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Moscow

Photos of the Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Red Square,

Moscow is the capital of Russia and the country's principal political, economic, financial, educational and transportation center, located on the river Moskva. The city constitutes about 7% of the Russian population or 10.4 million permanent inhabitants within the city boundaries 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. It is the site of the famous Kremlin, which serves as the center of the national government. The Moscow Kremlin is a symbol of the Russian state, one of the largest architectural ensembles of the world. It is the richest treasury of historical reliquees and monuments of culture and art. The Kremlin is situated in the center of the capital of Russia on the high Borovitskiy hill above the Moskva River. Moscow is also well known as the site of the Saint Basil's Cathedral, with its elegant onion domes, as well as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. 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. Moscow has five airports, Sheremetyevo International Airport, Domodedovo Inter. Airport, Bykovo Airport, Ostafievo Intern. Airport and Vnukovo Intern. Airport. The city is also the main rail hub for Russia, with daily trains to diverse destinations such as Vladivostok and Brussels. Local transport includes the Moscow Metro, an excellent metro (subway) system famous for its art, murals, mosaics, and ornate chandeliers. Begun in 1935, the system has 12 lines and more than 171 stations. The better known attractions include the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Kremlin, Red Square and the Church of the Ascension at Kolomenskoye, all dating from between the 14th and 17th centuries. Other popular attractions include the Zoo, expanded in the 1990s.