Over the past weekend (September 9), Russia held a grand celebration to mark the 870th anniversary of the founding of Moscow. Numerous events will be held in various parts of Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin, who attended the charity concert held on the occasion of this celebration at Red Square, spoke about this celebration, as well as the construction and renovation of various parts of the city to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Moscow.
Currently, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and one of the largest capitals in Europe with a population of 12 million. But to get to this point, Moscow has experienced many good and bad events.
Let's take a trip back in time and get to know Moscow, the former capital and current capital of Russia.
“Come to me, Brother, to Moscow”
It is a letter written by Prince Yuri Dolgorukiy to Prince Sviatoslav Olgovich, a relative and ally, in 1147, which is the first recorded mention of the city of Moscow.
Later in 1156 Prince Yuri built a wooden fortress at the site of today's Kremlin Palace, thus making him the founder of Moscow. Although in reality, some people had already been living in this area, Moscow at that time was still just a small town. Before it was later developed into an important commercial city.
In the time of Dmitry Donskoi, white limestone was used to build the walls; as a result, Moscow was once nicknamed the "White City" (Belokamennaya).
Time has passed; the white limestone has begun to crack. During the reign of Tsar Ivan III, the Kremlin was renovated again, with an Italian architect in charge of the construction. This time, red bricks were used to build the walls, the same color that we are familiar with in the Kremlin today.
Until the time of Tsar Ivan IV, the cruel monarch used the name “Tsar” to refer to the word Caesar or Emperor, and presented himself as the successor to the Third Roman Empire. Following the fall of Constantinople, during his reign a church was built in honor of Saint Basil, which is one of the most important symbols of Russia. This temple was built to celebrate the victory over the Khan of Kazan and to expand its territory to the east.
In the 17th century, during the turbulent times, Moscow was occupied by the Poles until Kuzma Minin and Timur Pozarski gathered the forces to liberate the city from the Poles. (The monuments of both of them are located in front of the Cathedral of St. Basil). After that, it was the rise to power of Michael Romanov in 1613, which was the beginning of the Romanov dynasty. For over 300 years in Russian rule
King Peter the Great moved the capital to Saint Petersburg in 1712.
In 1812, after months of fighting, Napoleon's French army invaded Moscow. The Russian side intended to leave Moscow and set the city on fire, forcing Napoleon's army to retreat.
St. Petersburg became the capital of Russia until 1918, so Bolshchevik moved the capital back to Moscow again.
The liberal society did not want religion; many churches were destroyed, including the Church of Christ the Savior, which was bombed to make way for a large building to be used as a state office. The city was transformed; roads were built and expanded, as well as the transportation system, including the subway, according to the ideas of the Bolsheviks.
During the Second World War, the Nazis invaded the outskirts of Moscow. The Russian Red Army organized a campaign, marching from Red Square into battle, and managed to hold Moscow.
In 1980, Moscow hosted the Olympic Games, and importantly, next year Moscow will also host the 2018 World Cup final match.
Throughout Russia’s long history, there are many intense stories; many individuals have played important roles in history, and knowing the history of the places you visit can greatly enhance the enjoyment of your journey.