Editing Moscow (section)

==Cityscape==
{{See also|List of tallest buildings in Moscow}}

===Architecture===
[[File:Museo Estatal de Historia, Moscú, Rusia, 2016-10-03, DD 49.jpg|thumb|left|The [[State Historical Museum]], an example of the [[Russian Revival architecture|Neo-Russian style]]]]
[[File:Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg|thumb|The [[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour]], an example of [[Neo-Byzantine architecture in the Russian Empire|Neo-Byzantine architecture]]]]
Moscow's architecture is world-renowned. Moscow is the site of [[Saint Basil's Cathedral]], with its elegant [[onion dome]]s, as well as the [[Cathedral of Christ the Savior]] and the [[Seven Sisters (Moscow)|Seven Sisters]]. The first Kremlin was built in the middle of the 12th century.

Medieval Moscow's design was of concentric walls and intersecting radial thoroughfares. This layout, as well as Moscow's rivers, helped shape Moscow's design in subsequent centuries.

The Kremlin was rebuilt in the 15th century. Its towers and some of its churches were built by Italian architects, lending the city some of the aurae of the renaissance. From the end of the 15th century, the city was embellished by masonry structures such as monasteries, palaces, walls, towers, and churches.

The city's appearance had not changed much by the 18th century. Houses were made of pine and spruce logs, with shingled roofs plastered with sod or covered by birch bark. The rebuilding of Moscow in the second half of the 18th century was necessitated by constant fires and the needs of the nobility. Much of the wooden city was replaced by buildings in the classical style.<ref>{{cite book |title=The architecture and planning of classical Moscow: a cultural history |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_STn96Qeg3D4C |last=Schmidt |first=Albert J |publisher=American Philosophical Society |date=1 April 1989 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_STn96Qeg3D4C/page/n24 5]–25 }}</ref>

For much of its architectural history, Moscow was dominated by Orthodox churches. However, the overall appearance of the city changed drastically during Soviet times, especially as a result of [[Joseph Stalin]]'s large-scale effort to "modernize" Moscow. Stalin's plans for the city included a network of broad avenues and roadways, some of them over ten lanes wide, which, while greatly simplifying movement through the city, were constructed at the expense of a great number of historical buildings and districts. Among the many casualties of Stalin's demolitions was the [[Sukharev Tower]], a longtime city landmark, as well as mansions and commercial buildings. The city's newfound status as the capital of a deeply [[secular]] nation, made religiously significant buildings especially vulnerable to demolition. Many of the city's churches, which in most cases were some of Moscow's oldest and most prominent buildings, were destroyed; some notable examples include the [[Kazan Cathedral, Moscow|Kazan Cathedral]] and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. During the 1990s, both were rebuilt. Many smaller churches, however, were lost.<ref>{{cite journal |title=onlinelibrary.wiley.com |journal=City & Society |volume=10 |pages=269–314 |publisher=onlinelibrary.wiley.com |date=28 June 2008 |doi=10.1525/city.1998.10.1.269 |last1=Khazanov |first1=Anatoly M. |s2cid=145807994 }}</ref>
[[File:0169 - Moskau 2015 - Roter Platz (25795529393).jpg|thumb|[[GUM (department store)|GUM]] department store, facing the [[Red Square]]]]
[[File:Ostankino Tower, 2015.JPG|thumb|left|upright|[[Ostankino Tower]], the tallest freestanding structure in Europe, and the [[List of tallest freestanding structures in the world|eighth-tallest in the world]]]]
While the later Stalinist period was characterized by the curtailing of creativity and architectural innovation, the earlier post-revolutionary years saw a plethora of radical new buildings created in the city. Especially notable were the constructivist architects associated with [[VKHUTEMAS]], responsible for such landmarks as Lenin's Mausoleum. Another prominent architect was [[Vladimir Shukhov]], famous for Shukhov Tower, just one of many [[Hyperboloid structure|hyperboloid towers]] designed by Shukhov. It was built between 1919 and 1922 as a transmission tower for a Russian broadcasting company.<ref name="stako">{{cite web |url=http://www.stako.ru/static.php?&id=mem_shukhov&lang=eng&data=mem_shukhov |publisher=Melnikov Institute |title=Memorial |access-date=6 July 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527154019/http://www.stako.ru/static.php?&id=mem_shukhov&lang=eng&data=mem_shukhov |archive-date=27 May 2008 }}</ref> Shukhov also left a lasting legacy to the [[Constructivism (art)|Constructivist]] architecture of early Soviet Russia. He designed spacious elongated shop galleries, most notably the [[GUM (department store)|GUM]] department store on [[Red Square]],<ref name="stako"/> bridged with innovative metal-and-glass vaults.
[[File:Moscow, Hotel Ukraina (30585861673).jpg|One of the [[Seven Sisters (Moscow)|Seven Sisters]], [[Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow|Hotel Ukraina]], is the [[List of tallest buildings in Europe|tallest hotel in Europe]], and one of the [[List of tallest hotels|tallest hotels in the world]].|thumb]]
[[File:Zhivopisny Bridge1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Zhivopisny Bridge]], the highest cable-stayed bridge in Europe]]
Perhaps the most recognizable contributions of the Stalinist period are the so-called [[Seven Sisters (Moscow)|Seven Sisters]], seven massive skyscrapers scattered throughout the city at about an equal distance from the Kremlin. A defining feature of Moscow's skyline, their imposing form was allegedly inspired by the [[Manhattan Municipal Building]] in [[New York City]], and their style—with intricate exteriors and a large central spire—has been described as [[Stalinist architecture|Stalinist Gothic architecture]]. All seven towers can be seen from most high points in the city; they are among the tallest constructions in central Moscow apart from the [[Ostankino Tower]], which, when it was completed in 1967, was the highest free-standing land structure in the world and today remains the world's seventy-second tallest, ranking among buildings such as the [[Burj Khalifa]] in Dubai, [[Taipei 101]] in Taiwan and the [[CN Tower]] in Toronto.<ref>[[List of tallest buildings in the world]]</ref>

