The history of ancient Russia is a very interesting period from the point of view of both a professionally interested person and an amateur. It is then that various kinds of socio-economic, socio-political processes are born, formed and developed. There are numerous cities that have survived to this day. The first mention of Moscow dates back to this era.
A bit of ancient history
If you make a brief excursion into the distant past of our country, you can find out that human settlements have already been here since the second millennium BC. Of course, these were very primitive sites, but this is where it all begins. The active migration processes that were going on at that time made it possible to find and settle in the most convenient places for this, one of them is the East European Plain, in particular the Central Russian Upland. It was here that the Proto-Slavic tribes rushed, which then separated from the Germanic and B altic ones into the Slavic ones proper. Even later, the Slavic mass was divided into threelarge groups: western, southern and eastern. Naturally, the year of the first mention of Moscow was still very far away. However, the Slavs settled in the future territory of Russia, and the surroundings of our capital began to settle down on the most comfortable site for this - Borovitsky Hill.
First mention: Chronicles of Moscow
In historical science there was a version about the appearance of Moscow at the dawn of the formation of the state among the Eastern Slavs. Indeed, archaeological data allowed us to say that there was a settlement in this place, and quite developed one at that. However, it is impossible to say that it was Moscow. The fact is that there are no written sources about this, and, accordingly, there are no grounds to be sure either. The main document on the history of ancient Russia is the Tale of Bygone Years by the monk Nestor. If you carefully study it, you can understand that only in the twelfth century is the first mention of Moscow. The date of this event is localized in 1147, when you can recognize the new somewhat distorted name "Moskov". In general, at that time, this region, compared to other cities of North-Eastern Russia, can be called rather backward, and the city itself was deaf and rural.
Natural advantages and the foresight of a prince
However, the area is very conveniently located geographically, so it attracted the eyes of princes of different ranks. But Moscow will come to the fore for a very long time. This area intime was chosen by the youngest son of Vladimir Monomakh, Yuri Vladimirovich, nicknamed Dolgoruky. Being the prince of Rostov-Suzdal, he also kept an eye on Kyiv, but he understood that the internecine struggle needed to have solid rears. And the old cities had well-organized and strong boyar groups. In addition, the city was located, figuratively speaking, in the center of Russian possessions, which was very convenient for an attack on almost all the major principalities of the Northeast. Therefore, the first mention of Moscow is associated with the name of Grand Duke Yuri Vladimirovich, it was here that he invited his associate in the struggle for primacy in Russia and a relative of Prince Svyatoslav Olegovich to the military council.
Hypotheses and disputes
However, even despite this, there is no consensus among historians about the year the city was founded. This is due to the contradictions that occur in the annals, despite the fact that the first mention of Moscow is connected with 1147. The date is called into question because another chronicle provides information that in 1156 Prince Yuri Dolgoruky founded a fortress on the site of the future capital. Although it is known for sure that at that time he ruled in Kyiv, and if he had founded Moscow during this period, this event would have been reflected in the annals. However, on this occasion, the source keeps complete silence, which causes bewilderment. Despite the mention of Moscow back in 1147, historians suggest that at that time it was impossible to call it a full-fledged settlement. Most scientists still thinkthe year the fortress and urban settlement were founded in 1153. It was then that the Rostov-Suzdal prince was in those places, so we can assume this version.
Kuchkovo - Moscow
Nevertheless, Yuri Vladimirovich paid attention to the town for a reason. As mentioned above, the location of Moscow made it a very convenient and profitable transit point, which the ruler is fully aware of. Even as a prince of Kyiv, he devotes part of his attention to the Moscow possessions. This policy was continued by his son Andrei Bogolyubsky, but it is impossible to say that at that time Moscow was of great strategic importance. It was a small border point where the borders of principalities and trade routes crossed. It is precisely with the convenient location of the Moscow possessions that the murder of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky is connected. The local lands belonged to the petty boyar Stepan Kuchka and were called Kuchkovo. Wanting to turn the property into his own, the prince first tried to persuade Stepan to give up this area, but the intractability of the boyar led to his execution and discontent among the boyar class, which resulted in a conspiracy and the murder of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. However, despite this, the area of the future capital was assigned to the Monomakhoviches.
