Europe Square in Moscow is located on the banks of the Moskva River, not far from Kievsky railway station and Kyiv metro station, between Berezhkovskaya embankment, Kievsky railway station and Kievsky (Borodino) square.
Fountain "Abduction of Europe" and Kyiv railway station
The square was founded on the "Day of the City" in September 2001 and solemnly opened on September 15, 2002. The construction of Europe Square became a joint Russian-Belgian project and was a symbol of Russia's desire to expand ties with the European Community. This aspiration is emphasized by the installation of 48 columns crowned with the flags of European countries.
At that time there was euphoria about rapprochement with the West in general and with Europe in particular. However, then "something went wrong", the relationship gradually cooled, and after the "Crimea of ours" escalated into outright enmity.
However, the square has not yet been renamed, although there have already been encroachments.
This is what Europe Square looks like from the Bohdan Khmelnitsky Bridge located nearby, on the left is the European shopping center.
The central object of the square is a fountain with a sculpture of the Belgian sculptor Olivier Strebel "The Rape of Europa". This is the largest of the abstract sculptural structures in Moscow.
The abstract sculpture emphasizes the "Europeanism" of the square. It is now fashionable to put some kind of squiggle there and guess what it is. But in this case, they condescended to Russian humility and gave the sculpture a name.
The plot of the sculpture is taken from ancient Greek mythology and belongs to one of the most popular plots of world art associated with ancient culture. Zeus fell in love with Europe, the daughter of the Phoenician king Agenor, and appeared to the princess and her friends, who were walking on the seashore, in the form of a beautiful bull. The girls had fun playing with the bull, decorating its horns with flower garlands. When Europe decided to sit on the back of a bull, he rushed into the sea and took the princess to the island of Crete, where she became the wife of Zeus, subsequently giving birth to three sons-heroes.
From Wikipedia.
Valentin Serov "The Abduction of Europe"
On this plot, different painters painted darkness-darkness paintings. For comparison, I took a picture of the Russian artist Valentin Serov, not for patriotic reasons, but because the bull's horns on it are long and at least somehow correspond to the sculpture. As for the girl, I could not see at least some likeness of her.
In general, the whole composition reminds me more of a big bird.
In connection with the sharp cooling of relations with Europe, there was a proposal from our ultra-patriots: to rename the square into something patriotic, and to replace the "abstract monster" with the then restless Prince Vladimir. However, the prince seemed to have been "coaxed" and the wave subsided. How long - God knows
On Europe Square - European ease. Ease not in the sense that you can throw cigarette butts and beer cans anywhere, but that you can lie in a public place.
One of the emblems of the European Union on Europe Square. It seems to be against the background of the globe (albeit abstract). On the Soviet coat of arms, the symbol of communism - the hammer and sickle was also depicted against the backdrop of the globe. Interesting parallels.
The building of the Kyiv railway station
The figures on the pediment of the station were originally, but the mosaic George the Victorious appeared already in the newest era, earlier there was the coat of arms of the USSR, also mosaic
The figures of workers from the Soviet era were still preserved. Although I would replace them with an official and an oligarch, they can be depicted abstractly, in modern fashion. Each era should have its own symbols.
Four-star hotel and business center "Radisson Slavyanskaya" The Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel and Business Center (Moscow) is located next to Europe Square. The hotel offers first-class facilities, a free fitness center and 3 international restaurants. There are over 20 boutiques and shops on site. The hotel has 8 levels (2 underground and 6 ground), as well as parking for 1200 cars.
Shopping and entertainment center "European" The building of the center was built like Russian shopping malls. Internal wide shopping "streets" radiate from the central atrium "Moscow" to the atriums "Paris", "Rome", "London" and "Berlin", the design of which is made in accordance with the architectural styles of the famous capitals of Europe.
Shopping and office center "Kitezh"
This is an unusual building near the Kievsky railway station, many call it a ship, an iceberg, romantics call it an intergalactic ship from Star Wars, and jokers call it an iron.
Unusualness is given to it by the architecture expanding upwards - such a layout allows you to fit the maximum amount of space in a small building area. And of course, the facade is made of glass and concrete.