The Soviet goal of providing housing for every family, and the rapid growth of Moscow's population, led to the construction of large, monotonous housing blocks. Most of these date from the post-Stalin era and the styles are often named after the leader then in power (Brezhnev, Khrushchev, etc.). They are usually badly maintained.

Although the city still has some five-story apartment buildings constructed before the mid-1960s, more recent apartment buildings are usually at least nine floors tall, and have [[elevator]]s. It is estimated that Moscow has over twice as many elevators as New York City and four times as many as [[Chicago]]. Moslift, one of the city's major elevator operating companies, has about 1500 elevator mechanics on call, to release residents trapped in elevators.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/12/the-elevator-rescue-teams-of-moscow.html |date=4 December 2012 |title=The Elevator-Rescue Teams of Moscow |first=Sally |last=McGrane |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=20 February 2020 |archive-date=29 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329031821/http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/12/the-elevator-rescue-teams-of-moscow.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Stalinist architecture|Stalinist-era buildings]], mostly found in the central part of the city, are massive and usually ornamented with [[Socialist realism]] motifs that imitate [[classical architecture|classical]] themes. However, small churches—almost always [[Eastern Orthodox]]–found across the city provide glimpses of its past. The Old [[Arbat Street]], a tourist street that was once the heart of a bohemian area, preserves most of its buildings from prior to the 20th century. Many buildings found off the main streets of the inner city (behind the Stalinist [[façade]]s of [[Tverskaya Street]], for example) are also examples of [[Bourgeoisie|bourgeois]] architecture typical of Tsarist times. [[Ostankino Palace]], [[Kuskovo]], [[Uzkoye]] and other large estates just outside Moscow originally belong to nobles from the Tsarist era, and some [[:Template: Cloisters of Moscow|convents, and monasteries]], both inside and outside the city, are open to Muscovites and tourists.

