Moscow, the capital of Russia is one of the biggest and most beautiful cities of Europe with more than 850-years history. "The Heart of Russia", that's how Russians call their capital, is a unique combination of unforgettable features of an old Russian city and a modern European character. It's a city with a rapidly increasing population of 11.2 million. It is located on the river Moskva. It is in the district called Central Russia. Moscow is one of the oldest and one of the most beautiful Russian cities. The city has absorbed many different styles that strike the visitors with their variety. Magnificent stone churches and cathedrals with multiple golden, blue and white domes towering everywhere over all other buildings and structures. Even in the heart of Moscow, in the Kremlin, old churches compete with the immense Congress Palace for space. Despite its size (about 900 square kilometers) and the scale of many of Moscow buildings and avenues, the general layout is easily grasped - a series of concentric circles and radial lines, emanating from the Kremlin - and the center is compact enough to explore on foot. The second and fourth capitals of Russia, Moscow remains the more 'Russian' of the two major metropolitan centers of Russia. An excellent place to begin exploring is at the Moscow City Council's Moscow Guide, filled with photographs of the city's restaurants, hotels, museums, shopping centers and a tour of the Kremlin.