The name "Kitezh" moved to the center from the Central Asian market that previously stood at this place.
Pedestrian bridge named after Bohdan Khmelnitsky across the Moscow River Bogdan Khmelnitsky Bridge (Kyiv Pedestrian Bridge) is a steel arched pedestrian bridge across the Moscow River. Connects Berezhkovskaya and Rostovskaya embankments. The arch of the bridge is completely covered with a glass dome. It makes the same unusual impression as the shopping center "Kitezh".
The bridge was commissioned on September 2, 2001. In 2004, it was renamed the Bogdan Khmelnitsky Bridge as a sign of the eternal friendship of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples-brothers :(:(:( .
This is what the bridge looks like inside.
Foreign Europe is considered one of the important regions in politics and the world economy. World civilization was born on this territory, great discoveries were made, urban agglomerations were created, revolutions in industry were carried out. This article will help to study the topic "Square of Foreign Europe" in more detail.
Territory
The area occupied by Foreign Europe is 5.4 million square kilometers (this is without the CIS countries), only 10 million km2. According to 2013 data, 742.5 million people live here. The concept of "Foreign Europe" refers to 40 sovereign states that geographically belong to this continent.
The borders of Foreign Europe stretched from north to south for about 5 thousand kilometers, the extreme points are the island of Svalbard and the island of Crete. From west to east, the distance is more than 3 thousand kilometers.
In the twentieth century, the political map of the region underwent repeated changes. There are several reasons for this:
- division of territory during the First and Second World Wars;
- unification of the FRG and the GDR;
- disintegration of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the USSR.
The demarcation line between Europe and Asia also changed. Back in 1720, V. N. Tatishchev proposed establishing a border in the east along the ridge of the Ural Mountains, along the Yaik (Ural) River to the mouth that flows into the Caspian Sea. This division has become common.
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With whom Europe borders can be seen on the map. In modern geography, the boundary lies:
– north - across the Arctic Ocean;
– west - across the Atlantic Ocean;
– south - these are the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black Seas;
– East - the eastern foot of the Ural Mountains, through the Mugodzhary Mountains, along the Emba River to the Caspian Sea, further along the Kuma, Manych Rivers to the mouth of the Don River.
Fig.1. European borders
Geographical position
Europe is located in the Northern Hemisphere, in the western part of the Eurasian continent. The relief is dominated by plains. The largest are the East European, Central European, Middle and Lower Danube plains, as well as the Paris basin.
The European mountains are mostly medium in size and make up 17% of the territory. The main ones are the Alps, Carpathians, Pyrenees, Apennines, Caucasian, Ural, Crimean and Scandinavian mountains.
Fig.2. Physical map of the continent
Most of the countries have a coastal position. The coastline is too indented. Distance from the sea, on average, is 300 km. European countries are close to each other. Basically, the borders do not run along natural boundaries, or there is a small distance that is not reflected in transport links. Such a neighborly location favorably affects the integration processes.
Integration led to the creation of the European Economic Area, among the 19 states that are members of the EEC. Free movement of goods, capital, services, people has been established within its boundaries, and a unified monetary system has been created. All this has a positive effect on the development of the economies of countries.
The continent is favorably located in relation to other world regions, such as Africa, Asia. This makes it possible to establish transport links and trade. The wealth of natural resources provides the prerequisites for the development of industries and the economy.
Political map of Europe
The largest countries of Foreign Europe in terms of area are France, Spain, Germany and Scandinavian countries.
Most countries are sovereign states. It consists of 34 republics and 14 monarchies.
Fig.3. Political map of Europe
The oldest republic in Europe is San Marino, which has existed since the 13th century. The confederation of Switzerland appeared at the end of the 13th century.
In terms of population, France, Germany, Italy, and Great Britain are considered the largest. The G7 countries include Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy. The country with a more developed economy is Germany.
What have we learned?
Europe, despite its small size, in comparison with other continents, has the maximum cultural diversity. Due to its favorable location here, in a small area, there are densely populated states, most of which have a high level of economic development.
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The area of Europe is measured in many ways. It can be geographical and political approach.
