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{{otheruses}} {| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" align="right" style="margin-left:1em; background:#e3e3e3;" ! Coat of Arms ! Flag |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | align="center" | Image:Coat of Arms of Moscow.png Saint_George 130px|[[Saint George|St. George slaying the dragon.html" title="Meaning of St. George.html" title="Meaning of 130px|[[Saint George|St. George">130px|[[Saint George|St. George slaying the dragon">St. George.html" title="Meaning of 130px|[[Saint George|St. George">130px|[[Saint George|St. George slaying the dragon | align="center" | Image:Flag of Moscow.jpg 180px |-l ! colspan="2" | Data |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Federal districts of Russia Federal District: || Central Federal District Central |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Subdivisions of Russia Subdivision: || Federal cities of Russia Federal city |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Geographic coordinate system Location: || {{coor dm|55|45|N|37|37|E|region:RU_type:city(4,661,219)}} |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Area: .html">Square kilometre kmÂ² |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Population: || 10,415,400 (within the city area, 2005) |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Population density: || 8,537.2 persons/kmÂ² |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Altitude: || 150-200 m |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Postal code: || 119992-123182 |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Area code Dialling code: || +7 495 (formerly +7 095); +7 499 |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | License plate: || 77, 99, 97, 177 |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | Time Zone: .html">Coordinated Universal Time UTC + 3 (Daylight saving time Summer: Coordinated Universal Time UTC + 4) |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ! align="center" colspan="2" | |} '''Moscow''' (Russian language Russian: ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð°Ì?, ''Moskva'', International Phonetic Alphabet IPA: {{IPA|[mÊŒ'skva]}} {{Audio|ru-Moskva.ogg|listen}}) is the capital of Russia and the country's principal political, economic, financial, educational and transportation center, located on the river Moskva River Moskva. The urban area constitutes about 1/14 of the Russian population and is the most populous city in Europe. The city is in the Central Federal District located in the west part of the Russian Federation. Historically, its position was central in the Russian homeland. It was the capital of the former Soviet Union, and of Muscovite Russia, the pre-Imperial Russia. It is the site of the famous Moscow Kremlin Kremlin, which serves as the center of the national government. Moscow is also well known as the site of the Saint Basil's Cathedral, with its elegant onion domes. The Patriarch of Moscow, whose residence is the Danilov Monastery, serves as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

History
{{main|History of Moscow}} Image:StBasile SpasskayaTower Red Square Moscow.hires.jpg Saint_Basil's Cathedral.html" title="Meaning of right right|thumb|350px|[[Saint Basil's Cathedral and Spasskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin at Red Square..html" title="Meaning of thumb|350px|[[Saint Basil's Cathedral">right|thumb|350px|[[Saint Basil's Cathedral and Spasskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin at Red Square.">thumb|350px|[[Saint Basil's Cathedral">right|thumb|350px|[[Saint Basil's Cathedral and Spasskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin at Red Square. The first reference to Moscow dates from 1147 when it was an obscure town in a small province inhabited mostly by Merya, speakers of a now extinct Finnic language. In 1156, Prince Yuriy Dolgorukiy ordered the construction of a wooden wall and a moat around the city. After the sacking of 1237-1238, when the Mongols burned the city to the ground and killed its inhabitants, Moscow recovered and became the capital of an independent principality. Its favorable 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 numbers of refugees from across Russia. Under Ivan I of Russia Ivan I the city replaced Tver as capital of Vladimir-Suzdal and became the sole collector of taxes for the Mongol 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 Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow led a united Russian army to an important victory over the Mongols in the Battle of Kulikovo. After that, Moscow took the leading role in liberating Russia from Mongol domination. In 1480, Ivan III of Russia Ivan III had Great standing on the Ugra river finally broken the Russians free from Tatar control, bringing Moscow to the zenith of power for a while. The Russian capital, which had wandered from Kiev to Vladimir, came rest in this city by the end of his reign, and Moscow became the capital of an empire that would eventually encompass all of Russia and Siberia, and parts of many other lands. Image:Kremlevskaya Naberezhnaja Moscow.hires.jpg Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.html" title="Meaning of left left|thumb|350px|Kremlin Embankment and Moscow skyline with [[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the left and Moscow Kremlin Kremlin on the right.html" title="Meaning of thumb|350px|Kremlin Embankment and Moscow skyline with [[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour">left|thumb|350px|Kremlin Embankment and Moscow skyline with [[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the left and Moscow Kremlin Kremlin on the right">thumb|350px|Kremlin Embankment and Moscow skyline with [[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour">left|thumb|350px|Kremlin Embankment and Moscow skyline with [[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the left and Moscow Kremlin Kremlin on the right Moscow ceased to be Russia's capital in 1703 when Peter I of Russia Peter the Great founded Saint Petersburg St. Petersburg on the Baltic Sea Baltic coast. When Napoleon I of France Napoleon invaded in 1812, the Moscovites burned the city and evacuated, as Napoleon's forces were approaching September 14. Napoleon's army, plagued by hunger, cold, and poor supply lines, was forced to retreat. In January of 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 success of the Russian Revolution of 1917 Russian Revolution in 1917, Lenin, fearing possible foreign invasion, moved the capital from St. Petersburg back to Moscow on March 5, 1918. During the Great Patriotic War, the USSR Soviet State Committee of Defence and the General Staff of the Red Army were located in Moscow. In 1941 16 divisions of the national volunteers (more than 160,000 people), 25 battalions (18,500 people) and 4 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 defenses, while the city was bombarded from the air. It is of some note that Stalin refused to leave the city, and the general staff and the council of ministers, remained in the City. 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 awarded a 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 the Russian Federation. Since then, the emergence of a market economy in Moscow has produced an explosion of Western-style retailing, services, architecture, and lifestyles.

