Moscow

Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia. It sits along the Moskva River in Central Russia. With over 13 million people, Moscow is one of the biggest cities in the world. The city covers a large area and has many parks, making it one of the greenest big cities on Earth.

First mentioned in records from the year 1147, Moscow grew to be very important for Russia. It was the heart of the country for many years and later became the capital again. Today, Moscow is the political and economic center of Russia and Eastern Europe.

Moscow is also a cultural hub, known for its beautiful Russian architecture. Famous places like Red Square, Saint Basil's Cathedral, and the Moscow Kremlin draw visitors from all over. The city has a big public transportation system, including the busy Moscow Metro. This metro is one of the largest and busiest rapid transit systems in Europe.

Etymology

The name Moscow likely comes from the Moskva River. One idea is that the river's name means "wet" in an ancient language, suggesting it flows through a marshy area. Words in other languages related to this idea include terms for "pool," "wash," and "drown."

Over time, the name changed from older forms like Mosky to the modern Moskva. Moscow has earned nicknames such as the "third Rome," and people who live there are called Muscovites in English.

History

Moscow has been an important city for over 800 years. It first appeared in records in 1147 and grew from a small settlement into a major center.

In the early years, Moscow faced invasions and fires but kept growing. Over time, it became the capital of Russia and later the Soviet Union. During World War II, Moscow was a key battleground, and many people helped defend the city.

After the war, Moscow changed greatly with new buildings and developments. Today, it remains Russia's capital and one of Europe's largest cities.

Geography

Moscow is located on the banks of the Moskva River, which flows through central Russia. The city has many bridges crossing the river and its canals. Moscow's highest point is Teplostan Upland, reaching 255 metres above sea level.

Moscow is the reference point for the time zone used in much of European Russia, Belarus, and the Republic of Crimea. This time zone is called Moscow Standard Time (MSK). It is 3 hours ahead of UTC, or UTC+3. Daylight saving time is no longer used.

Moscow has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and warm summers. Winters usually last from mid-November to the end of March, and summers are warm. The city's climate is influenced by its distance from the Atlantic Ocean, which helps keep temperatures moderate.

In winter, temperatures usually drop to around −10 °C (14 °F), but can sometimes rise above 0 °C (32 °F). Summer temperatures often reach between 20 °C and 26 °C (68 °F to 79 °F). The city receives about 1,731 hours of sunshine each year, with the most sunlight from May to August.

Main article: Climate of Moscow

Paleontology

Moscow has important places where scientists found fossils from long ago. Near the Gorodnya River, they found fossils of ancient sea creatures and marks left by animals that dug holes. These fossils help us learn about life from millions of years ago.

In 1878, a scientist named Hermann Trautschold found the fossil of an ancient sea reptile. Later, in 2014, this creature was named Undorosaurus trautscholdi to honor him. You can see fossils in museums in Moscow, such as the Orlov Museum of Paleontology and the Vernadsky State Geological Museum.

Demographics

Moscow is a big city with many people. In 2021, about 13 million people lived in the city. Many different kinds of people make their home in Moscow, including Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and others.

The city has many places for people to worship, such as churches and mosques. Moscow has long been an important place for Christianity, especially the Russian Orthodox Church. Today, people of many faiths live and work together in Moscow.

Cityscape

See also: List of tallest buildings in Moscow

Moscow's architecture is very famous. You can see beautiful buildings like Saint Basil's Cathedral with its colorful onion domes, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and the Seven Sisters. The first Kremlin was built a long time ago.

In the past, Moscow's design had walls and roads that helped shape the city. The Kremlin was rebuilt with towers and churches. Later, the city added many buildings like monasteries, palaces, and churches.

During Soviet times, the city's look changed. Big roads were built, and some old buildings were removed. Some important churches were destroyed, but some were rebuilt. New buildings appeared, like the Seven Sisters, seven tall skyscrapers.

Moscow has many parks and green spaces. There are parks and gardens, including four botanical gardens. Gorky Park is a big park with places to play and relax. Izmaylovsky Park is one of the largest urban parks. Other famous parks include Sokolniki Park and Losiny Ostrov National Park, where you might see elk.

The Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences is the largest in Europe, with many plants from around the world. The All-Russian Exhibition Center has big pavilions and fountains. Moscow is full of famous places to visit, like the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square, and the Moscow Zoo, which has many animals.

Moscow rings

Moscow's roads are built around the Kremlin. They have several circular roads, or "rings," that spread out from the center.

The first ring is called the Boulevard Ring. It follows an old wall and makes a horseshoe shape, not a full circle. The next ring is the Garden Ring, which also follows an old wall. The Third Ring Road is a fast highway. It was finished in 2003. There are plans for more roads to help cars move around the city easily.

Moscow has special circle lines on its subway system. One of these is called the Moscow Central Circle. It opened in 2016. Another one, the Big Circle Line, is still being built. The outermost ring is the Moscow Ring Road. It was built in the 1950s and marks the edge of the city. New roads are being built even farther out to help with traffic.

Culture

Moscow is a lively city with many places to see art and enjoy shows. One of its most famous art museums is the Tretyakov Gallery. It has two buildings. The older building shows paintings from Russian artists. The newer building has works from Soviet times and modern artists.

The city also has the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Here, visitors can see artwork from many different countries and times. Moscow is an important place for performing arts, with many theaters and concert halls. The famous Bolshoi Theatre is known for its ballet shows. There are also cinemas and film festivals held all year.

Sports

See also: Football in Moscow

Moscow is a very important city for sports. The city has many places to play sports, including 63 stadiums. The largest is Luzhniki Stadium, which is one of the biggest in Europe. It has hosted big events like the 1980 Summer Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Moscow has hosted the Summer Olympics in 1980. The city has strong teams in many sports. In ice hockey, HC CSKA Moscow and HC Dynamo Moscow are very successful. In basketball, PBC CSKA Moscow has won many titles. Moscow also has famous football teams like FC Spartak Moscow.

Moscow has many places for different sports. There are ice rinks for skating, tracks for horse racing, and parks for skiing and skating in winter. The city holds the Kremlin Cup tennis tournament every year and has hosted other big events like the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009.

In bandy, Dynamo Moscow is one of the most successful clubs in the world. The city also has strong futsal teams. When Russia hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup, new stadiums were built, including the Dynamo Stadium and Spartak Stadium.

Entertainment

See also: List of shopping malls in Moscow

Moscow is a fun place to visit with many clubs, restaurants, and bars. Tverskaya Street is one of the busiest shopping streets in the city.

Nearby, the Tretyakovsky Proyezd area in Kitai-gorod has fancy stores like Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., Armani, Prada, and Bentley. Moscow has many large nightclubs, especially around an old chocolate factory where you’ll find bars, galleries, cafés, and restaurants.

Dream Island is a big indoor amusement park. It opened in 2020 and is the largest indoor theme park in Europe. The park has a beautiful area, a concert hall, a cinema, a hotel, a children’s sailing school, restaurants, and shops.

Authorities

Moscow has its own local government. The Mayor of Moscow leads the city and works with the Government of Moscow. There is also a Moscow City Duma, which makes important decisions for the city.

Moscow is also an important place for the government of all of Russia. Many key offices are based there, including the Government of the Russian Federation, the State Duma, and the Federation Council. The Moscow Kremlin is where the President of Russia has an official office.

Moscow works hard to keep its people safe. The city has many security cameras that help watch over public places. There are special numbers people can call if they need help quickly, just like in other parts of Russia.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Moscow

Moscow is led by a mayor, currently Sergey Sobyanin. The city has twelve main areas and 125 smaller districts. Moscow began growing in the 12th century. It expanded by adding new areas around its center, like circles and lines. Important roads and subway lines shape the city. In 2012, Moscow grew larger by including nearby areas. This helped the city develop. Each area and district has its own symbols and leaders. Some special zones, like large parks and gardens, have unique status but no permanent residents. Moscow does not have special areas for specific cultures like some other big cities.

Economy

See also: Economy of Russia

Moscow has a very strong economy and is one of the largest in Europe. It makes more than one-fifth of all the goods and services in Russia. In 2021, Moscow's economy was worth about ₽24.5 trillion, which is around US$332 billion. People in Moscow earn more on average than people in other parts of Russia.

