8. MOSCOW Moscow is the capital of

8. MOSCOW Moscow is the capital of Russia and the most populous city in the country. Pounded in 1147 on the Moskva River by Prince Yury Dolgoruky, the city grew rapidly and in the 16th century Moscow was made the capital of the country by Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Today Moscow is the largest city in Europe and one of the largest cities in the world with the population of more than 10 million people. It is a major political, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia. Red Square with the Kremlin is the centre of Moscow. These are the most popular tourist destinations Read Square is the pine for parades and big national and international concerts. St. Rasil's Cathedral in Red Square is a masterpiece of Russian architecture. The Cathedral was erected to commemorate Russia`s victory over the Kazan Kingdom in the l6th century. The monument to Minin and Poharsky, the oldest monument in Moscow built in memory of the victory over the Polish ivaders, can be seen in front of the Cathedral. The State History Museum, the museum of Russian history, is situated opposite St. RaSiI's Cathedral. It is one of the biggest muse urns in Moscow with the exhibitions that range from relics of the prehistoric tribes inhabiting present-day Russia to priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. On the territory of the Kremlin one an see ancient cathedrals that are real architect Ural masterpieces. The Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Cathedral of the Dormition the Cathedral of the Annunciation, the Palace of Congress, the Tsar-Cannon and the Tsar-1fe11, the biggest cannon and bell in the world can be seen there. The Spasskaya Tower, the tallest tower, is the symbol of the Kremlin. Alexander Garden is situated outside the Kremlin walls. It was one of the first urban public parka in the city. The park comprises three separate gar-" dens, which stretch along the western Kremlin wall. The Tomb of the Unknown SoIdier with the eternal flame is a memorial to the soldiers who died i World War II. Moscow is a big cultural centre with plenty of cinemas, concert halls, numerous drama and musical theatre, Including world-famous ones like the Bolshoi Theatre and the Maly theatre , and clubs. The city is also proud of its museums and art galleries. Moscow's biggest museum is the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. which houses one of the world's largest collections of ancient, classical and oriental works of art. The Tretyakov Gallery is famous all over the world and contains a great collection of Russian artists' works. Moscow has as a lot of green sports scattered around the city. There are 96 parks and 18 gardens in the city, including 4 botanical gardens. Gorky Park was founded in 1928. It borders on Neskuchny Garden, the oldest park in Moscow. The Garden has the Green Theatre, one of the largest open amphitheatres in Europe with the capacity of 15 thousand people. Izmailovsky Park opened in 1931 is one of the largest roan parka in the world along with Richmond Park In London. Is area is six times bigger than that of Central Park in New York. Sokolniki Park, named after the falcon hunting that often took place there in the past. is one of the oldest parka in Moscow. The centre of the park la marked with the fountain and the network of birch. maple and elm tree alleys that radiate from it. Kuzminsky Park la another green spot of Moscow The district is a family neat of the Golitsyn Princes. a summer house settlement in the past, which was famous for its great location. remarkable parks. and picturesque ponds Today there is

a museum there~ This preserved nature complex of the city is of unique ecological, scenic, historical and cultural value. Losiny Ostrov National Park is situated partly in Moscow, partly in Moscow Region. This is the first national park in Russia and is considered the largest forest in a city. The Main Botanical Garden of the Academy of Science, founded in 1945, is the largest in Europe It contains a collection of more than 20 thousand different plants from various parts of the world as well as a scientific research lab. There is also a rose garden with 20 thousand rose bushes in the Garden, a tree nursery, and an oak forest with the tree that are more than 100 years old. Other popular attractions include the Moscow Zoo, a zoological garden of nearly a thousnd animal species. Every year the zoo attracts more than 1.2 million visitors. Moscow is a big sports centre too. There are various sports facilities in the city including sixty-three stadiums. Luhniki Stadium is the 4th largest stadium in Europe (it hosted Summer Olympic Games in 1980). There are also seven horse racing tracks in Moscow, the largest of which is Moscow Central Hippodronw, founded in 1834. The so-called "Seven Sisters", seven massive skyscrapers scattred throughout the city, are among the most famous buildings in the city. They stand at the equal distance from the Kremlin and