MOSCOW IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT CITIES. IT IS THE CAPITAL OF RUSSIA AND WAS UNTIL 1991, WHEN THE COUNTRY WAS DISSLOVED,
THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE USSR. MOSCOW COVERS AN AREA OF ABOUT 1,000 SQUARE KM (385 SQUARE MILES) AND LIES IN THE WEST OF THE COUNTRY, ABOUT 400 KM (250 MILES) EAST OF THE BORDER WITH BELARUS (BELORUSSIA) AND ABOUT 650 KM (400 MILES) SOUTHEAST OF ST. PETERSBURG. THE CITY IS BOUNDED BY A GREAT RING ROAD RUNNING RIGHT AROUND IT.
MOSCOW HAS A LONG HISTORY. IN 1156 PRINCE YURY DOLGORUKY BUILT A WOODEN FORTRESS ON THE NORTH BANK OF THE RIVER MOSKVA. THIS FORTIFIED AREA, TRIANGULAR IN SHAPE AND NOW SURROUNDED BY HIGH WALLS OF PINKISH BRICK, IS THE CENTRE AROUND WHICH THE CITY HAS GROWN AND IS CALLED THE KREMLIN, WHICH MEANS “CITADEL” OR “FORTRESS”. WITHIN THE KREMLIN ARE MANY OLD BUILDINGS INCLUDING A CATHEDRAL, GOLDEN DOMED CHURCHES, AND PALACES, SOME OF WHICH ARE USED AS GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND OTHERS AS MUSEUMS.
AS MOSCOW SPREAD, NEW WALLS WERE BUILT TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE AND THIS CAUSED THE CITY TO GROW RATHER IN THE SHAPE OF A SPIDER’S WEB, WITH THE MAIN STREETS FANNING OUT FROM THE KREMLIN AND THE CROSS STREETS ARRANGED ROUND IT IN CIRCLES. ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE KREMLIN IS A WIDE OPEN SPACE USUALLY CALLED RED SQUARE WHICH IS USED FOR BIG CELEBRATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS. IN THE TOWER ABOVE THE CENTRAL GATE TO THE KREMLIN IS A FAMOUS PEAL OF BELLS SET UP BY AN ENGLISHMAN IN 1625. ANOTHER FAMOUS BELL IN THE KREMLIN IS THE TSAR KOLOKOL WHICH, AT 196 TONNES (216 US TONS) IS THE WORLD’S HEAVIEST. AT THE SOUTH END OF RED SQUARE IS ST. BASIL’S CATHEDRAL, COMPLETED IN 1560 AND ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF OLD RUSSIAN ARCHITECTURE. IT HAS NINE GREAT DOMES, ALL DIFFERENTLY SHAPED. MOSCOW CONTAINS BUILDINGS OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT STYLES. IN THE SUBURBS CAN BE SEEN WOODEN HOUSES LIKE THOSE IN THE RUSSIAN COUNTRYSIDE. NEARER TO THE CENTRE ARE STATELY DWELLINGS WITH PILLARED DOORWAYS BUILT BY WEALTHY CITIZENS IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION OF 1917. SINCE THE 1920S MANY BLOCKS OF FLATS HAVE BEEN BUILT FOR THE WORKERS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SKYCRAPERS INCLUDING THE HUGE MOSCOW UNIVERSITY BUILDING. MOSCOW ALSO HAS SEVERAL GIGANTIC HOTELS, EACH CAPABLE OF€COMMODATING WELL OVER 5,000 GUESTS. THE CENTRAL STADIUM IN MOSCOW SEATS MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE; THE DYNAMO STADIUM IS ANOTHER HUGE SPORTS-GROUND. AMONG THE FAMOUS THEATRES ARE THE BOLSHOI OPERA AND BALLET AND THE MOSCOW ACADEMIC ART THEATRE, WHICH WAS FOUNDED BY THE FAMOUS RUSSIAN DIRECTOR STANISLAVSKY. OTHER WELL-KNOWN LANDMARKS INCLUDE THE MASSIVE G.U.M. DEPARTMENT STORE, AND THE SOARING MONUMENT TO THE SPACE CONQUESTS OF THE SOVIET UNION.