Moscow

This city is very popular with foreign guests visiting our country. Moscow is the capital of Russia. It is believed that the city is eight and a half centuries old. The first record of it in the chronicles is dated in the year 1147, and its history starts with a legend about how the Prince Yury Dolgoruky («Long-armed»), who is considered the founder of the city, invited his neighbour - a Prince as well - to a council; and in honor of the event «there was a powerful dinner» in Moscow. A monument to Yury Dolgoruky stands in one of the central squares, opposite the Moscow city hall.

Many centuries ago the city was built on seven hills. It is rather difficult to discern them now, with the only exception of Borovitsky Hill where one of the twenty Kremlin towers stands. The Kremlin (translated from Greek, the word means «a steep hill») and Red Square definitely are the main Moscow sights, symbols of the whole of Russia.

The intricate towers and walls of the Moscow Kremlin were built to a design of Italian architects. The Russian Government works in the Kremlin, so tourists are only allowed to the part of its territory where the cathedrals, the oldest Russian museum, the Armoury Chamber, and the Diamond Fund with its unique collection of precious stones and jewelry are located.

In the Kremlin, close to the 81 - meter tall Bell-Tower of Ivan the Great - once the highest building in Russia - the Tsar-Bell is on display, the largest bell in the world. Its weight is 202 tons and height 6.14 meters. It has never rung: soon after being founded it broke during a fire in 1737. A huge chunk, which came off, lies next to it now. Not far from the bell, there is the 40-ton Tsar-Cannon - a masterpiece of the 16th century foundry - which also has never been used for its purpose.

Moscow is a real megapolis: more than 40 km from north to south, more than 30 from east to west. Including the suburbs, it has more than 10 million inhabitants, which makes it the Fifth largest city in the world. Besides, every day there are more than one million visitors in Moscow, and certainly a big part of them are tourists. Those who get to the Russian capital on business - or on route - try to linger here for one or two days to have a look at the city.

There are 5 airports, 9 railway stations and 2 river boat ports in Moscow. The length of the underground lines exceeds 260 kilometers to more than 160 metro stations, new ones are continuously added. The palace-halls of the metro stations, which are among the most beautiful in the world, were built about fifty years ago. The first line was opened in 1935. «Mayakovskaya» and «Komsomol'skaya» are considered the best of them.

The architectural silhouette of the city is quite recognizable due to the seven high-rise buildings constructed in the late 40s and early 50s by a direct command of Stalin. The most famous of them is the University of Moscow building on the Vorobyovy Hills. The other «tall ones» are occupied by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, some hotels, offices, or simply dwellings. The pompous Moscow sky-scrapers with their steeples and sculptures have been raising contradictory appraisals since they were built, but now Moscow without them is just as unimaginable as Paris without the Eiffel Tower.

Among the scores of Moscow theatres, the most famous is the Bolshoi (Grand). Introduction to the Russian classical ballet is a must of any tour program. The Moscow circuses are also popular with foreign guests; there are two in the city, both of them performing continuously.

The bridges across the Moskva and Yauza rivers are adornments of the city, especially in the evening when they are illuminated in a showy way. The longest of them (2 km) is the Metro-bridge in Luzhniki, and the smallest one across the Yauza is only 20 meters long.

The elegant single-arch Krymsky Bridge is perhaps the most beautiful bridge in Moscow. Bridges are constantly built or reconstructed in the city; sometimes they are even moved up-or down-stream by means of barges.

At the highest point of Moscow - Vorobyovy Gory (Hills) - there is a viewing area from which you can see the panorama of the Moskva riverbend and the Big Arena of Luzhniki Stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games were held in 1980.

There are more than 60 museums in the capital; the most popular of which are the Kremlin, the Pushkin Museum of Art with its unique collection of impressionist and modernist paintings, and the Tretyakov Gallery.

There used to be nearly five hundred Orthodox churches in Moscow. Now about 150 are functional and another 100 are in the process of renovating. The most impressive are St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, the rebuilt Christ the Savior Cathedral, and the complex of Novodevichy (New Maidens) Convent.

