Third Rome
Moscow has acquired a number of epithets, most referring to its size and preeminent status within the nation: The "Third Rome" (), the "Whitestone One" (), the "First Throne" (), the "Forty Soroks" () ("sorok" meaning both "forty, a great many" and "a district or parish" in Old Russian). Moscow is also one of the twelve Hero Cities. The demonym for a Moscow resident is "" ("moskvich") for male or "ка" ("moskvichka") for female, rendered in English as "Muscovite". The name "Moscow" is abbreviated "MSK" ( in Russian).