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Moscow Region
// GENERAL INFORMATION
Moscow Region is located in the basin of the Volga, Oka, Klyazma, and Moscow rivers and covers an area of 46 000 square kilometers. This is an area larger than Denmark, Switzerland, or Belgium.
Most of the land in Moscow Region is class A landscape. The region is rich in unique vegetation zones. Raw materials include peat, phosphorite, kaolin and red clay, building and silicate sands, and raw materials for cement.
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The region has a population of nearly 7 million people, 5 million of whom live in cities. There are 74 cities in Moscow Region, of which 56 are under regional jurisdiction and 15 have populations of more than 100 000. The average population density is 142 people per square kilometer.
More than 40 research and educational institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences, more than 70 specialized agricultural institutions, and more than 100 institutions of other sectors are concentrated in Moscow Region.
Twenty percent of all Russian scientific organizations are located in Moscow Region.
Dubna, Protvino, Zhukovsky, Krasnoarmeisk, Dmitrov, Belozersk, Sergiev Posad, Chernogolovka, Khimki, Reutov, Fryazino, Korolev, and Pushchino are just some of the scientific and experimental centers in Moscow Region that are known throughout Russia.
The most widely represented industries in Moscow Region are engineering and metalworking, chemical production, and light industry. Many of these enterprises are equipped with modern imported equipment.
Production:
- cotton, woolen, and synthetic fabrics; yarn and yarn products (Moscow Region produces a third of all fabrics in Russia and nearly 40% of the carpeting),
- steel and finished products,
- sewing and washing machines,
- electronics,
- electric motors of various kinds,
- a wide range of household appliances, equipment, and dishes,
- cars, truck cranes, buses, and construction and agricultural equipment,
- batteries,
- press-forging equipment and boilers,
- fertilizers,
- electric trains and elevator equipment,
- paper, cardboard, and chemical fiber,
- industrial carbon,
- building industry products (there are more than 150 of these companies in the region),
- cameras, optics, and optical devices,
- furniture and plumbing fixtures.
Moscow Region exports several thousand products of various types. Fertilizers, rolled steel and other metals, cement, and chemical and engineering industry products make up half the total volume of exported goods.
Moscow Region has historically been the center of economic, political, and cultural life in Russia; it also has a high level of scientific potential that is clearly seen in all areas of activity.
The favorable investment climate in Moscow region means:
- large-scale use of scientific and technical achievements and production facilities of defense-industry enterprises for setting up civilian production in order to meet the steadily growing demand for these products;
- availability of unfinished facilities for companies in various sectors interested in putting them into operation as quickly as possible to produce goods for industrial, technical, and household purposes;
- availability of facilities that are idle or unused due to a lack of imported raw materials but are capable of producing competitive products.
Special attention is given to developing small and medium businesses. The most effective way of doing this today is to establish a network of small production facilities around large parent enterprises. This approach to reforming economic activity in the context of new economic requirements makes it possible for small investors to show their potential more readily and to achieve positive results more quickly on implementing their business plans.
The region has adopted a program to develop the area's industrial, scientific, and technical complex. It already includes more than 600 investment projects for nearly 300 companies.
Moscow Region has a well-developed transportation infrastructure, including 2741 km of railways and 12 473 km of highways. Four civil airports and air force airfields with service to nearly every country of the world are located here. Eleven main railway lines with connections to the Moscow Region circumferential railway pass through the region. Waterways include the Moscow-Volga Canal and the navigable Moscow and Oka rivers.
Three ring roads around Moscow in a radius of 50 and 80 km from the city, along with the further development of customs terminals, ensure efficient truck haulage.
Moscow Region has a wealth of architectural, historical, and cultural monuments known throughout Russia and around the world. They are connected with the names of many famous Russian artists, composers, poets, writers, actors, military leaders, and public and political figures.
Glass, porcelain, and faience articles made in Moscow Region, textiles, and highly artistic traditional Russian folk arts and crafts are widely known in Russia and abroad.
HISTORY
Moscow Region is one of Central Russia's most industrialized regions with a well-developed agricultural industry and high scientific potential.
The region around Moscow is known as a place where the native traditions of the Russian people are preserved in historical, cultural, and artistic monuments.
Moscow Region is closely linked with the most important events in Russian history, for example:
- the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380,
- the feudal war of the Moscow princes in the mid-15th century,
- the events in the time of Peter the Great,
- the war against Napoleon in 1812,
- the names of famous Russian military and political figures, such as Sergiy Radonezhsky, Minin and Pozharsky, and Kutuzov.
At the dawn of the 20th century, Moscow Region (or Moscow Province as it was called then) covered an area of 29 200 square versts [an old Russian measure of distance equal to 1.06 km] and consisted of 13 districts: Bogorodsky, Bronnitsky, Vereisky, Volokolamsky, Dmitrovsky, Zvenigorodsky, Klinsky, Kolomensky, Mozhaisky, Moskovsky, Podolsky, Ruzsky, and Serpukhovskoy.
