Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia as well as the. It is also the 4th largest city in the world and the first in terms of size among all European cities. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruki, a prince of the region. The city lay on important land and river trade routes, and it grew and prospered. During the 1200s, Tartar invaders from Asia conquered Moscow and other Russian lands. Moscow grew rapidly during the 1600s. Tsars built palaces in the Kremlin and nobles built mansions. New churches and monasteries appeared and industries developed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayIn 1703, Peter the Great began building a new capital in St. Petersburg. But Moscow remains an important cultural, industrial and commercial center. In the fall of 1812, invading French troops led by Napoleon I entered Moscow without a fight. Most people had left the city. Soon after, a fire destroyed most of Moscow. After 35 days, the French troops left the city and began a retreat in the snow and cold. During the revolution of 1917, the government fell into the hands of the Bolsheviks. They returned to Moscow in the capital of 1918. Moscow is located in the north-central part of the European part of Russia. The Moscow River runs through the city. Moscow is built in the shape of a wheel. In the center of the wheel is the Kremlin. This ancient fortress is the center of Russian government. Within its walls are magnificent cathedrals and palaces, as well as government buildings. Some of them date back to the 1400s. Red Square is just outside the Kremlin Wall. It gets its name in Russian from an old word meaning both beautiful and red. There, huge military parades celebrate special occasions. Thousands of people line up daily outside the Lenin Mausoleum to view Lenin's preserved body. Opposite the Kremlin, on Red Square, is GUM, the largest store. St. Basil's Church is also on Red Square. This 400-year-old building is part of the State Historical Museum. The Russia Hotel, one of the largest hotels in the world, faces the Kremlin, near Red Square. Muscovites are proud of their metro system, called the Metro. The city has more than 70 metro stations, which resemble palace halls and are the most chic in the world. Muscovites have many leisure facilities at their disposal. Luzhniki, a huge sports area, includes the Lenin Stadium, which can accommodate around 103,000 people. Every year, about 7 million people come to Gorky Park, the most popular entertainment center in Moscow. The Bolshoi Theater presents ballets that many consider Russia's highest artistic achievement. Young dancers are trained at the Bolshoi Theater school. The country's largest symphony orchestra performs at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. In addition, Moscow has a number of famous drama theaters, such as the Maly and Moscow Art Theaters. The city has around 150 museums and art galleries. Dazzling treasures that belonged to the tsars are on display at the Kremlin Armory Museum. Moscow State University is the largest university in the country. It was created in 1755 and has more than 30,000 students. Moscow has more than a thousand primary and secondary schools and more than 80 specialized institutes. About 3,000 main and branch libraries operate throughout Moscow. The State Library.