The history of Russia begins with the histories of the East Slavs.[1] [2] The traditional start-date of specifically Russian history is the establishment of the Rus' state in the north in 862, ruled by Varangians

The history of Russia begins with the histories of the East Slavs.[1] [2] The traditional start-date of specifically Russian history is the establishment of the Rus' state in the north in 862, ruled by Varangians.[3] [4] Staraya Ladoga and Novgorod became the first major cities of the new union of immigrants from Scandinavia with the Slavs and Finns. In 882, Prince Oleg of Novgorod seized Kiev, thereby uniting the northern and southern lands of the Eastern Slavs under one authority, moving the governance center to Kiev by the end of the 10th century, and maintaining northern and southern parts with significant autonomy from each other. The state adopted Christianity from the Byzantine Empire in 988, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. Kievan Rus' ultimately disintegrated as a state due to the Mongol invasions in 1237–1240 along with the resulting deaths of significant numbers of the population, and with the numerous principalities being forced to accept the overlordship of the Mongols.
After the 13th century, Moscow became a political and cultural magnet for the unification of Russian lands. By the end of the 15th century, many of the petty principalities around Moscow had been united with the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The Grand Duchy stopped paying tribute to the Mongols in 1480 and took full control of its own sovereignty under Ivan the Great, who began styling himself "Tsar". Ivan the Terrible, the grandson of Ivan the Great, transformed the Grand Duchy of Moscow into the Tsardom of Russia in 1547. However, the death of Ivan's son Feodor I without issue in 1598 created a succession crisis and led Russia into a period of anarchy and civil war known as the Time of Troubles. Russia emerged from the Time of Troubles on the coronation of Michael Romanov as the first Tsar of the Romanov dynasty in 1613. During the rest of the seventeenth century, Russia completed the exploration and conquest of Siberia, claiming lands as far as the Pacific Ocean by the end of the century. Domestically, Russia faced numerous uprisings of the various ethnic groups under their control, as exemplified by the Cossack leader Stenka Razin, who led a revolt in 1670–1671.

In 1721, in the wake of the Great Northern War, Tsar Peter the Great renamed the state as the Russian Empire, he's also noted for establishing St. Petersburg as the new capital of his Empire, and for his introducing Western European culture to Russia. Peter's death without a direct male heir left a confused succession, and a number of different relatives served as Emperor or Empress for the next several decades. In 1762, Russia came under the control of Catherine the Great, a German princess who was famous for her use of court intrigue to consolidate her power; she continued the westernizing policies of Peter the Great, and ushered in the era of the Russian Enlightenment. Catherine's grandson, Alexander I, repulsed an invasion by the French Emperor Napoleon, leading Russia into the status of one of the great powers of Europe. Peasant revolts intensified during the nineteenth century, culminating with Alexander II abolishing Russian serfdom in 1861. In the following decades, reform efforts such as the Stolypin reforms of 1906–1914, the constitution of 1906, and the State Duma (1906–1917) attempted to open and liberalize the economy and political system, but the emperors refused to relinquish autocratic rule and resisted sharing his power.

A combination of economic breakdown, mismanagement over Russia's involvement in World War I, and discontent with the autocratic system of government triggered the Russian Revolution in 1917. The overthrow of the monarchy initially brought into office a coalition of liberals and moderate socialists, but their failed policies led to October Revolution by the communist Bolsheviks on 25 October 1917 (7 November New Style). In 1922, Soviet Russia, along with Soviet Ukraine, Soviet Belarus, and the Transcaucasian SFSR signed the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR, officially merging all four republics to form the Soviet Union as a country. Between 1922 and 1991 the history of Russia became essentially the history of the Soviet Union, effectively an ideologically based state roughly conterminous with the Russian Empire before the 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. From its first years, government in the Soviet Union-based itself on the one-party rule of the Communists, as the Bolsheviks called themselves, beginning in March 1918. The approach to the building of socialism, however, varied over different periods in Soviet history: from the mixed economy and diverse society and culture of the 1920s through the command economy and repressions of the Joseph Stalin era to the "era of stagnation" from the 1960s to the 1980s. During this period, the Soviet Union was one of the victors in World War II after recovering from a massive surprise invasion in 1941 by Nazi Germany, who had previously signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union. It became a superpower competing with fellow new superpower the United States and other Western countries in the Cold War. The USSR was successful with its space program, launching the first artificial satellite and first man into space.