Administrative divisions
Image:Msk all districts.svg thumb|Administrative divisions of Moscow :''Main article: Administrative divisions of Moscow''. Moscow is divided into ten administrative districts, of which only nine are located geographically in the city and one corresponds to a satellite city of Zelenograd (although being categorized as a city and separated geographically from the rest of Moscow, administratively Zelenograd is part of the Russian capital). Administrative districts administered by prefecturas headed by prefect. Each administrative district consists of several municipal districts, unofficially called raions. Each municipal district (as well as administrative district) has its own coat of arms, flag and administered by uprava, headed by elected person. Along with Municipal districts there are several TEOSes in Moscow—Territorial Unities with Special Status, or shortly, territories. These usually include areas with small or none permanent population such as All-Russia Exhibition Centre, Botanical Garden, large parks and industrial zones. Recent years some TEOSes were merged with different raions. There are no ethnic-specific raions in Moscow, also there are no definitely "rich" or "poor" raions (although living closer to city centre, metro station or green zones is generally considered more prestigious). Most raions have their own cable television, computer network and official newspaper.

Culture
Moscow and St. Petersburg have for centuries been the sites of much of the country's internationally known history and culture, and the residences of most of its famous personalities.

Architecture
The city was once known as 'sorok-sorokov' ('forty-times-forty'), in reference to the many Orthodox onion domes making up the city's skyline. The look of the city was changed drastically during Soviet times, mostly due to Stalin, who oversaw a large scale effort to modernize the city by, on the one hand, introducing very broad avenues and roadways, some of them over ten lanes wide, and on the other, destroying a great number of historically significant architectural works such as the Sukharev Tower and numerous mansions and stores lining the major streets, and various works of religious architecture, such as the Cathedral_of_Christ_the_Saviour Christ the Saviour Cathedral. The latter was demolished to make way for a huge skyscraper that was never built, and reconstructed in the mid to late 90s. Image:ost.jpg Ostankino_Tower.html" title="Meaning of right right|thumb|200px|[[Ostankino Tower - the tallest free-standing structure in Eurasia.html" title="Meaning of thumb|200px|[[Ostankino Tower">right|thumb|200px|[[Ostankino Tower - the tallest free-standing structure in Eurasia">thumb|200px|[[Ostankino Tower">right|thumb|200px|[[Ostankino Tower - the tallest free-standing structure in Eurasia Stalin did build Seven Sisters (Moscow) seven other skyscrapers however, allegedly inspired by the Municipal Building in New York.{{fact}} They form a series of huge, cathedral-like structures with intricate exteriors, and are given various labels: 'Seven Sisters (Moscow) The Seven Sisters', 'Stalinist architecture Stalinist Gothic', 'wedding cake architecture' and so on. All seven 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 built in 1967, was the tallest free-standing land structure in the world, before the title was taken by the CN Tower. The Soviet policy of providing mandatory housing for every citizen or their family, and the rapid growth of the huge Moscow population in Soviet times, also led to the construction of large, monotonous housing blocks, which can often be differentiated in 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, Krushchev, 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 architecture Classical themes. However, small churches - almost always Orthodox - that hint on 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 19th century or older buildings. 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, and other large estates just outside Moscow belonging to nobles from the Tsarist era, and some :Category:Monasteries in Moscow 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, and these 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 the Novy Arbat project, designed by Mikhail Posokhin. Like in London, but on a broader scale, plaques on the 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 to the outside world. There are also many 'house-museums' of famous Russian writers, composers, and artists in the city.

