#OTD in 1945 the Banner of Victory, which had been raised by Red Army soldiers over Reichstag on 30 April 1945, was delivered to #Moscow. To this day it remains one of Russia’s sacred relics and, in accordance with Russian legislation, it is the official symbol of Victory of Soviet people and Armed Forces over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.

Today Banner of Victory is stored in the Central Russian Armed Forces Museum (founded on 23 December 1919) in Moscow. The Banner was handed over to the Museum on 10 July 1945 and it is kept in special conditions

American writer George R.R. Martin says he wishes he had a real life dragon so he could fly to the Kremlin. Not the best idea, to be honest. We would like to remind that there is a “no-fly” zone for dragons over #Moscow. Just take a look at the city’s coat-of-arms.


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Американский писатель Джордж Мартин сказал, что хотел бы иметь настоящего дракона, чтобы долететь на нем до Кремля. Не лучшая идея, если честно. Мы напоминаем, что над Москвой существует бесполетная зона для драконов. Только посмотрите на герб города.

🩰 The Moscow Academy of Choreography celebrates its 250th anniversary

The Moscow State Academy of Choreography commonly known as The Bolshoi Ballet Academy is one of the oldest schools of ballet in Russia. Its history dates back to 23 December 1773, when Catherine the Great issued a Decree prescribing the introduction of first ever “dancing classes” to the curriculum of the Moscow Foundling Home sponsored by the Empress herself. The Empress believed that the “perfection of upbringing and nurturing” is the surest way to make better people.

🌐 The school of ballet has impacted the evolution of classical ballet in a number of countries – the USA, Japan, Korea, Finland, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, etc. Students of the Academy have been participating in most prestigious international and Russian ballet contests. In the last two decades, they have won over 400 prizes and diplomas in Russia and abroad.

✍️ The Presidential Decree of January 16, 2016, renders the Academy an Especially Valuable Cultural Heritage Site of Russia.

In 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣9️⃣, the Academy opened three Branches – in Vladivostok, Kaliningrad and Kemerovo.

President of Russia 🇷🇺 Vladimir Putin also sent his greetings to the staff, students and graduates of Academy:

💬 «In 2023, the Moscow State Choreography Academy marks its 250th anniversary. Such an impressive date is a great and significant event for the team, for numerous admirers of ballet, and for the entire Russian culture. And therefore, it is gratifying that the celebrations will be held across the entire country from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok.

Over the years, the Academy has raised a brilliant galaxy of talented performers, teachers, and choreographers whose selfless work created high canons of performing skills and multiplied the great traditions and glory of Russian ballet».

🎉 Our best wishes of continued success on the Academy’s 250th anniversary!

#russianculture #ballet #theatre #moscow #choreography

The 2️⃣ Future Technologies Forum has kicked off in Moscow!

Regenerative medicine, advanced technologies in cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, gene therapy, and much more will be discussed at the venue.

👉 Also two important events are taking place simultaneously:

✅ Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Nuclear Medicine;

✅ Public Meeting of the Council for the Implementation of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Genetic Technologies for 2019–2030.

✍️ President of Russia Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants, organisers and guests of the Forum.

The message reads, in part:

“Today's rapid scientific progress opens up enormous potential in areas such as biomedicine, genetics, genomics, neurotechnology and artificial intelligence. It is crucial that the unique achievements of research teams and clinicians be implemented swiftly in practice, in our hospitals and health centres.

We will develop domestic healthcare on an advanced technological basis at all levels, from primary care to large federal centres. <…> Such a complex, large-scale task requires the consolidation of efforts of the state, medical and scientific organisations, and technology companies. And, of course, we are always open to cooperation and implementation of joint projects with foreign partners.”

#FutureTechnologiesForum #Moscow

📆 #OTD 106 years ago, the Soviet leadership decided to move Russia’s capital to Moscow.

WWI was still underway, and German troops were too close to Petrograd (current St.Petersburg), then capital of Russia, which could effectively spark the counter-revolutionary movement.

🇷🇺🌟 In fact, Moscow was Russia’s capital twice: in 1389-1712 and since 1918. Unlike St.Petersburg, Moscow never gained this status once it was founded.

The XIV century, when the Moscow Principality could unite Russian lands to withstand the Mongol-Tatars, saw the rise of Moscow as the political, cultural, religious and economic center of Rus.

In 1547, when Ivan IV was crowned, he made Moscow the official capital of the Tsardom of Russia and it remained so untill Peter the Great’s epoch.

👉 Prior to that, in the VIII-IX centuries Staraya Ladoga and later Veliky Novgorod were designated capitals of Rus, in 882-1243 – Kiev, in 1243-1389 – Vladimir.

#HistoryofRussia #Moscow

🇷🇺The #Russian Defence Ministry inaugurates an exhibition of trophy weapons and hardware captured in Rabotino and Malaya Tokmachka (Zaporozhye Region), and Avdeyevka (Donetsk People's Republic) during the special military operation.

3 dozens of pieces of NATO military hardware produced by the #USA, #UK, #Germany, #France, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Turkey, Australia are displayed in the open area at the Victory Museum in #Moscow.

No Western ‘wonder weapon’ will change the situation on the battlefield. The enemy will be defeated!

🗓️ #OTD in 1883 the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow was consecrated. It is currently known as one of the tallest orthodox temples in the world.