By the mid-1980s, with the weaknesses of Soviet economic and political structures becoming acute, Mikhail Gorbachev embarked on major reforms, which eventually led to overthrow of the communist party and dissolution of the Soviet Union, leaving Russia again on its own and marking the start of the history of post-Soviet Russia. The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic renamed itself as the Russian Federation and became one of the several successors to the Soviet Union.[5] The Russian Federation was the only post-soviet republic to assume the USSR's permanent membership in the UN Security Council.[6] Later on, Russia inherited the Soviet Union's entire nuclear arsenal in 1994 after signing the Budapest Memorandum. Russia retained its nuclear arsenal but lost its superpower status. Scrapping the socialist central planning and state-ownership of property of the socialist era, new leaders, led by President Vladimir Putin took political and economic power after 2000 and engaged in an assertive foreign policy. Coupled with economic growth, Russia has since regained significant global status as a world power. Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula led to economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine led to massive sanctions designed to permanently weaken the modern sector of the economy. Under Putin's leadership, corruption in Russia is rated as the worst in Europe, and Russia's human rights situation has been increasingly criticized by international observers.

Russia (Russian: Россия, Rossiya, [rɐˈsʲijə]), or the Russian Federation,[c] is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering 17,098,246 square kilometres (6,601,670 sq mi), and encompassing one-eighth of Earth's inhabitable landmass. Russia extends across eleven time zones and shares land boundaries with fourteen countries,[16] more than any other country but China.[d] It is the world's ninth-most populous country and Europe's most populous country, with a population of 146 million people. The country's capital and largest city is Moscow, the largest city entirely within Europe. Saint Petersburg is Russia's cultural centre and second-largest city. Other major urban areas include Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Kazan.

Moscow (/ˈmɒskoʊ/ MOS-koh, US chiefly /ˈmɒskaʊ/ MOS-kow;[10][11] Russian: Москва, tr. Moskva, IPA: [mɐskˈva] (listen)) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million residents within the city limits,[5] over 17 million residents in the urban area,[12] and over 20 million residents in the metropolitan area.[13] The city covers an area of 2,511 square kilometers (970 sq mi), while the urban area covers 5,891 square kilometers (2,275 sq mi),[12] and the metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 sq mi).[13] Moscow is among the world's largest cities; being the most populous city entirely in Europe, the largest urban and metropolitan area in Europe,[12][13] and the largest city by land area on the European continent.[14]

First documented in 1147, Moscow grew to become a prosperous and powerful city that served as the capital of the Grand Duchy that bears its name. When the Grand Duchy of Moscow evolved into the Tsardom of Russia, Moscow remained the political and economic center for most of the Tsardom's history. When the Tsardom was reformed into the Russian Empire, the capital was moved from Moscow to Saint Petersburg diminishing the influence of the city. The capital was then moved back to Moscow following the October Revolution and the city was brought back as the political center of the Russian SFSR and then the Soviet Union.[15] In the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Moscow remained the capital city of the contemporary and newly established Russian Federation.

