Moskva

Moskva, known in English as Moscow, is the capital and most populous city of Russia. It is located in European Russia on the Moskva River and serves as the political, economic, cultural, and scientific center of the country.

The city lies on the Moskva River, which flows into the Oka. Moscow covers around 2,500 square kilometers and experiences a humid continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers.

The city traces its first mention to 1147 and grew as a regional power center in the medieval period. It became the core of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and later the capital of the Russian state; it served as the capital of the Russian Empire from 1712 until the capital was moved to Saint Petersburg. After the 1917 revolution, the government returned to Moscow in 1918, and since 1991 it has been the capital of the Russian Federation.

Moscow hosts the Kremlin and Red Square, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the Bolshoi Theatre, and numerous museums and universities, including Lomonosov Moscow State University. The Moscow Metro is renowned for its architectural stations, and the city has a large musical, theatrical, and sports scene. It is a major economic hub with diversified industries, finance, and international trade.

Moskva is also the name of the Moskva River and of several ships in the Russian Navy. The most well-known is the guided-missile cruiser Moskva, the Black Sea Fleet flagship, which was reported sunk in 2022.