RIA Novosti presents its own ratings of the most important events in Moscow during the year closing to the end

Russian News Agency Novosti presents the most important events, according to its analysts, that occurred in Moscow in the passing year:

1. Hostage taking drama on Dubrovka.

2. Public riots on Manyezhnaya square during the TV broadcast of the soccer match between Russian and Japanese national teams in the World Cup.

3. Moscow metro got two more stations - after 19 years of being out of service, Vorobyevy Gory station became operational again and Bulvar Dmitriya Donskogo station became the first outside the Circular Highway.

4. New sections of the third circular throughway became operational. All sections of the 34-km "circle" will be connected by the year 2003.

5. Forest and peat fires around Moscow. They not only spoiled the summer vacation season of many Muscovites and visitors to Moscow region, but also forced many pharmacies to search desperately for supplies of gas masks.

6. The first Russian high-speed railway - Paveletsky railway station-Domodedovo airport -- has become operational. Nowadays, it takes passengers only 40 minutes to travel one way.

7. The Bolshoi Theatre has got a new stage. A new concert hall, accommodating almost a thousand viewers, has been opened in the adjacent building. It has modern acoustic equipment and mechanically elevated orchestra pit.

8. The authorities started a campaign aimed at eliminating the so-called flea markets located on the premises of sports facilities.

9. The most daring crime in the capital: the assassination of Magadan region's governor Valentin Tsvetkov on Novy Arbat downtown Moscow in broad daylight. The investigators suspect that the reason for the assassination could have been internal power elite conflicts connected with the gold mining industry and fishing industry in the region.

10. The second assassination attempt on the Moscow government deputy mayor Iosif Ordzhonikidze, who is responsible for managing the hotel and gambling industry. He was not harmed this time. In December of 2000, the official was seriously wounded during the first assassination attempt.