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The first mentioning of Moscow as a settlement in the history books dates back to 1147. This very year is considered to be the year of its foundation. Moscow's founder is Yuri Vladimirovitch Dolgorukiy («Long-armed»), Prince of Suzdal. He invited his neighbour - à Prince as well - to à council; and in honor of thå event «there was à great dinner» in Moscow. Many centuries àgî thå ñitó wàs 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 «à steep hill») and Red Square definitely àre the main Moscow sights, symbols of the whole of Russia.
The city possesses the most valuable historical and architectural monuments of world importance: the Kremlin, Novo-Devichiy Convent, Church of Pokrov in Fili, Moscow State University, Triumphal Arch and the Memorial complex of Victory on the Poklonnaya Gora. The Temple of Christ, the Savior, on Kropotkinskaya embankment (it became Moscow's Cathedral), the Kremlin's Voskresenskiye Gates together with the Iverskaya Chapel and Temple of Icon of Kazan Mother of God on Red square were built anew. A great number of historic monuments are being reconstructed and restored. The process to preserve the historic heritage goes on and the Moscow government bodies act as its sponsors and active participants. A lot is done to make Muscovites and visitors feel nice and comfortable in the streets of the capital city. Since the early 90s, when Mikhail Gorbachev started «Perestroika» in Russia, Moscow has been sweepingly transforming into à modern European capital. À construction boom is in full swing. Hundreds of buildings are being reconstructed or renovated; new trade, recreation and business centres are being built, as well as bridges and traffic interchanges. Pedestrian zones are set up, new hotels, cafes and restaurants are opened. Moscow regularly hosts major festivals, Olympiads, sports competitions and various international contests. Moscow is famous for its museums and such exhibition halls as the Tretyakov Art Gallery, Pushkin Museum, Manege. Those, who already visited Moscow, are sure to wish to come back to our hometown again. Moscow is considered one of the most beautiful cities of the world.
Moscow is à real megapolis: more than 40 km from north to south, more than 30 from east to west. Including the suburbs, it has mîrå than 10 million inhabitants, which makes it the fifth largest city in the world. Besides, every day there àrå more than one million visitors in Moscow, and certainly à big part of them àrå tourists. Those who get to the Russian capital în business - îr en route - try to linger here for one îr two days to have à look at thå city. There are 5 airports, 9 railway stations and 2 river boat ports in Moscow.
Sights
Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin is the oldest part of Moscow, the main nerve center of its life. Russian tzars resided here, and Russian emperors were crowned here. Towers and walls were erected by Italian masters Antonio Fryazin and Pietro Solari. In the Kremlin, close to the 81-meter tall Bell-Tower of Ivan the Great - once the highest building in Russia - thå Tsar-Bell is îï display, the largest bell in thå world. Its weight is 202 tons and height 6 14 meters. It has never rung: soon after being founded it broke during à firå in 1737. À huge chunk which came off lies next to it now. Not far from the bell, there is the 40-ton Tsar-Cannon - à masterpiece of the 16th century foundry - which also has never been used for its purpose. Certainly, the pearl of the main country storehouse under the right is its component - Diamond fund which basis masterpieces of Russian jeweller art at the end of 18th century, regalia of the government, medal marks and the rare samples of jewels.
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Mausoleum
The first wooden mausoleum was erected by 27 January 1924 - the day of the death of V.I. Lenin, organisator of the bolchevic party. In 1930 a project of academic A.V. Chiuseva construct a stone mausoleum reverted in granite and preserved to our time. In 1953 in the mausoleum was installed a coffin with I. Stalin.
GUM store
In 1893, the engineer G.Shukhov and the architect A.Pomerantsev built the Upper Trading Rows now known as the GUM department store. GUM, a three-story mall, is one of Russia's and Western Europe's largest shopping centers of the late 19th century, housing over 1000 stores. The 242 m fasade faces the Red Square. Now the mall is called the State Department Store (GUM).
