How many people live in moscow

How many people live in Moscow?

Moscow, the capital of the largest state,is also the largest city in Russia in many respects. It is also leading in terms of the number of its citizens. Let’s look at this article, how many people live in this beautiful city for 2017, which of its districts is the most populous, how did the birth and death rates change here, what kind of people in Moscow are most likely, what forecasts about the number of residents are given by experts and much more.

How many people live in Moscow

Permanent population growth providesis not a high birth rate, but nonresident Russian and foreign migrants. For example, for 1992-2012. Only at the expense of registered visitors the population of the capital increased by 4.05 million people. And the increase in the number of residents due to migrants for 2016 amounted to 19.4 thousand people.

Rating of the districts of the capital by population

Let’s use the statistics for 2015 to find out how many people live in Moscow in each of its districts:

Three of the «record holders» turn out to be South,East, South-West district of the capital. Let us now turn to smaller formations-districts. Let’s see how many people in Moscow live in its most densely populated agglomerations.

Rating of districts and settlements of the city by densely populated

At the moment, the capital is education from 125districts and 21 other types of education. Using the data of the Federal State Statistics Service specifically for Moscow, let’s imagine how many people in Moscow live in the most populated areas. The table lists the formations where over 100,000 people are registered (temporarily and permanently).

Population in different years

First, let’s find out how many people in Moscow lived in different milestones of its history:

Indicators of fertility

The number of births in 2016 was 145,300 people. And this is 2% more than in 2015. The mortality rate of newborns in the same 2016 compared to the previous year decreased by 3.5%.

How many people die in Moscow

Analysis of mortality for the period 1970-2014. speaks of the following:

In 2016, 123.6 thousand people died in the capital, which is 1.4% more than in 2015. The reasons for the death of Muscovites are as follows:

The natural increase in the Moscow population

To calculate the natural increase,data on fertility and mortality for a particular year. The number of visitors does not affect these indicators. Having learned how many people live in Moscow, let’s compare these numbers with the natural increase for 1970-2014:

Lifespan in Moscow

Taking as a basis for analysis the period 1990-2013, we obtain the following figures:

The standard of living in the capital. Unemployment

It’s no secret that Moscow «bypasses» Russian cities and in terms of living standards. Let’s get acquainted with the general indicators:

The highest salaries in Moscow were observed at enterprises and organizations:

National composition

The last census of 2010 not only allowed to know how many people live in Moscow, but also to get acquainted with the national composition of the capital:

These are the statistics for today. In the future, experts predict only an increase in the number of people living in the «most beautiful city in the world.» It is believed that in 2030 the capital will already be populated by 590 thousand people more than today. The increase will be due to migrants, but the natural increase in the population is expected to decline.

General Info about Moscow

Moscow (Russian Moskva) is the capital city of Russia. What comes to your mind when you hear the name of this country? I suppose it is the size. It’s not a surprise for anyone that Russia is the biggest country in the world. And, of course, a huge country has a huge capital. The population of Moscow is roughly equal to the population of Norway and Switzerland combined. It’s like a separate country with its own life style and rules. That’s why so many people have some questions about Moscow. In this article, I’ll try to answer to the most popular of them and give you some General info about Moscow.

WHERE IS MOSCOW SITUATED?

Moscow is located in the far western part of the country. If you look at the map and want to find Moscow, it could be easier to find firstly Russian or East European plain which is the second in the world after the Amazon lowlands.

Moscow from the top

WHY MOSCOW IS NAMED MOSCOW?

As many others cities, the capital of Russia is situated on a river which actually gave the city its name.

HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN MOSCOW?

Moscow’s population is about 12.19 million people (2018), that makes it the sixth largest city in the world and the second most populous city in Europe.

ARE THERE MIGRANTS IN MOSCOW?

Moscow’s official population are mostly its residents with “permanent residency.” There are additional 1.8 million official “guests” on temporary residency through visas or documentation. Those without documentation, mostly from Central Asia, add another 1 million people.

HOW OLD IS MOSCOW?

Moscow was founded in 1147. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia. The year of the city foundation is generally accepted to be 1147 when prince Yuri Dolgorukiy called upon his brother, the prince of the Novgorod-Severski to “come to me, brother, to Moscow.” This is the first record of Moscow in Russian chronicles.

Historical heart of Moscow

WHAT ARCHEOLOGICAL REMAINS WERE DISCOVERED IN MOSCOW?

