It is difficult to count how many times deputies, oligarchs, scientists, cultural figures or ordinary citizens proposed to take Moscow's capital status away. In recent years, urban dominance - along with overcrowding, traffic jams and other problems - many newsmakers have dreamed out loud about dragging east. The most recent statement was made on his Facebook page by a member of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party, director of the Agency for Political and Economic Communications Dmitry Orlov - he proposed moving the capital to Yekaterinburg, which he considers " the best option».

And now Orlov's statement is being seriously discussed in the media, politicians and experts are arguing about this. With a feeling of undisguised envy, the editors of NGS.NOVOSTI decided to remind you that apart from Yekaterinburg, there are others that are more suitable for moving the capital of the city. For example, Novosibirsk. Judge for yourself.

1. Capital ambitions have haunted us since the beginning of the 20th century

About the status of the capital Russian Empire Novonikolaevsk did not have time to think, but it was able to declare itself the capital of the region already in 1907. The corresponding document, an act on the transfer of the then Altai District lands to Novonikolaevsk, was signed by imperial officials on December 9 in a building on Obskaya Street, 4 - from that moment Novonikolaevsk became an independent city, and later the capital of the region.

2. Novosibirsk has already tried on the capital's gloss

Novosibirsk felt like a capital for the first time in 1942, when during the war not only factories from the European part of Russia were transferred to the city, but also theater groups, the exposition and storerooms of the Tretyakov Gallery.

3. The vice-president of the Russian Federation spoke for the Novosibirsk capital

The ideologist of the transfer of part of the capital's powers to Novosibirsk in 1991 was the vice-president of the Russian Federation Alexander Rutskoi. In 2012, he told an NGS.NOVOSTI correspondent that back in 1991 he proposed moving the government to Novosibirsk, leaving the presidential administration in Moscow: “The government of the Russian Federation should sit in Novosibirsk. If we look into the perspective of our country's development, this should have been done 20 years ago. Investments would go not to China, but to Russia.” According to Rutskoy, all the Novosibirsk people he met during his perestroika trips rejoiced and "applauded standing" when they heard the idea of ​​moving the capital to Novosibirsk. But the plans were thwarted by Gennady Burbulis and Yegor Gaidar, who opposed this idea in Moscow.

4. The oligarchs dreamed of moving the capital to Siberia

The head of RUSAL, oligarch Oleg Deripaska, has repeatedly spoken out in favor of moving the capital from Moscow, for example, to Novosibirsk. He spoke about this in 2008 and 2009. “In order to fight corruption, it is necessary to move the capital to Yekaterinburg or Novosibirsk. Peter I was forced to flee Moscow because bureaucratic expenses were a burden for development even in his era,” he said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

5. Novosibirsk was supported by neighbors from the Far East

In 2010, the information agency of the Far East "Vostok-Media" conducted a survey on the topic "Where should the capital of the state be located?", In which 2079 residents of the region took part. Novosibirsk was supported by 34% of them, in second place was Moscow (21%), in third - St. Petersburg (10%). Chief Editor RIA "Vostok-Media" Nikolai Kutenkikh then supported the choice of readers: "Such a choice only confirms that sane people live in the Far East." However, at the same time, he admitted that the inhabitants of the Far East did not have much love for the Novosibirsk people, and it was simply the geographical criteria and location of the city that were to blame.

6. The intellectuals wanted to see a scientific center as the capital

Novosibirsk won in the rating of alternative capitals in 2012, it got every fourth vote taken into account in the poll conducted on the RBC.Rating portal. The rating consisted of 15 alternative capitals, Novosibirsk got 24.03% of the vote, while it significantly broke away from its competitors: Yekaterinburg was in second place (17.5% of the vote), Vladivostok was in third (about 10%). At the same time, St. Petersburg was even lower with 9.09% of the vote. Roman Mogilevsky, scientific director of the Agency for Social Information St. Petersburg, suggested then that it was not at all in Novosibirsk. “Here there is a factor of a special critically thinking audience of the RBC portal. These are educated people who have become hostages of their own image of Novosibirsk. Your city in the generally accepted view is a major scientific and educational center with a highly developed innovative industry, a quiet political haven, a spacious, developed, tolerant city. Given that there are businessmen in the RBC audience, when answering a question, they took into account that the risk of losing business in Novosibirsk is lower than in Moscow or St. Petersburg, ”said the sociologist.

