Category: English

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –

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To the collection Moscow Transport Museum A new exhibit has arrived—the body of a VNIITE-Maxi car. It was donated by collector Vladimir Kireev, a historian and recognized expert in vintage cars and automobile collections, as well as a member of the public council of the Moscow Transport Museum.

The car can now be seen at the "You Look Your Best!" exhibition in the Moscow Transport Museum pavilion at VDNKh. This one-off car was created by the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Technical Aesthetics (VNIITE) in 1967.

"The Moscow Transport Museum's exhibition, 'You Look 100%!', features iconic vehicle design concepts. Among them is the body of the VNIITE-Maxi, a unique minivan model developed in 1967 by the All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Aesthetics. After the exhibition, the car will become part of the museum's collection. We are preserving the capital's transport history at the behest of Sergei Sobyanin," said Moscow Deputy Mayor for Transport and Industry.

Maxim Liksutov.

In 1960, the famous ZAZ-965 "Zaporozhets" was released, nicknamed "the hunchback." Seven years later, VNIITE designers proposed a concept for a new compact car—the same size, with the same MeMZ-965 engine, but significantly more spacious and comfortable. The interior of this car had only one volume, like a minivan. Large sliding doors led inside, and the front seats swiveled like office chairs for entry and exit. The massive C-pillar served as a rollover protection bar and concealed air intakes that helped cool the Zaporozhets's overheating engine.

The name "Maxi" was coined to contrast the British compact car brand Mini, which emerged at the same time. It emphasized that VNIITE designers had extracted maximum benefit from a relatively small car. The car's design was created by Yuri Dolmatovsky, Vladimir Aryamov, Lev Kuzmichev, Alexander Olshanetsky, and Gennady Petrov. Over the course of its history, VNIITE built three passenger cars under its own brand: the VNIITE-PT, the Izh-VNIITE, and the VNIITE-Maxi.

"Large-scale exhibitions like 'You Look Your Best!' are impossible to achieve without the support of friendly transport and technical museums, restoration workshops, and, of course, private collectors. This year, we launched a new project."

Moscow Transport Museum Collectors' Club"It aims to foster a community of transport enthusiasts and collectors around the museum. We express our gratitude to Vladimir Kireev for his support of the museum's initiatives and fruitful collaboration: Vladimir previously donated a collection of travel documents, and now the VNIITE-Maxi collection has been added to the museum's collection. We are sincerely grateful to our friends and colleagues, thanks to whom visitors can become acquainted with unique vehicles," added Oksana Bondarenko, Director of the Moscow Transport Museum.

VNIITE was founded in 1962 under the leadership of the distinguished designer Yuri Solovyov. The institute became the leading design organization in the USSR. Over time, it expanded, establishing 10 branches across the country and collaborating with hundreds of companies, helping them develop or improve their products. The institute also began publishing the leading Soviet design publication, the journal "Technical Esthetics."

The Moscow Transport Museum continues its campaign "Let's create a museum together", through which city residents can participate in the collection's development. The museum accepts items from the late 19th and late 20th centuries related to the history of trams, buses, metros, taxis, and automobiles. These include urban environment objects, navigation and information items, transportation components, as well as old photographs, postcards, tickets, books, timetables, road service uniforms, and much more.

Moscow Transport Museum The Museum is an open urban space and a vibrant research center. The museum's collection includes over 250 passenger cars, trucks, taxis, buses, trolleybuses, city service vehicles, as well as bicycles and motorcycles. Exhibits from the museum's collection can be seen at exhibitions and among the city's transportation infrastructure.

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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –

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Mosgaz JSC specialists annually service in-house gas equipment (VDGO), ensuring the safety and uninterrupted supply of gas to 1.8 million apartments. Moscow's urban infrastructure complex told how this process is reaching a new level.

"Thanks to the implementation of our own mobile software, violations will be recorded and processed automatically. Now, when servicing a home or apartment, a technician will enter all data directly into a tablet: note any violations, take photos, and record the subscriber's signature on the completed briefing—all right there on the spot," said Tatyana Kiseleva, Deputy Chief Engineer at Mosgaz JSC.

The program analyzes information in real time and automatically determines the severity of each violation. If serious violations are detected, the system will alert the technician: a warning will appear on the screen recommending disconnecting the gas supply to the apartment, riser, or the entire building until the violation is corrected. This will allow for prompt response to potentially dangerous situations and prevent incidents.

According to Tatyana Kiseleva, all maintenance results will be instantly transferred to a single database, where reports, instructions, instructions, a full package of documents for management companies, and other necessary materials will be automatically generated. This new approach will not only speed up and simplify the work of specialists but also significantly improve safety and transparency in gas equipment maintenance.

