The Russians have always regarded Moscow as the centre from which power and might of the Russian state developed. Moscow is considered to have been founded more than 850 years ago, in 1147, because it is first mentioned in the 1147 chronicles as Prince Yuriy Dolgorukiy's estate and ever since has played firstly an important and then a decisive role in the life of the country.

After Constantinople, the centre of the Greek Orthodox Church, was taken by the Turks in 1453, the Metropolitan (the head of the Russian Orthodox Church) declared Moscow to be the 'third Rome', the true heir of Christianity. There is historical evidence that a monk from Pskov wrote to Vassily III, 'two Romes have already fallen but the third remains standing and a fourth there will not be'. Moscow is traditionally believed to lie on seven hills: Borovitzkiy, Sretenskiy, Tverskoy, Treohgorniy, Lefortovskiy, Taganskiy and Vorobyovy Gory.

Moscow, being the capital of one-sixth of the world, with more than 40 km from north to south, more than 30 from east to west, with about 10 million inhabitants is supposed to be something impressive and it is. One of the first impressions Moscow gives is the one of a chaotic city with large busy avenues, jammed traffic, speedy life, glittering ads. At the same time you see calm grey residential areas, hidden little churches with golden domes and church music in the centrum, monumental Stalin's buildings. Unlikely contrasts are everywhere: fancy shops on Tverskaya street neighbour nearly falling apart concrete buildings of run-down Soviet hotels and government buildings; hip crowds wearing the latest design clothes sipping cocktails in a state-of-the-art cafes and rugged tired people with solemn and unhappy faces carrying the burden of existence in this new 'democratic' world, where everybody depends on oneself (what a change from the Soviet times).

As everywhere in Russia it's like a mix of two worlds: Europe and Asia, democracy and communism, joy and grief, prosperity and poverty. Moscow could be just another capital, but it isn't. Rather, the city is an exaggerated version of everything you can get in Russia, as if conforming the quality of Russian character to take everything to extremes.

For hundreds of years Moscow has been the center of the Russian national culture. The city possesses the most valuable historical and architectural monuments of world importance: the Kremlin, Novo-Devichiy Convent, Church of Pokrov in Fili, Moscow State University, Triumphal Arch, Memorial complex of Victory on the Poklonnaya Gora. The Temple of Christ, the Savior, on Kropotkinskaya embankment (it became Moscow's Cathedral), the Kremlin's Voskresenskiye Gates together with the Iverskaya Chapel and Temple of Icon of Kazan Mother of God on Red square were built anew.

Nowadays Moscow is one of the most contrasting cities in Europe and one of the most fascinating and outstanding places on the earth to visit.