7. The idea was also supported by influential Siberians

Talk about the transfer of the capital from Moscow to Siberia began again after the statement by Sergei Shoigu that the capital of Russia should be located in Siberia. His remark was gladly supported by Vladimir Gorodetsky, who then served as the mayor of Novosibirsk. “I think when great politicians consider where the capital should be, Novosibirsk has the right to claim this mission,” he said. Gorodetsky also became the author of a local meme about the "capital gloss", which was supposed to appear in Novosibirsk after the next snow removal.

8. Deputies from the LDPR tried to make Novosibirsk a city of federal significance

The corresponding draft federal constitutional law was submitted to the State Duma by LDPR deputy Dmitry Savelyev. He proposed to form a new subject within the Russian Federation - the city of federal significance Novosibirsk, and to place two ministries in it - the Ministry of Regional Development and the Ministry for the Development of the Far East. “Now everything is pulled together in one capital - Moscow. Outside the Moscow Ring Road, by and large, life seems to be non-existent. So, at least, the inhabitants of the province bitterly joke. As a result, Russia was placed in a province, in the so-called castle, ”Dmitry Savelyev explained his initiative.

9. In 2015, a convicted State Duma deputy spoke out in favor of the Siberian capital, straight from the colony

The corresponding bill, State Duma deputy from the Communist Party Konstantin Shirshov, sentenced to 5 years for trying to sell the mandate, wrote in the Matrosskaya Tishina colony, Gazeta.ru reported. He was not deprived of deputy status, so he could make any proposals. He called the bill a “testament from Matrossky”, the deputy proposed moving the capital to Novosibirsk in order to “create a more stable structure of the territorial and political system with a center in Western Siberia". It was necessary to move the capital because of high housing prices, problems with infrastructure, corruption, social mobility and justice, he wrote. In total, there were 17 pages of arguments in favor of Novosibirsk. Among them was the frequently mentioned statement that "today Novosibirsk is the fastest growing city in the world, included in this regard in the Guinness Book of Records."

10. In the end, Novosibirsk was supported by Buryatia

Last winter, Arnold Tulokhonov, a member of the Federation Council from Buryatia, spoke out in favor of moving the capital, saying that Moscow was becoming obsolete, as reported by the Baikal Daily portal. When asked by a journalist about where to move the capital of Russia, the senator replied that there was no difference. Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk. Doesn't matter. It could be any city. This cannot be done in Moscow. Moscow is becoming obsolete,” Tulokhonov was quoted by Baikal Daily. He also stated that the capital should be located in a more convenient location. “It is necessary to “take out” the capital from Moscow: it should be in the middle, so that it is convenient not for officials, but for the population. Today, 75% of all transportation is carried out through Moscow. And in order to get from Yakutsk to Chita, you have to go through Moscow,” Tulokhonov was quoted by InformPolis Online.

In October, at a meeting with scientists and entrepreneurs in Skolkovo, the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev announced that he wanted to create a new class of officials who would be interested in their work, including in the development of science. According to him, in Russia the bureaucracy lags far behind other countries in terms of its efficiency. During the discussion of the technology for implementing the idea of ​​the President of the Russian Federation in the article “Is it possible to educate a new caste of officials in the CIS who support science: opinions”, experts suggested using the historical experience of Tsar Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov, who solved the problem of sabotage of the Moscow boyars to his reformist course by building a new capital city of St. Petersburg.

Coordinator of the international expert group IA REX Sergey Sibiryakov from 29 to 31 October conducted a survey in social network Hydepark on the topic "Which city should be made the capital instead of Moscow?". It was attended by 2856 bloggers who left 400 comments on the topic of the survey. 1% of respondents voted for Kaliningrad, the most western and European city of the country; 2% believe that it is necessary to move the capital to Kazakhstan's Astana (since Putin and Nazarbayev have set the goal of creating the Eurasian Union and Nazarbayev is its initiator); 2% voted for Sevastopol (at the same time it is necessary to resolve the issue of returning Crimea to the Russian Federation); 6% are sure that St. Petersburg should return the status of the capital, because this city keeps the greatness of the Russian Empire in its history; 7% love Moscow and Muscovites (let the capital stay in Moscow); 36% offered their own options, among which Magadan and other distant places are often mentioned; Novosibirsk gathered 46% of the votes (the capital should be somewhere in the geographical center of the state).