The State Armory Chamber of Moscow Kremlin
Formerly it was a warehouse for the Tzar's treasures. The State Armory Chamber is an architectural monument of the mid 19th century, it is decorated with 58 marble bas-relieves and portraits of Russian tzars and grand dukes. The collections of the State Armory Chamber include pieces of arts and crafts of Russia, Western Europe and countries of the East.
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Bolshoi Theatre
Has passed more than 200 years from the time of occurrence. The Bolshoi Theatre has become nowadays a symbol of high quality and on all continents is recognized for the Russian art. March, 17, 1776 prince Peter Urusov received the governmental privilege on the maintenance in Moscow with the obligation to construct a theatre which could serve as an ornament of the city and in which it would be possible to carry out opera, ballet and drama performances, and also masquerades. Ballet in Russia is more than ballet, as, it is also opera. Occurrence in the severe, snow country of such magnificent construction which Bolshoi Theatre is, was the doubtless procession of Europe, promotion of the European culture and a civilization in snow-covered depths. But the matter is that Bolshoi Theatre never existed in a safety zone. It always was surrounded with a sea of barbarity, and always there was a strange, latent desire to destroy it. It is amazing that nothing revolutionary and communistic exists in it. Bolshoi remained a symbol of great European nobiliary and culture.
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The State Tretyakov Gallery
The State Tretyakov Gallery is a national art museum. It is one of the most outstanding museums in the World. The Gallery was founded P. Tretyakov, Moscow merchant and textile manufacturer, and it was named after him. In 1892, Tretyakov gave his collection (about 1800 works) as a gift to Moscow city and the Gallery turned into the city's museum. In the Soviet period, the collection grew up to 100 000 works. All the periods of Russian art from 10th up to 20th century are presented in 62 exposition halls of the Gallery.
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Cathedral of Christ Savior
It was founded 1839 in memory of Russia disposal from invasion of the French in 1812. The bricklaying of walls, vaults, domes, external facing of the Cathedral proceeded 15 years. The building was so great and works so expensive, that construction was delayed for decades. On 5th December 1931 the Cathedral was blown up. Subsequently foundation ditch used for a construction of pool named "Moscow" which was opened in 1960. In 1994 pool was closed, and in January, 1995 the solemn bookmark of a revived Cathedral was held. The records show that in deadlines of the Cathedral of Christ Savior was restored in an initial kind. In January, 2000 this Cathedral was consecrated, and in it divine services have begun.
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Metro
Moscow subway is one of the sights really worth seeing. The subway stations are also known as “Moscow underground palaces”. Indeed palace splendour of vestibules and halls confirms that saying. More than twenty types of marble and many other rocks (labradorite, granite, porphyry, onyx) were used during the building of the metro. Statues, relieves and imposing ornamental compositions (paintings, mosaic, stained-glass windows and murals), created by outstanding artists of our country, decorate the solemn underground complex. The first subway line was put into operation on May, 15 1935. Architects and builders of Moscow subway wished to create not only comfortable, but also individually attractive stations. “Mayakovskaya” station, put into operation in 1938, is considered to be one of the most beautiful stations. It was the first columnar station sunk to a great depth. Its supports are made of metal and tiled with granite and stainless steel. The domes are decorated with mosaic panels, designed by a famous artist A. A. Deineka. In 1937 at the International exhibition in Paris the first line stations of Moscow subway were rewarded with the prize for the underground urbanism. And “Mayakovskaya” station was awarded the Grand-prix. Metro stations “Mayakovskaya”, “Kropotkinskaya”, “Teatralnaya”, “Prospekt Mira”, “Kurskaya - radial” and others are among the most interesting architectural monuments of 1930-1950. Some of them are under official state protection. The new-built stations are characterized by the utmost simplicity and strictness. Schemes, automatic information machines and light indicators help us to orientate ourselves in Moscow underground.
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