Views of Moscow
Image:sk334.jpg|Presidium of Russian Academy of Sciences. Image:sk331.jpg|Moscow International Music-Hall. Image:sk302.jpg|Paveletsky Tower Business Center. Image:sk328.jpg|Triumphal arch on Kutuzov Avenue, near Poklonnaya Gora. Image:sk280.jpg|Bogdan Khmelnitsky Bridge. Image:sk388.jpg|Riverside building. Image:sk337.jpg|Old Andreevsky Bridge. Image:sk345.jpg|Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Image:sk225.jpg|Foreign Office Skyscraper and Borodinsky Bridge Image:sk55.jpg|Moscow International Business Center, Tower 2000. Image:eur.jpg|Square of Europe Image:wintermoscow.jpg|Winter Moscow at night Image:rs1.jpg|Riverside Towers business center Image:mon1.jpg|Moscow monorail Image:Kotelincheskaya Naberezhnaja Moscow.hires.jpg|Seven Sisters (Moscow) Stalinist Skyscraper at Kotelnicheskaya Embankment. Image:vd1.jpg|"Frendship of nations" fountain in All-Russia Exhibition Centre

Visual, Performing and Other Arts
There are many museums and galleries in Moscow with collections that can be compared to those of the best museums in the West. Frequent art exhibitions thrive on both the new and the classic, as they once did in pre-Revolutionary times, and from their diversity in every branch of the arts - painting, photography, sculpture and so on - it would appear that the Muscovite art world is steeped in many traditions: Russian, Western, Oriental, both old and new. Two of the most notable art museums in Moscow are the Tretyakov Gallery, founded by Pavel Tretyakov Paul Tretyakov, a wealthy and generous patron of the arts who accumulated a very large private collection before donating it to the city, and the Pushkin Museum Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, which was founded, among others, by Marina Tsvetaeva's father. Currently there are two Tretyakovs. The Old Tretyakov, the original gallery in the Tretyakovskaya area on the south bank of the Moskva, houses the works of the classic Russian tradition, with famous pre-revolutionary painters such as Ilya Repin, going all the way back to early Russian icon painting with exhibits of rare originals by Andrei Rublev. The New Tretyakov, created in Soviet times, mostly houses the work of Soviet and a few contemporary artists, but there is some overlap between the two for early 20th century art. The latter 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 or Wassily Kandinsky, and Soviet propaganda. The Pushkin Museum is like The British Museum in that its halls are a cross-section of world civilizations, with many plaster casts of ancient sculptures, but it also hosts famous paintings from every major Western era of art - the work of Monet, Cezanne, Picasso and so on can all be sampled there. Moscow is also the heart of Russian performing arts, including ballet. Theatres and ballet studios are very common in Moscow. The most famous of these are the Bolshoi (Big) and Malyy (Small) theatres, a centerpiece of Moscow; the Bolshoi is usually closed during the summer, but in 2005 it closed semi-permanently for reconstruction work. Ticket prices were as low as $1 in the Soviet era, but have increased dramatically since. The repertories in a typical Moscow season are exhaustive and modern interpretations of classic works, whether operatic or theatrical, are quite common. Soviet films are integral to film history, and the Mosfilm studio was at the heart of many classics, both artistic and more mainstream productions. However, despite the continued presence and reputation of internationally renowned Russian filmmakers, the once prolific native studios are much quieter, and there are fewer independent cinema theatres in Moscow than there were around the end of the Soviet Union, having given way to multiplexes and recent Hollywood productions. The overall maintenance and condition of theatres has improved, though ticket prices are much higher and increase every year.