Emergency response specialists and linemen have already been using tablets in their work, which contain all the necessary information on gas pipeline facilities and routes—from maintenance data to technical specifications and the current status of the networks. Now these digital tools have also been made available to specialists who maintain in-house gas equipment.

The city's infrastructure department noted that the work schedule can be found at official website JSC Mosgaz. For the convenience of Muscovites, they also created Telegram bot, which not only lets you know the exact date of your apartment's scheduled inspection but also notifies you of the upcoming inspection one week and one day before the plumber's visit. Moscow residents can also find out the inspection date using the Alice voice assistant. Furthermore, 20 days before the start of the inspection, the management company posts notices of the upcoming inspection of in-building gas equipment on notice boards and in entryways.

Previously Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov He noted that gas safety issues are under special control. Mosgaz specialists conduct scheduled maintenance on all gasified residential buildings annually. To ensure proper operation of the equipment, it is important to check it promptly and replace it if necessary. The owner or tenant of the residential property is responsible for this.

About 80 percent of gas stoves have been inspected in Moscow since the beginning of the year.

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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –

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The Active Citizen for Children platform has begun survey For young users. Children can recall the project's most memorable events and highlight the most interesting activities. Throughout the year, schoolchildren participated in the city's life—making important decisions, testing their knowledge with educational quizzes, and enjoying engaging video stories. Now, participants are invited to choose their favorite activities on the platform and make suggestions for its development.

Exciting games and first important decisions

Young users will choose the most engaging and frequently played games. For example, the platform's favorites include "Bring the Fairytale to Life," "Excursions," "Fragments," "Kite," and "Mosaic." These games not only put children in a good mood but also help develop attentiveness, dexterity, and erudition.

In addition, the children will determine the most significant surveys of the year. This season, children aged six to 14 actively participated in the life of the capital on an equal basis with adult users of the platform: they helped choose architectural concept for the new circus And Design of the updated Muscovite card, identified the best pavilion at VDNKh and playgrounds in parks, and also named the most impressive pavilion of the "Made in Moscow" project.

Quizzes, stories about Moscow, and online quests

Those who enjoy testing their knowledge in quizzes can vote for the most interesting topics, including the history of Moscow, technology and robots, animals and plants, transportation, and more. And for young mathematicians, there's a question about how often they solve problems and practice their skills in the "Blitz" section.

In addition, participants will select the best video stories of the year. This year, with their help, children learned how grow SaintpauliaWhere to spend time in Moscow after school and how conduct experimentsOnline adventure enthusiasts will be tasked with naming the platform's best quests—four in total were organized this year. They introduced the youngsters to the "Summer in Moscow" project and the "Territory of the Future: Moscow 2030" forum, talked about different modes of urban transportation, and invited them to go on a search for mysterious keys.

Gifts for participation

For most questions, children aged six to 14 can select up to three answers or name their favorite events on the platform. Their opinions will be taken into account and will help make the "Active Citizen for Children" platform even more engaging for younger Muscovites. After completing the survey, participants will be able to choose a gift—one of the available souvenirs for zero points as part of the promotion. New Year's Surprise in the category of the same name on the website of the city's "Million Prizes" loyalty program. You can pick up a souvenir at the "Million Prizes" pavilions at the "Winter in Moscow" project venues. The number of souvenirs is limited.

"Active Citizen for Children"is an online platform created specifically for young Muscovites aged six to 14. Here, children can participate in surveys on topics important to the city. The platform also invites children to an exciting world of quizzes, games, comics, and video stories that explore Moscow initiatives, the capital's achievements, and how residents themselves contribute to creating a comfortable environment for young citizens.

The platform is being developed by the State Public Institution “New Management Technologies” and the capital Department of Information Technology.

The creation, development and operation of e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, are consistent with the objectives of the national project "Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State" and the Moscow regional project "Digital Public Administration." More information about Russia's national projects and the capital's contribution can be found at special page.

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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –

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On November 27, Moscow's civil registry offices will begin accepting applications for 2026 on-site marriage registrations at venues under the Moscow Mayor's "New Addresses of Happiness" project. The number of available slots will increase by 15 percent compared to the current year. Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.

"Over the past six years, the Moscow Mayor's 'New Addresses of Happiness' project has given 75,000 couples the opportunity to start a family in the capital's most picturesque and unusual locations. The popularity of this ceremony format is growing: from January to October of this year alone, more than 13,000 couples chose off-site venues for their celebration, a 12 percent increase over last year. As of November 27, we'll be opening more than 8,000 application slots for 2026. Furthermore, over the next year alone, we'll increase the number of available slots by 15 percent," said Anastasia Rakova.

June 26th next year is a particularly popular date among Moscow couples. On this day, in addition to wedding palaces, 13 outdoor venues will be open for newlyweds.

