Moscow was founded in 1147 by Prince Yury Dolgoruky. It stands on the Moskva River. Since the time of its foundation the history of Mos- cow is inseparable from the history of the country. At first it was a little town on the boundary of the Kiev Russia. Some time passed and it developed into a prosperous city. It became the capital of Russia during the rule of Ivan the Third. Peter the Great moved the capital to St Petersburg, but Moscow still played an important role in the life of Rus- sia. In 1918 the Soviet government moved from Petrograd to Moscow, and thus the ancient city became the capital of the country for the second time. At present Moscow is the largest city in the Russian Federation, the seat of the government, the political, educational and cultural centre of the country. The population of Moscow is over nine million people, and the city is growing from day to day. Moscow being an ancient city, one can come across the sights on every step. The heart of Moscow is the Kremlin and Red Square. It is not only a historic centre, but also a unique architectural ensemble, famous all over the world. The Kremlin includes over twenty towers joined by the wall. Each tower has its own name; the most famous one is the Spasskaya Tower with its chimes. On the territory of the Kremlin there are beau- tiful ancient cathedrals, Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon and the Armoury Museum the exhibition of the treasures of the Russian tsars, includ- ing icons, crowns, coaches, presents from monarchs of other countries and ceremonial dresses. The Spasskaya Tower outlooks Red Square and the Pokrovsky Cathedral, which is famous all over the world for its exotic beauty. Not far from the Kremlin Arbat begins. It is the best-known street of the city. There is no traffic, so one can walk and enjoy watching the crowds of people strolling by. Arbat is the main tourist attraction after the Kremlin. But Moscow is not only the Kremlin and Arbat. The best way to describe Moscow is probably to say that it is like any other metropolis in the world – lines of cars (and traffic jams!), hurrying people, tall build- ings, elegant restaurants, night clubs and much more. Its appearance is not always attractive, but, beyond any doubt, fascinating and capturing!