Transport
Image:Moscow scene traffic.jpg left|thumb|250px|Heavy traffic and active construction, 2003 Moscow has five airports, Sheremetyevo International Airport, Domodedovo International Airport, Bykovo Airport, Ostafievo International Airport and Vnukovo Airport Vnukovo International Airport. The city is also the main rail hub for Russia, with daily trains to diverse destinations such as Vladivostok (~9,000 km) and Brussels (2,000 km) [http://www.seat61.com/Russia.htm#option%201,%20via%20the%20Brussels%20-%20Moscow%20sleeper]. Local transport includes the Moscow Metro, an excellent Rapid transit metro (subway) system famous for its art, murals, mosaics, and ornate chandeliers. Begun in 1935, the system has 11 lines and more than 171 stations. The system is the world's busiest, with nine million passengers every day and trains every 90 seconds at peak times. Image:mon2.jpg monorail.html" title="Meaning of right right|thumb|220px| Moscow [[monorail.html" title="Meaning of thumb|220px| Moscow [[monorail">right|thumb|220px| Moscow [[monorail">thumb|220px| Moscow [[monorail">right|thumb|220px| Moscow [[monorail
As Metro stations outside the city centre are far apart in comparison to other cities, up to four km, an extensive bus network radiates from each station to the surrounding residential zones. Suburbs and several city areas also connected with electric train (elektrichka) 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 and none of the city's 13,000 apartment blocks are more than a few minutes walk from a stop. There are also tram and trolleybus networks. Image:trvn2.jpg elektrichka.html" title="Meaning of left left|thumb|220px|Underground electric railway ([[elektrichka) station in Vnukovo Airport.html" title="Meaning of thumb|220px|Underground electric railway ([[elektrichka">left|thumb|220px|Underground electric railway ([[elektrichka) station in Vnukovo Airport">thumb|220px|Underground electric railway ([[elektrichka">left|thumb|220px|Underground electric railway ([[elektrichka) station in Vnukovo Airport There are over 2.5 million cars in the city on a daily basis (as of 2004). Recent years have seen explosive growth in the number of cars, which have caused traffic jams and the lack of parking space to become major problems. The road system is structured with sequences of radial and ring roads. The first and innermost, Bulvarnoye Koltso (Boulevard Ring), built at the former location of the 16th century city wall around what used to be called Bely Gorod (White Town). Boulevard Ring is technically not a ring—it is not connected and has a horseshoe-like shape. The second ring, Sadovoye Koltso (Garden Ring), follows the line of another 16th century wall—the Earth Wall encircling historic Earth Town. After the Napoleon's Invasion of Russia war of 1812, the Earth Wall was demolished and replaced by streets and gardens. During the reconstruction of the 1930s the Garden Ring took its current shape—the streets were widened, and the gardens were gone. The Third Transport Ring was completed in 2003, and the Fourth Transport Ring is being constructed to reduce traffic congestion. The outer ring, a large road called MKAD, forms the approximate boundary of the city. MKAD, along with Third and future Fourth Transport Rings are the only freeway freeways within city limits.

Everyday life
Although less than a quarter of Russians live in the countryside, many Muscovites, like other urban dwellers, are still attached to the country. Many live in country homes (called dachas) over the weekend and over holidays, and retire to the country when they are old. Moscow contains many parks and gardens; see Sport. Huge shopping malls, both urban and suburban, with their multiplex theatres, department stores, grocery chains, food courts, and other common features are now very common in Moscow and they are very popular with the city's adolescents most of whom, like their Western counterparts, like to project themselves as trendy. According to the latest world-wide quality of life survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Moscow's ranking slipped down to 170th position among 215 world cities. This globally recognized analysis was based on an evaluation of 39 quality of life criteria and helps governments and major companies to place employees on international assignments. Moscow scored very low because of safety issues and poor waste removal and sewage systems.

Education
Image:DSCN0128.JPG thumb|250px|Moscow State University There are :List of universities in Russia numerous large universities in Moscow, including the renowned Moscow State University housed in the 240m high tower on ''Vorobyovy Gory'' (Sparrow Hills). The university has over 30,000 undergraduates and 7,000 postgraduate students. Moscow State Technical University Bauman Moscow State Technical University offers a wide range of technical degrees. Moscow State Institute of International Relations [http://www.mgimo.ru] is Russia's best known school of international relations and diplomacy.

Business and Trade
A major part of Russia's profits and development is concentrated in Moscow. 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 practically indistinguishable from any other Western European city, although the average salary for the Russian is still lower here. After the financial crisis in the late 90s, various business sectors in Moscow have shown exponential rates of growth. However, while the overall stability has improved in the recent years, crime and corruption continue to remain a problem hindering business development. A recent study showed that far from decreasing, corruption in the Putin era has been on the rise, and large businesses can expect to pay an average of over a hundred thousand dollars a year in bribes to officials. 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. Image:Mos-GUM-interrior.jpg State_Universal Store thumb|left|150px|[[State Universal Store|GUM interriors with walkways, fountains and bridges.html" title="Meaning of GUM.html" title="Meaning of thumb|left|150px|[[State Universal Store|GUM">thumb|left|150px|[[State Universal Store|GUM interriors with walkways, fountains and bridges">GUM.html" title="Meaning of thumb|left|150px|[[State Universal Store|GUM">thumb|left|150px|[[State Universal Store|GUM interriors with walkways, fountains and bridges According to a July 22, 2004 article in Forbes, Moscow became the city with the most billionaires. It had 33 billionaires, passing New York City by two. The article also estimates that a quarter of Russia's wealth is now concentrated in the hands of just 100 people. 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.