According to the census of 1897, 2.4 million people lived in Moscow Province, of whom 1.1 million lived in cities.
Moscow Province was known as cotton country because of the predominance of textile mills. By 1902, there were more than 2500 mills and factories employing 325 600 people. In this respect, the province was one of the empire's most important regions.
The period of the 18th and 19th centuries saw the rise of many artistic trades and crafts. Wooden toys made by the carvers of Bogorodskoye and Kudrino, miniature lacquer paintings from the village of Fedoskino, decorative metal trays from the village of Zhostovo, the works of master jewelers, bone carvings, and superlative lace and embroidery were world-renowned.
Today, Moscow Region covers an area of 46 000 square kilometers, which is more than the area of European countries like Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
A total of 6.6 million people live in the region, which is greater than the population of Norway, Finland, or Denmark.
Forests cover a third of the territory of Moscow Region. They are home to elk [the European moose], wild boar, deer, foxes, weasels, lynx, and martens, as well as all kinds of birds.
Moscow Region is also rich in various water bodies, from quiet, clear, hidden forest lakes to huge artificial reservoirs like Istrinskoye, Mozhaiskoye, Uchinskoye, Ruzskoye, and Klyazminskoye, and from small rivulets like blue capillaries that gather moisture from the surrounding fields and woods to large watersheds like the Moscow River.
The region carefully preserves the memory of outstanding Russian cultural figures. Many writers, musicians, painters, and sculptors found their creative inspiration here. Pushkin and Lermontov, Gertsen and Chekhov, Lev Tolstoy and Gorky, Tchaikovsky, Polenov and Vasnetsov all lived and worked in Moscow Region.
Today, the region is characterized by large industrial centers like Podolsk, Orekhovo-Zuevo, Lyubertsy, Mytishchi, and Dmitrov.
Both light and heavy industry is well developed, particularly the chemical and petrochemical industries; ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy; engineering and metalworking; and the textile, food, forest, woodworking, and pulp and paper industries.
Moscow Region is one of the country's leading producers of consumer goods.
RESOURCES
Moscow Region is situated on the Eastern European Plain, which grades into the Smolenskaya and Moskovskaya uplands in the northern and western parts of the region. It occupies a central position between Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk, Tver, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, and Ryzan regions. With an area of 46 000 square kilometers, Moscow Region is larger than Denmark or Belgium. The region has a temperate continental climate with average temperatures of -10°C in winter and +17°C in summer. Annual precipitation ranges from 450 to 650 mm. The soils are mainly sod-podzolic, which are characteristic of the taiga zone; in the southern part of the region, they are light gray in color. The beauty of these areas is undeniable, especially in summer. The blue waters of numerous rivers and streams flow among the region's verdant fields and meadows, where shaggy pines and spruce, slender leafy birches, lindens, and sturdy ancient oaks grow. The forests, which cover a third of the territory of Moscow Region, are diverse and rich due to the fact that the region is located in the subtaiga zone. They are home to weasels, lynx, elk [the European moose], wild boar, deer, foxes, and martens, as well as numerous species of birds. The water resources of the Moscow Region include the Klyazma, Oka, and Moscow rivers and the Ruza, Istra, Yauza, and Pakhra tributaries of the Moscow River. There are also many forest lakes, for example, Trostenskoe, Nerskoe, and Chernoe, and large reservoirs, such as Istrinskoe, Mozhaiskoe, Uchinskoe, Ruzskoe, and Klyazminskoe. Moscow Region also has rich deposits of peat, phosphorite, kaolin and red clay, building and silicate sands, and raw materials for cement.
According to statistics for 1997, 6 517 200 people live in Moscow Region, of whom 3 801 800, or slightly more than half, are able-bodied; 0.6% of the working population is employed at economic enterprises. There were 77 900 people registered as unemployed, which is 20 000 fewer than last year.
Losiny ostrov (Elk Island) National Park and the Prioksko-Terrasny Preserve are two of the region's natural features. The region also has a wealth of recreational resources that are the base for numerous health centers.
SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
Moscow Region has the highest scientific and educational potential of any Russian region; this potential includes 20% of all Russian scientific organizations of national importance. For every 1000 residents of the region, there are 140 specialists with higher education. More than half of all Russian scientific cities are found here. Dubna, Protvino, Zhukovsky, Krasnoarmeisk, Dmitrov, Belozersk, Sergiev Posad, Chernogolovka, Khimki, Fryazino, Kaliningrad, and Pushchino are just some of the many scientific and experimental centers in Moscow Region. The most important defense science centers are located in Korolev, Khimki, Balashikha, and Troitsk. Fundamental biological research is carried out in Pushchino, chemical research in Chernogolovka, and nuclear research in Dubna and Protvino.