Publishes the most interesting comments to the survey.

“Sergey, raising the issue in this vein, you become one of the traitors of the country. Maybe even split the country into pieces? Moscow has always been a trading center, even when St. Petersburg was the capital. Its income is not due to the presence or absence of power structures there, but primarily due to its favorable geographical position. Yes, I also agree that there should be many centers. And the same Skolkovo, it would be more logical to organize in the Novosibirsk region. It would be a little more expensive, but much more promising. But I will upset you. Nobody feeds Moscow. People in Moscow work ten to twelve hours a day and don't fatten at all. I see this in the example of my own sister and nephew. And those who zhiruyut, make up a negligible percentage. Is it also possible that the Muscovites are used to "keep their style" and never admit their problems? Everything seems to be fine with them, the thing bought at the sale looks great ... And to listen to what he tells you there in general is an oligarch. This is a common "modus operandi" for most Muscovites and those who have come in large numbers. An idler and a rentier will be such anywhere in the world. They are now, by the way, not only in the capital. Take a look around. So maybe we’ll start transforming the world by trying not to feed a single official in your native city government? And if you take global goals, try not to feed America, for example, ”suggests Andrey Zemlyanoy from Kazan.

“Moscow, how much this sound has merged for the Russian heart…”! And power, and money, and fame, i.e. brain, heart, muscles, stomach, and, sorry, cloaca. "Colossus with feet of clay" as the enemies say. And, indeed, systematically, a power needs a proportional capital so that the head does not overtighten the body. Structurally, the state mechanism resembles not a nesting doll or a bear, but an octopus or a jellyfish, where all the vital organs are located in the center, within the Garden Ring. Capture them, and all of Russia will only twitch in convulsions, unable to help either the tsar, or the general secretary, or the president. This genetically comes from Genghis Khan and means that Russia is what is within the Garden Ring, then there is already a colony, ”explains his choice Vladimir Spirin.

“With this poll, you reminded me of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Since those very times, there has been a WAR for the right to collect tribute and build Moscow, Tver, or Novgorod on the remnants. It seems that a new "quarrel" is beginning for the right to collect "tribute" - taxes. It's like an election campaign. Whoever wins will collect, distribute and live on what "sticks". We - the common people, moved away from the "trough" will still not get anything, except for the promises of a "better share". Like the new - the old opposition, someone really wants to "steer" cash flows and any city will promise anything to the "People" if only its city becomes the capital. With all the ensuing privileges, ”says Viktor Volkov.

“Moscow, of course, consumes a lot of everything that the country has produced. And that's just fine. Bad is another. Moscow, everything or almost everything that the country produces, itself sells further. The money from the sale settles for the most part offshore. The system of taxation from pumped out resources does not allow the regions to develop and develop normally. That is why Moscow is thumping by leaps and bounds, and the regions are shrinking. There is only one way out - all mining companies must be registered not in Moscow, but in the region of production, and pay all taxes there. And 60% of all collected taxes should remain in the regions. That's when there will be fewer "come in large numbers" in Moscow, Muscovites will breathe easy. True, and the standard of living of Muscovites will fall. And fewer travelers will come to Moscow for any permits or subsidies. And personally, no one has any claims to Muscovites. Now the world's financial and industrial centers are shifting to Asia. Russia would do well to move its capital there. But it should be a new small city, planned and built on free land and according to the latest projects, following the example of Astana,” Muscovites reassures Vasily Zagogulko.

“I love Moscow very much. And I don't care where the capital is. I personally don't go anywhere. Less people - more oxygen! I always find it funny when they start writing that all of Russia is feeding Moscow. It is Moscow that feeds, waters, clothes and educates everyone. Well, it feeds - it doesn’t feed, but everyone eats up. Look at the prices of apartments for us as they raised. They would buy from themselves, otherwise the whole village would chip in and buy for big money. Or ten people will gather and rent one apartment for 30 thousand. And realtors (also not one Muscovite) are only happy. To sell somewhere, you must first learn at least the basics of economics, not to mention mathematics, and in the regions they only know how to steal from each other. And then, so as not to be noticed, to accuse of stealing those whom they care about as before "Courchevel" - this is to make it clearer to you. For you, this is the limit of desires, ”replies with indignation to the attacks of bloggers from the regions Muscovite Krupskaya.

