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Moscow, the capital and largest city (pop., 2001est.: 8,546,000) of Russia.

It is located on both sides of the Moskva River in western Russia, about 640 km southeast of St. Petersburg and about 970 km east of Poland. Inhabited since Neolithic times, the site was first mentioned as a village in 1147 and became the capital of the principality of Moscow (Muscovy) in the late 13th century. It expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries under its grand dukes Ivan III and Ivan IV and became the capital of a united Russia (1547–1712). In 1812 it was occupied by the French under Napoleon and was almost entirely destroyed by fire. In 1918 it became the capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and expanded greatly. It suffered much damage from German bombing in World War II. In 1993 it was the scene of armed conflict between opposing government factions after the dissolution of parliament by Boris Yeltsin. The spiritual home of the Russian Orthodox church for more than 600 years, it is a political, industrial, transportation, and cultural centre. Its most notable structure is the Kremlin, a medieval fortress on the Moskva with Red Square along its eastern wall. The Lenin Mausoleum is nearby, and St. Basil's Cathedral is at the southern end of the square. Moscow is also home to the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow State University, and many other institutions of higher education.

Kremlin

Central fortress in medieval Russian cities, usually located at a strategic point along a river and separated from the surrounding parts of the city by a wall with ramparts, moat, towers, and battlements.

Several capitals of principalities were built around old kremlins, which generally contained cathedrals, palaces, governmental offices, and munitions stores. The Moscow Kremlin (established 1156) served as the centre of Russian government until 1712 and again after 1918. Its crenellated brick walls and 20 towers were built in the 15th century by Italian architects. The palaces, cathedrals, and government buildings within the walls encompass a variety of styles, including Byzantine, Russian Baroque, and Classical.

Red Square is an open square, central Moscow. It lies north of the Moskva River and covers almost 73,000 sq m. Dating from the late 15th century, it has long been a busy market area as well as a focal point in Russian history, the scene of executions, demonstrations, riots, and parades. Located around it are the State Historical Museum (1875–81), the eight-towered St. Basil's Cathedral (1555–60), the former state department store GUM, and the tomb of Vladimir Ilich Lenin.

GUM is the Gosudarstvenny Universalny Magazin (Russian: “State Department Store”), the largest department store in Russia. It is situated in Moscow's Red Square and occupies a huge, ornate building (constructed 1889–93) that once housed more than 1,000 shops. GUM now includes about 150 shops selling food, clothing, home appliances, watches and cameras, and many other goods. It functions more like a Western-style shopping mall than a department store and is a popular tourist attraction.

Moskva River or Moscow River flows through Moscow province and part of Smolensk province, western Russia. The river is 502 km long and drains an area of 17,600sq km. It runs through the city of Moscow to join the Oka River just below Kolomna. The river flows southeast through the Volga basin. It is navigable from Moscow and is an important source of the city's water supply.

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