Tourism
Image:ClimateMoscowRussia.PNG right|thumb|200px|Average temperature (red) and precipitations (blue) in Moscow Moscow has always been a popular destination for more adventurous tourists. The better known attractions include the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Moscow Kremlin Kremlin, Red Square and the Church of the Ascension at Kolomenskoye, all dating from between the 14th century 14th and 17th century 17th centuries. Other popular attractions include the Moscow Zoo Zoo, expanded in the 1990s. Moscow is also the western end of the 9 300 km Trans-Siberian railway to Vladivostok. The city presents a unique look in midwinter when the streets are cloaked in powdery snow and the dusky twilight of the continental winter. In winter the locals face the cold with the warm embrace of hospitality. However, as temperatures can often be below -25 Â°C (-13 Â°F), early summer or early autumn can offer a much more comfortable and lively visit. Russians like to have fun as much as anyone else, and the very short summers mean that one can find people involved in social events, or roving about, or drinking outside at very late hours. The abundant greenery of Moscow gives the city a semi-tropical feel that pleasantly surprises the visitor accustomed to stereotypes about the Russian cold. The long days will also afford one more time to cover the immense wealth of historical, cultural or simply popular sites in Moscow. Scenic vantage points include the Sparrow Hills, on the Moscow river to the south-west of the city. Moscow presents many obstacles to the independent foreign tourist without local contacts. While it is not hard to get a visa and enter the country, it is quite common to resort to somewhat expensive, semi-legal procedures to 'register' oneself. The registration process is deliberately bureaucratic, complicated and immensely time-consuming, if one is not staying at a hotel. New medical and work permit requirements have also been introduced by the government, which increases the stress and expenses involved for long-term visitors, who are already required to leave the country every six months and re-register upon entry. While excellent hotels are found all over Moscow, they are usually not for the budget traveller, and not for long-term visitors. Image:Novoleto.jpg Novodevichy_Convent.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|250px|[[Novodevichy Convent is just one of many medieval monuments that dots the city.html" title="Meaning of 250px|[[Novodevichy Convent">thumb|250px|[[Novodevichy Convent is just one of many medieval monuments that dots the city">250px|[[Novodevichy Convent">thumb|250px|[[Novodevichy Convent is just one of many medieval monuments that dots the city Everyone is also required to carry their passport for identification and so that the registration can be checked by local militia, who also pose a problem. They are found all over the city but especially in and around Metro stations. Being underpaid, they frequently attempt to supplement their income by stopping people arbitrarily, checking their passports, and demanding bribes to prevent arrest over trivial reasons. Also, with the recent terrorist actions being associated with the darker-skinned Caucasus (geographic region) Caucasian population, official police racism against all dark-skinned people is rife and the latter are likely to be stopped much more often, sometimes as much as thrice a week. Violent crime, especially but not only directed against foreigners, is also a frequent occurrence in Moscow. However, the average tourist making a brief visit on a package tour is not likely to encounter any of these problems. The educated section of the populace are open-minded and can be very helpful; and expatriates who like making Russian friends find their curiosity and enthusiasm reciprocated and usually have fond memories of their stay, once they understand the system. While customer service is still something new to many Russian vendors, burgeoning Westernization means that high-profile and tourist stores all over Moscow may give you special attention if you are a foreigner.