Scientific enterprises are divided into separate branches according to their line of economic activity. Research and development organizations make up 82.5% of these enterprises. Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries are in second place with 8.7%. A further 1.8% of all scientific organizations are involved in food and beverage production, 1.3% in education, and 0.9% in civil engineering. About 5% of scientific organizations are involved in other types of activity.
Twenty-six percent of all scientific research and development carried out in Russia is conducted in Moscow Region. The work is performed by 214 organizations employing 97 539 people, including 1624 Doctors of Science, 8385 Candidates of Science, and 2915 graduate students. They have developed 37 advanced industrial technologies and have been granted 129 patents. The presence of leading scientific specialists and modern technologies allows Moscow Region to produce world-class products.
Along with a highly developed scientific and technical base, the region also has a well-developed educational system with a large number of institutions. These include 2095 preschools; 1709 schools, lycees, private boarding schools, and gymnasia; 105 special intermediate educational institutions; and 27 institutes. At a meeting of the Moscow Regional Duma committee for future educational policy, it was decided to preserve the experience of the pre-perestroika period, which guaranteed high-quality education. In addition, new methods have been introduced, including differentiated teaching methods, choice of subjects in senior grades, and study of foreign languages starting in second grade.
AUTHORITIES
Legislative authority in Moscow Region is exercised by the Regional Duma and the regional Legislative Assembly. The Moscow Regional Duma, with 50 deputies, is the highest legislative body. The Moscow Regional Duma:
- adopts the Statute of Moscow Region and amendments to it;
- exercises legislative regulation on matters of the administration of Moscow Region and matters of joint administration of the Russian Federation and constituent regions of the Russian Federation within the limits of the authority of Moscow Region;
- interprets the laws of Moscow Region and enactments of the Moscow Regional Duma;
- exercises other powers prescribed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws, and the Statute and laws of Moscow Region.
Executive authority in the region is exercised by district, city, and regional administrations. The Moscow Region Administration headed by the Governor is the highest executive body. The Vice-Governor (Deputy Governor) is in charge of the executive bodies of Moscow Region within the limits of the authority granted to him by the Governor. The Governor and Vice-Governor are elected by the region's residents for a four-year term on the basis of equal, universal, and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
Judicial authority is exercised by courts belonging to the unified court system of the Russian Federation. The manner of the formation and activities of judicial bodies in Moscow Region is regulated by federal laws.
Judicial authority in Moscow Region is exercised by federal courts of general jurisdiction, namely, the Moscow Regional Court, district courts, the Moscow Region Arbitration Court, the Moscow Region Statutory Court, and magistrates.
The Moscow Region Statutory Court rules on cases concerning conformity of the Statute of Moscow Region to the legislation of Moscow Region, interprets the Statute of Moscow Region, and considers other questions in accordance with the laws of Moscow Region.
Magistrates of Moscow Region are judges with general jurisdiction who administer justice in the manner prescribed by federal laws. The procedure for appointing magistrates and the manner of their activities are prescribed by the law of Moscow Region.
The region in figures
| Area, thousands of sq. km | 46 |
| Resident population, thousands of people | 6532.5 |
| Population density, people/sq. km | 142 |
| Number of districts | 39 |
| Number of cities | 74 |
| including: |
| cities under regional jurisdiction | 56 |
| cities under district jurisdiction | 18 |
| Urban communities | 111 |
| Number of rural communities | 6288 |
Largest cities of Moscow Region
| Name of city | Population, thousands of people |
|---|
| Balashikha | 133.6 |
| Zheleznodorozhny | 100.7 |
| Korolev | 134.5 |
| Kolomna | 152.6 |
| Lyubertsy | 165.7 |
| Mytishchi | 153.9 |
| Noginsk | 118.1 |
| Odintsovo | 129.1 |
| Orekhovo-Zuevo | 125.2 |
| Podolsk | 196.6 |
| Sergiev Posad | 112.8 |
| Serpukhov | 138.3 |
| Khimki | 134.4 |
| Shchelkovo | 106.4 |
| Elektrostal | 148.3 |
Sectoral structure of the region's industry
| Power industry | 8.1% |
| Fuel industry | 0.2% |
| Ferrous metallurgy | 3.4% |
| Nonferrous metallurgy | 2.0% |
| Chemical and petrochemical industries | 11.0% |
| Engineering and metalworking | 32.7% |
| Forest, woodworking, and pulp and paper industries | 4.9% |
| Building materials industry | 8.3% |
| Light industry | 6.1% |
| Food industry | 17.3% |
Official Site of the Government of the Moscow Region
http://www.mosreg.ru/
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