Marriage registration applications can be submitted tomorrow at the Moscow Mayor's "New Addresses of Happiness" project for 2026. This can be done online or in person at wedding palaces. The state fee is 350 rubles.

When submitting an application, you will be able to choose one of 17 off-site locations: the Spiridonov mansion, the grounds of the Matrona of Moscow Church, the Opera House of the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, Yakimanka Hall, the A.S. Pushkin Library and Reading Room, Moskvarium, the Vasilchikov, Zubov, and Muravyov-Apostol estates, the Danilovsky Park Hotel, the Ostafyevo Museum-Reserve, the Moskino Cinema Park, the Turandot Restaurant, the Sun of Moscow Ferris Wheel, the Ostankino TV Tower, the Cosmos Historical Pavilion (the Cosmonautics and Aviation Center), and the Spartak Stadium.

Over 60 venues are available for wedding ceremonies in Moscow, including wedding palaces, museums, estates, and restaurants, as well as the Mayakovskaya metro station. This service will help you make the right choice. Our Wedding On the mos.ru portal. This is the most comprehensive guide to wedding venues in the capital. Filters let you specify the necessary parameters, such as the type of venue, interior style, and other features. The service also allows you to specify your preferred registration date, the nearest metro station, the maximum number of guests, and much more. Venue pages include detailed descriptions and contact numbers.

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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

A new section has been opened on the Active Citizen project website. voteParticipants will determine the best restoration project of 2025, according to Muscovites. Residents will have to choose from five options. Among them are the fairytale tower on Tverskaya Street—the Savvinskoye Podvorye; the UNESCO World Heritage Site—the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord in the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve; the only building at VDNKh decorated with wooden sculptures—Pavilion No. 67 "Soviet Press" (formerly the "Karelo-Finnish SSR"); the Swiss House at the Kuskovo Estate, inspired by Alpine chalets; and the Egyptian Pavilion at the Ostankino Estate—an authentic 18th-century wooden palace.

"The annual 'Moscow Restoration' competition is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Traditionally, Muscovites themselves choose the winner in one of the competition's categories. They will choose which of the five nominees impressed them most, so that at the gala ceremony, the title of 'Best Restoration Object According to Participants of the Active Citizen Project' goes to a truly 'people's' object," noted the head of the capital's Department of Cultural Heritage.

Alexey Emelyanov.

Thus, city residents can choose the Savvinskoye Podvorye as the best building. This building, constructed in the neo-Russian style and adorned with elegant turrets and windows of various shapes, was restored to its original appearance by over 150 specialists: artists, ceramicists, plasterers, marble experts, and professionals from other fields. They completed a full range of restoration work on the facades and interiors of the entrance halls. During the restoration, they not only restored the surviving architectural elements of the building but also uncovered details hidden behind later finishing: advertising signs, a marble arch, plaster moldings, and windows with Falconnier bricks. Special attention was paid to the restoration of the painted ceramic tiles, created based on sketches by the building's architect, Ivan Kuznetsov. Meticulous work in selecting the right glaze shades made the recreated tiles indistinguishable from the originals.

The Russian Terem on Tverskaya Street: How the Savvinskoye Compound is being restoredRestoration of the fairytale tower on Tverskaya Street has been completed, Sobyanin said.

The Church of the Ascension of Our Lord in the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve could win the competition. It is a true masterpiece of 16th-century architecture of global significance, one of the first stone tent-roofed churches in Rus'. In 1994, the building was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to legend, the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord was built by order of Vasily III, as a token of gratitude for the gift of a long-awaited heir—the future Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Scholars speculate that the architect was the Italian Pietro Annibale, or Pyotr Fryazin (Petrok Maloy), as he was known in Russia.

The meticulous restoration took two and a half years. Particular attention was paid to the tent roof: the brickwork was cleared of dirt and old plaster, and treated with a biocidal agent. It was then primed and painted. The church facades are adorned with white stone kokoshniks, architraves, carved capitals, and lancet windows. Specialists cleaned them and meticulously restored any damage.

The unique ancient staircase with stirrups on the temple's tent was also preserved. The first mention of it appears in 19th-century sources. Specialists cleaned the staircase, primed it with red lead, and painted it. The brickwork in the interiors was cleared of plaster, and repairs were made exclusively in the basements. The white stone elements of the capital with their expressive carvings and the royal seat—the canopy on the eastern façade, crowned with a keeled zakomara with a double-headed eagle—were also restored. While cleaning the unique decorative elements, specialists intentionally left traces of time—fragments of ochre, terracotta, and green pigment, as well as untouched areas of white stone.

The opening of the church is planned for the feast day of the Ascension of the Lord in May 2026.

