Regions of Russia - Moscow Region 101

The Moscow region (also called Moskovskaya) is located in the basin of the four main rivers, namely Volga, Moskva, Oka and Klyazma. This region is in the central part of Russia’s East European Plain and stretches 310 km (north to south) and 340 km (west to east).

Geography

Considering the subterranean deposits, it is understood the Moscow region was covered by a sea in the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods. Almost 20,000 years ago, human civilization started taking shape in this territory while the earliest towns began to appear in 1135. The region also has more than 300 rivers and all of them have well defined valleys or floodplains. Interestingly, during winter (late November to mid-April), these rivers are frozen solid.

Population and climate

The Moscow region has a population of more than 7 million and is amongst the most heavily populated regions in Russia. It has 77 cities and towns while there is no administrative centre in this region but rather, a string of public authority offices which are situated in Moscow city and other parts of the region. The Moscow region has a temperate climate where summers are usually warm and winters are moderately cold. In January, the average temperature goes down below -10 degrees Celsius and it is not until July when it returns to a more pleasant +- 19 degrees Celsius.

Economy

The Moscow region’s most prominent economic feature is its proximity to Moscow city. In this sense, industrial production thrives in the region and ranks second highest in Russia after Moscow. The main industries are engineering, metallurgy, food processing, chemical and construction, while it is also home to some of the largest scientific & technological complexes in Russia.

Tourism

Moscow region has an endless number of places which are steeped in cultural heritage. These include legendary estate complexes and ancient towns with eye-catching architectural monuments, monasteries and church-museums etc. There are also scores of literary centres and historical museums including the Trinity Sergius Lavra, an architectural ensemble which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

 

Moscow region’s largest museum is Serpukhov Historical & Art Museum, situated in Serpukhov and this is symbolic for the incredible art and crafts works to be found. In particular, it is also popular for being the centre of souvenirs in Russia with Fedoskino which is known for its lacquer miniature painting and Gzhel which has distinctive tradition of making ceramics.