“This “nurse” Krupskaya means that Moscow “feeds, waters, clothes” us by printing Russian rubles at the Gosznak factory, and sending a scanty, not stolen part of them to the regions. Because it is impossible to imagine that 12 million Muscovites day and night (otherwise it will not work) without sleep and rest, fry, steam, bake, sheathe from products and materials sent from some planet (we, the remaining 130 million, are ill-mannered, eating Muscovites are parasites from the hand of Muscovites, as she believes, and Americans or anyone else will never send all this. Of course, from another planet! After all, it is impossible to see pastures and fields for growing food inside the Moscow Ring Road. 95% of working Muscovites receive 55 thousand in total, while for the same work beyond the Moscow Ring Road they receive 10-12 thousand rubles.Do Muscovites wrinkle their foreheads more, or do they sweat more? 2-2.5 times. You are Muscovites, you live and have always lived at the expense of the entire population of the peripheral part of the country. 80% of this population has never been to a theater or a museum, if only because the nearest of them are at a fair distance ii, and even wishing to visit them, people will not have the means to get to them and pay for the entrance. Not to mention organizing a family vacation at sea! ", - retorts Stanislav Dekopov.

“The capital should be brand new with a needle. And to be located in the Far East, best of all on the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk or the Sea of ​​Japan. This is how we will turn Atlantic Russia into Pacific Russia. So at one time Peter the Great cut through a "window to Europe." And we will "open the door" to Asia and the Pacific region, it is there that a new world civilizational center is beginning to take shape. We must not be late. Finally, the capital must be the first to meet the sun and open a new day. In all major countries, the capital is in the east. By moving the capital to the Far East, we will save it. Otherwise, we will lose in the next twenty years. Russia will once again follow in the footsteps of the explorers and begin a new campaign to the Pacific Ocean, populating the eastern lands. And we can attract other people for this. Now it is impossible, because you will not call anyone to this backwater. And when the capital is in the east - easily. Finally, we will save the Jewish people from destruction and a new dispersion. Sooner or later the Jews will be squeezed out of Palestine. There is no doubt about it. Where should they go? And then we will open for them the doors of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the homeland created for them by the genius of Stalin. And if the capital is nearby, then it will be the most luxurious business place for Jews,” a Muscovite campaigns for the Far East Vladimir Yurovitsky.

« What city do not do - everything is a pity. Let what is left of the Russian city of Moscow rot. In St. Petersburg, all canals will have to be filled with cement, otherwise traffic jams, building in St. Petersburg is bad, but it will be necessary, because all non-Russians will spread to new capital. Here Astana is coming, it will be closer for guest workers to go there », - summarizes a resident of Bryansk Sergey Pivovarov.

There is, if not a tradition, then at least a steady trend: every few hundred years, our state changes its capital. Will it continue and which cities can claim the title of the center of the country?

Trade routes change capitals

The change of the main city, as a rule, took place against the backdrop of serious geopolitical changes. So, Veliky Novgorod can be considered the first capital of the Russian state - it was there Slavic tribes, according to legend, were called to rule Rurik in 862. However, the city did not remain the center of Ancient Russia for long.

Already in 882, Rurik's successor Prince Oleg settled in Kyiv. The "Mother of Russian Cities" suited the role of the capital in the best possible way: it was closer to Byzantium - the main partner of Russia, protected due to its convenient location on the banks of the Dnieper. In addition, the “Road from the Varangians to the Greeks” lay across this river - then the main trade corridor from North to South.

By the middle of the 11th century, after Kyiv became the residence of the Russian metropolitan, the institution of the capital in its modern sense was formed in the city. An important role in this was played by a long period of autocracy of the Kyiv princes. But with the onset of feudal fragmentation in Russia, and especially after falling under the Tatar-Mongol yoke, the formation of statehood stalled.

Russia, which was under the rule of the Horde, was, in fact, not a monolithic state, but rather a collection of separate principalities. At this time, Vladimir began to be considered the nominal capital - it was the local princes who were recognized by the Tatar-Mongols as the oldest. However, the local table, as a rule, was transferred to one of the specific princes of the North-East, and the "Varangians", having received the title "Grand Duke of All Russia" in the Golden Horde, did not consider it necessary to personally sit in the city. As a result, Vladimir gradually turned into a provincial town.

