The city is named after the river (old Russian: !

" literally #the city $y the

%os&va River#'( The first reference to %osco) dates from **+, )hen -uri .ol/oru&iy
called u0on the 0rince of the 1ov/orod23evers&i to #come to me" $rother" to %osco)#(
456

7arriors of the
8olden 9orde raid
u0on %osco)(

%a0 of %osco)"
*,:+

Red 3;uare" 0aintin/

$y <edor =le&seev"
*:>?

<rench invasion of Russia in *:*?"<ire of %osco)" 0aintin/ $y =(<( 3mirnov" *:*5

1ine years later" in **@A" Brince -uri .ol/oru&iy of Rostov ordered the construction of
a )ooden )all" the Cremlin" )hich had to $e re$uilt multi0le times" to surround the
emer/in/ city(4?>6 =fter the sac&in/ of *?5,D*?5:" )hen the %on/ols $urned the city to
the /round and &illed its inha$itants" %osco) recovered and $ecame the ca0ital of the
inde0endent Eladimir23uFdal 0rinci0ality in *5?,(4?*6 Gts favora$le 0osition on the
head)aters of the Eol/a River contri$uted to steady eH0ansion( %osco) develo0ed into
a sta$le and 0ros0erous 0rinci0ality" &no)n as 8rand .uchy of %osco)" for many years
and attracted a lar/e num$er of refu/ees from across Russia(
Inder Gvan G of %osco) the city re0laced Tver as a 0olitical center of Eladimir23uFdal
and $ecame the sole collector of taHes for the %on/ol2Tatar rulers( Jy 0ayin/ hi/h
tri$ute" Gvan )on an im0ortant concession from the Chan( Inli&e other 0rinci0alities"
%osco) )as not divided amon/ his sons" $ut )as 0assed intact to his eldest( %osco)Ks
o00osition a/ainst forei/n domination /re)( Gn *5:>" 0rince .mitry .ons&oy of
%osco) led a united Russian army to an im0ortant victory over the Tatars in the Jattle
of Culi&ovo( The $attle" ho)ever" )as not decisive and only t)o years later %osco)
)as sac&ed $y &han To&htamysh( Gvan GGG" in *+:>" finally $ro&e the Russian 0eo0le
freefrom Tatar control" allo)in/ %osco) to $ecome the center of 0o)er in Russia(4??6
Inder Gvan GGG the city $ecame the ca0ital of an em0ire that )ould eventually encom0ass
all of 0resent2day Russia and other lands(
Gn *@,*" the Lrimean Tatars attac&ed and sac&ed %osco)" $urnin/ everythin/ $ut the
Cremlin(4?56

%osco) (Russian Mm0ire' in *N>:

Gn *A>N" the 3)edish army led $y Lount Oaco$ .e la
8ardie and Mvert 9orn started their march from
8reat 1ov/orod to)ard %osco) to hel0 Tsar
Easili 3huis&i" entered %osco) in *A*> and su00ressed the re$ellion a/ainst the Tsar"
$ut left it early in *A**" follo)in/ )hich the BolishDPithuanian army invaded( .urin/
the BolishD%uscovite 7ar (*A>@D*A*:' hetman 3tanisQa) RSQ&ie)s&i entered
%osco) after defeatin/ the Russians in the Jattle of Clushino( The *,th century )as
rich in 0o0ular risin/s" such as the li$eration of %osco) from the BolishDPithuanian
invaders (*A*?'" the 3alt Riot (*A+:'" the Lo00er Riot (*AA?'" and the %osco)
I0risin/ of *A:?( The 0la/uee0idemics rava/ed %osco) in *@,>D*@,*" *@N? and
*A@+D*A@A(4?+6 The city ceased to $e RussiaTs ca0ital in *,*?" after the foundin/ of 3aint
Beters$ur/ $y Beter the 8reat near the Jaltic coast in *,>5( The Bla/ue of *,,*)as
the last massive out$rea& of 0la/ue in central Russia" claimin/ u0 to *>>">>> lives in
%osco) alone( .urin/ the <rench invasion of Russia in *:*?" the %uscovites $urned
the city and evacuated" as 1a0oleonTs forces )ere a00roachin/ on *+ 3e0tem$er(
1a0oleonTs 8rande =rmUe" 0la/ued $y hun/er" cold and 0oor su00ly lines" )as forced to
retreat and )as nearly annihilated $y the devastatin/ Russian )inter and s0oradic attac&s
$y Russian military forces( =s many as +>>">>> died durin/ this time" and only a fe) tens
of thousands of rava/ed troo0s returned(4?@6
Gn Oanuary *N>@" the institution of the Lity 8overnor" or %ayor" )as officially
introduced in %osco)" and =leHander =drianov $ecame %osco)Ts first official mayor(
<ollo)in/ the Russian Revolution of *N*," on *? %arch *N*:4?A6%osco) $ecame the
ca0ital of the Russian 3oviet <ederative 3ocialist Re0u$lic and of the 3oviet Inion less
than five years later(4?,6 .urin/ 7orld 7ar GG (the 0eriod from Oune ??" *N+*" to %ay N"
*N+@" &no)n in Russia as the8reat Batriotic 7ar'" after the 8erman invasion of the
I33R" the 3oviet 3tate .efense Lommittee and the 8eneral 3taff of the Red =rmy )as
located in %osco)(
Gn *N+*" siHteen divisions of the national volunteers (more than *A>">>> 0eo0le'" t)enty2
five $attalions (*:"@>> 0eo0le' and four en/ineerin/ re/iments )ere formed amon/ the
%uscovites( That 1ovem$er" the 8erman =rmy 8rou0 Lenter )as sto00ed at the
outs&irts of the city and then driven off in the Jattle of %osco)( %any factories )ere
evacuated" to/ether )ith most of the /overnment" and from ?> Vcto$er the city )as
declared to $e undersie/e( Gts remainin/ inha$itants $uilt and su0ervised antitan&
defenses" )hile the city )as su$Wected to air $om$in/( Oose0h 3talin refused to leave
%osco)" meanin/ that the /eneral staff and the council of 0eo0leKs commissars remained
in the city as )ell( .es0ite the sie/e and the $om$in/s" the construction of %osco)Ks
metro system continued throu/h the )ar" and $y the end of the )ar several ne) metro
lines )ere o0ened(
Joth 8erman and 3oviet casualties durin/ the $attle of %osco) have $een a su$Wect of
de$ate" as various sources 0rovide some)hat different estimates( Total casualties $et)een
5> 3e0tem$er *N+*" and , Oanuary *N+?" are estimated to $e $et)een ?+:">>> and
+>>">>> for the 7ehrmacht and $et)een A@>">>> and *"?:>">>> for the Red =rmy(4?:6
4?N6 45>6
Vn * %ay *N++" a medal <or the defense of %osco) and in *N+, another medal Gn
memory of the :>>th anniversary of %osco) )ere introduced( Gn commemoration of the
?>th anniversary of the victory over 1aFi 8ermany" on %ay :" *NA@" %osco) $ecame
one of t)elve 3oviet cities a)arded the 9ero Lity title(
Gn *N:>" it hosted the 3ummer Vlym0ic 8ames" )hich )ere $oycotted $y the Inited
3tates and several other 7estern countries due to the 3oviet InionKs involvement in
=f/hanistan in late *N,N( Gn *NN*" %osco) )as the scene of the failed cou0 attem0t $y
the /overnment mem$ers o00osed to the reforms of %i&hail 8or$achev( 7hen the
I33R dissolved at the end of that year" %osco) continued as the ca0ital of Russia(
3ince then" the emer/ence of a mar&et economy in %osco) has 0roduced an eH0losion
of 7estern2style retailin/" services" architecture" and lifestyles( Gn *NN:" %osco) hosted
the first7orld -outh 8ames D see *NN: 7orld -outh 8ames( This city hosted the ?>*5
7orld Lham0ionshi0s in =thletics(