[[File:Москва, Россия (Unsplash -kgrPSetNW8).jpg|thumb|Modern methods of skyscraper construction were implemented in the city for the first time with the ambitious [[Moscow International Business Center|MIBC]].]]
Attempts are being made to restore many of the city's best-kept examples of pre-Soviet architecture. These restored structures are easily spotted by their bright new colors and spotless façades. There are a few examples of notable, early Soviet [[avant-garde]] work too, such as the house of the architect [[Konstantin Melnikov]] in the Arbat area. Many of these restorations were criticized for alleged disrespect of historical authenticity. [[Facadism]] is also widely practiced.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maps-moscow.com/index.php?chapter_id=204&data_id=92&do=view_single |title=Moscow Architecture Preservation Society |publisher=Maps-moscow.com |date=17 April 2006 |access-date=5 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080111182743/http://www.maps-moscow.com/index.php?chapter_id=204&data_id=92&do=view_single |archive-date=11 January 2008 }}</ref> Later examples of interesting Soviet architecture are usually marked by their impressive size and the semi-[[Modernist]] styles employed, such as with the [[Novy Arbat]] project, familiarly known as "false teeth of Moscow" and notorious for the wide-scale disruption of a historic area in central Moscow involved in the project.
[[File:Borovitskaya square1.jpg|thumb|left|Borovitskaya square, [[Monument to Vladimir the Great]] and [[Pashkov House]]]]
Plaques on house exteriors will inform passers-by that a well-known personality once lived there. Frequently, the plaques are dedicated to Soviet celebrities not well known outside (or often, like with decorated generals and revolutionaries, now both inside) of Russia. There are also many "museum houses" of famous Russian writers, composers, and artists in the city.

Moscow's skyline is quickly modernizing, with several new towers under construction.
In recent years, the city administration has been widely criticized for heavy destruction that has affected many historical buildings. As much as a third of historic Moscow has been destroyed in the past few years<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/arts-and-culture/2007/11/moscow-russia-buildings |title=Appetite for destruction |magazine=New Statesman |date=29 November 2007 |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-date=29 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629011125/http://www.newstatesman.com/arts-and-culture/2007/11/moscow-russia-buildings |url-status=live }}</ref> to make space for luxury apartments and hotels.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zagraevsky.com/moscow_engl.htm |title=Dr. Sergey Zagraevsky. Photogallery of the most serious violations of historical environment of Moscow in the last decade |publisher=Zagraevsky.com |access-date=22 December 2010 |archive-date=18 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718150635/http://www.zagraevsky.com/moscow_engl.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Other historical buildings, including such landmarks as the 1930 Moskva hotel and the 1913 department store Voyentorg, have been razed and reconstructed anew, with the inevitable loss of historical value. Critics blame the government for not enforcing conservation laws: in the last 12 years, more than 50 buildings with monument status were torn down, several of those dating back to the 17th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gif.ru/eng/news/maps-third/ |title=Art of Russia – The third bulletin of the Moscow Architectural Preservation Society (MAPS) |publisher=Gif.ru |date=13 July 2004 |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719044427/http://www.gif.ru/eng/news/maps-third/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some critics also wonder if the money used for the reconstruction of razed buildings could not be used for the renovation of decaying structures, which include many works by architect Konstantin Melnikov<ref>{{cite news |author=Close |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1580263,00.html |title=Eastern blocks |access-date=5 May 2009 |location=London |date=29 September 2005 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=4 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304212153/http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1580263,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Mayakovskaya (Moscow Metro)|Mayakovskaya]] metro station.

Some organizations, such as Moscow Architecture Preservation Society<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.maps-moscow.com/index.php?chapter_id=204&data_id=92&do=view_single |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080111182743/http://www.maps-moscow.com/index.php?chapter_id=204&data_id=92&do=view_single |url-status=dead |title=Moscow Architecture Preservation Society<!-- Bot generated title --> |archive-date=11 January 2008 }}</ref> and Save Europe's Heritage,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.savebritainsheritage.org/english/english.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081102100135/http://www.savebritainsheritage.org/english/english.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 November 2008 |title=Save Europe's Heritage |date=2 November 2008 }}</ref> are trying to draw the international public attention to these problems.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/05/82C2116A-568F-4413-A9AF-5528525AEE75.html |title=[Russia: Moscow's Architectural Heritage Under Threat&#93; – [Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2008&#93; |publisher=Rferl.org |date=22 May 2007 |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-date=15 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615211819/http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/05/82c2116a-568f-4413-a9af-5528525aee75.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

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===Parks and landmarks===
{{See also|List of Moscow tourist attractions}}
{{wide image|Panorama 360 Red Square edit.jpg|1500px|align-cap=center|[[Red Square]] is a [[World Heritage Site]].}}

