With a turmoiled history that is lost in the mist of the old ages, Moscow carries its heritage over several millennia. Archaeologists have discovered traces of human settlements that date from 3000 BC; nevertheless it was after 500 AD that the kernel of the future Moscow started to take shape. Most of the early history of the place is dominated by the arrival of the Slavic tribes in the area; they imposed their language, customs and culture, creating the premises for the formation of a nation. It was only six centuries later, in 1147, that Moscow received documentary attestation as a town, being mentioned by one of the oldest manuscripts yet discovered.

Trade and industry brought an accelerated development to Moscow during the 14 th and 15 th century, and it was during the reign of Ivan III that the city was proclaimed the capital of Russia. The so very famous Kremlin dates from this period, being considered a landmark of the epoch as it is still seen today. Greater architectural plans, more outer fortifications, higher living standards and a remarkable growth of the Russian culture: these were the main achievements of the era. The 17 th century brought troubled times for Moscow, with the Russian-Polish open conflict and the occupation of the city by the Poles.

The French invasion led by Napoleon Bonaparte is probably the most widely debated episode in the Russian history; the plan of the French was to capture the main Russian cities and the ultimate goal was that of destroying Moscow as the very heart of Russia. Though Napoleon was victorious in the battle for Moscow, victory had a bitter taste as the inhabitants had already burnt the city down living next to nothing in the way of the French troops. Hunger and a lousy troop morale brought the retreat of the conquerors, and soon the Muscovites took control over the city again.

Though the 19 th century is generally seen as the golden age of the Russian culture, it was towards the closing of the millennium that Karl Marx's communistic ideology became a hot issue in Moscow. It inflamed spirits and triggered a revolutionary reaction that resulted in several rebellions, culminating with the “Great October” or “October Red” Revolution in 1917. Lenin took control of the country and for the first time in centuries, Russia was no longer a monarchy. With the installation of the communist headquarters in Moscow, the city started to attract lots of people from the rural areas, luring them with the promise of a new life; they became the workers on which the entire Soviet Union relied.

After the fall of the communist regime, the strenuous process of opening towards the West finally started, and it is still going on today.