Moscow Time

Moscow Time (MSK) is UTC+3 and serves as the reference timezone for Russia, the world's largest country by area, which spans 11 time zones from UTC+2 (Kaliningrad) to UTC+12 (Kamchatka). Russia has had a turbulent timezone history: in 2011, President Medvedev eliminated DST and reduced the number of time zones from 11 to 9; in 2014, President Putin reversed the change, restoring the 11 time zones and permanently keeping the country on winter time. Moscow, the capital, is Europe's largest city with over 13 million residents and is the political, economic, and cultural center of Russia. The Moscow Exchange (MOEX) operates on MSK. Russia's railway system, one of the world's largest, historically used Moscow Time throughout the entire network regardless of local time — a practice gradually being phased out. Moscow Time is also the reference for Russia's space program, with mission control at Korolev operating on MSK. The timezone is shared with Turkey, the East African coast, and several Middle Eastern countries, positioning Moscow in a band from the Arabian Peninsula to the Barents Sea.