Difference between revisions of "Moscow"

Revision as of 14:09, 29 May 2007

Moscow is the centralised headquarters for the Soviet Federative Government. Centered deep within Eastern Europe, Moscow has been the center for strife and debate ever since its creation in 1147.

The city is in the federal district located in the west of Russia. It was the capital of the 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 domes. The Patriarch of Moscow, whose residence was the Danilov Monastery, served as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. However, due to the Theological Ruination Act of 2005, the Political Bureau are discussing on whether to destroy the historic site.

History

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 Yury Dolgoruky built 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 was also stable and prosperous 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 and Moscow became the capital of an empire that would eventually encompass all of Russia and Siberia, and parts of many other lands.

http://www.marcad.com/travel/Russia/Moscow%20Kremlin_small.jpg |right|USSR|Moscow Kremlin during the day.

Moscow ceased to be Russia's capital when in 1703 Peter the Great constructed St. Petersburg on the Baltic coast. When Napoleon invaded in 1812, the Moscovites burned the city and evacuated, as Napoleon's forces were approaching on 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 (18,000 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 in a state of siege. Its remaining inhabitants built and manned antitank defenses, while the city was bombarded from the air. 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 owing to the actual 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.

Since Troskin's election in 2005, it has been a central display to the world of Soviet might and the dedication of the working class to their free society. Moscow has hosted many sports tournaments since 1980 and may be hosting the winter Olympic Games in 2008.

Red Square

The land that Red Square is situated on was originally covered with wooden buildings, but cleared by Ivan III's edict in 1493, as those buildings were dangerously susceptible to fires. The newly-opened area (originally known simply as the Pozhar, or "burnt-out place") gradually came to serve as Moscow's primary marketplace. Later, it was also used for various public ceremonies and proclamations, and occasionally as the site of coronation for Russia's tsars. The square has been gradually built up since that point, and has been used for official ceremonies by all Russian governments since it was established.

The name of Red Square derives not from the colour of the bricks around it, nor from the link between the colour red and Communism. Rather, the name came about because the Russian word красная (krasnaya) can mean either "red" or "beautiful". The word was originally applied (with the meaning "beautiful") to Saint Basil's Cathedral, and was subsequently transferred to the nearby square. It is believed that the square acquired its current name (replacing the older Pozhar) in the 17th century. Several ancient Russian towns, such as Suzdal, Elets, or Pereslavl-Zalessky, have their main square named Красная площадь, namesake of Moscow's Red Square.

Lenin's Mausoleum

Lenin's Mausoleum is situated in Red Square in Moscow, is the resting place of Vladimir Lenin. His embalmed body has been on public display there since the year he died, 1924. Aleksey Shchusev's diminutive but monumental granite structure incorporates some elements from the ancient mausoleums, such as the Step Pyramid and the Tomb of Cyrus.

It is said that on January 21, the day that Lenin died, the Soviet government received more than 1000 telegrams from all over Russia, which asked to preserve his body somehow for future generations. On the morning of January 22, Professor Aleksei Abrikosov - a prominent Russian pathologist and anatomist (not to be confused with a physicist Alexei Abrikosov) - embalmed Lenin's body to keep it intact until the burial. On the night of January 23, architect Aleksey Shchusev was given a task to complete within three days: design and build a tomb to accommodate all those who wanted to say their goodbyes to Lenin. On January 26, the decision was made to place the tomb at the Red Square by the Kremlin Wall. By January 27, Shchusev built a tomb out of wood and at 4 p.m. that day they placed Lenin's coffin in it. More than 100,000 people visited the tomb within a month and a half. By August of 1924, Shchusev upgraded the tomb to a bigger version. An architect Konstantin Melnikov designed Lenin's sarcophagus.

Tourism

Night life

The night life in moscow is always bustling. Night clubs for both intellectuals and "clubbers" can be find on many of the streets in the newer sections of Moscow. The night life is usually heightened during the months of May, October, and December. These months coincide with many importatn Soviet holidays and are thus some of the best times to visit Moscow.

Political tourism

As the center for one of the most powerful socialist states, Moscow also has a heavy amount of political traffic to and from the city. Whether it is from allies or unknown nations, people flock to the massive city to see the sites and the legedary Red Square.

Embassy Row

Embassy Row (Moskva Rd.) is the center for Soviet foreign affairs. Along with housing the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, embassies from such nations as Pacitalia, Parthia, and Communist Brazil are housed on the legendary street.

In 2000, Embassy Row was the center of a failed terrorist plot planned by Parthian anti-Communists in an attempt to kill high-ranking Soviet figures. Fortunately, the National Militsiya (Police) were able to subdue to criminals and detain them. No lives were lost in the incident.

Post-Systematization

In late 2005, the Soviet Broadcasting Syndicate released new images from within Moscow after the Systematization Program occured. These images show a great change in the city - including the Kremlin. The images showed a massive advancement in public housing as well as land developement. Please consult below to see the report.

External links

• SBS Special Report: First Released Images of Moscow in Twenty-five Years - Systematization Program
• Moscow Subway System - Images of the legendary Moscow Metropolitan Underground Transportation System (MMUTS).