Since the early 90s, when Mikhail Gorbachev started «Perestroika» in Russia, Moscow has been sweepingly transforming into a modern European capital. A construction boom is in full swing. Hundreds of buildings are being reconstructed or renovated; new trade, recreation and business centers are being built, as well as bridges and traffic interchanges. Recently, the gigantic tunneling machine that worked under the English Channel has been brought to Moscow. It will make several traffic tunnels up to 3 kilometers long.

In Moscow itself and around it there are many very interesting estates - Kolomenskoe, Arkhangelskoe, Kuskovo, Ostankino – more than worth visiting. And from Moscow starts a most interesting tour around small ancient Russian towns - the Golden Ring.

The Moscow Kremlin is a symbol of Russia, the oldest part of Moscow. The residence of President of the Russian Federation is located at its territory. The Kremlin has been rebuilt many times. Today's towers and walls of red brick were erected at the end of the XV century.

The center of the Kremlin is Sobornaya (Cathedral) Square, the oldest in Moscow. The square got its name from the Kremlin cathedrals clustered around it: the Archangel Michael, Annunciation and Assumption, the latter was the place of the emperors' coronation. Beside the cathedrals, the Ivan the Great golden-domed bell tower built in 1508 is situated in this square. In 1491 the Granovitaya (Faceted) Chamber was erected in Sobornaya square, it got its name from the facets of the main front. Solemn ceremonies and receptions of foreign ambassadors were held in the Granovitaya Chamber.

In 1849 the Great Kremlin palace was built under Konstantin Ton's project. It used to accommodate the emperor family's chambers, front halls with magnificent furniture, crystal and porcelain.

In the famous Georgievsky hall ceremonial receptions and handing state awards by the President are held now.

Red Square is the main square of Moscow, the place of military parades and mass celebrations. It came into being at the end of the XV century. The real name of the square in English must sound not Red, but Beautiful, as the Russian word «red» meant «beautiful» in the ancient Russian language. In old times the most important decrees were announced in Red square, the tsars and patriarchs addressed the nation from here. Lenin's Mausoleum - a multigraded building in the constructivist style (arch. Shusev, 1924) - and the Cathedral of Vasily Blazhenny (Basil the Blessed) are situated here. In recent years Red Square has become the venue of concerts of the world famous musicians: Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Moncerrat Cabalie and Mstislav Rostropovich.

The Tsar-Cannon in the Moscow Kremlin is a memorial of ancient Russian artillery and founding art, a piece of ordnance of the biggest caliber in the world. Master of the Cannon-yard Andrey Chokhov cast it of bronze in 1586. The length of the cannon is 5,34 m, the caliber is 890 mm, the thickness of the barrel is 15 cm, and it weighs 40 tons. In the XVI-XVIl centuries the cannon was placed in Kitay-Gorod for defense of the Kremlin and the passage across the Moskva-river. However, the Tsar-Cannon has never shot. The decorative gun-carriage and empty-bodied cast-iron cannon-balls lying at the foot of the cannon were cast in 1835.

In the Kremlin, near the 81-meter Bell tower of Ivan the Great which was once the tallest building in Russia, there stands the biggest bell in the world - the Tsar-bell. Its weight is 202 tons and the height is 6,14 m. The bell was never rung: soon after the casting, during the fire of 1737, a big piece fell out of it and now lies beside it.

St. Basil's Cathedral - Cathedral of Pokrov (Intercession) «on the ditch» is a cathedral in Red square, a symbol of Moscow. It was built in 1555-1561 by architects Barma and Postnik in commemoration of the victory over the Khanate of Kazan'. Each one of the independent pillar-churches symbolizes the most important events of the Kazan' campaign. The Cathedral gained its today's elegant appearance in the second half of the XVIII century when it was somewhat rebuilt and painted.

There is a legend that architects Barma and Postnik were blinded on an order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible so that they could never create a wonder like that.

