什麼是莫斯科

俄語作Moskva

俄羅斯共和國和最大的城市。位於該國西部，橫跨莫斯科河兩岸，西北距聖彼得堡約640公里，西距波蘭邊界970公里。新石器時代就有人居住，1147年在文獻中首見記載，當時是一個村落。13世紀末成為莫斯科公國的首都。15～16世紀在莫斯科大公伊凡三世和伊凡四世的統治下擴張，1547～1712年成為統一的俄羅斯的首都。1812年為拿破崙率的法軍所佔領，幾乎遭火焚燬。1918年成為蘇聯的首都，領土並大為擴張。第二次世界大戰時遭德軍嚴重轟炸，破壞甚巨。1993年在葉爾欽解散國會後，曾發生反政府派系之間的武力衝突事件。六百多年來，莫斯科一直是俄羅斯東正教會的精神中心。現為俄羅斯的政治、工業、交通運輸和文化中心。最著名的建築是克里姆林宮，為坐落在莫斯科河旁的中世紀碉堡，沿著東牆的是紅場。列寧陵墓就在附近，聖瓦西里教堂在紅場的南端。市內有大劇院、國立莫斯科大學，以及其他許多高等教育機構。人口約8,405,000（1997）。

Moscow

Capital and largest city (pop., 1996 est.: 8,400,000) of Russia and the Russian Republic. It is located on both sides of the Moskva River, in western Russia, about 400 mi (640 km) southeast of St. Petersburg and about 600 mi (970 km) east of Poland. Inhabited since Neolithic times, the site was first mentioned as a village in 1147 and became the capital of the principality of Moscow (Muscovy) in the late 13th century. It expanded in the 15th-16th century under its grand dukes Ivan III and Ivan IV and became the capital of a united Russia (1547-1712). In 1812 it was occupied by the French under Napoleon and almost entirely destroyed by fire. In 1918 it became the capital of the U.S.S.R. and expanded greatly. It suffered much damage from German bombing in World War II. In 1993 it was the scene of armed conflict between opposing government factions after the dissolution of parliament by Boris Yeltsin. The spiritual home of the Russian Orthodox Church for more than 600 years, it is a political, industrial, transportation, and cultural center. Its most notable structure is the Kremlin, a medieval fortress on the Moskva, with Red Square along its eastern wall. The Lenin Mausoleum is nearby, and St. Basil's Cathedral is at the southern end of the square. It is also home to the Bolshoi Theater, Moscow State Univ., and many other institutions of higher education.