Moscow Time
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
blue | Western European Time (UTC+0) Western European Summer Time (UTC+1) |
red | Central European Time (UTC+1) Central European Summer Time (UTC+2) |
yellow | Eastern European Time (UTC+2) Eastern European Summer Time (UTC+3) |
green | Moscow Time (UTC+3) Moscow Summer Time (UTC+4) |
Moscow Time (Russian: Моско́вское вре́мя) is the time zone for the city of Moscow, Russia and most of western Russia, including Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is one of the time zones of Russia. In accordance with the 16 June 1930 Decree of the Council of People's Commissars, the Decree Time was introduced by adding one hour to the time in each time zone of the USSR, so that Moscow Time became three hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time.
Moscow Time is in use for scheduling trains, airplanes, ships, etc. throughout the Russian Federation, this time is registered in telegrams, etc. Times in Russia are often announced throughout the country on radio stations as Moscow Time.
Moscow Standard Time (MSK) is 3 hours ahead of UTC, or UTC+3.
Moscow Summer Time (MSD) is an additional hour ahead of Moscow Standard Time, making it UTC+4.
[edit] Usage
Moscow Time
The section of European Russia (the portion of Russia west of the Ural Mountains), which contains the city of Moscow, use Moscow Time during the winter only, between the last Sunday of October and the last Sunday of March. In Kaliningrad Oblast EET = UTC+2 is used. Samara Oblast, Ulyanovsk Oblast, and Udmurtia use Samara Time (UTC+4) instead of Moscow Time.
In Samara Time Zone with Samara Oblast, Ulyanovsk Oblast and Udmurtia UTC+4 is used.
In the past Moscow Time was used in the former European parts of the USSR:
- Belarus, in 1930-1991
- Estonia, in 1940-1989
- Latvia, in 1940-1989
- Lithuania, in 1940-1989
- Moldova, in 1940-1991
- Ukraine, in 1930-1990
- Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia), in 1946-1991
- Moscow (Russia),1930
- Samara Oblast (Russia), in 1989-1991
In 1922-30 and 1991-92 EET was used in Moscow.
Moscow Summer Time
Much like the rest of the world, during the summer, Moscow Time shifts an hour forward to become UTC+4.
Since 1981 it has been used in the European section of former USSR:
- until 1988 in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
- until 1989 in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine
- until 1990 in Kaliningrad Oblast.
Moscow Summer Time was used briefly in Samara Oblast between 1989 and 1990.
Just as the city of Moscow used EET in 1991-1992, it used EEST in the summer of 1991. By the summer of 1992, the city and the region reverted back to Moscow Time.