NIE ACTIVITY
GEOGRAPHY Connections
Moscow, Russia
This year-long series is presented in collaboration with the Connecticut Geographic Alliance.
DID YOU KNOW?
Privet, or hello, and welcome to
Moscow! Moscow is the capital city
of Russia and is currently the fifth
largest city in the world. It is the home
of the Russian president, currently
Vladimir Putin, and center of Russian
government. Though Moscow may
be the center of Russian government,
it is located in the extremely far
Western part of Russia, close to the
rest of Europe. The Moskva River
runs through the city of Moscow and
enables both trade and transportation
for Muskovites, or residents of Moscow.
Many people who are traveling to the
Winter Olympics in Sochi will arrive in
Moscow first.
• Did you know that Moscow burned down to the ground in 1812 by its own residents? When Napoleon Bonaparte of France
was invading Russia, the Russian citizens burned the city to the ground so that Napoleon’s troops would not be able to find food
or shelter there. This eventually forced Napoleon and his troops to end their invasion and turn around. Today, Moscow is a grand
city with lots of industry and modern skyscrapers. Some of those skyscrapers are the famous “Seven Sisters”, built by Joseph
Stalin in an effort to modernize the city.
• The distance between Moscow and the Olympic city of Sochi is just over 1000 miles.
• The residents of Moscow are called Muskovites.
• Moscow has more billionaires in the city than any other city in the world.
• The Russian State Library in Moscow was founded in 1862 and is the biggest library in Europe. It is the second largest library
in the world, after Library of Congress in the USA.
TAKE 5
LOCATION- The absolute location of
Moscow Russia is 55.75° N, 37.61° E.
PLACE-Moscow is the capital of the
Russian Orthodox Church, a branch of
Christianity, and the majority of Muscovites
are Russian Orthodox.
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONMuscovites have built 49 bridges over
the Moskva River and its canals to enable
movement through the city.
MOVEMENT- The Moscow metro or
subway system is the 3rd largest in world
in terms of average passenger numbers.
St. Basil’s Cathedral Moscow
Common Core
Curricular Connections
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1-3.10, 4.1-4.10,
5.1-5.10
Mapping Activity
National Flag:
REGION-From 1918-1991, Russia was one
country that was part of a larger group of
nations called the USSR, or the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics. Today, it is its
own independent nation of Russia again.
Many times when we see
capital cities of a state or
a nation they are located
close to the center or that
territory. Why do you
think Moscow is located so
far to the West of Russian
territory? Consider climate
(look at how far north
Russia is on the globe) and the ability to interact with other nations.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/russia/
Using the News
The Winter Olympics are being held in Sochi, Russia, from February 7 to February 23.
Although the games are not being held in Moscow this time, they were held in Moscow
in the summer of 1980. Using the Hartford Courant, find out how many athletes from
Connecticut will be representing the United States at the Winter Olympic Games this year!
What sports are they competing? Follow their progress in the news.
Moscow has also been a prominent subject in the news lately in the case of Edward
Snowden, a former US government employee who released confidential security information
to the public. Snowden is wanted by the United States government for releasing this private
information. Snowden escaped from the United States before he could be arrested and
managed to eventually make his way to Moscow. He remained in the Moscow airport until
the Russian government granted him asylum, or the right to protection from United States
arrest, while he is in Russia. Russia’s decision to grant asylum has strained the relationship
between the US and Russia.
Online Resources:
http://geography.about.com/od/russiamaps/a/moscowrussia.htm
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/moscow/facts.html
http://moscow.ru/en/
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/sochi2014/index.php
http://www.i-love-moscow.com/facts-about-moscow.html
For students who are blind, learning disabled or
print challenged, visit CRIS Radio at
http://www.chrisradio.org and click Kids OnDemand for a free audio version of Geography
Connections.