Introduction

The population of Russia is 143 million with Moscow as one of the three largest cites along side St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk. The country has an annual urban growth rate of negative point five seven percent. Moscow was founded 850 years ago it grew out of the declining years of Kievan Rus. The city grew by the hands of capitalism with foreign investments that lead to the birth of business centers retail and real estate. It is now rank as one of the worlds most expensive cites in the world (Graybill, Jessica K. and Beth A. Mitchneck). This site will talk about Moscow's history, Geography, Site, and Climate, People, Transportation and the process of urbanization from rural to urban industrial to post industrial.

- Vanessa Gordon/ Creator of Moscow, Russia Site

History

The history of Moscow has been filled with transitional periods and periods of immense prosperity. Moscow was first recognized as a principality of Kievan Rus, which was an immerging east Slavic state, in 1147ad. (Britannica) Situated on the Moskva River, Moscow was a growing region for trade. (Encarta) The city fell under Tatar rule until the 14th century (Encarta), though continued to grow and prosper as a favored position at the intersection of many trade routes by sea and by land. After the fall of the Tatars a new period of urban renewal was developed named Muscovy Rus. (Britannica) Moscow dominated under this system and in the 15th century Moscow was named the capital of Russia, bringing more investment and attention from government officials and merchants. Moscow was the center for the Russian economy until 1712 when Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg. This move slowed the rate of growth of the city, though Moscow still maintained an influential role as a major textile manufacturer.

The entire dynamic of the Russian economy and urban systems would change in 1917 when the Russian Revolution brings the rule of the Bolsheviks (Encarta), a radical socialist party. The Bolsheviks moved the capital of Russia back to Moscow and intensified their command economy principals of a government ran state. Heavy industrialization projects moved into the city which meant large increases in government planned projects and enterprises. The aims for the new socialist government were to distribute wealth evenly which meant evening out largely urbanized areas and focusing attention to rural areas. Many immigrants still found their way into Moscow trying to benefit from its growing economy and labor force. In 1922 Moscow was named the capital city of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Encarta) and continued to prosper with increases in government expenditures for industrial and military projects. Moscow was the military headquarters during World War II which also helped to bolster industrial weapons productions and hospital infrastructure.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 Moscow entered a new phase in its development. For the first time people began moving away from the city back to rural farms. A process of deindustrialization occurred as many factories were not able to compete without their accustomed government subsidies. Moscow was more successful in transitioning to a market economy and was able to embrace capitalism with greater ease than many Russian cities. As one of the most important cities with the greatest investment from the previous Soviet regime, Moscow had greater infrastructure and resources to better adapt to entering the world economy. These qualities allowed Moscow to prosper and become a leading center for retail commerce, banking, finance, and trade. Today the population of Moscow is growing at a lower rate than years past which can be attributed to decreasing birthrates, though the larger influx of immigrants has kept the city growing. There have been many ups and downs in the course of Moscow’s development though it has prevailed as a leading world power and world city.

- Sara Dunn

Geography, Site, and Climate

Moscow, the capital of Russia, is located on the banks of the Moskva River, which flows for just over 500 km through the East European Plain in the Central Federal District of Russia.

Moscow's road system is centered roughly around the Kremlin at the heart of the city. From there, roads generally radiate outwards to intersect with a sequence of circular roads (“rings”).

The first and innermost major ring, Bulvarnoye Koltso (Boulevard Ring), was built at the former location of the sixteenth century city wall around that used to be called Bely Gorod (White Town). The Bulvarnoye Koltso does not form a complete circle, but instead a horseshoe-like arc that goes from the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour to the Yauza River. In addition, the Boulevard Ring changes street names numerous times throughout its journey across the city.

The second primary ring, located outside the Boulevard Ring, is the Sadovoye Koltso (Garden Ring). Similar to the Boulevard Ring, the Garden Ring follows the path of a sixteenth century wall that used to encompass part of the city. The Third Transport Ring was completed in 2003 as a high-speed freeway.

