The Russian capital Moscow has emerged from a decade of post-perestroika upheaval to assert itself as a slick modern metropolis and one of the world's business and scientific centers.
Spreading over 1,000 sq km, Moscow is home to more than 10 million people - mostly Russians but also millions of emigres from the former Soviet republics.
The city makes up 20% of Russia's GDP, worth an eye-watering $340 billion in 2008.
Moscow will be home to Russia's nascent financial center, Moscow City.
It is also an industrial center with car plants, aerospace factories and high-tech businesses.
The capital houses the offices of the world's biggest companies and banks, and attracts over 4 million tourists every year.
Moscow is run by a mayor installed by the Kremlin under a 2004 law.
