EDITOR’S note:

SERGEY Kapkov is head of the Moscow Department of Culture. He visited Shanghai recently to study the city’s urban construction and cultural establishments. Shanghai Daily reporter Li Xinran went to the Bund to hold an exclusive interview with him on topics concerning urban parks, public space and cultural diversity.

Q: Have you been to Shanghai before? What do you think about the city?

A: This is my first time to be here in Shanghai. I’ve been to Beijing, Hong Kong and Harbin and heard of Shanghai many times.

I was shocked by what happens in China’s urbanization. Although the cities I’ve been to are very large, I didn’t feel they were overcrowded. Chinese planners did a good job.

Shanghai develops rapidly.

From this window I can see old town in Puxi and the city’s new skyline in Pudong’s Lujiazui. The Huangpu River beneath is so beautiful.

For us, the Moscow River flows through central Moscow. But Shanghai does it better as far as construction along the major city river is concerned.

The Moscow government is making efforts to renovate facilities along the Moscow River. After that, streets along both riversides will also be part of our city’s best views.

Q: Shanghai and Moscow are both large cities. Does Moscow have any better solution to relieve traffic jams?

A: I was told that Shanghai has more than 300 metro stations and nearly 600 kilometers of metro lines by the end of last year.

In Moscow, around 85 percent of local residents take the metro frequently. We set up gardens and plant trees to improve the environment around metro stations.

We encourage citizens to take metro trains rather than drive their own cars to make our transport more eco-friendly. It is our mission, and the Moscow metro offers our people comfortable and quick service.

To cope with traffic jams, Moscow also has decentralized its core areas by introducing more people to business centers in the suburbs. We also built parking lots in downtown areas and widened our streets.

Q: Moscow is well known for its “Green Belt,” which surrounds the beautiful city, as well as the abundant wild animals. What’s your magic formula to co-exist with nature harmoniously?

A: Moscow is a city surrounded by forests, which is different from here, but Shanghai also has a lot of trees in parks or along streets. I think Shanghai did a better job in its downtown area, compared with Moscow’s.

The Moscow government pays attention to greenery development and stipulates strict rules to ensure enough green space with the construction of each new building. We’ll have 1 million trees by 2018. Moscow has a variety of wildlife species. We also have many natural reserves to protect wild animals and their homes.

Q: Moscow is a city that is proud of its history. Do you have any tips for old town renovation?

A: Contractors who renovate old towns are required to plant trees and build infrastructure facilities, but they are entitled to use the properties at low rent after the construction is done.

Most of the historic buildings in Moscow have private owners. Some of the buildings belong to units and some others are owned by individuals. They are responsible for wall painting, illuminating, repairs and renovation.

Moscow was once home to many celebrities and great people.

Their former residences are now the Moscow Department of Culture’s property. They are on Moscow government’s expenditure and protected by the city government.

Q: Housing prices in Moscow are among the highest worldwide. Does the city government have any policy to support young entrepreneurs?

A: Housing is always not easy in big cities around the world. Like elsewhere, living space is very small and expensive in Moscow.

Young people who start their careers in Moscow have to work hard to afford their living cost. We don’t have preferential policies for them. They have to live on their own, but fortune always appreciates a hard-working man.

Q: Like many other large cities, Moscow is home to millions of out-of-towners. What is Moscow’s attitude toward its multicultural population?

A: Moscow has 2 million migrants. They are from different places, belong to different ethnic groups and have different cultures.

We respect their values, customs, traditions and festivals. But everyone in Moscow has to abide by the city’s rules. Our government agencies and law-enforcement officials will ensure its fulfillment.

Q: As we all know, Moscow is very cold and snow days can number as many as 150 or even more per year. What does Moscow’s government do to cope with the extreme weather conditions?

A: We’d like to turn Moscow’s extreme cold weather into one of our advantages. We’d like to meet more travelers in winter.

We’ll hold all sorts of outdoor activities and build more amusement facilities. Moscow has built 124 cableways in the past two years.

People may enjoy skiing and other outdoor activities as well as exhibitions to warm up in the long, cold winter.

Q: Shanghai was once home to many Russian emigres. Orthodox churches and Pushkin’s bronze statue are among the city’s cultural heritage. What do you think of Russia’s influence on the city?

A: Russian emigres were part of Shanghai’s history. I found such a phenomenon was very rare in many other countries, even in Europe. Shanghai is one of China’s most important business centers.

Nowadays Russian businessmen can fly to Shanghai easily. It is unnecessary for them to settle down here.

So the city’s Russian community has become part of the history.

But Shanghai itself is quite amazing. The city and its people are good at learning from abroad and willing to absorb different cultural elements when they preserve Chinese culture and traditions.

I was told most Shanghai housewives have their own borscht recipes, while Russian authors’ works like Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” were once very popular here.

On the other hand, Shanghai’s spirit deserves our study.

Beneath the window is the magnificent view of different European architectures on the Bund while Shanghai’s Laochengxiang, or Old Town, and the City God Temple are next to the southern part of the Bund, each shining more brilliantly in the other’s company. That’s why we must learn from Shanghai.