The city of Vladimir is the ancient capital of North-Eastern Rus'. All capitals of Rus' Capital cities of individual Russian lands

As you know, the Old Russian state arose on the trade route, which was also called “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” The territory of the newly formed state was inhabited by such tribes as the Krivichi, Ilmen Slavs, Polyans, Dregovichs, Drevlyans, Radimichi, Polochans and Northerners.

The very first documentary mention of such an ethnonym as “Rus” appears closer to the 9th century. According to historians, the ethnonym “Kievan Rus” appeared only in the 18th-19th centuries in documentary research.

The first capital of Rus'

The period of foundation of such a state as Ancient Rus' is the 8th century. Along with the emergence of the power, the first capital of Ancient Rus', Ladoga, appeared. Memories of this city are described in the Ipatiev list of “The Tale of Bygone Years”. As you know, Ladoga belonged to Rurik, and the estimated dates of Ladoga’s status as the capital of the state are 862-864. It was during these years that Rurik was constantly in the capital, and after it was renamed Novaya Ladoga (modern Leningrad region).

It is also worth mentioning that most scientists do not recognize Ladoga as the first capital of Ancient Rus', therefore it is practically not mentioned in the main scientific works related to the emergence of Ancient Rus'. However, we should not forget that many sources indicate that Ladoga is the first capital of Rus'.

The first capital of Rus' - Novgorod

According to other chronicles, the first capital of Rus' was Novgorod (862-882). It is believed that from the beginning of 862, Rurik ruled Russia precisely while in Veliky Novgorod. But, despite this, since 882 the capital again changes its location and is moved to Kyiv. Nevertheless, Veliky Novgorod continues to have important political significance for the state. According to ancient princely traditions, the eldest sons of the prince went to rule in Novgorod, therefore, rivalry continued between these two capitals, which was a striking feature of the ancient Russian state in all periods of its existence. As a result, it still remains completely unclear which city was the capital of Rus'. The controversy continues to this day.

The first capital of Kievan Rus

After Oleg came to power, Kyiv became the capital of the ancient Russian state, which is why the state began to be called Kievan Rus. At this moment, Novgorod loses its power and authority. After the baptism of Rus' (beginning of the 10th century), Kyiv finally made it clear that it was the capital, since the main metropolitan lived there. This fact played a big role in the development of the city and the state itself.

In addition to political beliefs, Kyiv was also convenient from a geographical point of view. It was located on the land of the Drevlyans and had a very convenient location, thanks to which it served as the capital of Rus' for many years, or rather for 361 years (from 882 to 1243).

Starting from the end of the 12th century and until the beginning of the 13th century, Rus' was divided into four main centers: Volyn, Smolensk, Suzdal (Vladimir) and Chernigov. Despite the fact that each center had its own main ruler, they still remained dependent on the Principality of Kyiv. Only Rurik’s heir had the right to occupy the princely throne, which was in Kyiv, but the dynasty was interrupted, since the struggle for the Kiev throne was very fierce and everyone wanted to get the largest “piece” of power over all other principalities. Fratricidal wars led Kyiv to the fall, but it still continued to remain the center of interests of the entire ancient Russian state.

In the 12th century, Kyiv continued to be the capital of Rus', but it gradually lost its role as the center of the state. The Grand Duke no longer needed to be located in Kyiv, and from 1169 Kyiv was subordinate to one of the Grand Duke’s relatives. The tradition of Kyiv rule was interrupted by the Mongol invasion. After the destruction, the city finally lost its value, and they stopped fighting for it. After this, the city was ruled only by weak princes who did not pursue the throne.

The capital of Ancient Rus' - Vladimir

The city of Vladimir itself appeared in 1108, and its founder was Vladimir Monomakh. A few years later, Vladimir began to be considered the capital of North-Eastern Rus', and before that the capital was the city of Suzdal. The reason for such changes was the desire of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky to move all his possessions from Suzdal to Vladimir in order to turn this city into the same influential political and economic center as Kyiv. For the same reason, the architectural features of Vladimir are very similar to those of Kyiv.