The Fourth Transport Ring is under construction to further reduce traffic congestion. The outermost ring within Moscow is the Moscow Automobile Ring Road, which forms the approximate boundary of the city. Outside the city, some of the roads encompassing the city continue to follow this circular pattern seen inside city limits.

Moscow has a humid continental climate with warm, somewhat humid summers and long, cold winters. There are no severe frosts or excessive heat, although deviations from normal seasonal temperatures are quite frequent. December, for example, might bring along long-run thaws. In summer, periods of heat might be alternated with the sudden cold weather and protracted rains. On average Moscow have 194 days of above zero and 103 days of below zero temperature every year. Monthly rainfall totals vary minimally throughout the year, although the precipitation levels tend to be higher during the summer than during the winter. Due to the significant variation in temperature between the winter and summer months as well as the limited fluctuation in precipitation levels during the summer, Moscow is considered to be within a continental climate zone.

As the result of global warming, average temperatures of the first half of the year (January - June) in Moscow have recently gone up (average temperatures in January - March during the last 12 years are 2.3 degrees higher than the average temperature during previous 30-year period), while such months as November and December are growing colder (average decrease of temperature is 0.5 degrees).

- Chung (Joyce) Leung

People

Like many cities of the former Soviet Union, Moscow underwent three distinct periods of city restructuring. The city has changed dramatically since 1991, and is under changes from the Soviet era urban plans. Moscow’s population has enjoyed an explosion of capitalism, attracting investments from abroad erecting Moscow as Russia’s premier banking center and consumer capital. Following the collapse of the communist system, the restructuring of the political and economic systems has stimulated a great deal success for the city and has brought new meaning and purpose to the city. Moscow is significantly more well off than most other cities of Russia as a result of privileged inheritance of real estate from the former Soviet government, the Communist party. Service based economy has come about in Moscow such like banking, advertising, legal services etc. Moscow stands as one of the most expensive cities in the world. There has been a great increase in automobile ownership, creating immense traffic congestion. The population of Moscow is very diverse, and is increasingly becoming more multiethnic as a result of a large inflow of migrant laborers from other cities and former Soviet countries.

Along with much of its economic success, Moscow as a city has also had to face many social problems. Many of the economic reforms have resulted in tradeoffs, leaving many Russians jobless and creating a difficult environment for locating new work in a post Soviet economy. As a result, poverty has increased and has lead to an increase in sex work and trafficking. Women earn less than men and face higher rates of unemployment. Poverty has become an issue on the rise in Moscow, with 55000 homeless children on the streets. These children live an impoverished lifestyle that lead to in some cases illegal activities. The city is having a difficult time keeping these children off the streets and away from harmful illegal activities. These social problems are a result of the intense economic restructuring following the post Soviet era that have created tough domestic situations for many Russian households. The new economic and social changes that the people of Russia are transitioning into from the pre Soviet era are still a challenge to be met.

- Johann Lee

Transportation

Transportation takes on many different forms in the city of Moscow, Russia. Some modes include trolleys, taxis, trams, the Metro, buses, and automobiles. From day to day, there are over 2.6 million cars traveling the roads of the city. Post-Soviet Moscow now endures thick traffic jams. A study of traffic jams conducted by the internet company Yandex found that the average driver in Moscow spends 11 hours a month standing still on the road in jams that would block roughly 1,500 cars at a time.

In 1935, the first line of Moscow’s Metro was constructed. In the years that followed, the Metro system expanded to serve mainly the inner city. Following the 1970s, a trend emerged where newly constructed Metro lines to the outskirts lagged behind residential development. Currently, the Metro has twelve lines and 177 stations. Moscow’s Metro is famous for its ornate chandeliers, murals, art, and mosaics. The Metro is not only one of the busiest subway systems in the world but is also one of the deepest subway systems in the world. It serves more than nine million passengers per day.

