|
In the 1300s the original Moscow Kremlin was constructed, and in the late 1400s it was redesigned into the structure still standing today.
|
|
Moscow's climate includes long, cold winters and warm summers. Winter begins in November and ends in March with temperatures as low as -25°C. Summer begins in June and ends in September, with temperatures reaching 30°C+.
|
|
Moscow has a range of different ethnicities but the majority (more than 90%) of the population is Russian. Other ethnic groups found in the city include Ukrainian, Armenian, Georgian, Tatar, Azeri, Belarusian, Uzbek, Tajik, Moldovan, Mordvin, and Chechen, among others.
|
|
The Russian Orthodox Church is the most popular religion in Moscow, but other religions being practiced in the city include Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Judaism, and Yazidism, among others. There are also a large portion of Muslims living in Moscow, and the latest mosque was inaugurated with the support and participation of Vladimir Putin, Russia's President.
|
|
Moscow's architecture is famous around the world, with the onion domes of Saint Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin, the Seven Sisters, Novodevichy Convent, and Ostankino Tower.
|
|
Moscow has 18 gardens and 96 parks, with 170 square miles of green zone and forest covering 39 square miles.
|
|
Moscow's Izmaylovsky Park is one of the largest city parks in the world. It is six times bigger than New York City's Central Park, at almost 6 square miles. The park was created in 1931. Prior to 1961 it was known as Stalin Park.
|
|
Gorky Park in Moscow has more than 100,000 visitors each day.
|
|
Moscow has a metro that opened in 1935, but many believe there is a secret branch of the system to connect the Kremlin and other buildings.
|
|
Approximately 9 million people use the metro in Moscow every day.
|
|
During World War II the Moscow metro was used as a bomb shelter. 217 babies were born in the metro during the war.
|
|
There are more billionaires living in Moscow than in any other single city in the world. The estimate is 84 billionaires while New York City has roughly 62. These numbers changes as fortunes are built and lost.
|
|
Moscow has more than 2700 restaurants.
|
|
The oldest street in Moscow is Arbat Street, which is more than 520 years old.
|
|
Moscow's zoo holds 3000 animals from around the world.
|
|
The first McDonald's restaurant in Moscow opened in January, 1990, with a line of customers running several kilometers.
|