Many scientists argue to this day whether Vladimir was the capital of all Rus', or only its North-Eastern part. The city of Vladimir reached the peak of its power during the reign of Vsevolod Yuryevich, and after that it was forgotten, since Kievan Rus was under the influence of the Golden Horde. After the Golden Horde captured Ancient Rus', the khan named the Vladimir princes as the main rulers of the state, and starting in 1299, the residence of the metropolitan moved to Vladimir. The last ruler of Vladimir was Vasily I, and his heirs were already crowned in Moscow. But, despite this, although Vladimir has become an ordinary province, it is still mentioned in chronicles for a long time as a city of great national importance.

Moscow is the first capital in Rus'

The very first mentions of Moscow date back to 1147. Until the moment the Mongols attacked Kyiv and the Golden Horde gained power over Kievan Rus, Moscow did not play any role. The city was considered an ordinary province, but from the beginning of 1263, when Daniil Alexandrovich began to rule in Moscow, it began to develop very quickly. Although Prince Daniil did not lay claim to the princely throne, he was not going to just sit idly by. With the help of the Smolensk and Ryazan volosts, Daniil increased his territories, thanks to which the prince managed to gather a strong army. It was this step that became a huge impetus in the future.

Since 1325, the residence of the Metropolitan was established in Moscow, the territories of the Moscow princes increased significantly, due to which the quantity and quality of the Moscow army grew. But despite such rapid development, due to the oppression of the Mongol Khan, it had a very precarious position. Only disagreements with the Golden Horde gave the Moscow princes a chance to strengthen their political influence, and the turning point was Moscow’s victory over the Horde army of Mamai in 1380, also known as the Battle of Kulikovo. After this, Moscow finally became the capital of Rus', and today the Russian Federation.

Ancient Moscow 17th century. An educational film about the history of the capital of ancient Rus'.

Ladoga Old

There is another city that deserves the attention of historians - Staraya Ladoga. The ancient capital of Rus' number two arose in the middle of the eighth century, and in 862 - 864 it was the residence of Rurik. According to the chronicles, after this the legendary prince left for Novgorod, a city that in the future received the title “Great”. Today here you can see the Assumption Cathedral and St. George's Church, built in the second half of the twelfth century.

Staraya Ladoga today is a small village, about twelve centuries old. Recent archaeological research suggests that the settlement was founded by people from Northern European countries. It was a parking lot where ships were repaired and new ships were built,

Rurik settlement in Novgorod

The capital of Ancient Rus', Ladoga, lost its title because Rurik left for a new city, located about two kilometers from the central part of the modern city. Now it attracts with unique architectural monuments of princely times, because it was not touched by the Mongol horde, and, therefore, was not plundered and destroyed. These are the St. Nicholas Cathedral, St. Sophia Cathedral, St. George Cathedral, the Anthony Monastery, the Church of the Savior, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Annunciation, Peter and Paul, and Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa.

The heyday of the city occurred during the period of the Novgorod Republic, when all important decisions about the life of the state were made in the evening. It existed from 1136 to 1478, and its territory stretched for hundreds of kilometers - from the Ural Mountains to the Baltic (or Varangian) Sea. Crafts developed there, lively trade was conducted, stone buildings were built, chronicles and books were written.

Today Novgorod (the capital of Ancient Rus' and the Novgorod Republic) can safely be called the tourist Mecca of Russia, since it has retained its identity through the millennium.

Vladimir-on-Klyazma

Another capital of the ancient Russian state is Vladimir, which was the main one in the period 1243 - 1389. The city was founded by Vladimir Monomakh in 1108, and half a century later Andrei Bogolyubsky moved his residence to it. The heyday of the settlement occurred during the reign of Vsevolod the Big Nest, to which all lands except Polotsk and Chernigov were subordinate. The Golden Gate, the Assumption and Demetrius Cathedrals remind of that glorious era in Vladimir.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, Ancient Rus' ceased to exist under the blows of Khan Batu’s nukers. Its capital lost its influence and found itself in ruins for many years; crafts that were unclaimed in the Golden Horde were forgotten. But the country gradually recovered from the heavy blow, new generations of people grew up, who first submitted to the Mongol yoke, and then threw it off. Thus, Rus' was revived again and entered a new time with a new face.