Borders
This is an important point for determining the area. There are several points of view on where the border between Europe and Asia lies. The area of \u200b\u200beach part of the world also depends on this. This is due to the fact that they are not separated by seas or other water areas, on the basis of which such large regions are usually divided. If in America the border is easy to draw along the narrow Isthmus of Panama, and Africa is separated from Asia by the Suez Canal, then in the case of Europe and Asia it is not so easy to do.
Most often, the formal division takes place along the Ural Mountains, the river of the same name, as well as along the coast of the Caspian Sea. The borders in the Caucasus are even more diverse, so most often they use the formal border between Russia and the Transcaucasian republics. The strait separating the Black Sea and the Mediterranean (and also the Marmara) is a geographical boundary between the two parts of the world. Therefore, Turkey, which is located not only in Asia, but also in the European province of Thrace, often refers to both the countries of the West and the countries of the East. Here you can also add Russia and Kazakhstan, part of whose territory is located in the Old World. There are many symbols that are located on an imaginary border, for example, there are such in different Ural cities: obelisks, steles and signs.
The largest and smallest countries
The area of Europe consists of many states. Of course, Russia is the largest. Of the 17 million square meters. km² 3,783 thous. km² are located precisely in the Old World, that is, to the west of the Ural Mountains. The countries of Europe do not differ much in area from each other, and usually fluctuate in insignificant numbers. Of the countries that are entirely in Europe, the largest is Ukraine, followed by France, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Kazakhstan (just west of the Ural River), Germany, Finland and Poland. Interestingly, the Scandinavian countries are among the largest in Europe, but their population is much smaller than those states located further south. Of course, this is due to natural and climatic conditions.
Another category of states are dwarfs, existing for historical and regional reasons. These are the Vatican, San Marino, Andorra, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. Such is Europe. The total area of \u200b\u200b"dwarfs" is not even a percentage of large states.
Records
The area of Europe in km is 10 million square meters. km². It is divided into several parts. The largest of them is Eastern (4 million 593 thousand sq. km²). These are the European part of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The largest peninsula is the Iberian (800 thousand sq. km²). This is the western tip of the mainland, here is Spain and Portugal. Europe is located not only on the mainland. The largest island is Great Britain (229 thousand sq. km²).
Climatic features
The Europa area can be divided into several climatic and geographic regions. This is the arctic tundra in the north of Scandinavia and the islands of the Arctic Ocean. To the south, it gives way to taiga, mixed, broad-leaved forests, forest-steppes and steppes. Subtropics and semi-deserts are located on the outskirts, for example, in the interfluve of the Volga and the Urals in Kazakhstan. Sometimes some regions of the Iberian Peninsula and Kalmykia are referred to this geographical type. Most often, desertification occurred due to excessive human activities.
Regions
Europe Square is divided into several cultural and religious parts. The Balkans are located in the southeast and belong to the peninsula and mountains of the same name. One of the greatest civilizations of antiquity was born here. Ancient Greece was the birthplace of many achievements of mankind in science and culture. In general, the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea is most adapted to human life. The coastline is significantly indented. Roman civilization was born on the Apennine Peninsula. Now Italians live there, and the world center of Catholicism is located. The Perinean Peninsula became the abode of the Spaniards and the Portuguese. In the Middle Ages, these lands were under the control of Muslims - Arabs and Berbers. Because of this, a unique culture and ethnic group was born there.
Western Europe also includes France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, the Benelux countries, as well as the Alpine states - Austria and Switzerland. There is a high standard of living and rich infrastructure. To the east of them are the Slavic countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. Southern Slavs live in the Balkans. The Baltic Sea cuts deep into mainland Europe in the north. In addition to those listed, the Baltic countries adjoin it: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Scandinavian peninsula to the north of this sea is the location of Norway, Sweden and Finland. In a cultural and national sense, they include Denmark - a small monarchy north of Germany.
Europe is a part of the world that is part of the Eurasian continent. There are 54 states on its territory, most of which have a relatively small area. This part of the world consists not only of continental countries, but also of islands. About a quarter of its territory falls on the peninsulas, including the Balkan, Scandinavian, Kola, Apennine and others.
