Moscow - capital of the Russian Federation

Communication of Moscow and Russia is indissoluble. Everything that has fallen to a lot of Russia, its capital has to the full tested also. At 12th of June in Moscow the state sovereignty of the Russian Federation has been proclaimed, and since December, 1991 Moscow became capital of Russia. Daily use included concepts "State Duma", "Municipal duma". Here again it is necessary to recollect that municipal government bases have been put not one century ago.

So, in the end of XVII century management of a city has been concentrated in the Zemsky order, and the Digit order carried out a part of police functions. On city reform of 1699 the first body of local management - Burgomistersky chamber (soon renamed into the Town hall), consisting of burgmisters - the people chosen at meetings possadskiy people has been created.

On 1720 to a change of the Town hall the City council has come (its members were selected only merchants and the industrialists entering into 1st guild), and in 1785 the Municipal duma has been founded. Today the Moscow municipal duma - representative and a legislature of the power which accepts acts, confirms the city budget, Executive power in Moscow establishes taxes etc. is carried out by the mayoralty. The higher official of Moscow is the mayor (now - Jury Mihajlovich Luzhkov). Bases of a municipal government of Moscow keep continuity.

Moscow lives under the charter which has been accepted by the Municipal duma on June, 28th, 1995, has the arms and a hymn. In the city Charter it's told: «the Arms of Moscow is the image on a dark red heraldic board of the horseman - Sacred Victory George in the silver armour, a black Dragon amazing with a gold spear».

Under the legend, Sacred George is the Roman soldier he come from Lydia (district in a southwest part of Minor Asia), become by the Christian, and during persecutions on Christians (the emperor of Rome Diokletiana), accepted for belief martyr death and recognised as church the Great martyr and Sacred. The legend is connected with George's name about rescue of the daughter of east king given on worry to a dragon.

Moscow always was a hospitable city. From XII century it occupied not only Slavs, but also other people. In 1237-1238 of a horde of khan Batyja have attacked Moscow, have plundered and have burnt it, however it is fast enough it it has again started to be occupied at the expense of refugees from neighbouring villages and villages, and from such cities, as Tver, Novgorod, Dmitrov, etc.

Among the first overseas settlers there were Greeks, and among them priests, translators, icon painters (we will recollect, for example, known master-icon painter Feofana of the Greek) which participated in a list of Uspensky and Arkhangelsk cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin. But there were among Greeks handicraftsmen and dealers.

Especially considerable migratory wave of Greeks has followed after a marriage in 1472 of Ivan III on Sofia Paleolog - the niece of last Byzantian emperor. Greeks have based the whole colony in Moscow, and at first they were settled in the centre - between streets Nikolsky and Ilyinka, and then have moved for the river of Jauza. It is difficult to overestimate their influence on a religious and cultural life of capital.

When at Ivan III in the Moscow Kremlin have started to construct walls, towers, cathedrals etc. experts were required. And in capital the Italian architects and building masters (in basic Surozh from the Genoa trading colony in Crimea) have been invited. Some Italians (surozhane) have settled in Moscow for a long time, have built up to itself houses, benches and have got trade in silk fabrics, jewelry, glass.

There came to Moscow visitors and from Italy – Venetians and genoeses, especially in XV century They named «fryag» or «frjazin». So, under Ivan's invitation III in capital built and reconstructed cathedrals and houses, and the main thing - the Kremlin, Aristotle Fioraventi, Aleviz Frjazin Milanets, Mark Frjazin, Peter Frjazin. Many of them have settled in Moscow, married Russian and even accepted Orthodoxy. Memory of it has remained, for example, in the name of the city of Frjazino situated near Moscow.

Among handicraftsmen and the merchants coming to capital, there were many Germans («Livontsi» and «Ostezijci»), and also Estonians and Latvians («Lifljanci»). It is necessary to tell that then Germans named natives not only Germany, but also from England, the Scandinavian countries.

To Moscow came and natives of the different countries of Asia and Europe settled in it. At first the foreigners especially rich and eminent, lodged near city centre: built to itself manors, trading benches, warehouses etc. Were at them and the churches (Lutheran and Calvinist) where they freely sent religious practices as Russian Orthodox Church concerned adherents of other belief without biases.

However at Ivan Grozniy (1533-1584) foreigners have started to oppress and move for city line - for the river of Jauza. This settlement began to be called as the German large village. At the time of Ivan Grozniy board even churches of foreigners have been destroyed, and building of the new was not encouraged. 

Moreover, Oprichniks (soldiers) arranged pogroms of houses and benches «livons» merchants.

«Livons» in those days named captured German dealers and handicraftsmen who have been taken out by order of Ivan Grozniy from the cities of Narva, Derpt, etc. during Livonsky war. Many foreigners from among captured were skilful masters on weapon manufacturing - bronniks which did a cold steel and the reservation for Russian armies (about it remind names: Bronnaja, the Pushechnaja, Kuznechnaja Sloboda, and now - streets).

From XVII century the relation to foreigners changes for the better - many of them obtain the permit to be under construction and lodge on the central city streets, to erect in Moscow the temples. And the Time of Troubles has appeared and at all favourable for the Dutch, Italian, English, German merchants who crowds gather in Moscow. However together with trading and workmen people here there come adventurers and is simple robbers. Among visitors there were different people and concerned them at various times differently.

At tsar Michael Fedorovich (1613-1645) - the first of Romanov's sort and his son Alexey Mihajlovich (1645-1676) foreigners (not accepted Orthodoxy) gradually move for Pokrovsk gate in Kuckuy (in the German large village). New houses, manors, schools and churches (Lutheran, Calvinist, English) here are under construction.

Tsar Michael Fedorovich (1613-1645):

Alexey Mihajlovich (1645-1676):

Despite Alexey Mihajlovich's protectionist policy in relation to Russian merchants and handicraftsmen, inflow of foreign merchants, workmen, military to Moscow nevertheless amplifies.

At Peter I (1682-1725) number of inhabitants of the German large village has grown very considerably. Thus their structure radically varies: to Moscow there come experts in military and ore business, engineers and architects, doctors and druggists. In the German large village in those days already there was metal factory, one of the first manufactories on silk manufacture, a paper-mill. By order of Peter I the state linen factory there is under construction.

In the German large village there lived friends and Peter I colleagues - F.J.Lefort, JA.V.Bruce, P.Gordon, etc. They have much made and for Peter I formation as persons, and for development of Russian army, printing business, a science, the industry. Peter I has based School of the navigating and mathematical sciences which many teachers were foreigners in Moscow. Greeks by origin И and S.Lihudy taught in Slavjano-Greek-Latin academy. The German large village from not "became russian's" foreigners has made strong impact on Peter I.

Lefort:

Bruce:

Gordon:

At after Peter I times to Moscow still came many Germans, Frenchmen, Italians, Poles, Armenians, Jews. They recruited ranks of dealers, teachers, tutors, tailors, milliners etc. the French and Italian actors played and sang at the Moscow theatres, participated in a cultural life of capital. Rich merchants-foreigners had large shops of the colonial goods, clothes and footwear (from 18 boutiques which were settling down then on Kuznetsk to the bridge, one was Russian only), jeweller shops, book and manufactory benches, and businessmen were opened by new factories and factories. All it very much promoted development of Russian industry and trade. At after Peter I times foreigners continued to participate in a cultural and economic life of a city actively.