The northernmost and coldest megacity in the world, with a history that spans eight centuries, Moscow is governed as a federal city (since 1993)[16] that serves as the political, economic, cultural, and scientific center of Russia and Eastern Europe. As an alpha world city,[17] Moscow has one of the world's largest urban economies.[18] The city is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the world,[19] and is one of Europe's most visited cities. Moscow is home to the seventh-highest number of billionaires of any city in the world.[20] The Moscow International Business Center is one of the largest financial centers in Europe and the world, and features the majority of Europe's tallest skyscrapers. Moscow was the host city of the 1980 Summer Olympics, and one of the host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[21]
As the historic core of Russia, Moscow serves as the home of numerous Russian artists, scientists, and sports figures due to the presence of its various museums, academic and political institutions, and theaters. The city is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is well known for its display of Russian architecture, particularly its historic Red Square, and buildings such as the Saint Basil's Cathedral and the Moscow Kremlin, of which the latter serves as the seat of power of the Government of Russia. Moscow is home to many Russian companies in numerous industries and is served by a comprehensive transit network, which includes four international airports, ten railway terminals, a tram system, a monorail system, and most notably the Moscow Metro, the busiest metro system in Europe, and one of the largest rapid transit systems in the world. The city has over 40 percent of its territory covered by greenery, making it one of the greenest cities in Europe and the world.[14][22] Moscow, Russian Moskva, city, capital of Russia, located in the far western part of the country. Since it was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1147, Moscow has played a vital role in Russian history. It became the capital of Muscovy (the Grand Principality of Moscow) in the late 13th century; hence, the people of Moscow are known as Muscovites. Today Moscow is not only the political centre of Russia but also the country’s most populous city and its industrial, cultural, scientific, and educational capital. For more than 600 years Moscow also has been the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) until the union dissolved in 1991, Moscow attracted world attention as a centre of communist power; indeed, the name of the seat of the former Soviet government and the successor Russian government, the Kremlin (Russian: Kreml), was a synonym for Soviet authority. The dissolution of the U.S.S.R. brought tremendous economic and political change, along with a significant concentration of Russia’s wealth, into Moscow. Area 414 square miles (1,035 square km). Pop. (2010) city, 11,738,547; (2020 est.) city, 12,678,079.

The first written record of Moscow goes back to 1147. It was then that the first fortifications began to appear on the site of the present-day Kremlin. Later on the Kremlin was rebuilt many times involving the erection of magnificent monasteries, cathedrals and palaces. During the reign of the Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy in 2nd half of 14th century original wooden walls were replaced by first white stone walls. A century later, under Ivan III of Russia (Ivan the Great) they were dismantled and new burnt-brick walls were erected instead. Accession of new lands at that time demarcated the territory of the Kremlin as it is today. Another reconstruction during late 17th century finalized the Kremlin ensemble. The Patriotic war of 1812 caused severe damage to the Kremlin. While retreating the French army blew up several buildings and towers. It took more than two decades to complete the restoration. The Kremlin was badly damaged again during the armed uprising in Moscow during October-November 1917. The detachments of junior officers located there came under the artillery attack.

In March 1918 the Kremlin housed the Soviet government as the capital was moved to Moscow. During 1920s - 1960s the architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin suffered great destruction involving demolishing of the monument to Grand Prince Sergey Alexandrovich and Emperor Alexander II, the chapel of Spasskaya (Saviour), Nikolskaya (Nicholas) and Borovitskaya towers, the Church of St. Constantine and Helen, the Chudov Monastery and the Ascension Convent, the Small Nicholas (Nikolayevsky) Palace, the Church of the Annunciation, the Cathedral of the Savior in the Pine Forest, and the Old Armory.

In 1991 the Kremlin became the residence of the President of Russia und underwent repairs between 1990s - 2000s. In 2016, the 14th building of the Kremlin, erected on the site of the former Small Nicholas Palace, the Chudov Monastery and the Ascension Convent, was dismantled. The project of restoration of destroyed buildings was put forward, however it was officially abandoned in 2017. At present, "archaeological windows" available for public in the area showcase remaining foundations of the Small Nicholas Palace and the Chudov Monastery.

The collection presents studies of the late 19th - early 20th cc., which cast light on the history of the Moscow Kremlin and its sights; archival materials, which spotlight the restoration of the Kremlin buildings in the Russian Empire; plans and technical drawings, including those that documented how the Kremlin was destroyed in 1812; along with albums, photographs and postcards with views of the Kremlin and Red Square covering different periods.