In order to correctly determine the area of Europe, it must be taken into account that the border between Europe and Asia runs along the Caucasus Range, although this division is conditional. Despite the fact that it is difficult to territorially attribute Armenia and Azerbaijan to this part of the world, they are still included in it due to political, moral and ethical considerations.
Total area of Europe
If we take into account all the territories that today belong to Europe, then its area is 10,180,000 km², of which 720 thousand km² are islands. The largest state is Russia, although it is partly located in Asia. The second and third countries in terms of area are Ukraine and France, respectively, with a difference of 30 thousand km². It should be noted that the current political situation between Russia and Ukraine may lead to the fact that the territory of the Crimean peninsula will pass to the former. In this case, the area of France and Ukraine will become almost the same, with a difference of only 3 thousand km², although this will not affect the area of Europe in any way.
Political division
Conventionally, the area is divided into three parts: Eastern, Western and Central. Previously, it was exclusively political in nature, now geographical location is also taken into account.
Which include Austria, Great Britain, Germany, France and Switzerland. The Eastern part includes such states as Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Ukraine and others. The states of Central Europe play a very important role in the political arena, and they include Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, and Slovakia.
historical state
Previously, such sovereign states as Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro were the territory of one country - Yugoslavia, which collapsed in 2006. Before its dissolution, Yugoslavia was one of the largest countries in Europe, and its territory was 255 thousand km².
dwarf states
In this part of the world there are also a number of dwarf states, which, although small in area, play important roles in political relations.
The smallest of these countries and at the same time the most influential is the Vatican. This city-state is an Italian enclave located in Rome. Although the independence of the Vatican is supported by all of Europe, the area of \u200b\u200bthis state is only 0.44 km². Other dwarf countries in this part of the world include San Marino, Monaco, Malta, Liechtenstein and Andorra.
Summing up, it should be noted that the area of Europe was constantly changing due to events that affected the political picture of the world. However, it has always remained one of the largest and most important parts of the world.
Europe Square - a rather young square on the map of Moscow, which, nevertheless, has become one of the most popular public spaces.
The square was erected in 2001-2002 as part of a Russian-Belgian project as a symbol of European unity. The central part of the square has a round shape and is limited by undulating granite structures, from the inside of which, as if in an amphitheater, step-like platforms descend to the center. Inside is a huge Fountain "The Abduction of Europe" with the abstract sculpture of the same name in the middle of the bowl, and outside the granite circle there are 48 columns with flags of European states.
Fountain "Abduction of Europe"
The area was built according to the project of the chief architect of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yuri Platonov, however, the sculpture in the fountain set the tone for the project.
"Abduction of Europe" - gift of Belgium to Moscow, the work of a Belgian sculptor Olivier Strebel, depicting a mythical plot: the abduction by Zeus, who turned into a bull, of Europa, the daughter of the Greek king Agenor. Strebel decided to convey this story with the help of delicately intertwined metal pipes: in them he symbolically depicted the head of a giant bull and a woman in his horns. The height of the sculpture is 11 meters - this is the largest abstract sculpture in Moscow.
It was decided to install the sculpture before , however, the space of the square turned out to be too large for a relatively small object, and around the "Rape of Europe" they decided to break up a whole architectural ensemble, and place the sculpture itself in a huge fountain. The fountain, which adopted the name "The Abduction of Europe", is made in the form of 5 bowls, located one inside the other and descending down from the sculpture in a cascade. The outer diameter of the fountain bowl is 50 meters, the jets break out of 354 nozzles. To illuminate the composition, 1050 universal lamps and another 850 LEDs are used, which provide dynamic illumination of water, jets and splashes. Thus, the fountain on Europe Square is the largest hydraulic structure with dynamic LED lighting in the world.
Today Europe Square, despite its small scale on the map of Moscow, it has become one of the most popular public spaces in the city.
Close to , The Moskva River and the square with the fountain attract the most diverse audience: Muscovites and tourists visiting the city are happy to stop to rest on the stepped platforms and look at the large fountain with sculpture.
You can get to Europe Square on foot from the metro station "Kyiv" Ring, Filevskaya and Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya lines.
