Overall Score
Moscow — is the capital of the Russian Federation. Moreover, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and Europe in terms of population. According to data from January 2011, there are 12.5 million people living in Moscow. Moscow is one of the worlds ten largest cities.
Moscow is the historic capital of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Kingdom of the Russian Empire, as well as the Soviet Union and the future of the USSR. Moscow is home to virtually every governmental body, as well as many of the largest commercial organizations that operate in Russia and the CIS. Moscow is at the center of the Eastern European Plain, on the banks of the Moscow River. Moscow is the tourist center of Russia. There are many monuments of culture and architecture located here. Kremlin and Red Square are monuments inscribed on UNESCOs World Heritage List. Moscow is the cultural, economic and political center of the country, which has a profound influence on the development of the country as a whole.
Moscow derives its name from the same river on which the city, in fact, is located. The Moskva River bore the name for a long time before settlements were founded on its banks. There are several versions, which explain the origin of the term Moscow. The first hypothesis is that the name of the river came from the Finno-Ugric language group, where mosk is kora, and the ending –vava is translated as water, wet. Consequently, at some point the river Moscow was associated with a wet cow. Another hypothesis translates the word «moscow» as &quo;bear». According to the Slavic synthesis, the root of «mosk» means «kyak, yak, bald». Consequently, the territory of modern Moscow was a bologna. Some scholars believe that the name Moscow has a Balkan origin.
The first settlements known to archaeologists were the Slavic settlements, among which the most famous are the tribes of the Krivites and the Byzantines, with the Byzantines taking precedence. Archaeological excavations in the present Kremlin area testify to the existence of settlements that were protected by the silt and moat.
One of the first documentary records of Muscovy is the Ivanovo Chronicle of 1147, when Prince Yuriuri Bury accepted his associates and friends in the city of Moscow, led by Prince Svyatoslav of Tver, the prince of Novgorod.
In the time of the Mongol-Tartar invasion, Moscow was invaded. It was in 1237-1238. In the second half of the 13th century, Moscow was ruled by Prince Danyin, son of Alexander Nevsky. Moscow is becoming the center of an autonomous principality, which is growing and prospering thanks to its location at the crossroads of trade routes. In the beginning of the 14th century the possessions of the Moscow principality began to expand. The Principality of Moscow was joined to the Principality of Mozhaisk and the Principality of Kolomna. During the reign of Prince Ivan Kalita, massive construction was carried out in Moscow. The first stone buildings are being built among the wooden structures. During this period, Moscow became a major commercial and trade center. In the late 15th century, Moscow became the center of a major Russian state. Moscow includes Kremlin, the city of China and the White City. In 1613, Mikhail the First ascended the throne in Moscow, the founder of the royal dynasty of the Romanovs. At the same time, the German, German and Kolomna villages appeared in Moscow.
In 1712, the capital of Russia was moved to St. Petersburg. In 1755, the University of Moscow was founded by Mikhail Lomonosov and Ivan Shuvalov. In 1812, Moscow was invaded by Napoleons troops and severely damaged by fire. In a short time, Moscow was completely rebuilt. The Church of the Savior was also built here.
In 1910, when the Bolsheviks came to power, Moscow became the state capital again. Moscows political, economic and international importance increased. Moscows territory became more and more contiguous with cities.
The pace of development of the transport infrastructure was rapid. In 1924, the automobile bus service opened. In 1933, the first shuttle route was laid. And in 1935 the Metropolitan was founded.
In the early twenty-five hundred years, Moscow was undergoing a major architectural reorganization. Not only the residential sector, but also office buildings, shopping malls, and luxury housing is being built. On the one hand, the new buildings make the city look beautiful, but on the other hand, they ruin the citys historic character. Traffic jams are already commonplace in the Russian capital.
Moscow is located in the heart of northern Russia, between two major rivers: the Volga and the Oka. Moscow covers 1,081 kilometers, 877 kilometers are inside the Moscow Ring Road. Moscow is located 156 meters above sea level. In some places the height is 200 meters. The length of Moscow from north to south is almost 40 km
Overall Score
- Air quality: 53 US AQI Moderate. Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
- Tap water: No, not drinkable
- Religious government: Non-religious
- Population: 13,000,000 people
- Population density: busy: 11x11m 121m per person
- GDP: $8,655 / year
- Foreigners can own real estate: Yes
- Power outlets: 230V50Hz
- Internet: 16 Mbps
- Best wireless: Megafon
- Pay without cash: Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
- Tipping: Typically in Russia the etiquette is to tip anywhere between 10% and 15% of the bill. Tip in cash, and give it directly to the waiter. Many restaurants don’t accept credit cards. You don’t need to tip much, but don’t tip too little either.
- Apartment listings: Wimdu
- Apartments: Airbnb
- Hotels: Booking.com
- More hotels: Hotels.com
- Best coffee 24/7: Bosco
- Best coffee: Starlite Diner
- Best taxi: Yandex Taxi
- Best coworking space: Coworkstation
- Online electronics shop: Ozon
- Best hospital: MEDSI
- Best short-haul air carrier: Aeroflot
- Best intl air carrier: Aeroflot
- Monthly costs for expat: $1300
- Monthly costs for family: $2800
- Monthly costs for local: $800
- Meal: $7
- Small Cola: $0.5
- Beer 1 Pint: $3.5
- Coffee: $2.5
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