Several train stations also serve the city of Moscow. There are nine rail terminals, and they are all located close to the city center. Each terminal handles trains from different regions of Europe and Asia. When Russians travel to neighboring cities such as St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, they prefer to travel by train because tickets are relatively inexpensive.

For long-range and intercity travel, Russians also use the bus system. The Central Bus Terminal has a turnover of about 25 passengers serving approximately 40% of the bus routes in the city. Moscow also has regular ship routes as well as cruises along the Moskva and Oka Rivers. Such travel is typically just for entertainment. Constructed in 1937, the North River Terminal serves as the main location for long-range river routes.

A final way to travel to and from Moscow is by air. There are five main commercial airports that service the Moscow area. These airports are Sheremetyevo International Airport, Domodedovo International Airport, Bykovo Airport, Ostafyevo International Airport and Vnukovo International Airport. Sheremetyevo International Airport handles about sixty percent of the international flights to Moscow, making it the most common point of entry for foreign travelers. On the other hand, Domodedovo International Airport handles the most passengers overall and rivals Sheremetyevo in terms of international flights. The other three airports go to destinations within Russia and the former states of the Soviet Union.

With so many different avenues of travel, Russians can rely on getting from place to place easily. The most inefficient mode of travel in Moscow is probably the automobile due to the heavy traffic conditions. The most popular way of travel, as a result, is the Metro. However, if going from city to city, Russian citizens often prefer to travel by train or bus. Some even elect to travel by river. Finally, if visiting Moscow or flying within Russia, the five primary airports are easily accessible.

- Alissa Mandernack

The Process of Urbanization from Rural to Urban Industrial to Post Industrial

For a city with such a great and complex history, it is really difficult to choose a point in time in which to begin our journey. Arguably the most important time period in Moscow’s history is World War II. After the German invasion of the USSR, many military-related staffs and committees were located in Moscow. At this time many factories and facets of the government were shut down, and the city was considered to be under attack. Despite the ruckus caused by some bombings and other war-related activities, the construction of Moscow’s new metro system continued. It would be this same metro system that would serve as one of the catalysts in urbanizing the city years later.

As the war neared the end, the Soviet Union (along with the United States) emerged as one of the world’s leading powers. While maintaining a strong focus on military strength and organization in Moscow, Joseph Stalin headed a huge effort to modernize the city. This began a period of rapid industrialization. With industrialization comes jobs; and with jobs comes people. A trend of people began moving more towards the European side of Russia, because the west is more market-driven because of its proximity to the European countries. With these two factors occurring simultaneously, Moscow seemed like the perfect fit to most people. This rapid influx of people caused a housing crisis. The solution to this crisis was the creation of “commieblocks” which were large, poorly-maintained housing blocks throughout Moscow. Once the stars were aligned, Moscow’s economy took off. Primary industries in Moscow include chemical, metallurgy, food, textile, furniture, energy production, software development, machinery, distillery, military, spacecraft, aircraft, and automobile.

Despite the large amount of economic growth in Moscow in the past century, some industries have recently (1990’s) encountered some trouble. Some were torn while others were sold to foreign investors. These torn down buildings made room for new business centers. Other historical buildings were also knocked down to make room for hotels and luxury apartments. Another struggle was the transferring of industries out of Moscow to other parts of the country in order to make the city a more ecologically friendly place to live. Even with all these pressures and changes, Moscow still remains one of the country’s major industrial centers. The focus has just shifted from the industrial side of things to the business side of things. Moscow’s skyline is continuing to grow with several new towers. The Russia Tower is expected to be completed in 2012 and will be 2,009 feet tall. The Moscow Metropolitan area is one of the largest urban areas in the world with a population of over 15 million people. Something many people may not know about Moscow is that it is currently home to the largest number of Billionaires in the world (74).

- Michael Page

Works Cited

Brunn, Stanley D. , “Cities of the World”, 4th edition. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers

Graybill, Jessica K. and Beth A. Mitchneck , Cities of Russia “Cities of the World”, 4th edition. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers

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