Moscow was founded in 1147 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky when he built the first Kremlin, a wooden stockade on the Moscow River. A settlement grew around the wooden fort and prospered as a trading center until it was invaded by the Mongols and razed to the ground in 1238. It was not until Moscow became the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1326 and Ivan I moved his ruling seat here from Vladimir in 1328 that the city emerged as the capital of the most important state in Russia (Muscovy). When Constantinople (Istanbul) fell to the Turks in 1453, Moscow became the center of the Byzantine Church in Europe.
The reign of Ivan the Great saw intensive construction in Moscow. European architects were commissioned to build the city of his dreams and it radiated progressively further out from the Kremlin. Prosperity continued under Ivan the Terrible, but after he murdered his son, no suitable heir was forthcoming. After, the empire degenerated into the 'Time of Troubles'. Widespread famine and social unrest provided an opportunity for the Poles and Lithuanians to invade and Moscow was sacked again in 1612. With the expulsion of the invaders and the accession of the Romanov Dynasty, Moscow was rebuilt in stone. Under Peter the Great, Moscow became the leading industrial city in Russia, and remained an important cultural and commercial center even after he transferred the capital to St Petersburg in 1712.
The third and final devastation of Moscow occurred in 1812 with Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Both the French and retreating Muscovites contributed to the destruction of three quarters of the city. However, recovery after Napoleon's defeat was swift and with the abolition of [G 17 / serfdom] in 1861, the population of Moscow increased substantially. Migrating peasants filled the need for labor in the new industrial concerns and the proletariat was born.
Lenin returned the capital to Moscow in 1918 and began an ambitious project of industrial development. By 1939 the city's population had reached four million. During World War II many people were evacuated, but the Germans never succeeded in entering Moscow. Since then the capital has continued to grow and is now the industrial, scientific and cultural center of the country. Today it is understandably at the epicenter of political changes that have swept the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics into the past.
For budget travelers who are without hotel bookings or cannot afford one, there are two alternatives. At Belorusskaya station a 'hotel' train is brought into the station each evening and a berth can be had for two roubles through wicket No 4 in the booking office. Since they are not too keen on selling these to foreigners you may need to ask a Russian to pay for you. The other alternative is to look out for students in the train stations who may be willing to put up a foreigner in their apartment for the night for a small gift of western origin.
It is better to eat at buffets, stolovaya, cafes, and kebab and hamburger stands. Railway stations are also good places for cheap snacks.
PLACES OF INTEREST:
The Kremlin, Red Square, Exhibition of Economic Achievements, Novodevichy Convent, Lenin's Tomb, St Basil's Cathedral, Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences, Gorky Park, Lenin's Mausoleum, GUM Department Store.
MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES:
ARMORY PALACE: The Kremlin. Only group tours are permitted.
This is the oldest museum in the country - essentially a treasure store house of the Royal family turned into a museum by Peter the Great. There are nine exhibition halls containing one of the most stunning collections of Faberge eggs and the world's largest collection of carriages.
CENTRAL LENIN MUSEUM: 2 Revolyutsii Ploschad. Open Tuesday - Thursday 11am - 7:30pm; Friday - Sunday 9am - 6:30pm.
A monument to the revolutionary leader which includes his Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.
KOLOMENSKOYE ESTATE MUSEUM: 31 Proletarsky Prospekt. Open Wednesday - Monday 11am - 5pm, also closed last Monday of the month.
An open-air museum that was once the summer retreat of the tsars.
Contains the first editions, paintings and many letters pertaining to the life and works of Russia's most famous poet.
PUSHKIN MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS: 12 Ulitsa Volkhonka. Open Tuesday - Sunday 9am - 7pm, also closed last Tuesday of the month.
Contains a fine collection of French Impressionists and Egyptian antiquities.
TRETIAKOV GALLERY OF ART: 10 Lavrushinskiy Pereulok. Open Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 7pm. Holds the finest collection of Russian art from the 19th and 20th centuries.
VASETSNOV HOUSE MUSEUM: 13 Vasetsnova Pereulok. Open Tuesday 11am - 5pm, Thursday and Saturday 1pm - 9pm, Sunday 11am - 7pm.
Home of the famous Russian painter who revived Russian folk tales in the 19th century. Not only are his works displayed, but he also designed and painted the house and furniture.