The capital of the Russian Federation is Moscow

Over the centuries-old history of Russia - from Kievan Rus, the Muscovite Kingdom, the Russian Empire, the USSR to the modern Russian Federation, many cities have been the capitals of our country. Do you know what cities these are and when exactly they were the main cities, “capital”?

Let's figure this out by looking through the pages of historical books and reference books.

Cities that were the capitals of Russia

Cities	In what years were they capitals?	Under what ruler
Ladoga	862-864	Rurik
Novgorod	862-882 (for some time there were two main cities, the centers of Rus')	Rurik
Kyiv	882-1243	From Oleg to Daniil Romanovich, the founder of the Moscow dynasty of princes.
Vladimir	1243 — 1389	Daniil Romanovich Moskovsky – Dmitry Donskoy
Moscow	1389-1712	Dmitry Donskoy - Peter I
Saint Petersburg	1712-1918	Peter I - Nicholas II
Moscow	Since 1918	All the rulers of the USSR, from V.I. Lenin to M. Gorbachev, N.B. Yeltsin, V.V. Putin, D.A. Medvedev, V.V. Putin.

The city of St. Petersburg for some time had a different name - Petrograd. Do you know with whom and why this happened?

The city was renamed in 1914 by Nicholas II. Russia was preparing for war with Germany, and the emperor did not want the name of the capital to have a German root. It was he who renamed St. Petersburg burg in Petro hail.

This is the history of the capitals of Russia.

Today every Russian is proud of his capital - Moscow. This is one of the largest and most beautiful cities not only in Russia, but also in the world. Moscow is the heart of our Motherland!

Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna

Vladimir is the capital of the Moscow Principality.

Vladimir is a historical city in Russia, located primarily on the left bank of the Klyazma River. It was the ancient capital of North-Eastern Rus'.

The first people began to appear on the territory occupied by the modern city around 30-25 thousand years BC. e. In the third millennium BC. e. Volga-Finnish tribes live here. In the VI-VII centuries AD. e. This territory is being developed by the Finno-Ugric tribe Merya.

In the 9th-10th centuries, first the Ilmen Slovenes, and then other tribes, began to penetrate here. In the 8th-10th centuries, on the hill where the Assumption Cathedral was later built, there was a Meryan village.

The founding of Vladimir is traditionally associated with the chronicle news that Vladimir Monomakh founded the city in 1108. The most prominent specialist in Vladimir archeology, N.N. Voronin, also adhered to this dating.

But in the 1990s, Vladimir local historians spoke out in favor of moving the date of the city’s founding to 990, citing in support of this date the news of a number of later chronicle sources, where Vladimir Svyatoslavich appears as the founder of the city.

Whenever the city was founded, Vladimir began to grow and strengthen thanks to the care of Vladimir Monomakh, who strengthened it as a stronghold for the defense of the Rostov-Suzdal Principality.

The city owes its prosperity to Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who in 1157 moved the capital of the principality here. His successor, Vsevolod the Big Nest, was one of the most powerful Russian princes, and from his reign the title of “great” was assigned to the Vladimir princes.

Now Vladimir is one of the largest tourist centers in the country and is part of the Golden Ring of Russia. The monuments of the pre-Mongol era preserved in it are of greatest interest.

Two such monuments can be seen at once on Cathedral Square:

The first is the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir-Volynsky, also known as the Mstislav Church in Vladimir-Volynsky, also known as the Holy Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir-Volynsky - the oldest and only monument in Volyn that has come down to us from the times of Kievan Rus .

It was built and painted in 1160 under the Volyn prince Mstislav Izyaslavich by Kyiv builders.

The cathedral was the tomb of princes, boyars and bishops. Under the temple there are 6 grand ducal, 2 episcopal and many tombs of noble persons. The builder of the temple, Prince Mstislav, is also buried here.

It was devastated by the hordes of Batu and restored again.

In the first half of the 15th century it was devastated, and at the end of the century, through the efforts of the Vladimir Bishop Vasian, it was restored.

