After the fall of the Soviet Union, and a period of deep economic and cultural crisis, the Russian Federation has regained its leading role in the international arena. Today Moscow is, along with Washington and Beijing, one of the three centers of world power.
Historically, Moscow has always been a pole of power centralization, as it was the capital of the USSR, the protagonist of the Cold War. Moscow kept its status of capital of the biggest country of the world since 1991.
Several elements define the influence of Russia in world politics: the permanent seat in the UN Security Council, the possession of the world biggest nuclear arsenal, its military industry and arms market and the leading position in oil and gas production make Moscow the best place for a Study Mission addressed to students who want to discover more about Europe’s ambivalent neighbor.
Moscow is also the biggest city of Europe and, with over 15mln inhabitants, it is characterized by a galvanizing dynamism. Restored Soviet monuments dominate the cityscape, alongside futuristic skyscrapers, which represent the revitalization of Russian power in Putin era.
Moscow is fierce of its cultural identity, which is nor European nor precisely Russian, but a mix coming from different regions of the former Soviet Union, which makes Moscow unique.