There are 96 parks and 18 gardens in Moscow, including four [[botanical garden]]s. There are {{convert|450|km2|sqmi}} of green zones besides {{convert|100|km2|sqmi}} of forests.<ref name="mosru-stats">{{cite web |url=http://www.mos.ru/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9SP0o83hXN1e3QHMPIwMDl1BLAyM_y5AAEy8zQwMnI_3InNT0xORK_Qj9KDMkdaauxiB1JkD1fkYG_ob6BTmuigB2wqj-?nID=6_EFEFQ7H2005E302N94DU9N20O1&cID=6_EFEFQ7H2005E302N94DU9N20O1&rubricId=1716&documentId=42215 |script-title=ru:СТОЛИЦА РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ В ЗЕРКАЛЕ ЦИФР, ФАКТОВ И СОБЫТИЙ |publisher=Moscow government |access-date=28 April 2010 |language=ru}} {{dead link|date=March 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic }}</ref> Moscow is a very green city, if compared to other cities of comparable size in Western Europe and North America; this is partly due to a history of having green "yards" with trees and grass, between residential buildings. There are on average {{convert|27|m2|sp=us}} of parks per person in Moscow compared with 6 for [[Paris]], 7.5 in [[London]] and 8.6 in New York.<ref name="greendress">{{in lang|ru}} [http://www.screen.ru/moscow/zelen.htm Green dress of Moscow] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727132007/http://www.screen.ru/moscow/zelen.htm |date=27 July 2013 }}</ref>
[[File:Moscow Gorky Park main portal 08-2016 img1.jpg|thumb|[[Gorky Park (Moscow)|Gorky Park]]|alt=]]
[[Gorky Park (Moscow)|Gorky Park]] (officially the [[Gorky Park (Moscow)|Central Park of Culture and Rest]] named after [[Maxim Gorky]]), was founded in 1928. The main part ({{convert|689,000|m2|acre|disp=or|abbr=off}})<ref name="greendress"/> along the Moskva river contains [[Architectural glossary#Estrade|estrades]], children's attractions (including the ''Observation Wheel'' water ponds with boats and water bicycles), dancing, tennis courts and other sports facilities. It borders the [[Neskuchny Garden]] ({{convert|408,000|m2|acre|disp=or|abbr=off}}), the oldest park in Moscow and a former imperial residence, created as a result of the integration of three estates in the 18th century. The Garden features the Green Theater, one of the largest open amphitheaters in Europe, able to hold up to 15 thousand people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mosday.ru/photos/?neskuchniy |title=Neskuchniy Garden |publisher=Mosday.ru |access-date=10 June 2012 |archive-date=24 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424133353/http://mosday.ru/photos/?neskuchniy |url-status=live }}</ref> Several parks include a section known as a "Park of Culture and Rest", sometimes alongside a much wilder area (this includes parks such as Izmaylovsky, Fili and Sokolniki). Some parks are designated as Forest Parks (lesopark).

[[File:Island of Dreams2.jpg|thumb|[[Dream Island (amusement park)|Dream Island]], the largest indoor theme park in Europe]]
[[Izmaylovsky Park]], created in 1931, is one of the largest urban parks in the world along with [[Richmond Park]] in London. Its area of {{convert|15.34|km2|sqmi}} is six times greater than that of [[Central Park]] in New York.<ref name="greendress"/>

[[Bauman Garden (Moscow)|Bauman Garden]], officially founded in 1920 and renamed in 1922 after the [[bolsheviks|bolshevik]] [[Nikolay Bauman]], is one of the oldest parks in Moscow. It is standing on the site of the former [[House of Golitsyn|Golitsyn]] estate and eighteenth-century public garden.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Vostryshev |first1=M.I. |last2=Shokarev |first2=S.Y. |date=2011 |script-title=ru:Вся Москва от А до Я. Энциклопедия |trans-title=Moscow from A to Z. Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ontKDwAAQBAJ |language=ru |location= |publisher=Алгоритм |isbn=978-5-4320-0001-9 |pages=57–58 |access-date=21 June 2022 |archive-date=13 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213053142/https://books.google.com/books?id=ontKDwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Novodevichy Convent Night.jpg|thumb|[[Novodevichy Convent]] is a [[World Heritage Site]].|alt=]] [[Sokolniki Park]], named after the [[falcon]] hunting that occurred there in the past, is one of the oldest parks in Moscow and has an area of {{convert|6|km2|sqmi}}. A central circle with a large fountain is surrounded by birch, maple, and elm tree alleys. A labyrinth composed of green paths lies beyond the park's ponds.