Restoration of the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye is complete – Sobyanin

To win in votingThe Egyptian Pavilion of the Ostankino estate is also a contender. The estate itself is an authentic wooden palace from the late 18th century. It was built using a frame construction technique, very rare in Russia at that time. The central part of the palace is connected by single-story covered galleries to the Italian and Egyptian pavilions. The building and its interiors have been completely preserved to this day.

The palace is associated with the name of Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev, one of the noble, wealthy, and enlightened aristocrats of his time. He built a palace theater complex with a transformable stage and auditorium. The theater's leading actress was Praskovia Kovaleva-Zhemchugova, a talented serf actress who later became Countess Sheremeteva.

The Egyptian Pavilion, built in the classical Roman style, is adorned with four historic stoves with sphinx sculptures. Restoration of both the facades and interiors was completed in the fall of 2025. Specialists restored over 700 square meters of authentic artistic parquet floors made from various wood species, intricate door panels decorated with gilded and silver-plated carvings, faux marble, hardware and moldings, and the stoves with sphinx sculptures. Following the completion of the work, the exhibition "Visiting Count Sheremetev" opened in the Egyptian Pavilion.

Visiting Count Sheremetev: The Ostankino estate's Egyptian pavilion opened to MuscovitesThe Egyptian pavilion at the Ostankino estate has been restored, according to the Moscow Mayor.

Active Citizens can vote for Pavilion No. 67, "Soviet Press" (formerly "Karelo-Finnish SSR"). It is the only building at VDNKh decorated with wooden sculptures and one of four whose decoration features wood carvings. The pavilion was built in 1954 according to a design by architects Farid Rekhmukov and Alexey Reznicenko.

The carved bas-relief "New Life" by sculptor Lev Kardashov and six wooden figures mounted on columns in the pediment of the main façade's portico are considered the pavilion's main decorations. The sculptures of a peasant woman and a worker occupy the center of the composition, flanked by young pine trees with fluffy needles. The bas-reliefs symbolize the republic's main economic sectors: forestry, agriculture, livestock farming, and fishing, as well as their mechanization and electrification.

During the restoration of the pediment, specialists carried out a gentle cleaning, restored lost elements, and coated the carved bas-relief and sculptures with protective compounds. Missing fragments were recreated by hand, maintaining the original 1950s carvings. Craftsmen restored the six-column portico's red granite columns with copper capitals and restored the terrazzo flooring. They also recreated the plaster bas-reliefs depicting northern workers and bronze chandeliers, and restored the unique Karelian birch portal.

Larch, Karelian birch, granite, and copper: how the Soviet Press pavilion at VDNKh is being restoredA multimedia exhibition, "Beyond the Far Far Away: Masterpieces of Russian Painting Come to Life," will open at VDNKh.

The Swiss House in the Kuskovo Estate rounds out the list of nominees. This federal cultural heritage site was built in the 19th century according to a design by architect Nikolai Benois. The Alpine chalet-style building stands out from the surrounding buildings: the first floor walls are painted to resemble brick, while the second floor is adorned with wood carvings. Restorers restored the plinth and foundation, and reinforced the stone first floor. The surfaces were cleaned, treated with special compounds, plastered, and painted to resemble brick. Particular attention was paid to the wooden frame: it was suspended using a special system, replacing damaged elements. The interior features restored historic stoves lined with white tiles. The Swiss House will open to Moscow residents and visitors for the first time after an exhibition is established there.

Moscow Heritage specialists have begun restoration of Count Sheremetev's Swiss chalet in the Kuskovo estate.Sobyanin reported on how the historical appearance of the Swiss House in Kuskovo is being preserved.

Vote prepared by the Active Citizen project in collaboration with Department of Cultural Heritage of the City of Moscow.

The awards ceremony for the competition's winners, including the voting winner, will take place in December.

The Moscow Restoration competition was created to develop the traditions of the Moscow school of restoration, promote its popularity, and generate public interest in historical and cultural monuments. This year marks the 15th time it is being held in the capital.

In 2025, the competition received over 100 applications for more than 40 historical and cultural monuments. Over the course of 14 years, 1,077 restoration companies and design organizations, chief project architects and restorers, and restoration project participants and organizers participated. 508 participants won prizes, with 267 sites recognized as the best.

Project Active Citizen has been operating since 2014. During this time, more than seven million people have joined, and over seven thousand votes have been conducted. Every month, 30 to 40 "active citizens" decisions are implemented in the city. The project is being developed by the State Public Institution "New Management Technologies" and the Moscow Department of Information Technology.

The creation, development and operation of e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant and other services in electronic form, are consistent with the objectives of the national project "Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State" and the Moscow regional project "Digital Public Administration." More information about Russia's national projects and the capital's contribution can be found atspecial page.

Get the latest news quickly on official Moscow messaging channels. MAX AndTelegram.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.