In the past, settlements have been built in areas with access to water, transportation, and trade. The Russian plain was an important trade route because of the network of rivers connecting the surrounding regions. The cities that formed along these rivers were originally formed in fortresses called Kremlins because of constant terrorism by nearby Tatars. Today, the Golden Ring of settlements outside of Moscow still have standing kremlins and continue to thrive as centers for Russian culture.
Moscow originated when a prince, Yury Dolgoruky, stopped at a trading post outside of Vladamir. When the local prince was not hospitable to him, Dolgoruky killed the other prince and took control of the region that would become Moscow. This is where he ordered the construction of the first Kremlin, made of wood.
Nomadic tribesmen continued to terrorize Eastern Europe and in 1236, they burned Moscow down and killed the new governor. In the 14th century Moscow Prince Ivan I Kalita was appointed chief “tax-collector”; this gave Moscow supremacy over its neighbors. Moscow was advantageously situated in the centre of many trade routes, which allowed the city to flourish. 50 years later the centralization of Russian lands around Moscow began.
It wasn’t until Ivan the Great was ruling that the Eastern Slav principalities would be united and consolidated into a single territorial entity. To celebrate, the Kremlin was renovated, this time built with walls and watch towers made of brick. Soon after the fortress was constructed, the kitay gorod was created nearby, which was a center for trade and artisans. By the end of the 14th century, the fortress housed churches, monasteries, and manors for the local nobility. A stone wall was then built around the entire city for protection from future intruders. The city developed from this center in concentric rings.
In 1547, two fires destroyed much of Moscow, and in 1571, Crimean Tatars captured was left of the city, burning down everything that remained, except for the Kremlin. Only 30,000 of Moscow’s 200,000 inhabitants survived. When the Tatars returned to seize the Kremlin, they were held back by the defensive wall that had been constructed.
Moscow became a political capital and religious center in Russia, and in the mid-15th century, the Russian Orthodox Church was organized. In the 1450s, after the fall of Constantinople, Moscow claimed itself to be the “third Rome.”
By the early 1700s, cobblestone roads had begun to be laid throughout Moscow, and in 1741, a 25-mile long stone barricade had been constructed around the city. Sixteen gates were located along this wall, and tolls were collected from those who entered.
With the growth of trade, culture, and religion in Moscow, the city quickly grew. By the early 15th century, it had already surpassed a population of 50,000. Because of the stone wall surrounding the city, it was protected from fire and attacks by terrorists, and by the 17th century, the population grew to over 200,000, making it the largest city in the world at the time. In 1813, a Commission for the Construction of the City of Moscow was established, which launched the reconstruction of city, and the planning of a new city center, which would include a new Kremlin Palace, Moscow University, and the Bolshoi Theatre.
Sources:
Brunn, Hays-Mitchell, and Zeigler. (2008) Cities of the World, 4th Edition. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment