Moscow

Moscow is the biggest and the most beautiful city of Russia - first mentioned in «Ipatiev's chronicle» in 1147. At that time it was a little village surrounded by a wooden wall inside Suzdal principality.

After Moscow became the capital of Moscow principality it was burnt down in 1238 by the Tatars. However, at the same time, also due to Tatars, Moscow rose above the other towns of Rus. King Ivan Kalita gained permission to rule from Golden Orda. More than this - he also received permission to collect taxes from other principalities for the Tatars.

During king Dmitry Donskoy's reign the city gained an even stronger position. In 1367 the white Kremlin was built - the strongest fortress in the region. Finally Moscow became the capital of Rus when Dmitry conquered the Tatars in the battle of Kulikovo in 1380.

The power of Russian Kingdom continued to increase: in the 16th century during Ivan the Terrible's reign its borders reached Baltic Sea in the North and Kaspian Sea in the South, from Smolensk in the West to Kazan in the East. After Ivan's death in 1610 Moscow was occupied by Polish armies. In spite of quick emancipation by the people's volunteer corps, led by Dmitry Pozharsky, the city was badly damaged.

In 1712 the capital of the Russian Empire was moved to Saint Petersburg, but Moscow still remained the most important city of the country. Burned again in 1812 by Napoleon's armies, Moscow rose from the ashes and was rebuilt.

The Soviet epoch, after the October Revolution, began with the restoration Moscow as the capital in 1918. In spite of a lag in cultural development the city developed as the biggest industrial center in Russia.

After the breakup of USSR in 1990 Moscow remained as the capital of Russia. Since that authorities restored many monuments, which were destroyed in the Soviet times. In 1990 the Kremlin building in Moscow became listed as an object of cultural heritage by UNESCO. Every year Moscow becomes more and more beautiful and tidy.

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