The oldest coins found on the territory of the Kremlin date to 862-866 AD. The remains of an ancient roadway and fragments of old settlements (found near Red Square) are attributed to the 11th century. But what was the name of this settlement at that time? The chronicles keep silence.

IS IT COLD IN MOSCOW?

ARE THERE BEARS IN THE STREETS OF MOSCOW?

With no doubt, it is a stereotype. Of course, you can’t meet a bear just walking around the city, only in the zoo. However, if you move several kilometres farther, you may very well meet one in the forest.

People walking in Moscow

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT MOSCOW?

The best time to visit Moscow is April and May, when the sun begins to shine for significant portions of the day, and hotel rates have yet to skyrocket into peak ranges. But, of course, the golden period is summer, when the city is warm and bustling.

WHAT ARE VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR MOSCOW?

Visitors from the US, UK, and other countries must first obtain a travel visa before they will be permitted to enter Moscow. A valid passport and other documents are obligatory for obtaining a visa.

WHAT IS THE TIME ZONE IN MOSCOW?

Moscow follows the Moscow Time zone, followed by St. Petersburg and most of western Russia as well. Moscow Time is UTC+4 and it’s one of nine time zones in Russia. Moscow does not observe daylight savings.

WHAT TO SEE IN MOSCOW?

Moscow is famous for its long history and rich cultural heritage. Being in Moscow one must visit Red Square and the Kremlin which are the symbols of all Russia. Besides, there is huge number of different cathedrals, palaces, museums, and art galleries with breathtaking architecture. If you are with your children, visit Moscow zoo which is home to more than 6,000 animals and more than 1,000 species.

WHAT DOES ARCHITECTURE IN MOSCOW LOOK LIKE?

Moscow today is full of historical buildings and monuments of unique architectural styles and techniques. Each of them carries its own stories and legends, reminding the viewer of various glorious eras. Emphasizing the characteristics of all periods that Russia has been through, from Tsardom Empire and the Russian Empire to the Soviet Union and the today’s Russian Federation, each of the following buildings and monuments is an important part of Moscow history.

WHAT IS ECONOMY IN MOSCOW LIKE?

Moscow has a large economic infrastructure. It is home to the most billionaires in the world. In 2008 Moscow was named the world’s most expensive city for non-Russian workers for the third year in a row. In 2009, however, Moscow went down to third after Tokyo and Osaka came in first and second.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO LIVE IN MOSCOW?

Moscow is not the most expensive city in the world, but living here might be a challenge for new expats. Finding a place to live in Moscow is tricky, but there are many options for any budget. The cheapest way is to rent a single room in a shared apartment. Depending on the location, the average monthly cost is from 15,000 rubbles ($253) to 30,000 rubbles ($507).

WHAT LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN IN MOSCOW?

Russian is the official language of Moscow, and the majority of citizens of this city speak this language. However, English is more widely spoken here than in any other city in Russia, and is the second language of 80 percent of the bilingual citizens of the city.

Because Russia’s official alphabet is the Cyrillic alphabet, signs will also be written in Cyrillic script. This can make getting around tricky at first, but a Russian phrasebook can help you decipher street signs and place names.

WHAT DO PEOPLE EAT IN MOSCOW?

This is a very important question of general info about Moscow. Moscow has absorbed the culture and traditions of different nationalities of Russia and Europe. This applies to the Moscow cuisine. Moscow dishes are original, hearty, and different from other regional cuisines of Russia, even if prepared according to the same recipes. The most common dishes are Open Pies, Sour Soup, and Borsch.

ARE PEOPLE IN MOSCOW FRIENDLY?

Recently, Moscow is the world’s most unfriendly city by readers of Travel+Leisure. However, many people who have visited this city think that it isn’t true. Sometimes Russian people seem to be severe. But it’s because of their mentality, inside of which you can find and friendly people.

Tourists in Moscow

WHO ARE FAMOUS MOSCOVITES?

In Moscow there are about 4,532 famous musicians, actors, historical figures, and other celebrities. This list includes Alexander Pushkin (author of Eugene Onegin), Fyodor Dostoevsky (author of Crime and Punishment), and Wassily Kandinsky (known as the Father of Abstract Art).

