Why Moscow's Streets are so Broad
A visitor to Moscow might wonder how streets that are wider than almost any in newer cities in the US happen to be get that way, especially since they are bounded often by buildings that are a hundred or more years old.
The answer is that before World War II they moved the buildings. (Tip of the hat to Matt Scholz.)
How is that possible; I mean politically? Well, it probably helps if you start with a dictatorship...!
Whoa! Did they really do that? Seems hard to believe, but on the other hand - comrade Stalin was capable of even tougher measures!