MOSCOW IS THE CAPITAL OF OUR MOTHERLAND The

MOSCOW IS THE CAPITAL OF OUR MOTHERLAND

The land of Moscow - the land that is my native, Where in the dawn of my best years, I spared the hours of carelessness, attractive, Free of unhappiness and fears. And you had seen the foes of my great nation, And you were burned and covered with blood! And I did not give up my life in immolation, My wrathful spirit just was wild!. . . Where is the Moscow of hundred golden domes, The dear beauty of the native land? Where yore was the real peer to Rome, The ruins, miserable, lied. Oh, how, Moscow, for us, your sight, is awful! The buildings of landlords and kings are fully swept, All perished in a flame. The towers are mournful, The villas of the rich are felled. And where the luxury was thriving, In shady parks and gardens, in the past, Where myrtle was fragrant, limes were shining, There now are just coals, ash, and dust. At charming summer nights, when silent darkness roves, The noisy gaiety would not appear there, The lights are vanished over lakes and groves, All dead and silent. All unfair. Be calm, o, Russia's banner's holder, Look at the stranger's quickly coming end, On their proud necks and void of labor shoulders, The Lord's vindictive arm is laid. Behold: they promptly run, without look at road, In Russian snows their blood like river's flood, They run in dark of night, felled by famine and cold, And swords of Russians, from behind. Aleksandr Pushkin "The Land of Moscow. . . “ From "The Reminiscences at Tsarskoe Selo"

Moscow is the capital of Russia, our Motherland. It was founded in 1147 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. It is one of the largest and beautiful cities in the world. Its population is about 10 million people

• The date of Moscow's founding is generally accepted to be April 4, 1147, when the first record of Moscow in Russian chronicles was done. Moscow's history starts from a wooden fortress, which was built by order of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky on a hill at the confluence of the Moskva and the Neglinnaya rivers. It is often said that Moscow is the third Rome, because the main part of the city, according to the legend, was built on seven hills. The city's general scheme can be represented as the system of concentric circles radiating from the Kremlin, Moscow's geographical, historical and political centre.

The oldest part of Moscow is the Kremlin. It is the heart of the city. The word “Kremlin” means “fortress” The Moscow Kremlin usually referred to as the Kremlin, is a fortified complex at the heart of Moscow. It is the best known of the kremlins (Russian citadels) and includes five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. Also within this complex is the Grand Kremlin Palace. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

This famously fortified complex is remarkably home to five palaces and four cathedrals and is the historic, political and spiritual center of the city. The Kremlin serves as the residence for the country’s president. It has been used as a fort, and this fact is made clear by its sheer size. The Kremlin’s outer walls were built in the late 1400 s. Under Ivan III, better known as Ivan the Great, the Kremlin became the center of a unified Russian state, and was extensively remodeled. Three of the Kremlin’s cathedrals date to his reign that lasted from 1462 -1505. The Deposition Church and the Palace of Facets were also constructed during this time. The Ivan the Great Bell Tower was built in 1508. It is the tallest tower at the Kremlin with a height of 266 feet (81 meters). Joseph Stalin removed many of the relics from the tsarist regimes. However, the Tsar Bell, the world’s largest bell, and the Tsar Cannon, the largest bombard by caliber in the world, are among the remaining items from that era. The Kremlin Armory is one of Moscow’s oldest museums as it was established more than 200 years ago. Its diamond collection is impressive. The Kremlin’s gardens – Taynitsky, Grand Kremlin Public and Alexander – are beautiful. The Kremlin has also served as the religious center of the country, and there is a tremendous number of preserved churches and cathedrals here. The collections contained within the museums include more than 60, 000 historical, cultural and artistic monuments. Those who enjoy the performing arts will want to consider attending a ballet or concert at the State Kremlin Palace. Completed in 1961, it is the only modern building in the Kremlin.

Sights of Moscow

Moscow is a treasure trove of attractions that are not only cultural and historical, they all are also of public importance. Russia is associated with the Kremlin and Red Square by many tourists of different parts of the world. The guests of the capital of the country can enjoy the magnificent architecture of the central part of the city with many historical monuments. They can visit the beautiful parks and gardens and other interesting places that can give unforgettable emotions.

Red Square Lying at the heart of Moscow, Red Square is the most important and impressive square in the city. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions due to its wealth of historical sights and cultural landmarks. Drenched in history, the huge square is home to incredible sights such as the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s Mausoleum, among others. Consequently, it is not to be missed when in Moscow as it really is home to the city’s most stunning monuments. It is here that many important moments in Russian history took place; the former marketplace has hosted everything from Tsar’s coronations and public ceremonies to rock concerts and Soviet military parades. Wandering around the massive square is a humbling experience and undoubtedly one of the highlights the city has to offer.