After that, Moscow gradually came to the fore. Local princes eventually managed to unite Russia, liberate the country from the Tatar-Mongols and make their hometown the capital of the newly formed state. It is believed that Moscow acquired the status of the center in 1389, when Vasily I came to reign.

The new capital, first of all, was distinguished by its favorable location - not only geographical and military, but also commercial. Through the Moscow River, one could get into other large rivers - the Volga, Oka and Klyazma, and along them - further south. In addition, the city by the XIV century became the cultural and spiritual center of Russia.

Moscow remained the center of the country for more than 300 years - until 1712, when, by the will of Peter I, St. Petersburg became the main city of the state. Petersburg, by the will of the sovereign, was specially created in order to be the capital. And the decisive factors in choosing a place were the proximity to Europe and the location on the sea coast: this allowed guests from other countries "to sail to the king by sea, and not overcome the dangerous road to Moscow." The swampy delta of the Neva was not the most successful place for building a city, but almost the only one that made it possible to connect Russia and Europe by the shortest sea route. This connection, according to the first emperor, was more in line with the development path that he saw for the Russian state.

The wind of change

However, as history shows, the choice of the capital directly depends on the ideas of the leadership about the future of the country. Petersburg was the main city for only two centuries: in 1918, the Bolsheviks who came to power, apparently no longer in need of guests “sailing by sea”, returned the central status to Moscow, which it still retains.

However, today voices are heard again, suggesting, if not completely, then at least partially, to transfer management functions to another city. Most often among the successors, of course, St. Petersburg is mentioned - he has been asked for this role since 1991. It is quite simple to explain this: on the threshold of the third millennium, pro-Western sentiments were strong in Russia, whose supporters believed that moving the capital closer to the “partners” would have a positive effect on the development of the state. Over time, other arguments have been added to this argument. For example, about the high degree of Moscow's workload with all kinds of officials. And if the attraction to the West has gradually decreased, then the last contradiction remains unresolved until now.

However, in the future, St. Petersburg is far from the only city that could compete with Moscow for the right to have the title of the capital. So, one of the most dynamically growing settlements in Russia is Krasnodar. Its population for ten years - from 2006 to 2016 - increased by 20% - up to 853 thousand people. The total number of inhabitants, of course, is not comparable with 12 million in the capital, but the increase turned out to be more significant than Moscow's 13%.

In addition, Krasnodar is consistently ranked among the largest economic centers of Russia. In the industrial complex of the city there are about 130 large and medium-sized enterprises, which employ about 30% of all employees. Moreover, the minimum number of unemployed was recorded in this settlement.

The local economy is highly diversified: there are factories that produce appliances, metalworking, and there are clothing and furniture factories. The favorable business climate that has developed in Krasnodar attracts the attention of both domestic and foreign investors. Officials, for sure, would be attracted by the opportunity to work in an actively developing city with a mild climate, just 100 kilometers from the Black Sea. And at the same time reliably guarded by the Russian fleet.

Another regular in various ratings of Russian cities is Tyumen. This settlement, like Krasnodar, is one of the fastest growing: in ten years its population has increased by a third - from 542 to 721 thousand. In addition, Tyumen is the leader in the ranking of cities in terms of living standards in 2017, which was compiled by the Department of Sociology of the Financial University under the Government. According to citizens, the level of education, public services and road construction are recognized as the best here. The results show that Tyumen - the capital of the region's raw materials - has skillfully used the money received from oil and gas. And, of course, such an experience would be useful for the whole country as a whole.

At the right time in the right place

However, getting into the ratings is far from the factor by which the capitals of states are chosen. Both the historical role and the geographical position. For the main city of the country, it is important that its place on the map is convenient not only for communication between regions, but also for interaction with major foreign partners. Not for nothing, Kyiv, Moscow and St. Petersburg took their place at different times.

But times are changing. Russia, once openly pro-European, is now pivoting to the East and betting on the Northern Sea Route, hoping to become a conduit between the Old World and Asia. And the ongoing changes in the future may well encourage the authorities to change the capital.

As well as possible in this case, one of the two Far Eastern cities is suitable - Vladivostok or Khabarovsk. Already now, both settlements are competently using their border position, establishing relationships with the "Asian tigers". And Vladivostok made an infrastructural breakthrough thanks to the recently held APEC summit here. By the way, the event showed that the city is quite able to cope with representative functions.