[[Losiny Ostrov National Park]] ("Elk Island" National Park), with a total area of more than {{convert|116|km2|sqmi}}, borders Sokolniki Park and was Russia's first national park. It is quite wild, and is also known as the "city taiga" – elk can be seen there.
[[File:Церковь Вознесения Господня в Коломенском (19.08.2018).jpg|thumb|upright|The Church of Ascension in [[Kolomenskoye]] is a [[World Heritage Site]].]]
Tsytsin Main [[Moscow Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences|Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences]], founded in 1945 is the largest in Europe.<ref>{{in lang|ru}} [http://www.gbsad.ru/ The Official Site of the Main Moscow Botanical Garden] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624024714/http://www.gbsad.ru/ |date=24 June 2012 }}. Retrieved on 18 July 2006.</ref> It covers the territory of {{convert|3.61|km2|sqmi}} bordering the All-Russia Exhibition Center and contains a live exhibition of more than 20 thousand species of plants from around the world, as well as a lab for scientific research. It contains a rosarium with 20 thousand rose bushes, a dendrarium, and an oak forest, with the average age of trees exceeding 100 years. There is a greenhouse taking up more than {{convert|5,000|m2|0|abbr=off}} of land.<ref name="greendress"/>

The All-Russian Exhibition Center (Всероссийский выставочный центр), formerly known as the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition (VSKhV) and later [[VDNKh (Russia)|Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy]] (VDNKh), though officially named a "permanent trade show", is one of the most prominent examples of Stalinist-era monumental architecture. Among the large spans of a recreational park, areas are scores of elaborate pavilions, each representing either a branch of Soviet industry and science or a USSR republic. Even though during the 1990s it was, and for some part still is, misused as a gigantic shopping center (most of the pavilions are rented out for small businesses), it still retains the bulk of its architectural landmarks, including two monumental fountains (''[[The Stone Flower Fountain|Stone Flower]]'' and ''Friendship of Nations'') and a 360 degrees panoramic cinema. In 2014 the park returned to the name Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy, and in the same year, huge renovation works had been started.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vdnh.ru/en/about/ |title=About VDNH |work=vdnh.ru |access-date=25 June 2016 |archive-date=12 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151112200308/http://vdnh.ru/en/about/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''Lilac Park'', founded in 1958, has a permanent sculpture display and a large rosarium. Moscow has always been a popular destination for tourists. Some of the more famous attractions include the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site, Moscow Kremlin and Red Square,<ref>UNESCO considers the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square to be part of a single World Heritage Site. See also [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/545 UNESCO's profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906015318/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/545 |date=6 September 2017 }} on this site.</ref> which was built between the 14th and 17th centuries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/545 |title=Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow |access-date=15 July 2006 |publisher=UNESCO |work=World Heritage List |archive-date=6 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906015318/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/545 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Kolomenskoye#The White Column of Kolomenskoye|Church of the Ascension]] at Kolomenskoye, which dates from 1532, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and another popular attraction.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/634 |title=Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye |access-date=15 July 2006 |publisher=UNESCO |work=World Heritage List |archive-date=12 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512044135/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/634/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Near the [[Tretyakov Gallery|new Tretyakov Gallery]] there is a sculpture garden, Museon, often called "[[the graveyard of fallen monuments]]" that displays statues of the former Soviet Union that were removed from their place after its dissolution.

Other attractions include the [[Moscow Zoo]], a zoological garden in two sections (the valleys of two streams) linked by a bridge, with nearly a thousand species and more than 6,500 specimens.<ref name="moszoo">{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowzoo.ru/ |title=General Information |publisher=Moscow Zoo |access-date=15 July 2006 |archive-date=12 July 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712103540/http://www.moscowzoo.ru/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Each year, the zoo attracts more than 1.2 million visitors.<ref name="moszoo"/> Many of Moscow's parks and landscaped gardens are protected natural environments.

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