Moscow

Moscow is one of the world’s largest cultural and scientific centres. There are more than 70 theatres, 100 museums and 142 exhibition centres here. Moscow has 85 institutions of higher education, 31 of which are universities and 19 – academies. The number of libraries in the city exceeds 4 000 and includes the Russian State Library, which possesses the country’s largest collection of books and manuscripts.

 

The historic centre of Moscow is the architectural complex of the Moskovsky Kremlin.

The historic sights of the city are Kitai-gorod, the Pushkinskaya Square, the Tverskoy Boulevard, the Teatralnaya Square. The most well-know pedestrian street is the Old Arbat. Here one can see pavement portraitists, musicians, poets. The Old Arbat offers its guests a wide choice of souvenirs and plenty of restaurants and cafes.

 

In the history of modern Moscow architecture a special position is occupied by seven high-rise buildings constructed in the end of 1940s – the beginning of 1950s as a part of the general city construction plan: the main building of Lomonosov Moscow State University; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Smolenskaya Square; the Ministry of Heavy Industry in the Lermontovskaya Square; Hotel "Ukraine"; Hotel “Leningradskaya”; two apartment buildings on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment and in the Vosstaniya Square.

 

Moscow has witnessed the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior – the larges cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church. It admits up to 10 000 believers. The horizontal section of the cathedral has the shape of an equilateral cross which is more than 85 meters wide. The total height of the building is 103 m; the height of the interior space – 79 m.

 

Neskuchny Sad (Non-boring Garden) is the oldest part of the Gorky Central Culture and Leisure Park and occupies 100 ha of area on the bank of the Moskva River. Planted with maples, willows, lindens, poplars, it is famous for its ponds, flower-beds, fountains and beautiful alleys decorated with sculpture.

 

The Poklonnaya Hill  is the location of the Monumental Museum to the Russian Victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941 – 1945). The ceremonial opening of the memorial occurred on May 9, 1995.

The huge panorama museum “Battle of Borodino”, which is located in the centre of Moscow in the Kutuzovsky Avenue on the territory once occupied by village Fili, is presently the only museum in Russia which possesses the display telling about the 1812 campaign in detail.

 

The reserve museum Kolomenskoye; the architectural complexes of Andronnikov, Donskoy, Novodevichy and other monasteries and the ensembles of such mansions as Kuzminka, Kuskovo, Ostankino, etc. have always been highly popular among the citizens of Moscow.

The Moscow Zoo  is the oldest zoo in Russia; it was founded in 1864. The Zoo has 5150 animals of 960 species. It regularly organizes excursions, classes for school-children, “field lectures” with the demonstration of tame animals. The Zoo is a spot of wildlife in the very centre of the city, a favorite resting place for Moscow citizens and city guests. The territory of the zoo locates the picturesque Presninskie Ponds. Animals are kept in open-air houses and pavilions, which are decorated as to be similar to natural habitat and provide the guests of the Zoo with some additional information on zoology and environment protection.

1147 – The first annalistic mention of Moscow. The founder of Moscow is Yuri Dolgoruky.

1328 - The Moscow throne gains the status of Grand Prince, that is, Moscow becomes the head city of the Russian lands.

1564 – Ivan Fedorov prints the first book in Moscow.

1612 – Citizens-in-arms guided by Minin and Pozharsky free Moscow from Polish invaders.

1672 – Peter I, the Emperor of Russia, is born in Kolomenskoe village.

1686 – The Slavonic-Greek-Latin Academy is founded.

1709-1711 – The floriut of the first Moscow governor – boyar T. N. Streshnev.

1713 – During the reign of Peter I the status of the capital of Russia is given to St. Petersburg instead of Moscow.

1755 – The Moscow State University, the first university in Russia, is founded.

1799 – A. S. Pushkin, a great Russian poet, is born in Moscow, in the Nemetskaya Street (the Baumanskaya Street presently).

1812 – The Patriotic War of 1812. The Fire in Moscow.

1814 – M. Yu. Lermontov, a great Russian poet, is born in Moscow, in the Kalanchevskaya Street.

1872 – The first rail horsecar line runs along the Tverskaya Street.

1883 – The dedication of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

1892 – The Tretyakov brothers make a donation of the art gallery to the city. In 1897 P. M. Tretyakov is awarded a title of the Honorary Citizen of Moscow.

1905 – The 1^st Russian Revolution. The December armed rebellion on Krasnaya Presn’a.

1917 – On March 2, M. V. Chelnokov, the head of the city administration, is appointed a commissar of the Provisional Government in Moscow.

1918 – On March 12, Moscow becomes the capital of the Soviet Russia

1924 – First bus routes appear.

1933 – First trolleybuses are in the streets.

1935 – The first metro line is opened.

1939 – The beginning of regular TV broadcast.

1941 – The resounding defeat of German troops near Moscow.

1945 – The Ceremonial Parade devoted to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War in the Red Square.

1947 – Celebrations devoted to the 800^th anniversary of Moscow.

1957 - VI World Festival of Youth and Students.

1965 – Moscow is given an honorary status of “hero-city”.

1980 - ?XII Olympic games in Moscow.

1991 – The first Moscow major, G. H. Popov, is elected through direct secret ballot.

1995 – On January 7, the ceremony devoted to the beginning of the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior takes place.

1995 – The title of “The Honorary Citizen of Moscow” is restored.

1995 – The official symbols of the capital – the city arms, the flag and the anthem of Moscow – are ratified.

1995 - The Monumental Museum to the Russian Victory in the Great Patriotic War is opened on the Poklonnaya Hill.

1997 – The 5^th summit of the governors of the world’s largest cities.

1997 - Celebrations devoted to the 850^th anniversary of Moscow.

1998 – First World Youth Games in Moscow.

1999 - Celebrations devoted to the 200^th anniversary of A. S. Pushkin, a great Russian poet.

2000 – The dedication of the reconstructed Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which now gained the official status of a metropolitan cathedral.

2002 – International Youth Athletic Games of the CIS, the Baltic countries and Russia.

2004 – 3^rd international summit of the governors of the world’s cities “Cities’ Diplomacy”

2005 – Celebrations devoted to the 60^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the 40^th anniversary of Moscow awarded with an honorary status of “hero-city”.