Nikita Khrushchev launched anti-religious campaign throughout the Russia. Out of 20 thousand churches, over 10 thousand were closed by 1964 (mostly in rural areas) and many were demolished. There were fifty churches operating in Moscow in 1959, but thirty of them were closed and six were demolished.
Moscow was awarded the Hero City title on May 8, 1965, on the 20th anniversary of the victory in World War II. In 1961, the MKAD (ring road) was opened. It ran along the city’s borders for 109 km (68 miles). Moscow’s administrative boundaries were marked by the MKAD until the 1980s, when outlying suburbs beyond the ring road were included.
Here are some stunning vintage photos that show Moscow in 1965.
