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
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