Another contender for the title of the center, no doubt, is Krasnoyarsk. The city has already become the informal capital of Eastern Siberia, largely due to its powerful industrial base, transport and logistics capabilities. This settlement is located almost in the heart of the country on one of its largest rivers - the Yenisei, which connects Krasnoyarsk with the northern territories. The city itself is located very close to the southern border of Russia.

If, however, forecasts are made that the Northern Sea Route will become one of the world's main trade arteries, ready to compete with the Suez Canal in terms of the volume of transported goods, then Murmansk, one of the largest ports in Russia, will inevitably claim the title of capital. And the fact that this city is the largest in the world beyond the Arctic Circle should not scare off officials at all. The climate here is temperate, and given the widespread warming, the weather conditions can be considered acceptable at all. So the cold is unlikely to become a hindrance, which cannot be said about the polar nights.

Delegate in parts

Russia, by moving the Constitutional Court from Moscow to St. Petersburg, took a step in a similar direction. For our country, with its vast territory, the distribution of authorities could be a response to many challenges. It is clear why until recently, for example, the ministries for the Far East or the North Caucasus were located in Moscow: to be closer to the decision-making center. However, in the age of new technologies, this need is gradually disappearing.

So in the near future, perhaps, management structures will be dispersed throughout the state: the ministry responsible for the NSR, in Murmansk; department in charge of relations with Asian countries - in Vladivostok. And officials will probably be in charge of oil production from Tyumen.

The capital of Russia should be located in its geographical center, politicians and public figures have repeatedly stated. They cite Kazakhstan as an example of the successful transfer of the capital.

This time, the idea to move the capital from Moscow to Yekaterinburg or Novosibirsk was put forward by the Senator of the Federation Council from the Republic of Buryatia Arnold Tulokhonov.

« Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg- any city. We need to take the capital out of Moscow. This cannot be done in Moscow, it is becoming obsolete. The capital should be in the middle, so that it is convenient not for officials, but for the population. Today, 75% of transportation is carried out through Moscow, and in order to get from Yakutsk to Chita, one has to go through Moscow,” the senator said.

The main factor for the transfer of the capital is economic. According to Tulokhonov, “you can’t centralize the economy, you can’t centrally manage such a huge country.” As a good example of the transfer of the capital to another city, the senator cited Kazakhstan, where the capital moved from Alma-Ata to Astana.

“Now it’s exactly three hours from Astana in different directions. How long does it take us to fly from Chukotka to Moscow?” the senator said.

Note that this is not the first such statement by government officials. Thus, the general director and co-owner of UC Rusal, Oleg Deripaska, proposed moving the capital to Siberia.

“The main decision is to move the capital to Siberia. Moscow is excessive centralization and corruption,” Deripaska said.

The transfer of the capital from Moscow will contribute, in particular, to the integration of Russia with the Asia-Pacific region, and this, according to him, is "a matter of the survival of the whole country." The new Russian capital could be Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk, suggested Deripaska.

There are, of course, those who are against the transfer of the Russian capital to any city. For example, activists of the Arkhnadzor movement, which is engaged in the protection of architectural monuments in Moscow.

“The transfer of capital functions from the historical capital of a great country is an unprecedented action that mankind has not yet known. Moscow took the position of the capital for historical reasons. The transfer of capital functions to another city will be a strong blow to the national identity of all residents of Russia,” said Natalia Samover, coordinator of Arkhnadzor.

Head of the Supervisory Board of the Institute of Demography, Migration and Regional Development Yuri Krupnov proposed to the President of Russia to move the capital beyond the Urals. This is not the first such proposal to "de-Moscow" the country's capital in recent years. According to the expert, the metropolitan region "has absorbed almost a fifth of all Russian population". National development is also emphasized on 15-25 metropolitan areas in which "already more than half" of all citizens live. On the occasion of once again considering the issue of transferring the capital of Russia, we recall how this issue was approached in different years.

St. Petersburg

The most frequent candidate for regaining the title of the capital of the country. The city on the Neva was originally built as the capital of the Russian Empire and everything in it is majestic: from buildings to fountains and squares. There was no formal decree according to which St. Petersburg became the capital. The transfer of the capital began in 1710, when high officials began to move to St. Petersburg, followed by senators. In 1712, the royal court settled in St. Petersburg. Despite the reverse transfer of the capital in 1728, after its transfer to St. Petersburg in 1730, it remained the capital until 1918. It should be noted that talks about St. Petersburg becoming the official capital again began to rise after being elected president Vladimir Putin.

