Enlightened Metropolis: Constructing Imperial Moscow, 1762–1855. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. 344 pp.) I. Vladimirsky This book is a part of a project on Russian political and intellectual history during the long 18th century. <...> The book is rich of historical sources and materials from TsIAM (Central Historical Archive of Moscow)' journals and newspapers concerning that period such as Moskovskie Vedomosti (The Moscow Herald), Russkii Arkhiv (The Russian Archive), Russkii Vestnik (The Russian Messenger), Russkaya Starina (Old Times in Russia), Izvestiia Moskovskoi Gorodskoi Dumy (Reports of the Moscow City Duma) and others. <...> The beginning of Moscow as an enlightened Metropolis can be found during the extended visit to Moscow by the Empress Elizabeth in December 1752. <...> As a result of this long visit, which lasted about half a year, it was decided to turn Moscow into a refined European city (pp. 2–6). <...> The book is organized in thematically rather in chronological order around central processes or events that turned Moscow into stolitsa (metropolis). <...> The first chapter "The Enlightened Metropolis and the Imperial Social Project" deals with the philosophical conception of the enlightenment. <...> Enlightened Metropolis: Constructing Imperial Moscow… commercial life that located close to the estates of the Russian nobility and far from foreign threats (pp. 11–13). <...> Catherine repeatedly criticized Moscow for poor city infrastructure, total ignorance of the city dwellers and their barbaric behavior (pp. 17–18). <...> The other problem which seems unimportant to modern person is the feeling of discomfort caused by the daily cycle of light and dark (pp. 51–56). <...> To light the houses,dwellers usually used luchina (rush-light) or candles. <...> The additional element of night life was the presence of military patrols to keep the city dwellers safe. <...> City maps should be prepared by professional geodesists according the Western examples. <...> Visual images of Moscow mostly pictured genre scenes, examples of Moscow architecture and symbols of monarchy and religion (court ceremonies, triumphal arches, fireworks, churches and monasteries) (pp. 88–91). <...> In the fifth chapter a special attention of the author deserves the city population (aristocracy, lesser nobles, clergy and merchants). <...> Moscow provided a rich variety <...>