Moscow,
the Ñapital of the Russian Federation
Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation, was founded in 1147 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky as a fortress
on the bank of the Moskva River.
Within
over 850 years of its history, Moscow has developed into one of the largest
cities in the world with a territory of almost 100 sq. km and a population
of about 9 million. It is the economic, political and cultural centre
of Russia, and the seat of the Russian Government. There are many national
and foreign companies, as well as educational and cultural institutions
in the city.
Moscow is famous for its architectural and cultural monuments of world
significance: the Kremlin (15-17th centuries), the former residence of
the Russian tzars, is considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful
architectural achievements; the St. Basil’s Cathedral (1551-1561), a masterpiece
of Russian architecture, located on the Red Square. Moscow is unique in
that it unites architecture of the west and of the east. Moscow is well
known for its theatres and museums. The Bolshoy Theatre (1776), one of
the leading opera and ballet theatres in the world; the Pushkin Museum
of Fine Arts; the Tretyakov Gallery; the Historical Museum; the ancient
estate Kolomenskoye (14th century), one of the residences of the Russian
princes and tsars; and the Kuskovo estate (18th century) are among the
most renowned. The Moscow metro is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Today in Moscow about 4 million square metres of new residential buildings are under construction annually. Moreover, the governing bodies in Moscow have established a grandiose programme covering the next 10 years for the reconstruction of buildings erected in the past 70-80 years. The construction of high-rise buildings has started in Moscow and about 80 such buildings are planned. The highest building, named “Moscow City”, will have a height of 560 metres! The month of May, during which the conference will take place, is the most remarkable season in Moscow. The weather is warm and sunny and the lilac is in blossom. |
 |
