There are few cities worldwide that resonate with history and culture the way Moscow does. Whether you find yourself admiring St Basil's Cathedral and the ancient walls of the Kremlin in Red Square, staring up in awe at one of Stalin's seven ugly sisters, heading out to the Bolshoi for a night of magic and bedazzlement, or even hanging out at the Patriarch's ponds on the off-chance of running into the Devil. . . Wherever you go and whatever you do in this town, you are bound to feel an almost palpable aura of drama, intrigue, passion, politics and downright skullduggery pervading every breath of frosty air.
Sights
Moscow is a living museum to a millennium of political, religious and cultural history. Moscow can be an overwhelming experience for visitors - there's just so much to see in this vast and vibrant city, from the truly sublime to the ever-so-slightly ridiculous. Follow our virtual guide to find the essential sites in Russia's capital.
Shopping
Expect serious shopaholics to start hyperventilating once they enter the extraordinary malls and upmarket boutiques in the city centre. All the big name brands are here, plus some seriously pricey local producers too. Russians like to look good and are prepared to spend top rouble for the right trinkets, so join the big spenders in the exclusive malls or head down to the vast warehouses in the suburbs to dig out some cheap electronic goods, bargain-basement DVDs and software from some less-than-reliable sources. All good fun!
Souvenir
Despite the many changes to sweep Russia in recent years, the only souvenir one must take home is (still) the famous Matryoshka doll. That would be the doll inside a doll inside a doll inside. . . And the best place to get a Matryoshka doll is at Izmailovsky Market, which is best reached via the dark blue line on the metro to Izmailovsky Park. Keep your wallet buried under several layers of clothing, and do not miss the shashlik (Russian barbeque). Side note: While strolling on the Old Arbat, you may notice the many vendors selling Matryoshka dolls. Do not be a tourist and buy one. It will cost you two or three times the price at Izmailovsky.
Moscow ( or ; ru-Moskva. ogg; see also) is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent. Moscow is the most northern city on Earth to have a population above 10, 000, 000, the most populous city on the continent of Europe, and the seventh largest city proper in the world. Its population, according to the preliminary results of the 2010 census, is 11, 514, 330. Based on Forbes 2011, Moscow had 79 billionaires, displacing New York as the city with the greatest number of billionaires.
Moscow is situated on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District of European Russia. In the course of its history the city has served as the capital of a progression of states, from the medieval Grand Duchy of Moscow and the subsequent Tsardom of Russia to the Soviet Union. Moscow is the site of the Moscow Kremlin, an ancient fortress that is today the residence of the Russian President and of the executive branch of the Government of Russia. The Kremlin is also one of several World Heritage Sites in the city. Both chambers of the Russian parliament (the State Duma and the Federation Council) also sit in Moscow.
The city is served by an extensive transit network, which includes four international airports, nine railroad terminals, and the Moscow Metro, second only to Tokyo in terms of ridership and recognised as one of the city's landmarks due to the rich and varied architecture of its 182 stations.
Over time, Moscow has acquired a number of epithets, most referring to its size and preeminent status within the nation: The Third Rome. In old Russian the word "Сорок" (forty) also meant a church administrative district, which consisted of about forty churches. The demonym for a Moscow resident is Moskvitch, rendered in English as Muscovite.
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