⛪️The cathedral was commissioned by Tsar Alexander I on December 25, 1812, following the defeat and withdrawal of Napoleon's troops from Russia. The Tsar proclaimed the cathedral a monument of gratitude for the intervention of "Divine Providence for saving Russia" from doom, and as a memorial to the sacrifices of the Russian people.

However it was not opened until 70 years later when Alexander I's grandson was-ascending the throne. Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky's"1812 Overture" was written with the cathedral's completion in mind, but it was premiered in August 1882 in a tent outside the unfinished church.

In 1931 the cathedral was demolished as part of Moscow reconstruction plan and in 1994-1999 rebuilt.

#russianculture #orthodox #russia #russian #moscow

📚The group of South African professors and activists took part in the Russian language and culture course

On 19-30 June 2024 the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology and its regional partners held the Russian language and culture programme for higher education staff from 11 African countries.

🛬About 100 educators spent a day in Moscow where they visited the Mendeleev University to discuss long-term joint programs in science, education and culture.

☀️The South African participants were hosted for 2 weeks by the Linguistics University of Nizhny Novgorod, which organised for them several educational modules as well as a cultural programme in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast (Region).

This is already the second time the South Africans participate in the programme, last year they visited Belgorod. We hope to engage even more educators and cultural activists next time.

#russia #russian #moscow #mendeleev #mendeleevuniversity

#Moscow has secured 9th place in the HSE Global Cities Innovation Index 2024, a ranking of innovation attractiveness for cities worldwide

The report, prepared by the Institute of Statistical Research and Knowledge Economy at the Higher School of Economics, highlights Moscow's strengths in several areas:

💫 Technological Development: 7th place
💫 Creative Industries: 15th place
💫 Urban Environment: 6th place

Notably, Moscow has outperformed major cities like Tokyo, Paris, Beijing, Berlin, and New York in urban development. The city also ranks 5th for business conditions, 18th for mobility, and 28th for overall livability.

🌐 This year, the index assessed over 1,000 cities from 144 countries.

#Moscow #GlobalCitiesInnovationIndex2024

💃 On 19 October the State Kremlin Palace was again a center of attraction for dance fans - it hosted the “VI Kremlin Cup”, which has already become a symbol of the Russian ballroom dancing.

23 couples in the group of the professionals including representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Romania, Uzbekistan, Croatia, and South Africa took part in the event.

🇿🇦The performance of the South African couple Mira-Elena Tokarenko and Ryno van den Berg was dedicated to the end of their thirty-year dancing career. They chose for this occasion the Moscow parquet on which Ryno had been performing in Russia for many years. This time it was an amazingly beautiful pasodoble, with absolutely stunning playing by Ryno's cape.

👏 Our congratulations to the couple on their successful participation in the event and completion of their career!

#russia #moscow #russiasouthafrica #kremlin #southsfricansinrussia

🌟 87 years ago, #OTD In 1937, the famous ruby stars were lit over the Kremlin in Moscow – the same ones that can be seen today. They replaced the previous stainless steel stars decorated with Ural semi-precious stones which lost their luster.

✨ The new stars shined for real. Specially designed lamps with double filaments were installed in each, so if one burns out, the lamp continues to be illuminated. At the base of each star a bearing was mounted, so the huge objects - each weighing a ton - could rotate like weather vanes.

The Kremlin stars have been extinguished only twice. During the Great Patriotic War the lights were turned off so Nazi planes couldn’t detect the Kremlin. The second time: Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov asked special permission to turn them off so he could film a scene from his “The Barber of Siberia” movie in the Kremlin.

#moscow #kremlin #russia

The Moscow Metro subway system continues to grow rapidly. In 2023 alone, 14 new stations were opened and, in the last five years, more than 40! Each has its own, unique design. And Muscovites voted for the most successful ones.

🚝 Elektrozavodskaya

This ‘Big Circle Line’ station opened in 2020. You can transfer from it to the station of the same name on the ‘blue’ Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line. On one of its walls is a huge glass panel called ‘Battle of Heroes’ depicting a historical plot and the image of the defender of Old Russia. An interesting view of the image opens from the large round openings of the pedestrian gallery.

🚝 Michurinsky Prospekt

This ‘Big Circle Line’ station was opened in 2021. You can transfer from it to the station of the same name on the ‘yellow’ Solntsevskaya line, opened earlier, in 2018. The main feature of the design of this station are the red columns and ceiling panels with LED lighting. Some of them depict Chinese ornaments symbolizing the “friendship of nations”.

🚝 Nagatinsky Zaton

This ‘Big Circle Line’ station opened in 2023. When going outside, passengers get a picturesque view of the Moskva River. Therefore, the station was decorated with huge mosaic panels depicting fish.

🚝 Filatov Lug

This station on the ‘red’ Sokolnicheskaya line was opened in 2019. It’s an above ground station and its large panoramic windows let in daylight all year round. The designers were inspired by the stations of the 19th century: Waterloo in London, Pennsylvania Station in New York and Kievsky railway station in Moscow. Hence the abundance of glass and high vaulted ceilings.

🚝 Airport Vnukovo

This station on the ‘yellow’ Solntsevskaya line was opened in 2023. It is absolutely unique not only for Moscow, but also for the whole of Russia, as it is the first (and, so far, the only) subway station that leads directly to an airport! That is why its design is reminiscent of the civilian airplanes by the Tupolev Design Bureau, which the airport is dedicated to.

#DiscoverRussia #VisitRussia #Moscow