Moscow tourist attractions
Bolshoi Theatre .html">Kolomenskoye _Kuskovo _Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin | Poklonnaya Hill .html" title="Meaning of Moscow Manege Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin | Poklonnaya Hill ">Manege.html" title="Meaning of Moscow Manege|Manege">Moscow Manege|Manege | Ostankino Tower Europe's tallest tower | Seven Sisters (Moscow) Stalinist skyscrapers | Ostankino Ostankino Palace | Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts .html">Red Square with Lenin's mausoleum, Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, and Lobnoye Mesto Saint Basil's Cathedral | Novodevichy Convent .html">Donskoy Monastery Three Stations Square | Simonov Monastery .html">Red Gate Bolshoi Kamennyi Bridge | Shukhov Tower .html">Cathedral of Christ the Saviour State Tretyakov Gallery | All-Russian Exhibition Center .html">Alexander Garden Moscow Zoo | Patriarch's Ponds .html">Moscow State University Krutitsy | Elokhovo Cathedral .html">Nativity Church in Putinki Menshikov Tower | Iberian Gate and Chapel .html">Kazan Cathedral, Moscow Kazan Cathedral | Church of the Intercession at Fili .html">Gostiny Dvor Tretyakov Drive | State Universal Store GUM | White House, Moscow .html">All-Russia Exhibition Centre Melnikov House|Melnikov Mansion | Old Arbat .html">Moscow Metro Moscow-City

Climate
Moscow's climate is described as Continental climate continental, with warm summers and cold winters.[http://www.waytorussia.net/Moscow/Facts.html] Typical high temperatures in the warm months of July and August are +30Â°C (85-90Â°F); in the winter, temperatures may drop to -15Â°C (3Â°F) in January and February.[http://www.wordtravels.com/Cities/Russia/Moscow/Climate]

Costs
Some prices are considerably higher for the foreign visitor than for locals. A 2005 cost of living survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting puts Moscow on fourth place in the world, making it the second most expensive city in Europe /after London/. However, this survey mostly reflects the costs of multinational corporation employees when transferred abroad and it is in sharp contrast with the costs of average citizens. For natives, small apartments bought or given by the state in the Soviet era, coupled with extremely low utility costs and easily avoidable income tax serve to lower the cost of living greatly. A look at transport prices offers a good illustration. A taxi from Sheremetyevo International Airport will cost the non-Russian speaking traveller upwards of $60; the Russian speaking foreigner will be charged United States dollar $30-$40. The native Moscow dweller will negotiate the price to $15-20 or will avoid the taxi rank altogether and take a marshrutka (shuttle, shared taxi) to the nearest Moscow Metro metro station for about 0.5 dollar.

Dining
In recent times there has been a large and quickly growing range of restaurants with a range of prices to match. The average cost, per person, for a meal in a middle to high class restaurant will be $30 to $200, especially if one orders vintage wines. Chain restaurants, such as "Moo-Moo," offer adequate quality canteen food – with English menus – for around five dollars per person. Although most Moscovites do not eat in even cheap restaurants very often, lately many new "middle-class" restaurants have opened, targeting families on weekends. The 'Korchma' chain of Ukrainian restaurants offers menus in over a dozen languages. A number of fast food restaurants have outlets near many metro stations. That includes the omnipresent McDonald's as well as other chains, notably Rostiks, which specializes in serving chicken, and Kroshka Kartoshka, serving traditional baked potato with numerous toppings, Danish-style Stardogs! and many others. Many McDonald's menu items, such as McNuggets, are simply phonetically translated into the Cyrillic script, which makes it virtually possible to order in English. Recently, a large number of coffee shops have sprouted up around the city; two of the best known ones are Coffee House and Coffee Mania, conceptually identical to the Starbucks model. Foreign cuisines, notably the Oriental ones - Japanese, China Chinese and Indian - are growing in popularity all over the city. Popular and profitable chain restaurants, such as Il Patio (Italian cuisine), Sushi Planet (Japanese) and T. G. I. Fridays (American), all connected to the Rosinter group, are found in clusters in many parts of the city. Georgia (country) Georgian cuisine has been a favourite since Soviet times. You'll find many small cafes in the city which serve Georgian favourites such as khachapuri and shashlyk. Other Caucasus' cuisine that is quite popular is 'shawarma'. Usually 50 roubles each (or about US$1.70) its often found is stalls near most Metro and train stations.

