Moscow, January 5 – On this day 295 years ago, Moscow saw the debut of its first streetlights. In 1730, the Senate of the Russian Empire issued a decree mandating the production of glass lanterns to illuminate the city during the winter months.
The initial installation included 520 oil lamps, funded by the state treasury. However, residents were responsible for lighting and maintaining them. The lamps operated from September 1 to May 1, up to 18 times a month, only on nights when the moon did not shine.
By the late 18th century, street lighting in Moscow had significantly improved, with 6,500 lighting poles installed across the city. The first electric lanterns appeared in 1880, while full illumination for homes came 30 years later with the opening of the city’s first central power plant on the Raushskaya Embankment.