MOSCOW. The seeond capital and historical ly the most famous city of the 11u-sian Empire. capital of the military district and government of the same nanie. and the second largest city of Russia. It is situated on the river Moskva (a tributary of the Oka) in latitude 53' 45' N., and longitude 37 37' E., 400 miles southeast of Saint at an altitude of from 500 to S'30 feet above the level of the sea (Map: Russia, E 3). It has it rather cold climate, the annual tempera ture being 39' F., ranging from a mean of 12° in January to 60° in July.
The city is irregularly built. On the northern bank of the river rises the 1:remlin, the acropolis of old Aloseow, for many centuries the centre of the political and religious life of Russia and still the most venerated place in the heart of every 11tissian. It was the nucleus of the modern city and contained in the early periods of the history of Moscow the palace of the Czar, the chief and monasteries, and the palaces of the nobility. _As the city developed, the mer chants and the numerous artisans began to settle outside of the walls. Thus grew up the commer cial quarter east of the Kremlin, known as the liitai Gorod (Chinatown), still constituting the commereial centre of Moscow, and numerous small communities independent in their internal admin istration and composed mostly of members of the same trade. These divisions are still retained to a largo extent in the parishes into which the city i. divided. They were subsequently grouped to gether and surrounded by walls, and now form the Byely Gorod (white town). surrounding the Kremlin and the I:itai Gorod, and the Zenilyanoi Gorod (earthtm town), inclosing all the ahove mentioned quarters as well as Zamoskvoryetchye on the southern hank of the river. 'There is also a fourth inelosure( Kraiter-1:o11ezli, earthen wall) surrounding the miter parts of the city and form ing the limits of Aloseow proper. Only the walls of the Kremlin and of the Kitai Gorod have been preserved. all others having been converted into boulevards and avenues. See KitEm LIN for illus tration.
Although one of the oldest cities of Russia, Moscow has preserved comparatively few archi tectural monuments outside of its churches and monasteries. most of the old buildings having perished in the destructive conflagrations which figure so prominently in the history of the city.
\YR]] the introdnetion of AVestern civilization into Russia. by Peter the Great and his successors, the Russian style of architecture gradually dis appeared in connection with the secular and pri vate buildings, and the applieation of Western standards not infrequently produced very peculiar results. fader .Alexantlyr 11. a revival of Rus sian architecture was inaugurated and a num ber of successful restorations have been accom plished. The chief interest 14 Moscow, as already stated, is centred in the liremlin, both for its bistorical associations and for its churches and monasteries w it li t heir semi-ba rbaric splendor and curious irchl1eeturv. The Kremlin is nearly tri angular in shape and surrounded Ity a will about a mile and a half long. The wall is surmounted by IS towers and pierced by 5 gates. among which is the Spasskiya Vorota (Gate of the Savionr)—one of the most revered historieal places of Russia, and associated nitlu many of the chief events of national history. Within the walls of the l?renilin, the most famous edifice is the l'spenski Sohor (Cathedral of the Assumption), in which all the Russian monarchs since Ivan I\ . have been crowned. The present I/11 ild lug \Va..; erected by Aristotcle Fioraventi in the fifteenth century on the site of an older ehureh founded It is Lombardo-Byzantine in style, with Indian cupolas. The semi-dark interior is adorned with numerous icons, covered with gems and previous inetals. They are of great antiquity, one of them being attributed to Sand Luke. The treasury of the cathedral, one of the richest in Russia, con tain, many valuable Bibles, manuscripts, and sacred vessels. as well as relies of saint:. The Cathedral of Saint Michael the Arch angel is the former burial place of the Russian monarchs. It dates in its present form from the beginning of the sixteenth century and is sur mounted by five domes. the central one being of gilt. The interior is richly decorated and its walls are covered with the portraits of the Russian mon archs interred there. In the partly Gothic Cathe dral of the _Ascension. founded in 1397, the walls and the thick pillars are covered with portraits of saints and Greek philosophers, and the floor is made of semi-precious shales of various colors.