The temple also suffered in the interfaith struggle between Orthodox and Uniates: in 1596, when the Vladimir Bishop Ipatiy Potey accepted the union, the temple became Uniate. During the fire in 1683, which devastated the entire city, the cathedral was badly damaged and was restored only in 1753. The Uniates remade the Byzantine architecture of the temple in the Latin style.

In 1772 the cathedral fell into disrepair. It was used as a “state store” (warehouse).

In 1829, it turned into a complete ruin - the vaults and dome collapsed.

In 1896-1900, architects A. Prakhov and G.I. Kotov carried out a not very successful restoration; the cathedral was restored in the forms of the 12th century.

The Assumption Cathedral is a monument of ancient Russian architecture and an architectural monument of Ukraine.

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1158-1160.

Be sure to go inside the Assumption Cathedral - this is one of the few churches where frescoes by Andrei Rublev have been preserved.

"2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ"

Cathedral Square.

The second no less interesting pre-Mongol monument is the Dmitrov Cathedral.

Dmitrovsky Cathedral, 1192-1194 - a court temple erected by Vsevolod the Big Nest at the princely court. Initially, the temple was surrounded by galleries with staircase towers, connecting it with the princely palace (dismantled during restoration in the 19th century). The cathedral is famous for its white stone carvings - its walls are decorated with about 600 reliefs depicting saints, mythical and real animals. Most of the reliefs have been preserved in their original form, some were replaced during the restoration of the 19th century.

The inscription on the doors of the Dmitrov Cathedral: “Dear newlyweds! I wish you happiness, but I warn you that banging on the doors of the temple is a bad omen! Prince Vsevolod." - i.e. workers of the Orthodox Church scare people with omens - amazing!

But this is not all that can be seen on Cathedral Square and its surroundings.

In 1785, the building of the public chambers was solemnly laid, built by 1790 according to the design of the famous architect K.I. Blanca is in the form of an elongated structure, the façade of which is decorated in the center and on the flanks with porticoes of pilasters. A unique interior: all 3 floors have long corridors covered with vaults. The building housed the provincial administrative apparatus.
During the Second World War, the building housed a military hospital.
Currently, almost the entire building has been transferred to the exhibitions and services of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve.

Monument to Alexander Nevsky.

Historical Museum.

Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, 1761-1769.
The St. Nicholas Kremlin Church was built in 1761 on the site of an older wooden church that burned down during a big fire. Based on the location of the church, on the territory of the former city Kremlin, the temple was called Nikolo-Kremlevsky. Currently it houses the Vladimir Planetarium, opened in 1962.

Monument to Ander Rublev. The latest work of the Moscow sculptor O.K. Komova, on which he worked for several years. The monument was opened in August 1995 for the 1000th anniversary of the city.

Monument in honor of the 850th anniversary of the founding of the city of Vladimir (popularly called “three sloths”).
The first wooden obelisk with a star was erected here back in 1916. The current one was founded in its place in 1958 in honor of the 850th anniversary of the city (at that time the year of foundation was considered to be 1108), and was inaugurated on October 30, 1969. Sculptor A.B. Ryabichev, architects A.N. Dushkin and E.A. Arkhipov. On the sides of a concave triangular truncated prism there are three figures: an ancient warrior facing the defensive Golden Gate, an architect facing the Assumption Cathedral and a modern worker facing the industrial part of the city.

In 1191, Grand Duke Vsevolod Yuryevich, having chosen a place in Vladimir (in the middle Kremlin city) on the eastern side, in a scree near the Ivanovo Gate, laid the foundation for a monastery.

Since 1230, the monastery began to be governed by archimandrites. The Nativity monastery began to be called the great archimandry and until the time of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich it was listed as the first among Russian monasteries.

In 1237, during Batu’s invasion of Vladimir, the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Pachomius, and the brethren of the monastery were killed by the Tatars, and the monastery itself was plundered and devastated.

On November 23, 1263, Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky was buried in the church of the Nativity Monastery, who died on November 14 in Gorodets, on the way back from the Horde. However, in 1723, by decree of Peter I, the relics of Alexander Nevsky were transferred to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

In 1561, by decree of Ivan the Terrible, the primacy among the monasteries passed, then in 1720 the Alexander Nevsky Monastery took second place, so the Nativity Monastery became third.

