Moscow Milliarium Aureum

The creation of the Zero kilometer or as it was called in the ancient Rome «Milliarium Aureum» (Gold Millstone), in those cities where it is installed, often has a purely symbolic value, because from the point of view of such applied science as geodesy, rather thin and troublesome. And the use as a reference point of any metal sign mounted in the central city square or a marble column, as is the case with the «Milliarium Aureum» in Rome, is unlikely to show the necessary accuracy of measurement and orientation on the sides of the Light.

However, traditions remain traditions and «zero kilometers» remain the same as our ancestors did, and we just have to respect the past and history, becoming both feet on the same center of Paris and trying to make some secret wish and hope that it will come true. Our national architects did not depart from this tradition by constructing the traditional similarity of the «Nil kilometer» in the form of a bronze circle on one of Moscow’s busy, pedestrian crossings in the Voskresensky Gate passage, which connects Red Square with Manezhnaya.

Although here our designers from architecture also cheated a little and instead of scientifically grounded zero kilometer in the square in front of the Central Telegraph building, at the strange whim of the powers that be, moved to the place we mentioned above. It should be noted that this is not the most exotic place of the capital, where this historical monument could be located.

In particular, it could be installed directly on Red Square, in the middle of the conditional line stretched between the Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin and the middle of the building of the State Universal Store, better known among the people as GUM. So, what will we have in Moscow, welcome, travel Voskresensky Gate, and there you will decide.

And do not forget to remember the good words of the People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Alexander Rukavishnikov, because it was in his sketch «Zero kilometer» Russia took its place of honor back in 1995.