2. It’s Russia’s largest city.

3. 11 million people live in this city.

4. Moscow was founded before 1147.

5. The city is named after the Moskva River.

6. Moscow is home to many museums.

7. The most well-known ones are the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and the State Historical Museum of Russia.

8. Moscow is also well known as the sites of Saint Basil’s Cathedral and of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Seven Sisters.

9. Moscow is also a performing center with its numerous theatres.

10. Moscow is one of the greenest capitals in Europe. There are many parks in the city.

11. The heart of Moscow is the Red Square. This square was called “red” because in old Russian “red” also means “beautiful”.

13. It can be taken apart to reveal another matryoshka , - of a smaller size, - inside.

14. A matryoshka usually consists of 5-6 matryoshkas of different sizes.

15. A matryoshka’s shape is cylindrical, rounded at the top for the head and tapered towards the bottom.

16. A matryoshka has no hands; they are only painted.

17. The colors used in painting a matryoshka’s dress and face are usually bright (red, yellow, orange etc.)

18. Matryoshkas date from 1890 .

19. Matryoshkas are said to have been inspired by souvenir dolls from Japan.

20. The first matryoshka was carved by Vasiliy Zvezdochkin and painted by Sergei Maliutin.

21. It was inspired by dolls from Japan, such as a set of Japanese wooden dolls representing Shichi-fuku-jin, the Seven Gods of Fortune.

22. In 1900, M.A. Mamontova, the wife of Savva Mamontov, presented the dolls at the World Exhibition in Paris and the toy earned a bronze medal. Dymkovo Toys<br />Dymkovo toys are among the most popular works of folk craftsmen of Russia.<br />The origin of Dymkovo toys goes back to ancient times, and is linked with the local festival of the Vyatka province. <br />During the festival, people commemorated their ancestors, danced, sang and ate sweets.<br />For such occasions clay toys and whistles were made by thousands in Dymkovo. <br />These were mainly women and children who made these toys. <br />There were three types of clay toys: balls, whistles and dolls. <br />Balls and whistles are of ancient origin connected with the symbols of fertility, which must also account for the prevalence of women with children, domestic animals, and fowl among the figurine motifs. <br />With the passage of time pagan symbols gave way to everyday themes, and clay balls and whistles were substituted by figurines and groups that decorated window sills, cabinets like fashionable china. <br />