The heart of Moscow is Red Square. Here you can see the most beautiful masterpieces of Russian architecturethe Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral. Thousands of visitors enjoy the Tsar. Bell and the Tsar-Cannon, the Spasskaya Tower, churches and museums of the Kremlin The Tsar Cannon The Tsar Bell was cast in 1733 -1735 on the order of Empress Anna Ioannovna by hereditary Muscovy casters and bell founders Ivan Motorin and his son Mikhail. Up till now, the Tsar Bell is considered to be the biggest one in the world. It weighs about 202 ton, it is 6. 14 meter high and its diameter is 6. 6 meters. The history of making the bell is full of many difficulties, failures, and disasters. The Tsar Cannon is a unique item of the Kremlin’s artillery collection. It was created in 1586 in Moscow's Cannon Court by eminent Russian cannon-caster Andrei Chokhov on the order of Tsar Feodor Ioannovich, the sovereign ruler of All Great Russia. The Tsar Cannon is located at the west side of Ivanovskaya Square, between the 'Ivan the Great' Bell Tower and the Twelve Apostles' Church.

This is the Palace of Congresses, it is situated in the Kremlin. Many meetings and concerts take place there. It is a very nice building

State Historical Museum An attraction in its own right, the State Historical Museum, sheltered in a neo-Russian style building, was founded in 1872 by Ivan Zabelin and Aleksey Uvarov. What once was the Principal Medicine Store now houses an impressive collection, which includes relics of prehistoric tribes that once inhabited the territory of present-day Russia, the country’s largest coin collection, as well as 6 th-century manuscripts and artworks collected by the Romanov dynasty among other treasures.

GUM (STATE DEPARTMENT STORE) This large department store has been steadily growing since it was first commissioned in the 18 th century. It has not always been a department store in the original sense as it consisted of individual vendors and stores numbering in the thousands. It has seen its fair share of controversy through the years and at one point in 1928 it was turned into a massive set of offices for the Communist party by Stalin. Since 1953 it has been running again as a department store and is still used to sell novelty items to tourists. It is not anywhere near its former glory in terms of the volume of stores but is still an amazing place to visit on your travels.

Saint Basil's Cathedral St. Basil’s Cathedral was erected in 1555 -60 by two architects Postnik and Barma. Located in the impressive Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral is gorgeous; its delightful spires appear as if out of a fairytale. The most recognizable building in the country, the cathedral is very much a symbol of Russia. No visit to Moscow is complete without having taken in its unique and distinctive features. Ivan the Terrible ordered the cathedral’s construction in the mid-16 th century, and legend holds that Ivan put out the architect’s eyes so that he would be unable to build another cathedral more glorious than St. Basil’s. Designed to resemble the shape of a bonfire in full flame, the architecture is not only unique to the period in which it was built but to any subsequent period. For various reasons, both Napoleon and Stalin wanted to destroy the cathedral but fortunately did not succeed. Known for its various colors, shapes and geometric patterns, St. Basil’s Cathedral houses nine different chapels that are all connected by a winding labyrinth of corridors and stairways. On the lower floor, St. Basil’s Chapel contains a silver casket bearing the body of St. Basil the Blessed. Throughout the cathedral are many beautiful murals, frescoes, wooden icons and other art works and artifacts. Outside the cathedral is a lovely garden with the bronze Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, who rallied an all-volunteer Russian army against Polish invaders during a period of the late 16 th century known as the Times of Troubles.

Lenin Mausoleum Opened to the public in 1924, Lenin’s Mausoleum is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Moscow. The red granite structure is located at the heart of the city in Red Square. Lenin’s embalmed body lies in a glass sarcophagus; it is a somewhat eerie experience walking past the former leader of the Soviet Union but is well worth doing as you understandably can’t do it anywhere else in the world. After visiting the mausoleum, head to the Kremlin wall right next to it for more graves of important communist figures such as Stalin and Brezhnev.

Christ the Savior Cathedral This gorgeous Russian Orthodox cathedral is located on the banks of the Moskva River, just a stone’s throw away from the Kremlin. The church as it stands today was consecrated in 2000, as the original church that stood here was destroyed on the command of Josef Stalin in 1931 due to the anti-religious campaign. With its delightful golden dome, spires and dazzling white facades, the Christ the Savior Cathedral is stunning. The interior is just as captivating to wander around, with its beautifully tiled floors and impressive altar.