Related Posts

There are almost 1100 cities in Russia. It’s crazy, right? By the way, the oldest city…

Russia got a little bit of a boost on the tourism map when it hosted…

It’s Russia Day today, celebrated on June 12 every year since 1992. We collected fun facts…

Most Popular Posts

Statistics and reality. How many people live in the Moscow region?

Press release, Moscow, 23/01/2018: The population of Moscow and Moscow region has approached the mark of 20 million inhabitants according to the data of the Federal State Statistics Service (hereinafter SCS) for 2017. At the moment, data are published on the areas of Moscow, cities and townships of the urban type (hereinafter referred to as towns) of the Moscow region. There is no data available on the rural population at small points. How many people live behind the Moscow Ring Road within the Moscow Region? What areas of Moscow and Moscow region are actively built up and populated?

The team of our cartographers carried out a voluminous and complex work on the digitization of the entire Moscow region, integration the already digitalized data of Moscow and Moscow Region large cities’ buildings. Let’s get acquainted with the main indicators of Moscow and Moscow region.

According to statistics for 2017, the population of Moscow is 12,380,664 people. The density of 4,739 people per square kilometer.

Figure 1. Density in the districts of Moscow

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/рис.1.jpg’ attachment=’12274′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”] The data of the GCS for New Moscow lag behind the reality. The private sector takes up most of it and if we take the calculation of 1 family = 1 house, then the population is simply not enough. According to the SSC in Novaya Moskva, current population reaches 339,231 people but according to our calculations, the population in these areas should reach already 447,967 people.

The table shows the GCS data and our calculations. The private sector outweighs the entire population, but there are also multi-storey buildings.

Table 1 Difference in statistical data and calculations by Rilos
[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/таб.1-2.jpg’ attachment=’12283′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

Figure 2. Distribution of urban population in homes by districts of Moscow and cities of Moscow region

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/рис.2.jpg’ attachment=’12286′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

Actively hand over finished houses in Balashikha, Lyubertsy and New Moscow, the farther from the capital, the less new buildings can be found. Below you can find maps with the distribution of the private sector and multi-storey buildings for Moscow and the cities of the Moscow region.

Figure 3. Multi-storey buildings in Moscow and Moscow region

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/рис.3.jpg’ attachment=’12289′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

On the territory of New Moscow there are many SNTs and summer villages, however, the population of the private sector is quite large.

Figure 4. Private sector of Moscow and Moscow region

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/рис.4.jpg’ attachment=’12292′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

So which districts in Moscow and the Moscow region are the most densely populated? Below you will see a table with the TOP – 20 districts.

Table 2. Calculating the urban population by house. The most densely populated areas and cities in Moscow and the suburbs.

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/таб-2.jpg’ attachment=’12295′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

If you take the suburbs, then naturally there prevails private development. The number of residential private houses (excluding SNT and summer villages) is more than 530 thousand houses. Among the most actively developing areas – Ramensky, Domodedovo and Krasnogorsk. The least built-up areas in the eastern part of the Moscow region, such as Yegoryevsky and Shatursky districts.

The population of the Moscow region is 7 423 470 people, the rural population is 1 360 484 people, who live in more than 4 000 settlements with a population ranging from 3 to 33 000 people.

Figure 5. The density of the suburbs

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/рис.5.jpg’ attachment=’12298′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

As in the case of New Moscow, for the Moscow region there is an acute shortage of people according to statistics (1 360 484 people). Based on our calculations, 730,161 inhabitants were not counted for the districts. Of course, among the private sector there are many houses that are used as holiday homes, but the number of permanent residents is usually very large.

Table 3. The difference in the statistical data and calculations of Rilos in the Moscow region.

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/таб-3.jpg’ attachment=’12301′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

Figure 6. Rural population of the Moscow region by districts, calculation by houses.

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/рис.6.jpg’ attachment=’12304′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

Figure 7. Private sector of the Moscow region

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/рис.7.jpg’ attachment=’12307′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

Figure 8. Multi-storey buildings in the Moscow region

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/рис.8.jpg’ attachment=’12310′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

The West of Moscow region is one of the key directions for the construction of new houses, both multi-storey (Krasnogorsk district) and cottage complexes (Istra district). Ramensky district is actively developing in the eastern part.

Table 4. Population by house of the Moscow region Top-10

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/таб4.jpg’ attachment=’12395′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

The following table provides a summary of the population. Data from the GCS and our calculations.

Table 5. Summary table for urban and rural populations in Moscow and the Moscow region.