In the middle of the 17th century, stone construction began again in the monastery: in 1654 a bell tower was erected (not preserved), in 1659 state cells were built.

In 1667 the monastery became stauropegial.

Under Archimandrite Vincent in 1678-85. Stone tents were added to the cathedral (not preserved), and a fraternal building was erected at the same time.

In the 2nd half of the 17th century, a stone gate church of the Nativity of Christ with an adjacent refectory was built.

Since 1774, the monastery has been converted into a bishop's house.

In 1859-69. designed by architect N.A. Artleben monastery cathedral is completely rebuilt in brick, in forms close to the original ones. In 1866-67. According to the project of the same Artleben, the gate church of the Nativity of Christ and the refectory were completely rebuilt.

In 1930, the cathedral and bell tower were destroyed.

Subsequently, the monastery buildings were repaired several times. Several new buildings were erected on the territory.

The monastery houses the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God, which belonged to Holy Prince Alexander; she was with him in the battle with the Swedes and Livonian knights in 1242.

Church of Alexander Nevsky in the Nativity of Vladimir Monastery.

On the left is the Church of Alexander Nevsky, on the right is the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.

Wall of the Nativity Monastery.

Corner tower.

Although they say that despite the losses, the monastery that has survived to this day has retained the appearance of a late medieval monastery with a free layout, the monastery is uninteresting from a historical point of view, especially against the backdrop of the ancient churches preserved in the neighborhood.

Go ahead. There is absolutely no view from the observation deck of Cathedral Square - there are trains, why it is needed here at all is not clear. The only interesting thing we could see was the Assumption Church, which, despite its antiquity, for some reason was not restored for a long time.

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1644-1649. Now it belongs to the Old Believers of Belokrinitsky Consent. Restoration is underway.

“The Vladimir Committee of the RSDLP (Bolsheviks) was located in this building.”
“From 1980 to 1985, Tikhon Stepanovich Sushkov, chairman of the executive committee of the Vladimir Regional Council of Workers’ Deputies, worked in this building, who made a significant contribution to the development of the national economy of the region.”

Old Believer Belokrinitsky consent (Belokrinichniki) Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, 1913-1916. Architect S. M. Zharov.

Eternal flame. The memorial in honor of the Vladimir residents who died during the Great Patriotic War was laid on November 6, 1967 and inaugurated on May 9, 1975 on the site of the Yamsk Kazan Church, broken by tanks in 1966, the adjacent park was laid out on the site of the old Yamsk cemetery. Architect B.A. Shiganov, sculptor V.A. Shanin. In the center of the monument site burns the Eternal Flame of Glory, delivered from Moscow from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden.
On May 9, 1985, a bronze sculptural composition of three figures was installed: a woman-mother, a soldier and a rear worker, symbolizing the unity of the people in the fight against the invaders. Sculptor A.A. Pereverten, architect V.I. Fomin.

Today the capital of Russia is Moscow. It is, in general, deservedly so. It was this city that played the greatest role in the formation and strengthening of the Russian state, and became the center of gathering Russian lands after the period of feudal fragmentation and the Tatar-Mongol yoke. But at different times other cities were the capitals of our country. Which ones? Let's find out in this post.

1) Novgorod (862 - 882)

As is known from the chronicles, the founder of the Russian state is the legendary Prince Rurik. Prince Rurik was called by the Slavs and other tribes living in the north of the future Rus' in 862. As a result, Novgorod became the first capital of Rus', from where Rurik ruled for almost 20 years. One of the oldest parts of the city is now called Rurik’s settlement; according to legend, it was here that the residence of the first Russian prince was located. It is no coincidence that it was in Novgorod in the 19th century that a monument was erected in honor of the millennium of Rus'.

Some sources contain information that initially Rurik arrived not in Novgorod, but in Ladoga, and therefore in some lists of Russian capitals this city is called the first capital of Rus'. However, this information is not 100% reliable; in any case, if Rurik was in Ladoga, it was for a very short time. So, with good reason, Novgorod should still be considered the first capital of Rus'.