State Tretyakov Gallery Named after the collector Pavel Tretyakov, this gallery has not been around as long as many other attractions on this list. Tretyakov’s original intention was to turn it into a national museum for art as he collected works from all of the major artists of the period. The gallery itself did not officially get built until the turn of the 20 th century in 1904. It has an enormous amount of exhibits that have come in over the years ranging in the sum of some 130, 000. Because of the sheer volume of work that has be acquired the gallery now has branches in other cities throughout the country.

BOLSHOI THEATRE This is one of the more familiar names to Westerners on this list as it has a history for being a world renowned ballet and opera theatre. It was founded in 1776 but due to a few different fires its current location and building came to be in 1824 after three years of construction. It has always been exclusively for ballet and opera performances as other forms of entertainment were once regulated to certain theatres across the country. In more modern times there has been a major renovation as recent as three years ago in 2011. The grand reopening was a huge international event that had ballet and opera companies from everywhere in the world performing.

Old Arbat Street As the name implies Old Arbat Street, or just Arbat, is one of the oldest streets in Moscow. It was first built some time in the 1600 s but there is no concrete date and some historians assume it was well before that time. At one point in Russian history it was the street to live on if you had any sort of wealth, power, or influence. That changed after the fire of 1812 as it was burned to the ground and had to be reconstructed. In more recent times the street has changed to allow pedestrian traffic only as it had to be closed for the building of the Ministry of Defense.

SPARROW HILLS (VOROBYOVY GORY) If you to take a walk from Gorky Park along the Moscow river embankment, you’ll end up in the city’s other legendary park, Sparrow Hills. Although the park doesn’t offer as many activities as its hip neighbour, here you can take a closer look at the tallest of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers (the Moscow State University), admire the view from the observation deck or get a cable car ride. The claim to fame for these hills is that they are one of the highest points in the large city and once carried the name of the Lenin Hills. In more recent times the hills became home to the Moscow State University and the lesser know Trinity church. For the visiting tourist it is a must if you want to get a view of the entire city. There is an observation platform at the top of the hill which gives you an amazing view of everything Moscow has to offer.

Peter the Great Many Moscovites question why a statue commemorating the man who took capital away from Moscow and gave it to St. Petersburg was erected on the Moscow River, right in the centre of the city. Some also consider this to be a 98 metre (322 feet)-high eyesore and the statue, on occasion, has made several ugliest statues lists. Regardless, it was designed by Georgian born Zurab Tsereteli and erected in 1997 to celebrate 300 years of Russian navy and the Tsar who established it, Peter the Great.

Izmailovsky Market For those on a slightly more limited budget, ditch window shopping at the exclusive GUM and take a foray into the madly bustling world of Izmailovsky, Russia’s best flea market. Delve into the bargains, rifle through the artisan crafts, admire the local handiwork and be tempted by the silky smooth traditional fur hats. Expect walls of matryoshka dolls, fascinating Soviet memorabilia, and glittering hand-crafted jewellery. Head up to one of Izmailovsky market‘s cafés for a warming mulled wine before continuing your shopping spree.

Moscow Souvenirs and Gifts In Moscow you will find lots of souvenirs such as: - The small dolls matrioshkas are the most "Russian" gift. There are the sets of three, four, seven, ten, fifteen and more dolls; - Samovar, wooden boxes, fur cap (ushanka), sandals made of birch bark (lapti) are the traditional souvenirs; - Souvenir cups, spoons, plates with images of the city's attractions; - Postcards, key chains, magnets with the symbols of Moscow; - Handicrafts - Gzhel, Orenburg shawls and Pavloposadskiye shawls, khokhloma toys, Vologda lace and more; - Books, brochures, gifts - with information about Moscow; - Sweets -"Red October" candies, "Rot Front" confectionary, chocolate "Alenka", the famous cake "Bird's milk" (Ptichye Moloko); - Stylish souvenirs by "Heart of Moscow" and "Mosazbuka"; - Antique, vintage things at the fair "Izmailovo

Moscow is a treasure trove of attractions that are not only cultural and historical, they all are also of public importance. Russia is associated with the Kremlin and Red Square by many tourists of different parts of the world. The guests of the capital of the country can enjoy the magnificent architecture of the central part of the city with many historical monuments. They can visit the beautiful parks and gardens and other interesting places that can give unforgettable emotions.