Moscow is the capital of Russia, its economic, political and cultural center. Its population is about 10 million people. its area is about 900 thousand square kilometres. The city was founded by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky in the 12th century. At that time it was a small settlement. By the 15th century Moscow had grown into a big city. In the 16th century, under Ivan the Terrible, Moscow became the capital of the state of Moscovy. In the 18th century Peter I moved the capital to St.Petersburg. During the war of 1812 almost the whole Moscow was destroyed by fire, but in the middle of the 19th century the city was completely rebuilt. At present Moscow is the seat of the Russian government. The Presodent of th Russian Federation lives and works here. Moscow is an industrial center. Engineering, chemical and light industries are developed here. There are a lot of the sights in Moscow: historical buildings, museums, theatres, art galleries and others. For example: the Bolshoi theatre, the Maly Gallery, the Art Theatre, the Pushkin Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery. The oldest part of Moscow is the Kremlin. It is the heart of the city. The word "Kremlin" means "fortress". It is the spesial place with its own buildings, museums and ita old history. Red Square is known by all people. It`s the main part of Moscow which attracts tourists and people who live in Moscow. Moscow is the city of scince and learning. There are 80 higher educational institutions in the city.
