Who Founded Moscow: History, Myths, and the True Year of Its Origin

Moscow is the largest business, cultural, and political center of Russia—a city with a centuries-old history. The question of who founded Moscow and the year Moscow was founded still sparks debate among historians today. The official version names one date, but archaeological discoveries and alternative sources suggest other versions of the capital’s origins.

Official version: the year Moscow was founded

According to the generally accepted version, the year Moscow was founded is 1147. This date comes from the Ipatiev Chronicle, which describes a meeting between the Rostov-Suzdal prince Yuri Dolgoruky and his ally, the Severian prince Sviatoslav Olgovich. The meeting took place on April 4, 1147, on a Friday of the fifth week of Great Lent. The chronicle states: “Come to me, brother, to Moscow.” Prince Yuri invited his ally to a “hearty feast,” which indicates the importance of this place. However, it is important to understand that the chronicle records not the moment the city was founded, but only its first written mention.

Yuri Dolgoruky — the founder of Moscow

Who founded Moscow according to the official version? Prince Yuri Dolgoruky is considered the founder of the capital. According to legend, he ordered the construction of a wooden fortress on lands belonging to the boyar Stepan Kuchka. According to chronicle sources, Dolgoruky did not get along with Kuchka and eventually ordered his execution, taking the lands for himself. Construction of the fortress began in 1156 on Borovitsky Hill, which was covered with dense forest. The city was named after the Moscow River on whose bank it stood. Its advantageous geographic position at the crossroads of trade routes contributed to the rapid development of the settlement.

Moscow before Yuri Dolgoruky: archaeological evidence

Modern archaeological research shows that people settled in the area of present-day Moscow long before the twelfth century. Excavations have uncovered a cultural layer more than six meters thick, containing remnants of ancient fortifications, dwellings, roadways, and burial grounds.

Ancient settlements on the site of the capital

Archaeologists have identified three major settlements: — on a hill by the Neglinnaya River — at the confluence of the Yauza River with the Golden Horn stream — on the right bank of the Moscow River Radiocarbon analysis has shown that the earliest fortifications in the southwestern part of the Kremlin were built at the turn of the eleventh–twelfth centuries—that is, half a century before the first chronicle mention. The discovered artifacts—a lead seal of the Kyiv metropolitan from the late eleventh century and Arab coins from the ninth century—indicate well-developed trade connections of the local population.

Alternative versions of the capital’s foundation

In addition to the official version involving Yuri Dolgoruky, there are other theories about who founded Moscow.

Prince Oleg — the earliest version

Until the twentieth century, it was officially believed in the Russian Empire that Moscow was founded by Prince Oleg the Seer in 880. This date is recorded in the “Chronograph of Pachomius,” compiled in the seventeenth century, and in the works of the historian Timofey Malgin. During the reign of Empress Catherine II, a commemorative medal was minted with the inscription “Oleg founded Moscow in 880.” According to this version, the year Moscow was founded is moved back 267 years from the official date. However, in Soviet times this version was rejected in favor of the information from the Ipatiev Chronicle.

Biblical version: the grandson of Noah

Medieval European historians linked the origin of Moscow with the biblical Mosoch, a grandson of Noah. According to legend, after the Great Flood, Mosoch came to the northern lands and founded a city named after him. This legend was widespread in Russia until the eighteenth century. Historians Vasily Tatishchev and Mikhail Lomonosov rejected this theory, finding no confirmation of it in reliable sources.

The origin of the name “Moscow”

The question of the origin of the city’s name is closely connected with the question of who founded Moscow. There are several scholarly hypotheses: Baltic version: from the words “mask-ava,” where “mask” means “swamp” and “ava” means “water,” resulting in “swampy river.” Slavic version: from the Old Russian word “mosk,” associated with the concepts of “moisture” and “bog.” From the same root come the words “moshka” (gnat) and “chilly.” Sanskrit version: various interpretations include meanings such as “land of the moon,” “place of nocturnal festivities,” or “forge.” It is most likely that the city was named after the river, not the other way around, as this corresponds to the ancient Rus’ tradition of naming settlements.

Moscow in the twelfth–thirteenth centuries

By the time of its first chronicle mention in 1147, Moscow was a developed center of trade and crafts. Excavations in the Zaryadye area have uncovered the remains of a posad—a district inhabited by craftsmen and merchants. Finds of ceramics, jewelry, and metal tools confirm the high level of urban economic development. In 1237, the chronicle first mentions the devastation of Moscow by the troops of Khan Batu, which proves that by that time the city was already a significant settlement with developed infrastructure.

Conclusion

The questions of who founded Moscow and the year Moscow was founded remain subjects of scholarly debate. The officially recognized date—1147—marks only the time of the city’s first written mention, not its actual foundation. Archaeological evidence indicates the existence of settlements in this area long before the twelfth century. Prince Yuri Dolgoruky entered history as the founder of Moscow, although it is most likely that he merely fortified an already existing settlement and granted it city status. Alternative versions involving Prince Oleg and the biblical Mosoch, while intriguing, lack sufficient historical evidence. Regardless of disputes over the exact founding date, Moscow remains a city with an extraordinarily rich history, having lived through many eras and grown into one of the world’s largest megacities.