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/таб-5.jpg’ attachment=’12399′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

On the territory of Moscow and in the major cities of Moscow Region, many-storeyed buildings are being built with an average number of floors equal to 17. If we talk about the Moscow region, then new buildings start from 2 floors (townhouses) and up to 14 floors on average. Balashikha is a city with a very impressive number of new houses that have already been commissioned or are under construction. Unfortunately, this negatively affects both the ecological situation and urban planning, the flow of people who go to Moscow to work only increases and creates more and more transportation problems.

Figure 9. New buildings in Moscow and the Moscow region

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/рис.9.jpg’ attachment=’12316′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

We made a calculation based on the volume of the building, the average footage per person, in order to obtain the values of the maximum number of potential residents in the houses under construction. In the tables below are TOP 10 and 20 for Moscow region and Moscow.

Table 6. Distribution of new buildings in the suburbs of Moscow Region TOP-10 and the maximum number of people living in them.

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/таб-6.jpg’ attachment=’12402′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

Table 7. Distribution of new buildings in the districts of Moscow and the cities of the Moscow Region TOP-20 and the maximum number of people living in them.

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/таб.6.jpg’ attachment=’12322′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

Table 8. Summary table for Moscow and Moscow region

[/av_textblock] [av_image src=’https://geomatrix-retail.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/таб-8.jpg’ attachment=’12405′ attachment_size=’full’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=” font_size=” appearance=” overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_image] [av_textblock size=’15’ font_color=” color=” admin_preview_bg=”]

The development of the Moscow region is swift, houses grow on any vacant lot, but often not where a real replacement of the old housing stock is required, but where the land is more expensive. The Western direction has long been considered elite. Therefore, there are so many new housing and many houses under construction. Probably, there will soon be a satiety, and this direction will slow down the pace. What will start to build further? The eastern part is in question, especially remote areas, since there is an inappropriate terrain. Peatlands, wetlands – construction costs are too expensive. The south-eastern direction is also not the most promising, industrial areas are not the most attractive. The greatest probability of development in the North, North-Eastern and Southern District. The active development of the Moscow region is a huge plus for retailers and their businesses. Potential locations for the development of the network, with good traffic, is becoming more and more. It remains only to competently approach the opening of new points.

At the same time, Moscow remains the main construction site of the country. The plans of the authorities are the construction of land adjacent to the Moscow Ring Road, which may amount to 10 million square meters. housing. Moscow is creating great competition in the Moscow region in real estate, which can negatively affect the cost of housing, both there and there. In the long term, and at all to become long-term construction. And again the question arises, who will occupy all new homes? Those who fell under the renovation? Those who come to Moscow in search of a better life? The answer will be found in a few years.

People of Moscow

The inhabitants of Moscow are overwhelmingly of Russian ethnicity; the largest minority groups are Ukrainians, Belarusians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Tatars. In addition, it is estimated that there were about a few hundred thousand undocumented immigrants from Vietnam, Afghanistan, and China residing in the Moscow area at the beginning of the 21st century.

Many residents of Moscow were not born in the city but migrated there during its rapid growth. Beginning in 1932, the Soviets restricted migration to Moscow, instituting a system of compulsory residence registration widely known as propiska. The system’s barriers were on many occasions sidestepped through marriage or through apartment exchanges (whereby a Muscovite would trade his communal apartment for one in another Russian city). Another option for those desiring to move to Moscow was to become a limitchik (an unrestricted migrant worker who usually performed the menial jobs scorned by native Muscovites). In the 1970s about two-fifths of new migrants were limitchiks, but that proportion declined in the 1980s. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a time period when limitchiks could qualify for housing registration, which usually meant they received a room in a communal apartment; however, many limitchiks left the city as the removal of state price controls made basic living expenses unaffordable. The workers who remained usually lived in substandard conditions. The allowances made for limitchiks were discontinued altogether in the 1990s; after 1994 the limitchik disappeared as a phenomenon.

This cessation of migrant labour in the city, along with the nationwide price liberalization, caused an economic downturn in Moscow, as in other large Russian cities. At that time some Muscovites believed that it would be easier to eke out a living outside the city. By 1995, however, this downward trend stopped, and growth of the city’s population resumed. Throughout the 1990s Moscow’s population swelled by about 2 million, to 10 million inhabitants. At the beginning of the 21st century, migration to Moscow remained strong, but former administrative restrictions on migration had been overshadowed by economic ones; Moscow had become one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. The privatization of real estate and the decline in public housing construction made the acquisition of new dwellings extremely difficult.