Moscow is an important center for banks, oil companies, and many other big businesses. It has many tall buildings and offices. The city makes things like chemicals, metals, food, clothes, furniture, energy, computers, and machines. Some famous factories near Moscow make helicopters, airplanes, space tools, and watches.

Education

Further information: Education in Russia

Moscow has many places where people can learn and study. There are high schools, colleges, and universities in the city. One of the most famous is the Lomonosov Moscow State University. It has many students and many different subjects to study.

Moscow also has important medical schools, such as the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University and the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University. The city has schools for many other areas, like business, engineering, and music at the Moscow Conservatory.

Moscow is a big center for science. It has many libraries, including the Russian State Library, which is the largest library in Russia.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Moscow

Metro

The Moscow Metro is known for its beautiful artwork, including murals, mosaics, and shiny chandeliers. It started in 1935 and is now a very important way for people to get around the city. The Metro is one of the deepest subway systems in the world, with stations far underground. It is also very busy, carrying about ten million passengers each day. Moscow plans to make the Metro even bigger to help with traffic.

Monorail

The Moscow Metro also runs a short monorail line that links Timiryazevskaya metro station with Ulitsa Sergeya Eisensteina. This line opened in 2004 and is useful for traveling near VDNH.

Bus, trolleybus and electric bus

Main article: Electric buses in Moscow

Moscow has many buses that go from Metro stations to nearby areas. There are also trolleybuses, which get power from overhead wires. Recently, Moscow has been adding more electric buses and using fewer older trolleybuses.

Moscow cable car

Main article: Moskva River cable car

In 2018, a cable car opened above the Moskva River. It links the Luzhniki sports complex with Sparrow Hills, making the trip quicker than driving.

Tram

Main article: Trams in Moscow

Moscow has a large tram system that started in 1899. Trams are useful for traveling between Metro stations and some neighborhoods.

Taxi

There are many taxi services in Moscow, including popular app-based services like Yandex.Taxi and Uber.

Railway

Moscow has ten main train stations, each linking the city to different parts of Europe and Asia. The city is also the starting point of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which goes across Russia to the Pacific coast.

Roads

Moscow has many cars, which can cause traffic jams. The city has several major ring roads to help with traffic.

Air

Moscow has five main airports, including Sheremetyevo International Airport, which is very important for international travel. Other airports like Domodedovo and Vnukovo also serve many passengers.

Water

Moscow has river terminals for cruises and fun along the Moskva and Oka rivers. The city is also linked to other parts of Russia through the Moscow Canal.

Sharing system

See also: Carsharing in Moscow

Moscow offers many sharing options, including car sharing, bike sharing, and electrical scooters. These services are popular and help cut down on the number of private cars on the road.

Media

See also: Media of Russia

Moscow is a big center for media in Russia. Many of the country's main television networks, radio stations, newspapers, and magazines are based there. Readers can find news in both Russian and English.

Some well-known newspapers include The Moscow Times, Kommersant, Vedomosti, and Novaya Gazeta. Moscow has many radio stations, with nearly 50 broadcasting on the FM band. One famous radio station is Echo of Moscow, and NTV is a major private television network.

Further information: List of newspapers in Russia

See also: Television in Russia

People

Main article: List of people from Moscow

Further information: Category:People from Moscow

Moscow has been home to many important people throughout history. One of them is Alexander Pushkin, who is known as the founder of modern Russian literature. He was born in Moscow in 1799. Another famous person from Moscow is Fyodor Dostoyevsky, born in 1821. Alexander Suvorov, a notable military leader, was also born in Moscow in 1730. Even Peter the Great, one of Russia’s most famous rulers, was born in Moscow in 1672.

International relations

Moscow has many friendships with cities around the world, called "twin towns" or "sister cities." These partnerships help different places share ideas and support each other.

Some of these friendships have changed because of conflicts. Cities like Berlin, Chicago, and Prague are no longer twinned with Moscow for now. Other cities such as Kharkiv and Kyiv in Ukraine are also not twinned at this time.