Moscow is Russia’s capital and largest city. It is located in Central Russia on the Moskva River. The city has a population of 12.4 million within its limits. Over 17 million people live in the urban area, and more than 20 million in the metropolitan area. The city has a surface of 2,511 km (970 sq mi), while its urban area covers 5,891 km (2,275 sq mi), and the metro area covers more than 26,000 km (10,000 sq mi).

Moscow is considered the home of some of the world’s most populated cities. It is the European continent’s most populous and largest city.

Saint Petersburg is Russia’s second-largest urban area. It lies at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, on the Baltic Sea. It is home to approximately 5.4 million people. Saint Petersburg is Europe’s fourth-largest city and the Baltic Sea’s fifth-most populous. It is also the northernmost city globally, with over 1 million residents. It is Russia’s Imperial Capital and a historically important port. A federal government governs it.

Yekaterinburg is Russia’s largest city and administrative center for Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Ural Federal District.

The city lies between Siberia and the Volga–Ural region. It has a population of approximately 1.5 million but up to 2.2 million in the urban agglomeration. Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest, is also the Ural Federal District’s largest city. It is also one of Russia’s major cultural and industrial centers. Yekaterinburg is known as the “Third Capital of Russia” because it ranks third in size, culture, and transportation.

Novosibirsk Oblast’s largest city is also the administrative center for the Siberian Federal District. With a population of 1,612,833, it is the largest city in Siberia and the third in Russia. It is located on the banks of the Ob River in southwestern Siberia.

Kazan, Russia’s capital and largest city, is home to the Republic of Tatarstan. It is located between the Volga River and the Kazanka Rivers. The city covers an area of 425.3 km (164.2 miles) with more than 1.2 million people. There are also approximately 1.6 million inhabitants in the urban agglomeration. Kazan is Russia’s fifth-largest city and the Volga Federal District’s most populous.