Practices for monitoring temporary employees also changed. While under the Soviet regime limitchiks were accounted for more or less accurately, in post-Soviet Moscow the guest workers who replaced them were not. Workers’ permits were limited to citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States until 2007, when a new law allowed migrants from both the Commonwealth and other countries (migrants from the former being about seven times as numerous as the latter) to receive official employment authorization. Since 2000 the number of guest labourers (working mainly in the construction industry) has exceeded the city’s annual quota for temporary visas. As a result, efforts have been made to control illegal entrance into Moscow, including requiring all non-Russians to carry identification cards in order to register for work.

Moscow has an aging population. In the early 21st century the death rate was almost double the birth rate, a larger proportional discrepancy than that of any other Russian city. Like most of Russia, Moscow has a low rate of fertility. Many older Muscovites have chosen to remain in the city, while many young people are deterred from moving there because of its high cost of living and housing. Life expectancy is higher there than in other cities in the country. As a result, about one-fourth of Moscow’s population is over 55 years old.

Economy

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the free-market reforms of the early 1990s, Moscow’s economy has undergone a dramatic transformation. Most notably, although a disproportionate share of national wealth was concentrated there under the Soviets, the degree of concentration has significantly increased since 1990. The city accounted for about one-tenth of Russia’s wealth in the 1990s; by 2001 Moscow’s share had grown to one-fourth (not including undocumented and unreported transactions). While the reported average salary in Moscow is significantly higher than the national average, salaries account for less than one-fourth of Muscovites’ aggregate personal earnings, compared with about three-fifths for Russians as a whole. The remainder of Muscovites’ earnings usually comes from entrepreneurial activities and from renting out personal property (apartments or dachas).

The city’s financial and research-and-development sectors (as well as what remains of its engineering and manufacturing sectors) are among the country’s most advanced. Women make up more than half the workforce. They constitute the vast majority of workers in the textile and food-processing industries, and they predominate in the teaching and medical professions.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing and engineering sectors that dominated the Soviet capital’s economy shrank dramatically in the 1990s and were largely replaced by service activities. As a result, the structure of the labour force had to adapt. Central planning was meant to slow down this shift, but the number of those actively employed in manufacturing in Moscow decreased by half from the late 1980s into the ’90s. Rapid privatization left many factories in the hands of owners who chose to invest their earnings either abroad or in the retail, banking, telecommunications, and research and development sectors of the city, rather than in modernizing their plants. Yet, Moscow’s highly skilled labour force by and large quickly adjusted to the changes in the city’s economy. Moreover, a dividend of this precipitous change was the end of the service shortages that once characterized the city.

Despite the decline of manufacturing in the post-Soviet period, Moscow remains the largest industrial centre in Russia. It dominates an industrial region that extends east and northeast to the Volga between Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod (formerly Gorky). Moscow’s industries generally rely more on the city’s skilled labour force than on raw materials. Many of Moscow’s factories are small, long-established plants that make highly specialized items.

Some of Moscow’s most important industries remain engineering and metalworking, which together employ a significant share of the industrial workforce. Ball bearings are manufactured both for the increasingly important auto-making industry and for other purposes. Another major branch of engineering is the manufacture of machine tools, particularly grinding lathes, precision cutting tools, and machinery for the textile industry. Precision engineering is highly developed and is noted for measuring and other instruments, as well as for watches. Aerospace design and manufacture is one of the most important engineering sectors in some of Moscow’s satellite towns, especially in Korolyov.

Moscow’s large chemical industry was originally geared to produce dyestuffs for the important textile industry (many types of natural-fibre and synthetic cloth are manufactured in the city). The chemical industry’s product line has been expanded, however, to include synthetic industrial rubber and rubber tires, paints, plastics, pharmaceutical goods, and perfumes. Many of its chemical products are derived from Moscow’s oil refinery, which processes petroleum piped from the Volga-Urals oil field.

Food processing is one of the few manufacturing-related industries that expanded and modernized following privatization. The industry, which consists of both giant combines and smaller concerns, accounts for about one-fourth of Moscow’s industrial labour force. Moscow has become Russia’s leader in terms of foreign investment in food processing. Several U.S.-based food-processing giants have opened plants in Moscow. Among the city’s most successful firms is the Kristall Distillery, which produces the renowned Stolichnaya and other brands of vodka.

