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Moscow ( 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 inhabitants within 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 . Historically, its position was central in the Russian homeland. It was the capital of the former Soviet Union , and of Muscovite Russia , the pre-Imperial Russia. It is the site of the famous Kremlin , which serves as the center of the national government. Moscow is also well known as the site of the Saint Basil's Cathedral , with its elegant Onion Dome s. The Patriarch Of Moscow , whose residence is the Danilov Monastery , serves as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church . HISTORY See Also: History of Moscow and Spasskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin at Red Square.]] 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. In 1156 , Prince Yuriy Dolgorukiy ordered the construction of a wooden wall and a Moat around the city. After the sacking of 1237 - 1238 , when the Mongols burned the city to the ground and killed its inhabitants, Moscow recovered and became the capital of an independent Principality . Its favorable position on the headwaters of the Volga river contributed to steady expansion. Moscow developed into a stable and prosperous principality for many years and attracted a large numbers of refugees from across Russia. Under Ivan I the city replaced Tver as capital of Vladimir-Suzdal and became the sole collector of taxes for the Mongol rulers. By paying high tribute, Ivan won an important concession from the Khan . Unlike other principalities, Moscow was not divided among his sons but was passed intact to his eldest. In 1380 , prince Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow led a united Russian army to an important victory over the Mongols in the Battle Of Kulikovo . After that, Moscow took the leading role in liberating Russia from Mongol domination. In 1480 , Ivan III had Finally Broken The Russians Free from Tatar control, bringing Moscow to the zenith of power for a while. The Russian capital, which had wandered from Kiev to Vladimir, came rest in this city by the end of his reign, and Moscow became the capital of an empire that would eventually encompass all of Russia and Siberia , and parts of many other lands. on the left and Kremlin on the right]] Moscow ceased to be Russia's capital in 1703 when Peter The Great founded St. Petersburg on the Baltic Coast . When Napoleon invaded in 1812 , the Moscovites burned the city and evacuated, as Napoleon's forces were approaching September 14 . Napoleon's army, plagued by hunger, cold, and poor supply lines, was forced to retreat. In January of 1905 , the institution of the City Governor, or Mayor , was officially introduced in Moscow, and Alexander Adrianov became Moscow's first official mayor. Following the success of the Russian Revolution in 1917 , Lenin , fearing possible foreign invasion, moved the capital from St. Petersburg back to Moscow on March 5 , 1918 . During the Great Patriotic War , the Soviet State Committee of Defence and the General Staff of the Red Army were located in Moscow. In 1941 16 divisions of the national volunteers (more than 160,000 people), 25 battalions (18,500 people) and 4 engineering regiments were formed among the Muscovites. In November 1941, German Army Group Centre was stopped at the outskirts of the city and then driven off in the course of the Battle Of Moscow . Many factories were evacuated, together with much of the government, and from October 20 the city was declared to be under Siege . Its remaining inhabitants built and manned antitank defenses, while the city was bombarded from the air. It is of some note that Stalin refused to leave the city, and the general staff and the council of ministers, remained in the City. Despite the siege and the bombings, the metro construction continued in Moscow through the war and by the end of the war several new metro lines were opened. On May 1 , 1944 a medal "For the defence of Moscow" and in 1947 another medal "In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow" were instituted. On May 8 , 1965 in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the victory in World War II Moscow was awarded a title of the Hero City . In 1980 it hosted the summer Olympic Games . In 1991 Moscow was the scene of a coup attempt by the government members opposed to the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev . When the USSR was dissolved in the same year, Moscow continued to be the capital of the Russian Federation . Since then, the emergence of a Market Economy in Moscow has produced an explosion of Western-style retailing, services, Architecture , and lifestyles. ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS See Also: Administrative divisions of Moscow Moscow is divided into ten administrative districts, of which only nine are located geographically in the city and one corresponds to a satellite city of Zelenograd (although being categorized as a city and separated geographically from the rest of Moscow, administratively Zelenograd is part of the Russian capital). Administrative districts administered by prefecturas headed by prefect. Each administrative district consists of several Municipal District s, unofficially called Raion s. Each municipal district (as well as administrative district) has its own Coat Of Arms , flag and administered by Uprava , headed by elected person. Along with Municipal districts there are several TEOSes in Moscow—Territorial Unities with Special Status, or shortly, territories. These usually include areas with small or none permanent population such as All-Russia Exhibition Centre , Botanical Garden , large parks and industrial zones. Recent years some TEOSes were merged with different raions. There are no ethnic-specific raions in Moscow, also there are no definitely "rich" or "poor" raions (although living closer to city centre, metro station or green zones is generally considered more prestigious). Most raions have their own cable television, computer network and official newspaper. CULTURE Moscow and St. Petersburg have for centuries been the sites of much of the country's internationally known history and culture, and the residences of most of its famous personalities. Architecture The city was once known as 'sorok-sorokov' ('forty-times-forty'), in reference to the many Orthodox onion domes making up the city's skyline. The look of the city was changed drastically during Soviet times, mostly due to ', ' Stalinist Gothic ', 'wedding cake architecture' and so on. All seven can be seen from most elevations in the city; they are among the tallest constructions in central Moscow apart from the Ostankino Tower which, when it was built in 1967 , was the tallest free-standing land structure in the world before the title was taken by the CN Tower . The Soviet policy of providing mandatory housing for every citizen or their family, and the rapid growth of the huge Moscow population in Soviet times, also led to the construction of large, monotonous housing blocks, which can often be differentiated in age, sturdiness of construction, or 'style' according to the neighbourhood and the materials used. Most of these date from the post-Stalin era and the styles are often named after the leader then in power - Brezhnev, Krushchev, etc, and they are usually ill-maintained. The Stalinist-era constructions, usually in the central city, are massive and usually ornamented with both inside and outside the city, are open to Muscovites and tourists. Attempts are being made to restore many of the city's best-kept examples of pre-Soviet architecture, and these are easily spotted by their bright new colours and spotless facades. There are a few examples of notable, early Soviet Avant-garde work too, such as the house of the architect Konstantin Melnikov in the Arbat area. Later examples of interesting Soviet architecture are usually marked by their impressive size and the semi- Modernist styles employed, such as the Novy Arbat project, designed by Mikhail Posokhin. Like in London , but on a broader scale, plaques on the house exteriors will inform passers-by that a well-known personality once lived there. Frequently the plaques are dedicated to Soviet celebrities not well-known to the outside world. There are also many 'house-museums' of famous Russian writers, composers, and artists in the city. Views of Moscow As with many cities in the world, international terrorism is a threat in Moscow. On February 6 2004 a bomb explosion in a subway car near the Avtozavodskaya Metro station killed at least 40 and injured many. Other prominent acts of terror include the destruction of two apartment buildings in September 1999 (see Russian Apartment Bombings ), an explosion in the pedestrian subway under the Pushkinskaya square in August 2000 , and the Capture Of The Theatre At Dubrovka in October 2002 . AIR POLLUTION IN MOSCOW Moscow has a very high Air Pollution level. One obvious source of this pollution is heavy traffic with virtually no Automobile Emissions Control . MEDIA Moscow is the headquarters of many Russian Television Network s, Radio Station s, Newspaper s and Magazine s. The following is a brief list, beginning with English-language sources, followed by Russian. Newspapers and Magazines
Radio
Television
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