History of Moscow

The history of Moscow traces the city’s growth from a medieval settlement into Russia’s capital and largest city, shaped by political power, conquest, trade, and urban expansion.

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Yuri Dolgorukiy: A prince of Rostov-Suzdal associated with Moscow’s first recorded mention in 1147. His meeting at Moscow in 1147 anchors the city’s earliest written history.
Mongol invasion of Rus’: The thirteenth-century Mongol conquest that devastated many Rus’ principalities and established the Golden Horde’s dominance. Moscow’s princes gained influence within the political order created by Mongol rule.
Grand Duchy of Moscow: A late medieval and early modern state centered on Moscow that expanded across northeastern Rus’. Its expansion made Moscow the nucleus of a growing Russian polity.
Fire of Moscow (1812): A major fire that destroyed much of Moscow during the French occupation in September 1812. The destruction prompted extensive rebuilding and became inseparable from the invasion’s legacy.
Moscow Kremlin: A fortified complex at the center of Moscow that has served as a seat of Russian power. Its early fortifications gave the settlement a defensible political center.
Battle of Kulikovo: A 1380 battle in which forces led by Dmitry Donskoy defeated a Golden Horde army. The victory enhanced Moscow’s prestige, though Horde dominance did not end immediately.
Russian Empire: A state ruled by Russian emperors from 1721 until the 1917 revolution. Moscow remained a major imperial city after the court moved to St. Petersburg.
Moscow in the Russian Civil War: The political and social upheaval in Moscow during Russia’s civil war from 1917 to 1922. The city served as the new Soviet government’s base amid conflict and shortages.
Principality of Moscow: A medieval Russian state that expanded from Moscow and became the core of a unified Russian realm. The principality transformed a regional town into the center of political consolidation.
Time of Troubles: A period of dynastic crisis, famine, and foreign intervention in Russia from 1598 to 1613. Moscow changed hands during the crisis before the Romanov dynasty restored central rule.