011 by the Russia tower, of which the height should practically reach 650 meters. The complex will also include many others scrape ciels glass, shopping malls, a watery center as well as other entertaining centers. The center will also shelter the future building of the administration of Moscow, as well as prestigious residential towers. Four new subway stations connect already this center to the remainder of the city. It is envisaged to build others of them, as well as a hot line until the International airport of Cheremetievo.

Fifteen million new square meters of housing is built each day in the Oblast of Moscow, from which a part increasingly more significant is occupied by the houses (very rare in Moscow), which flower in formerly wooded zones and complexes of apartments within the limits of the city even. The cranes are visible everywhere in the city and one builds, in addition to the residences, always more entertaining shopping malls, sports complexes and offices. The restoration is also a phenomenon which touches all the parts of the city: in the periphery always more complexes of the communist era are renovated.

A fourth highway network of skirting of the capital is in construction. It will be completed from here 2012 and will have an overall length of 61km.

Monuments

Sports

Moscow was the host of the Olympic Games of summer in 1980, but the regattas took place with Tallinn.

Clubs of Football : CSKA Moscow, FK Dynamo Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, FK Moscow, Spartak Moscow, Torpedo Moscow

Clubs of Volley ball : CSKA Moscow (male volley ball), Dynamo Moscow (male volley ball), MGTU Moscow (male volley ball), Dynamo Moscow (female volley ball), CSKA Moscow (female volley ball)

Clubs of Basketball : CSKA Moscow (basketball), MBK Dynamo Moscow, ŽBK Dynamo Moscow

Clubs of Hockey : CSKA Moscow (hockey), Dynamo Moscow (hockey)

Twinning

Moscow is twinned with

Famous characters

In Moscow died:

See too

External bonds

  • Moscow seen of the sky on ''' Google Maps '''
  • Moscow on Wikitravel
  • Eric Chol, Went Chevelkina, Moscow. When the city flames in '' the Express train '' of the 12/1/2005
  • Moscow in black and white

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