well, finally, for crying out loud: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has announced the possibility of expanding Moscow’s current boundaries and creating a separate "capital federal district," Interfax reports. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, he said that such a measure could help create a financial center and "make life easier for a huge number of people." Medvedev also added that the creation of such a federal district should be accompanied by moving a significant share of federal-level government institutions outside Moscow. www.lenta.ru/news/2011/06/17/capital/ Now that’s an excellent initiative, worthy of the country’s president. Not like that fake nonsense with "Skolkovo" (Russia’s state-backed innovation hub) and the like. I strongly support it. It’s depressing, of course, to hear the hedging: As follows from the president’s words, this initiative is not a direct order. "This issue may be considered," Medvedev said. They’re basically hinting: as usual, nothing will come of it. They need to be bolder, much bolder. Let me add a bit of Manilovism (idle utopian daydreaming) too: Even better would be to openly announce the construction of a new capital: a small, modern, comfortable city some 200 to 300 kilometers (about 125 to 185 miles) from Moscow. Politically and economically, it’s an excellent idea. It has everything: whimsy, grandeur, and a metaphysical hint. Update: I found my old post (February 2008) about building a new capital. A Job for Putin. By and large, it’s still relevant now.