Москва. Краткая история

Эдуард Михальков

Эта книга представляет собой лаконичный и доступный обзор истории Москвы с момента основания города в 1147 году до настоящего времени. В краткой и живой форме автор рассказывает об основных вехах становления и развития Москвы как столицы великого государства, крупнейшего политического, экономического и культурного центра России.

EN

Moscow was founded in 1147 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky on Borovitsky Hill at the confluence of the Moscow and Neglinnaya Rivers. The exact date of Moscow’s foundation is unknown, but the first mention of the city is dated 1147 in the Ipatiev Chronicle.

In the initial period Moscow was one of many small fortified settlements in the region. The population was about 1—2 thousand people. Under Ivan Kalita in 1320th Moscow becomes the main city of Vladimir-Suzdal princedom. In 1327 the residence of the metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church was transferred to Moscow from Vladimir.

By 1300 the population of Moscow had grown to 5—6 thousand people. The first wooden Kremlin was built in 1360—1380s under Dmitry Donskoy. The favorable geographical position at the crossroads of trade routes contributed to economic and political growth. By 1475, during the reign of Ivan III, the population of Moscow reached 100 thousand people.

Under Ivan III, Moscow was transformed by large-scale construction. The Moscow Kremlin was rebuilt from white stone in 1481—1495, including the Spasskaya Tower. St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square was completed in 1561 under Ivan the Terrible. The population exceeded 150 thousand people.

In the early 1600s during the Time of Troubles, Moscow was occupied by Polish-Lithuanian troops for two years. In 1712 Peter I moved the capital to St. Petersburg, but Moscow retained the importance of the cultural «second capital».

By the end of the XVIII century the population of Moscow exceeded 200 thousand people. In the 1780s, large-scale works were carried out to improve the city. Under Catherine II, classicism became the dominant architectural style.

In the XIX century industrialization brought new development. In 1852 the first telegraph line between Moscow and St. Petersburg was laid. The first railroad was opened in 1862 to Nizhny Novgorod. The horse-railroad was launched in 1872, by 1899 it switched to electric traction. By 1897 the population of Moscow exceeded 1 million people.

Construction of the Moscow Metro began in the 1930s. The first line between Sokolniki and Okhotny Ryad stations opened in 1935. During the Great Patriotic War Moscow was subjected to German bombardment, but escaped occupation. In the post-war period there is a rapid growth of the city, by 1959 the population reached 5 million.

In 1960—1980s there was a large-scale construction of infrastructure, including the Moscow Ring Road. The 1980 Summer Olympics left a legacy of sports venues like the Luzhniki Stadium. The last decades of the Soviet period saw economic and political stagnation.

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