SOME FACTS ABOUT MOSCOW

The oldest church in Moscow is the Kremlin Uspensky Cathedral, built in 1475-1479.

The highest monument is the 107-metre-tall obelisk called "To the Conquerors of Space" (1967) located in Prospect Mira.

The first theatre open to the public was established in Red Square, near the Nikolaevskaya Tower of the Kremlin, in 1702-03, by order of Tsar Peter I. Today, there are about 200 theatres in Moscow, the oldest of which is the Moscow University Student Theatre.

The first museum in Moscow was established in 1791. It was the Moscow University Exhibition of Natural History, later renamed as the Zoological Museum.

The oldest parks in Moscow are Alexandrovsky Park, Neskutchny Park, and Hermitage Park, built in the 18m and 19Ш centuries.

The largest of Moscow's 500 libraries is the Russian State Library (the former Lenin Library), with a depository of over 40 million pieces in 247 languages.

The Moscow Zoo, founded in 1864, is the largest zoo in Russia. It contains more than 3,000 specimen of 550 species.

The first sports stadium appeared in the vicinity of Petrovka Street in the second half of the 19tn century. Its playing surface has survived and exists today, but cannot be seen from the street because it is hidden from view by tall buildings.

The oldest clock in Moscow is the Kremlin Chimes.

The largest clock in all Russia is on the main building of Moscow University. The clock face has a diameter of 9 metres. The minute hand is 4.2 metres long and weighs 50 kilograms. The hour hand is 50 centimetres shorter and 11 kilograms lighter.

The total length of Moscow streets is 4,350 kilometres. To cover that distance on foot at an average speed of 5 km per hour, a pedestrian would have to walk nonstop for 36 days.