Furniture making is part of a varied timber-processing industry, which also makes pulp and paper. Some timber is used in the vast construction industry, which includes not only the large numbers of workers actually employed in building but also those engaged in making building materials, such as reinforced concrete sections, glass, and bricks. Moscow’s printing and publishing industry is the country’s largest supplier of books, journals, and newspapers.

Moscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, and cultural centre. This is the most populated city in Russia and Europe. For many people fr om Russia and other countries the capital of Russia is a city of magnificent opportunities.

European Capital

Moscow is very much like any other European capital as far as its infrastructure and lifestyle are concerned, while its people do not differ much from those living in other metropolises, such as London and New York. That is why foreigners find it so easy to adapt to life in Moscow.

City of Events

There’s always something going on in Moscow: exhibitions, festivals, performances, excursions, concerts, quests, marathons. You can have a great time in Moscow and you don’t have to spend a fortune either: get a bird’s-eye view of the city, take a boat ride down Moscow river, descend 65 metres below ground to the Cold War bunker, take drawing or guitar classes, take a tour around Moscow’s bars or take part in wine tasting, enjoy roller skating in a park, or visit a maze of mirrors.

This Is One of the Best Cities in the World for Students

Moscow was included in Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking of top world cities for students in 2014 and 2015. Among other things, the experts evaluated how popular the metropolis is among students, how prestigious its universities are, and whether there are opportunities for study.

City of Sports

Moscow can boast of over 9.5 thousand sporting facilities, including over 4,000 gyms. The Russian capital is a frequent host of sporting events: marathons and competitions on a national and international scale. The Sporting City is a major holiday in Moscow, bringing together over 70,000 students from the capital’s institutions of higher education. A huge sporting facility is being built in the centre of Moscow to host over 50 so-called sporting sections. Anyone can try their hand at all kinds of sports – from urban mountain biking to sumo wrestling.

City of Parks

Many international tourists are surprised at the number of parks, gardens, and garden squares they find in Moscow. There are over 120 of them here. We are mostly talking about spacious green areas with everything you could possibly need for comfortable recreation, including benches, Wi-Fi, cafes, pathways, sports facilities and much more besides. The parks always host all manner of interesting activities, including festivals, concerts, and special events.

The Most Beautiful Undeground on Earth

The Moscow Metro is not only a convenient way to move around the city, but one of its main sights, a cultural gem, wh ere even guided tours are held. Its stations are decorated with marble, mosaics, and sculptures. Mayakovskaya, Kiyevskaya, Komsomolskaya, and Novoslobodskaya are among the most beautiful of the many stations. Ploschad Revolutsii [Revolution Square] with a sculpture of a frontier guard and a dog is particularly popular among students. Many believe rubbing the dog’s nose before an exam brings good luck.

The Largest Library in Europe

The Russian State Library, which contains over 45.5 mln publications and documents in 367 languages, is located in the heart of Moscow, on Vozdvizhenka Street. Here, you will find computers with internet access, electronic document search, and a cafe. Anyone can join the library; you only have to present a passport with a valid visa, translated into Russian.

Multinational City

Social scientists state, that only 2% of Moscow’s population of more than 12 mln people, are indigenous residents. Over the last 20 years, three million people migrated to Moscow from other regions of Russia, and the number of foreigners (excluding the CIS countries) who live here on a permanent basis is estimated to top 300,000 people. People from different countries and religions find life very comfortable in Moscow, with its Orthodox churches, synagogues, mosques, Catholic churches, Buddhist centres, and more. No wonder the British newspaper The Independent called this cosmopolitan city the most foreigner-friendly.

Restaurants and Cafes

Moscow offers a great variety of restaurants and cafes. A French croisserie neighbours a Tyrolean cafe and restaurant serving 30 sorts of beer, while a Chinese snack bar competes with a Vietnamese noodle bar. Naturally, you will find many places here offering Russian cuisine. Students can enjoy affordable cafes, groceries, and food delivery services.

City that Never Sleeps

Moscow is famous for its fabulous night life. The number of night clubs, discos, and entertainment centres here is almost infinite. You can also take a night city tour (on foot or by bus) and participate in a stage show in one of its museums. The city hosts the Night of Museums event on an annual basis, when the leading art facilities, concerts, performances, stage shows, and master classes are available to visitors for free.