Moscow (Russian Federation)

Region: Central Federal District

Local time: (+3:00 GMT)

Population: 10442 thousand people

Transport: Railway Stations, Airports, Ports, Bus Stations

 Reservation of hotels or apartments

 

Status: the capital of the Russian Federation, the city of federal importance, administrative center of the Central Federal District and Moscow region, city-hero.

Moscow is situated in the center of European Russia, in the interfluve of Oka and Volga river, at the junction of Smolensk-Moscow upland (in the west), Moskworetsk-Oka plain (in the east) and Meshchersk lowland (in the south-east). The city area had 1081 sq.km. in the year 2006, and that made it the smallest subject of the Russian Federation.

Phone code: +7 495, +7 499

Economy. Moscow is the largest in Russia financial center and the center of management for the most part of the state economy. So, for example, about the half of the banks, registered in the country, have headquarters in Moscow. Besides, the most part of the largest companies are registered and have head offices in Moscow, though their production may locate in thousands kilometers from the capital.

The city is the biggest center of machinebuilding including power-plant engineering, machine tool building, shipbuilding, instrument making; ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy (production of aluminium alloys), chemical, light and polygraphic industry. But it is worth to mention that during the last years the process of production transferal beyond the city borders is under way.

Industrial production in 2007 increased at 11,5 % in Moscow, retail trade turnover made up 2040,3 milliard rubles (compared to 2006 the growth is 105.1 %), wholesale trade turnover made up 7843,2 milliard rubles (compared to 2006 the growth is 122.3 %), the pay services volume is 814,5 milliard rubles (this is 24 % of the whole volume of services in Russia).

Transport. Moscow historically turned out to be the largest transport junction of the country. The city is located in the very heart of the railway and federal roads network. There are nine railway stations in the capital: Byelorussky, Kazansky, Kursky, Kievsky, Rizhsky, Savelovsky and Yaroslavsky are operating on the Moscow Railway Lines and Leningradsky - on the Oktyabrskaya Railway Lines. The total length of the railways within the city limits is 782,1 kilometers. Thanks to the system of channels Moscow is the port of five seas. Cruise ships are based in the North and South river passenger terminals and cargo ships are served in the South and North river ports. West river port is operating as an auxiliary cargo port.

Moscow has several international airports: Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo; regional airport Bykovo, there is an air terminal. From the recent times one can get to Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports not only by automotive transport, which is often problematic because of the traffic jams, but also by expresses that start from Kievsky and Paveletsky railway stations correspondingly.

There is an extensive network of public transport in Moscow: routs of buses, trolleybuses, trams which carry about 12 millions of passengers dayly (4,2 milliard a year).

Culture. Moscow Kremlin is the historical center of the city. The present day form of the walls and towers of the fortress was created in XVII century. Nowadays the Kremlin is the residence of the President of Russia and there are numerous cathedrals and museums on its territory. Moscow Kremlin ensemble is recognized as the world heritage of UNESCO. Access to Kremlin is limited by the museum zones.

From the east the Kremlin is adjacent to the Red Square - the most famous square of the capital. It is encircled by Pokrovsky Cathedral, Midlle Shopping Streets, GUM (department store) building, Cathedral of the God Mother of Kazan, Voskresenskie Vorota (gates), guiding the way to Manege Square, Historical Museum. The square adjoins Nikolskaya, Senatskaya and the most famous - Spasskaya tower with chimes, which struck the bells in the heart of the capital every hour and every half hour. Near the Kremlin wall there is necropolis (memorial cemetery) and Lenin's Mausoleum. There is also a place of execution and monument to Minin and Pozharsky. With the exception of special occasions (highly placed official corteges passing through Spasskie Vorota (gates), preparations to festive events, routine maintenance works etc.), the square has round-the-clock public access.

Among the great many city sightseeings a number of unique site and buildings can be marked out, which have the world fame and are well known to every Moscow citizen. It should be pointed out that, for the most part, they are not only buildings that bear architectural exclusiveness and spirit gained during the time of their existance, but also organizations which created reputation for these buildings. Without any doubt that Bolshoi Theatre, the company of which is warmly received on the greatest stages of the world, Fine Art Museum n.a. A.S. Pushkin and Tretjyakov Gallery, in the collections of which the greatest works of art, painting and sculpture products are presented, can be ranked among such buildings. Cannot be disregarded architectural monuments which are numbered among the world heritage of UNESCO. They are Novodevichy Monastery and Kolomenskoe Estate. Unique in its art is the hyperboloidal structure of Shukhovskaya Bashnya (tower) and Ostankino Television Tower, which had the status of the highest building in the world during eight years.

During the last years Moscow lost many architectural and historical monuments because they were replaced by inadequate copies such as hotel "Moscow", Manege buildings, unloading dock of Kievsky station, Voentorg on Vozdvizhenka and many others less famous detached houses in the center of the city.