Moscow

What famous persons are living in Moscow? - by filis bogdan

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Russia's most intense human aspirations, be they artistic, religious or political, have always found their most passionate expression in Moscow. Accordingly, the capital of Russia has had, over time, a complex relationship with not only the outer world but also with its own people. Unlike the country's other great city, St. Petersburg, Moscow developed over the centuries in a rather helter skelter way; nevertheless denied capital status for centuries, Moscow has always been the true and vital heart of Russia.

Moscow is situated on a sweeping curve of the Moskva River. From its beginning, it was a fortress city. Starting in the 12th century, Moscow survived devastations wrought by neighboring principalities, Tartar invasions as well as those wrought by Ivan the Terrible. The city finally

achieved relative political stability under the Romanovs but Peter the Great, enamored with all things European, later abandoned Moscow to declare St. Petersburg the new capital.

Moscow is known as one of the most important science centres in Russia. The headquarters of the Russian Academy of Sciences are located in Moscow as well as numerous research and applied science institutions.

The Kurchatov Institute, Russia's leading research and development institution in the field of nuclear energy, where the first nuclear reactor in Europe was built, Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Kapitza Institute for Physical Problems and Steklov Institute of Mathematics are all situated in Moscow.

Because of Moscow's cold local climate, winter sports have a large following as well. Many of Moscow's large parks offer marked trails for skiers and frozen ponds for skaters.

Much of Moscow's exotic architecture reflects the Byzantine and slavic penchant for intricate carvings, colorful patterns and wondrous visual statements. Though Napoleon burned much of the city and the Soviets clobbered the city's skyline with concrete blocks, Moscow's lasting impressions - after the customary visits to the Kremlin and Lenin's Tomb are long over - are of hand painted cupolas, gilt domes and the magnificence of the great Russian Orthodox Cathedrals, such as St. Basil's.
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Moscow image : europa.eu.int}

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