The first to start talking about the transfer of part of the capital's functions to St. Petersburg was the speaker of the State Duma Gennady Seleznev. In his opinion, there are not enough premises in Moscow for the fruitful activity of people's deputies, and Mayor Yuri Luzhkov does not want to allocate land for the construction of a modern parliamentary complex. In St. Petersburg, the legislators could easily accommodate themselves in their "native land" - the Taurida Palace, in which the first Russian Dumas. In 2000, the then Ambassador to Belarus also addressed this issue. Pavel Borodin.

In January 2002, another attempt was made to raise the topic - Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov announced that he would soon submit to the State Duma a bill on transferring part of the capital's functions to the city. The project was prepared by Mironov himself and St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev. In February 2003 - the third call. Valentina Matvienko, then Deputy Prime Minister, announced that she was in favor of transferring part of the capital's functions to St. Petersburg. However, the matter did not come to concrete proposals.

Novosibirsk

The capital of Siberia is another discussed version of the country's capital. For its transfer to Siberia were Sergei Shoigu when he was the governor of the Moscow region and businessman Oleg Deripaska, whose main production assets are located beyond the Urals.

“In general, in a good way, many people talk about it. I’m probably one of them. I think that the capital should be moved further away, to Siberia. I think so,” Sergei Shoigu said then.

In addition, in different years, Vladimir Zhirinovsky proposed to make Novosibirsk the capital of the country, Eduard Limonov and other public figures.

Then the experts agreed that the strengths of this idea are that neighboring regions will receive an impetus for development, there will be some renewal of power structures in the process of moving. There were also many potential downsides. First of all, these are the costs of moving, which will cost hundreds of billions of rubles. In addition, in the process of moving, it will be difficult for the authorities to work. Muscovites are also worried about the prospects of their city, which is now imprisoned for metropolitan functions and will not be able to exist without them.

By the way, Novosibirsk is the third largest city in the country. It is curious that at the peak of conversations and rumors on this topic, the then governor of the Novosibirsk region, Vasily Yurchenko, called it inappropriate to transfer the capital of Russia beyond the Urals and, in particular, to Novosibirsk - in his opinion, this idea is an unrealizable project.

Magadan

Magadan could be Russia's ideal "first city", says LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky. A few years ago, he said that the transfer of the capital from Moscow to the Far East would increase Russia's influence in Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia and Australia. At the same time, Zhirinovsky admitted that he was not at all afraid of the potential estrangement of the new capital from Europe. According to him, Europe is aging and by the middle of the 21st century it will become a "museum", so there is no need to worry about this. At the same time, most of those who advocate the transfer of the capital doubt that the idea will be supported by Moscow officials. In addition, such a large-scale project will require enormous costs.

Krasnoyarsk

After the speech Vladimir Putin At the tenth forum "Seliger" in 2014, a topic appeared about the possible relocation of the entire political elite of the country to Krasnoyarsk. The President's statement caused a heated discussion among the deputies. Later, this issue was approached several more times, but in this case everything remained at the level of proposals, even if they were said by the president of the country. However, Krasnoyarsk has everything to become one of the centers of the country in the coming years. In terms of economy, this city is one of the leaders in Siberia, and in 2019 the Winter Universiade will be held there, which will help attract additional investment to the city.

Sevastopol

Last year, on the anniversary of the referendum on the reunification of Crimea with Russia, Yevgeny Tunik, chairman of the board of directors of the Institute for Political Infrastructure Analysis, proposed moving the capital to Sevastopol. He sent a corresponding appeal to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. However, such a decision is hardly reasonable, given the attitude to the status of the peninsula in the West.

Yekaterinburg

Another option that appears as possible candidates. So the other day, a member of the supreme council of "United Russia" Dmitry Orlov called Yekaterinburg the best option for transferring the capital from Moscow. According to Orlov, Moscow is far from the geographical center of Russia, and its development leads to hypertrophy of the Moscow agglomeration. By the way, the capital of the Urals is the fourth largest city in the country and one of the fastest growing and modern.