Moscow
Name
Moscow
Variant Names
Moskva, Москва́, Mosca
Province/County/State
Moscow (autonomous city)
Nations
Russia (nation)
Descriptive Note Text
Moscow is the current capital city of Russia. It is situated on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District of European Russia. It is the site of the Kremlin (the residence of the Russian President) and of both chambers of the Russian parliament (the State Duma and the Federation Council). Moscow is one of the main centers of Russian culture, and the home of important museums, academic and political institutions, and theatres. Moscow is the northernmost and coldest megacity on Earth, and Europe’s most populated inland city. Famous for its architecture and historic buildings such as Saint Basil''s Cathedral with its colorful domes, Moskwo is also home to the Ostankino Tower, the tallest free standing structure in Europe; the Federation Tower, the second-tallest skyscraper in Europe; and the Moscow International Business Center. In the course of its history the city has served as the capital of a progression of states, from the medieval Grand Duchy of Moscow and the subsequent Tsardom of Russia to the Soviet Union.
At the beginning of the century many changes were happening in the capital, and architecture answered to these revolutions in many ways. In January 1905, for example, the institution of the City Governor, was officially introduced in Moscow. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, on 12 March 1918 Moscow became the capital of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and of the Soviet Union less than five years later.