Novgorod not only gave rise to the Russian state. He played a huge role in the history of Russia even after 882. It was the Novgorod princes who initially were such outstanding Russian princes as Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus', Yaroslav the Wise, and Alexander Nevsky. Novgorod played a huge role in the Russian development of vast northern lands, in repelling attempts to conquer Rus' by the Swedes, Germans and other Western invaders.

2) Kyiv (882 - 1132)

Rurik united the northern part of Rus', but the southern part of the future Rus', also inhabited by the Eastern Slavs, was still under the influence of the Khazar Khaganate. Oleg, the second prince of the Russian state, decided to expand it to the south. In 882, having gathered a fairly large army, he captured Kyiv. According to legend, at that time Askold and Dir, former boyars released by Rurik to serve the Byzantine emperor, ruled in Kyiv. However, before reaching Byzantium, Askold and Dir stopped in Kyiv, where they declared themselves princes. Oleg, having learned about this, decided to punish the impostors, and at the same time annex Kyiv to the Russian state. Since Kyiv was a convenient springboard for the further expansion of Rus' to the south, Oleg moved the princely residence to the city, and, according to the chronicles, declared that from now on “Kyiv will be the mother of Russian cities.”

For a long time, Kyiv was indeed the capital of Rus'. But in the 11th century. After the death of Yaroslav the Wise, the gradual disintegration of the unified state began. Rus' (like, indeed, many other countries) entered an era of feudal fragmentation. In 1097, at a congress of princes in Lyubech, it was decided that in order to avoid civil strife, the main cities of Rus' would henceforth be assigned to their princes and their descendants. This decision soon led to the formation of appanage principalities. And after the death of the famous Vladimir Monomakh and his son Mstislav in 1132, the unity of Rus' was completely lost. Kyiv lost its status as the capital of Rus' and remained only the capital of the appanage Kyiv principality.

Throughout the 12th-13th centuries. Kyiv's influence was weakening. This was due to the fact that Kyiv never had its own strong princely dynasty. But the former capital remained a bone of contention for the Russian princes who ruled other Russian principalities. In certain periods, the Kiev throne was occupied by one or another prince with an interval of several months.

In 1240, after a stubborn siege, Kyiv was taken by the army of Khan Batu and was subjected to terrible devastation. Almost all the inhabitants of the city died, and it lost any significance for a long time. Only during the Russian Empire in the 18-19 centuries. Kyiv is once again becoming a more or less large city.

3) The period of feudal fragmentation and yoke (1132-1480) - Rus' has no capital

In 1132, Rus' collapsed, and Kyiv lost the status of its capital. For some time it still remained the largest and richest city in Rus', and the Kiev throne remained attractive to Russian princes. But other cities also grew stronger and gained influence, becoming centers of independent principalities. Among the main Russian cities of that time, in addition to Kyiv, the following stood out:

Novgorod, separated from Kyiv in 1136. The main role in it began to be played formally by the veche, but in fact by the boyar and merchant oligarchy. The possessions of Novgorod during the period of independence extended over vast territories, and the Novgorodians themselves called their state nothing more than Mister Veliky Novgorod. Novgorod also remained the only major city of Rus' that did not suffer from the Mongol invasion, but the oligarchic form of government, under which local merchants and boyars fought primarily for selfish interests, did not allow the city to become the center of the unification of Russian lands. In 1478, Novgorod lost its independence and became part of the Moscow state.
Galich, which in 1141 became the capital of the strong Galician principality, and then the Galician-Volyn principality, which united the lands of Southwestern Rus'. This principality achieved its greatest influence under Prince Daniil of Galicia, but after his death it became mired in civil strife and eventually lost its independence in 1392, becoming the prey of neighboring Hungary and Poland.
Vladimir, from 1157 became the capital of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality, which united most of the lands of North-Eastern Rus'. Vladimir was not the first capital of the principality, before it the capital was in Rostov, then in Suzdal, but it was during the reign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who moved the capital to Vladimir, that the principality became, in fact, the most powerful and influential among other Russian principalities. In 1238 the city was taken by the Mongols and suffered greatly, but even after that it remained one of the main centers of Rus'. In 1243, the Vladimir prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich received the first label for the great reign in the Horde, thereby the Mongols appointed him senior over all Russian princes. Yaroslav's son Alexander Nevsky becomes the next Grand Duke. And in 1263, after the death of Alexander Nevsky, the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was divided among his sons.
Moscow, since 1263 the capital of the Moscow Principality, formed after the collapse of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality. The first Moscow prince was the young son of Alexander Nevsky, Daniel, who received the most provincial inheritance as his reign. However, during the reign of Daniel and his successors, Moscow significantly increased its influence, and eventually became the center of the unification of Russian lands. Under Ivan III, the Principality of Moscow becomes strong enough to unite most of the Russian lands and achieve independence from the Horde. In 1480, Moscow troops repelled the invasion of the Horde Khan Akhmad, after which Moscow actually became the capital of the revived Russian state.

