Daniel Aleksandrovich, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky, founded the principality of Moscow (known in the western tradition as Muscovy),which eventually expelled the Tatars from Russia. Well-situated in the central river system of Russia and surrounded by protective forests and marshes, Moscow was at first only a vassal of Vladimir, but soon it absorbed its parent state. A major factor in the ascendancy of Moscow was the cooperation of its rulers with the Mongol overlords, who granted them the title of Grand Prince of Moscow and made them agents for collecting the Tatar tribute from the Russian principalities. The principality's prestige was further enhanced when it became the center of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its head, the Metropolitan, fled from Kiev to Vladimir in 1299 and a few years later established the permanent headquarters of the Church in Moscow under the original title of Kiev Metropolitan.

In the ninth century A.D, an important city grew on the banks of Dnieper in the Ukraine, made by a group of people who had close connections with the Scandinavians from the Baltic. This city, Kiev, became the genesis of Russian Civilization. Controlling the trade routes between the Baltic and Byzantium, the Kingdom of Kiev flourished, making war and trade with their southern neighbors the Byzantine Empire. In 988, the ruler of Kiev, Vladimar proposed a military alliance with the Byzantine emperor Basil II, and a marriage to the emperor's sister Anna. In return, he agreed to convert to Christianity. The agreement was made, Vladimir was baptized, and when the emperor reneged on the marriage, Vladimir invaded the Crimea. The marriage duly took place and the alliance prospered , immersing the Russian people even more into Byzantine Culture. In time, the Russians would have their own Greek Orthodox Church, with its highly formal and ritualistic way of life. This would have prove to profound effects on the development of Russia later in History.

Ivan the Great
Despite Kiev's growing power, it was a mainly feudal state, with no central government whatsoever. This, along with the ever growing divisions between its population of White Russians, Ukrainians and Great Russians, made it an easy target for conquest by a mighty power which appeared in the twelfth century. The Tatars.

Earlier on in the Twelfth century, a Mongol leader, known as Genghis Khan, united the clans of Mongolia and led them in an epic war against China, overrunning the largest empire on Earth within five years before turning westwards. His successors conquered Russia, and for a time, ruled a colossal empire that stretched from Poland to the Pacific.

Batu, the grandson of Genghis Khan, had conquered his own dominions by the Volga, under the title of the Golden Horde. From then on, Russian Princes paid tribute and allegiance to him.

Kiev never recovered from the blow. Whole sections of Russia were devastated, towns sacked, whole populations enslaved. The connection with Byzantium, Queen city of the East, was severed. However, the Golden horde was primarily concerned about tribute money, and left the Russians alone to their own ways of life.

The Tatars however, mainly controlled Southern Russia. Eventually, the firm Military discipline that held the Tatars together declined over time, and new Russian Principalities in the North began to grow in power. The most famous of these, was Novgorod. The city became center of trade between the north and south. While the Tatars were conquering Kiev, Novgorod, under Alexander Nevski, was already engaged in a series of wars with the Swedes and the Teutonic order in the north for domination of the Baltic.

Another city also managed to throw off the Tatar yoke. The Principality of Moscow, under its king, Ivan the Great (1440-1505), a man of great Genius and vision. He established a despotic government in Moscow, then went on to conquer Novgorod. Ivan expanded Moscovy greatly, quadrupling its size during his reign. In 1472, he married Byzantine Princess Sophia Paleologue, niece of the last Byzantine Emperor. With a simple marriage, Moscow became the heir to Byzantine Imperial Traditions. True independence came for Moscow when in 1480, Ivan claimed to be the true heir to Kiev, renouncing his allegiance to the Golden Horde. To prevent insurrection in annexed territories, Ivan transplanted their ruling classes to Old Muscovy and replaced them with loyal Muscovites.

Well written article about my city, very useful information.

Moscow has a great history and a good back ground of culture and fightings :)

i just know that Moscow is the capital of Russia