In 1936 Lazar' Kaganovich, Stalin's associate, suggested to pull down the Cathedral of Intercession (Pokhrov). They say he made a special model of the Red Square with a removable Cathedral of Pokhrov and brought it to Stalin showing how the cathedral impeded the demonstrations and the traffic. «We shall do it once! » - He said and tore the cathedral away from the square. Stalin looked at him, thought a little and slowly said: “Lazar'! Put it in its place”.

Lenin's Mausoleum is a memorial burial-vault in Red Square in Moscow in the Mourning hall of which there stands a crystal sarcophagus of Vladimir Lenin, organizer of the October socialist revolution of 1917. The first building of the burial-vault (1924) was wooden. The modern Mausoleum was built in 1930 from the design of Alexander Shusev of granite and labradorite in the constructivist style. Above the entrance of the Mausoleum there is a tribune on which, for more than 70 years now, the first persons of first the Soviet Union and now Russian Federation used to stand during military parades and mass celebrations.

The Bolshoi Theatre is one of the most well-known musical theatres along with “La Scala” of Milan and “Grand Operas” of Paris. It was founded in 1776. The building from the design of architect Bove was erected in 1825 and the quadriga at the front was made by sculptor Peter Klodt. Such famous singers as Fyodor Shalyapin, Sergey Lemeshev, Galina Vishnevskaya, Irina Arkhipova, Elena Obraztsova, dancers like Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Vladimir Vasiliev, Maris Liepa used to appear on the stage of the theatre. There are always the «sold out» notices when the Bolshoi tours abroad.

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is an architectural monument with a unique fate. It was built in 1883 in a so called Russian-Byzantine style from the design by architect Konstantin Ton. It was built with people's donations. In 1931 the Cathedral was exploded by Stalin's personal order to make way for a huge Palace of Soviets in its place; however its unfinished foundation pit was turned into an open swimming pool «Moscow» in 1958. In 1994 it was decided to reconstruct the Cathedral. The building recreation was based on old photos, drawings and sketches, but using modern technologies. At the end of the XX century it took only six years to reconstruct the Cathedral while its original construction lasted 45 years. On August 19, 2000 the Cathedral was sanctified.

Novodevichy (New Maiden) Convent was founded in 1524 by prince Vasily III in commemoration of capturing Smolensk. In the XVI-XVII centuries women of the tsar family and noble boyars’ widows used to become nuns here. The main cathedral of the Convent is the Smolensky built with the Kremlin Assumption cathedral as a model. In the cemetery of the Convent many famous people of Russia are buried, such as writers Gogol, Checkhov, Bulgakov and Alexey Tolstoy, singer Fyodor Shalyapin, composer Shostakovich, pianist Richter, dancer Galina Ulanova. Here Nadezhda Alliluyeva, Joseph Stalin's young wife, and the wife of the only President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, Raisa, are buried, too. Nikita Khrushev is also buried there.

The Tretyakov Art Gallery is a Russian fine arts museum of the X-XX centuries. It was named after its founder, merchant and patron of arts Pavel Tretyakov who in 1892 granted his collection to Moscow. At that time the main part of the collection were pictures by «Peredvizhniki» ( "The Society for circulating art exhibitions - Traveling artists") - painters of democratic trend in art. In the museum one can see such masterpieces as the Icon «Troitsa» («Trinity») by Andrey Rublev (XV century), the great canvas «Christophany» by Alexander Ivanov, llya Repin's «Ivan the Terrible and his Son lvan» depicting the horror of the father who has killed his son, historical canvases by Vasily Surihov, works of art by Russian avant-gardists Malevich, Kandinsky, Rodchenko, Larionov, Goncharova etc.

High-Rises in Moscow are houses of 26-32 floors built at the end of the 40s - beginning of the 50s of the last century according to an indivisible town-planning idea and in a single architectural style. They are buildings of Moscow University, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hotels «Leningradskaya» and «Ukraine», administrative and dwelling buildings in two central squares of Moscow. The most well-known of them is the main building of Moscow University at the Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) which is 238 m tall and is one of the symbols of Moscow.

«The Worker and the Kolkhoznitsa (woman collective farmer) » is a sculptural group created by Vera Mukhina for the Soviet pavilion at the International exhibition in Paris in 1937. It has been placed before the Northern entrance of the All-Russia Exhibition Center. It is cast of stainless steel; its height is about 25 m. It is a typical work of socialist realism symbolizing the unity of the working class and the peasants: the worker and the «kolkhoznitsa» are holding a sickle and a hammer above their heads; those are symbols of the Soviet state.

Ostankino TV tower is the second tallest building in the world (539 m, the first one is the TV tower in Toronto - 555 m). It was built in Moscow in 1967, by constructor Nilcolay Nikitin. Beside technical services, there is a sightseeing platform and a three-level restaurant «The Seventh Sky» there; the latter is a ring structure slowly rotating around its axis and from it the visitors can see the Northeastern part of Moscow. In 2000 there was a great fire in the building. It is believed that after the reconstruction the tower will become the tallest in the world - 562 m tall.

Moscow metro is by right considered an architectural memorial. It was opened on May 15, 1935. Best architects of Moscow built up the underground. Such stations as «Dvoretz Sovietov» (The «Palace of Soviets»), «Krasnye Vorota» («Red Gates»), «Sokolniki» and «Mayakovskaya» were awarded the Grand-prix at international exhibitions in Brussels and Paris. Facing the first stations took more marble than all the tsar palaces in pre-revolution Russia. During the Great Patriotic war the metro was used as a bomb-shelter. Today Moscow metro has over 160 stations on 11 lines. Beside commonly known lines, there is a mysterious «Metro-2» which links governmental buildings in the center of the city with a mythical underground town at the suburbs of the capital.

«Luzhniki» is the biggest sports complex of Moscow built in the 'mid-50s of last century. It has become the center of Olympic Games XXII in the summer of 1980. From there rose up to the sky an 8-meter «Misha» - a little bear, mascot of the Olympic games. There are over 140 sportive facilities in «Luzhniki»: the Sports Palace, The Big and the Small arenas, 11 football grounds, 26 sport halls, 3 artificial skating-rinks and many open sport grounds.

Arbat is one the oldest streets in Moscow. Its name comes from the Arabic «rabad» which means «the suburbs». The street came into being in the XIV - XV centuries. For most Muscovites «Arbat» has a broader meaning, it also embodies the neighboring side streets and court-yards which have kept a special «Moscow» spirit. In house number 53 there is «Pushkin’s apartment in Arbat» museum, where the great poet lived with his young wife three happy honeymoons. In the mid 80s of last century Arbat became the first pedestrian street in Moscow. There appeared a stone pavement, loans and decorative streetlamps. Nowadays Arbat is as popular with the guests of the capital as Red square. There souvenirs and hand-made articles are sold, street singers and musicians sing and play, artists draw portraits.

Kuskovo is a museum estate of the Sheremetyevs counts. The palace and park of the estate were created in the 40s of the XVIII century by serf architects Argunov, Mironov and Dikushin with architect Blank's participation. The pavilion «Grotto», «Italian» and «Dutch» houses, «Greenhouse» and «Hermitage» have survived. In the old park with a system of ponds and canals one can come across 200-year-old trees.

Kolomenskoe is an estate of great princes and tsars of the XVI-XVII centuries (now inside Moscow), which is picturesquely situated on a high bank of the Moskva-river. It was first mentioned in the first half of the XIV century. The main sight of Kolomenskoe is the Church of Ascension (1532), one of the first stone hip temples. The Church of the beheading of St. John the Baptist, The Belfry of George the Victorious (XVI century), the Kazan Cathedral (XVII century) are parts of the Kolomenskoe complex. Since 1971 Kolomenskoe has been a reserve that features memorials of Russian wooden architecture.