Sports
Image:Moscow scene Sanyo.jpg right|thumb|250px|Modern Moscow; the Sanyo sign overlooks the statue of Lenin, barely visible above the billboard Moscow is the home to more Olympic champions than any other city in the world. Unsurprisingly, it was the host city of the 1980 Summer Olympics, although the yachting events were held at Tallinn. Huge new stadium and other athletic facilities were built especially for the occasion. The main international airport, Sheremetyevo Terminal 2, was also built at this time. Moscow has also made a bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, when final voting commenced on July 6 2005, Moscow was the first city to be eliminated from further rounds. The Games were finally awarded to London 2012 London. Football (soccer) is probably the most popular spectator sport among the young, followed by ice hockey. Clubs such as FC Dynamo Moscow Dynamo, PFC CSKA Moscow CSKA, Lokomotiv Moscow Lokomotiv and FC Spartak Moscow Spartak are prominent on the European stage. Supporter violence has become a serious problem when international teams play in Moscow. In 2002, a dozen Ireland Irish fans in Moscow for a Russia-Ireland game were attacked by neo-Nazi groups. One later died of his injuries. That same year, when a Russia-Japan World Cup match, played in Japan but broadcast live to the crowds in Pushkin Square, went badly for the Russians, the crowd turned violent and wrought havoc in the centre of the city, breaking windows, smashing and burning cars and looting several shops. A Chinese restaurant was incidentally attacked and five Japanese tourists were beaten. One teenager was killed and about one hundred people were injured. Winter sports have a large following. Most Russians own cross-country skis and ice skates and there are many large parks with marked trails for skiers and frozen ponds and canals for skaters. Often parks will have small local businesses offering ski and skate rental. Prices range from $1 to $5 an hour for rental.

Demographics
Image:tpb.jpg Triumph-Palace right|thumb|220px| Newly-built [[Triumph-Palace|Triumph-Palace building residential apartments â€” the tallest apartment building in Europe.html" title="Meaning of Triumph-Palace building.html" title="Meaning of right|thumb|220px| Newly-built [[Triumph-Palace|Triumph-Palace building">right|thumb|220px| Newly-built [[Triumph-Palace|Triumph-Palace building residential apartments â€” the tallest apartment building in Europe">Triumph-Palace building.html" title="Meaning of right|thumb|220px| Newly-built [[Triumph-Palace|Triumph-Palace building">right|thumb|220px| Newly-built [[Triumph-Palace|Triumph-Palace building residential apartments â€” the tallest apartment building in Europe Although the population of the Russian Federation has been declining by about 700,000 (143.8 million * 0.5% decline)persons a year due to low birth rates, Moscow appears to be immune to these problems in recent years. Moscow has a very high population growth rate, largely due to migration (despite an internal passport system that makes it illegal for non-city residents to stay in the capital for more than 90 days without registration). These new Moscovites are attracted by the local economic growth rate of up to 20%, versus stagnation or even decline in most of Russia, the result of sharp polarization of the country in recent years. The city is home to small numbers of people of every racial and cultural group, from African students to Irish business people (there is an annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on the Noviy Arbat avenue). Ethnical Demographics in Moscow (1994) Russians-90.5% Ukrainians-2.4% Tatars-1.9% Jewish-1.5% Belarusians-0.7% Armenians-0.7% Poland Polish-0.1% Others-2.2% :''See also History of Moscow for historical population growth and List of districts and neighborhoods in Moscow''

Terrorism
As with many cities, terrorism is a threat in Moscow. On February 6 2004 a bomb explosion in a subway car near the Avtozavodskaya Moscow metro metro station killed at least 40 and injured many. Other prominent acts of terror include the destruction of two apartment buildings in September 1999 (see Russian Apartment Bombings), an explosion in the pedestrian subway under the Pushkinskaya square in August 2000, and the Moscow Theatre Siege capture of the theatre at Dubrovka in October 2002.

Air pollution in Moscow
Moscow has a very high air pollution level. One obvious source of this pollution is heavy traffic with virtually no automobile emissions control.

Media
Moscow is the headquarters of many Russian television networks, radio stations, newspapers and magazines. The following is a brief list, beginning with English-language sources, followed by Russian.

Newspapers and Magazines

- The Moscow Times The largest English-language daily operating in Russia.
- The eXile Alternative biweekly known for its irreverent style, pranks and club/restaurant reviews.
- Expert The leading Russian business weekly newspaper.
- Gazeta.ru Leading Russian web magazine. In Russian only.
- Kommersant The oldest Russian business newspaper.
- Mosnews.com The tabloid-style English-language site launched by Gazeta.ru and News.ru
- Vedomosti with Financial Times & WSJ The leading Russian business newspaper.

Radio

- Echo Moskvy "Echo of Moscow", The first Soviet and Russian private news radio and information agency. 91.2 FM in Moscow, in Russian only.

Television

- NTV - one of the first privately-owned Russian TV stations.