The role of the heirs of Alexander Nevsky in the development of Moscow's influence
But the development of the city was very slow. From the moment when the first annalistic mention of Moscow occurred, and until the moment it acquires its owninfluence, more than a century and a half passed. Only in the thirteenth century did it begin to acquire the features of a large urban settlement and an important strategic point. The first mention of Moscow in a new capacity falls precisely on this period. This testifies to the strengthening of the influence of the city on all-Russian affairs. The true heyday begins after Alexander Yaroslavovich, who received the nickname Nevsky for his exploits, leaves it as a legacy to his youngest son Daniel. At first, the young prince was upset that he got such a seedy principality, but as he matured, he began to understand the importance of this region and the impact on the entire policy of Russia during the period of fragmentation. He strengthened it in every possible way with the help of dynastic marriages and military force. The cunning of the prince also played an important role. By the end of his reign, the Moscow principality and the city were already quite significant rivals for the primacy in the country.
Daniilovichi in the fight for the championship
It should be especially noted that the rise of Moscow is due to the fact that the former centers (Kyiv, and then Vladimir) gradually receded into secondary roles, and Tver and that same "golden-domed" came to the fore. The important influence of such a public institution as the Russian Orthodox Church should also be mentioned. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, the residence of the metropolitan was transferred from Vladimir to Moscow. This, in fact, meant a sharp increase in the status and influence of the latter. This event happened not just like that, but was the result of the far-sighted policy of the Moscow princes. The strategic direction set by Daniil Aleksandrovich,continued by his heirs: Yuri, who did not differ in political outlook, and Ivan, who sat on the throne after the death of his brother. Ivan, nicknamed Kalita, is a true designer of the growing influence of a young but ambitious city. It was under him that the Mongol khans gave the payment of tribute into the hands of the Moscow rulers.
Political Affairs
Under the prince, chroniclers appear who attribute the first mention in the annals of Moscow to the ninth, and even to the beginning of the eighth century. All this was done in order to justify the right of the city and the principality to primacy in all-Russian affairs. The princes and court boyars strongly supported this version. Kalita's policy was continued by his sons Ivan Krasny, who received his nickname for his handsome appearance, and Semyon Proud, who was distinguished by exorbitant pride. Under them, changes were also made to the chronicle in order to “age” the future capital a little. However, it is clear that the first mention in the annals of Moscow, deduced by devoted chroniclers, does not correspond to the truth at all, and this was done purely from political motives. Dmitry Ivanovich further strengthened the leading position of the city, having won a decisive victory over the troops of the Mongol-Tatars on the Kulikovo field in 1380. However, two years later, a new raid of the conquerors took the city by surprise, and it was taken and burned almost completely.
Family conflicts over the Moscow inheritance
In the future, a struggle for power flared up between the heirs, which in the historical literature was called the great feudalwar. This page in the history of Russia is full of tragic moments. Vasily II the Dark emerged as the winner, and already his son, Ivan III, for the first time since feudal fragmentation, receives the title of Grand Duke of All Russia, and Moscow becomes the capital of a united Russia. Subsequently, the city was further strengthened and expanded. According to the observations of English merchants, it was larger than London. Moscow retained its capital status until the construction of St. Petersburg and lost the palm to the northern capital for three hundred years. However, in 1918, through the efforts of the Bolsheviks, it again became the capital of the RSFSR, and then the USSR.
Moscow: from the capital of the principality to the capital of Russia
So you can quite briefly outline the main points of the founding and development of the city: from the first mention of the annals of Moscow as a small settlement to the status of the capital of a large and strong state. On this path, it has undergone numerous changes both in appearance and in the degree of its influence on the general course of events. In particular, the son of Vasily the Dark built the Kremlin the way we can see it in our time, from red brick. The entire historical center of the city was built during the Middle Ages, and then only slightly changed. And although historians have broken many copies, expressing hypotheses about the period of occurrence of the settlement, there is a generally accepted point of view that the first mention of Moscow dates back to the twelfth century, and Prince Yuri Dolgoruky is considered the founder. 1147 is recognized as the year of the first mention. Now the city is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and the capital of ourcountries.