4) Moscow (1480-1712, 1727-1732, 1918 - present day)

In 1480, the Moscow Principality was completely freed from the power of the Horde. By that time, most of the Russian principalities had already become part of the Moscow principality, and in subsequent decades the Moscow princes annexed the last formally independent Russian principalities. The south-west of Rus' had by that time been captured by Lithuania, Poland and Hungary, and the struggle for their return dragged on for several centuries.

In the 16th century The Russian state strengthened and expanded significantly. In 1547, Ivan the Terrible took the title of “Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus'.” But at the beginning of the 17th century. Hard times are coming. In 1610, Moscow was occupied by the Poles, who had plans to occupy Russia and incorporate it into Poland. However, thanks to Minin and Pozharsky, these plans did not come true. During the occupation of Moscow, the role of the main centers of resistance was played by such cities as Nizhny Novgorod And Yaroslavl. Nizhny Novgorod refused to submit to both False Dmitrys, as well as to the Poles, and in 1611 a militia was gathered in the city, and then a “council of all the earth” was created, which took over the functions of the people’s government. In the spring of 1612, the council moved to Yaroslavl, and in the fall of 1612, the people's militia defeated the Polish interventionists near Moscow and liberated the capital.

In 1700, Peter I begins the Northern War with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. Despite the initial setbacks, in 1703 Russian troops captured Ingermanland, and here at the mouth of the Neva, first a fortress was built, and then the city of St. Petersburg. In 1712, Peter I made the new city the capital of Russia. In 1721, the Northern War ends in victory, Russia is proclaimed an empire, and a window to Europe is opened.

In 1727, 11-year-old Peter II became emperor, and in fact power ended up in the hands of boyar groups. Soon the royal court moved to Moscow, which for a time again became the capital. But in 1730 Peter II dies, and from 1732 the capital returns to St. Petersburg.

Only in 1918 Moscow again became the capital. In February 1917, a revolution took place in Petrograd, and in October 1917 another revolution took place and power fell into the hands of the Bolsheviks. But the First World War is underway, and the situation is threatening - German troops are approaching Petrograd. Under these conditions, in 1918 the Bolshevik government moved to Moscow. Although the Germans never occupied Petrograd, Moscow remained the capital of Russia and remains so to this day.

5) St. Petersburg (1712-1727, 1732-1918)

In 1703, construction of a new city began at the mouth of the Neva. received (in honor of the Apostle Peter) the name St. Petersburg. The city was supposed to protect the most important trade route connecting Russia with Europe. It was also supposed to become the most important port and fleet base on the Baltic Sea. Although the area was not the most convenient for construction, thanks to Peter’s persistence, construction was actively progressing. The Tsar insistently demanded that everything be built according to the drawings, and not haphazardly, planning to turn St. Petersburg into an exemplary city of the European type. And in 1712-1714. First the royal court moved here, and then other government institutions. St. Petersburg became the new capital of Russia for two centuries.

In 1727-32. the capital was returned to Moscow, but then was again moved to St. Petersburg. Peter's successors did a lot to improve the city, erecting magnificent palaces, museums and other architectural monuments, laying stone embankments and wide avenues. Peter's dream of a model European city was fully realized.

In 1914, the city was renamed Petrograd, and in 1918, due to the threat of invasion by German troops, the capital was moved from Petrograd to Moscow. St. Petersburg only has the title of cultural capital left.