Bibliography
* 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 Bushwell. "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

Further reading
*Muscovy *History of Russia *History of Moscow *Moscow metro *Administrative division of Moscow

External links
{{sisterlinks|Moscow}} {{wikinewspar|Power crisis in Moscow and central Russia largest ever recorded}} *{{wikitravel}}
- Official Moscow Administration site
- Committee for Tourism of Moscow City Government
- Current time in Moscow
- History of Moscow *http://www.bestofrussia.ca
- Moscow Life - Moscow Travel Guide
- Moscow Metro Photos - Panoramic Virtual Tour
- Moscow attractions (travel company)
- Moscow Weather Forecast
- Red Square, Moscow Webcams
- Google Maps: Moscow (satellite images)
- Moscow at Global Stroll
- Travel to Moscow - Moscow hotels booking, webcams, photos.
- Candid photos of Moscow in late 1991, complete with satellite map references
- Exile's field guide to Moscow for foreigners - Don't take it too seriously {{Subdivisions of Russia}} {{Olympic Summer Games Host Cities}} Category:Capitals in Europe Category:Holy cities Category:Host cities of the Summer Olympic Games Category:Moscow {{Link FA|de}} {{Link FA|vi}} af:Moskou als:Moskau ar:Ù…ÙˆØ³ÙƒÙˆ an:MoscÃº ast:MoscÃº bg:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° zh-min-nan:Moskva be:ÐœÐ°Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° ca:Moscou cv:ÐœÑƒÑ?ÐºÐ°Ð² cs:Moskva cy:Moscfa da:Moskva de:Moskau et:Moskva el:ÎœÏŒÏƒÏ‡Î± es:MoscÃº eo:Moskvo fa:Ù…Ø³Ú©Ùˆ fr:Moscou ga:MoscÃ³ gl:Moscova - ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° ko:ëª¨ìŠ¤í?¬ë°” hi:à¤®à¤¾à¤¸à¥?à¤•à¥‹ hr:Moskva io:Moskva id:Moskwa is:Moskva it:Mosca (Russia) he:×ž×•×¡×§×‘×” ka:áƒ›áƒ?áƒ¡áƒ™áƒ?áƒ•áƒ˜ csb:MÃ²skwa la:Moscua lv:Maskava lt:Maskva lb:Moskau li:Moskou jbo:mosKUAS hu:Moszkva mk:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° mo:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ¾Ð²Ð° nl:Moskou nds:Moskau ja:ãƒ¢ã‚¹ã‚¯ãƒ¯ no:Moskva nrm:Moscou os:ÐœÃ¦Ñ?ÐºÑƒÑ‹ pl:Moskwa pt:Moscovo ro:Moscova ru:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° sh:Moskva scn:Mosca (Russia) simple:Moscow sl:Moskva sr:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° fi:Moskova sv:Moskva tt:MÃ¤skÃ¤w th:à¸¡à¸à¸ªà¹‚à¸? vi:MÃ¡t-xcÆ¡-va tr:Moskova uk:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° wa:Moscou zh:èŽ«æ–¯ç§‘ Category:Historical cities and towns in Russia Category:Moscow Oblast Category:Capitals in Europe Category:Cities and towns in Moscow Oblast Category:Federal cities of Russia {{catmore}} be:ÐšÐ°Ñ‚Ñ?Ð³Ð¾Ñ€Ñ‹Ñ?:ÐœÐ°Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° bg:ÐšÐ°Ñ‚ÐµÐ³Ð¾Ñ€Ð¸Ñ?:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° cs:Kategorie:Moskva de:Kategorie:Moskau eo:Kategorio:Moskvo fr:CatÃ©gorie:Moscou ko:ë¶„ë¥˜:ëª¨ìŠ¤í?¬ë°” hr:Kategorija:Moskva io:Category:Moskva id:Kategori:Moskwa hu:KategÃ³ria:Moszkva nl:Categorie:Moskou no:Kategori:Moskva os:ÐšÐ°Ñ‚ÐµÐ³Ð¾Ñ€Ð¸:ÐœÃ¦Ñ?ÐºÑƒÑ‹ pl:Kategoria:Moskwa ru:ÐšÐ°Ñ‚ÐµÐ³Ð¾Ñ€Ð¸Ñ?:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° sk:KategÃ³ria:Moskva sl:Kategorija:Moskva sr:ÐšÐ°Ñ‚ÐµÐ³Ð¾Ñ€Ð¸Ñ˜Ð°:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° sv:Kategori:Moskva tr:Kategori:Moskova uk:ÐšÐ°Ñ‚ÐµÐ³Ð¾Ñ€Ñ–Ñ?:ÐœÐ¾Ñ?ÐºÐ²Ð° see MoSCoW Method

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