| 1147 |
Prince Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky builds a kremlin and defensive walls |
| 1237-8 |
The Mongols under Batu Khan burned the fortress to the ground. |
| 1240 |
Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod defeats the Swedes and rules as Grand Prince of Vladimir from 1252-1263 |
| 1272 |
Prince Daniel, son of Alexander Nevsky arrives from Novgorod and governs from a wooden fortress. |
| 1299 |
The metropolitan flees Kiev and sets up residence with the grand prince in Vladimir. |
| 1325-1340 |
Ivan I, or Ivan Kalita (the Moneybags,) son of Prince Daniel chooses Moscow as his residence after being named Grand Prince. He starts a major building program in the Kremlin. |
| 1339 |
The metropolitan of Kiev moves the seat of the Orthodox Church from Vladimir to Moscow. |
| 1353-1359 |
Ivan II reigns as Grand Prince. |
| 1362-1389 |
Dmitri Donskoy orders white limestone walls built around the Kremlin fortress to help it withstand cannon fire. |
| 1367 |
The Kitai Gorod Walls are constructed. |
| 1380 |
Dmitri Donskoy defeats Mongols at the Battle of Kulikovo. |
| 1382 |
Mongols invade again and destroy the city, killing half the population. |
| 1389-1425 |
Vasily I reigns as Grand Prince. |
| 1425-1460 |
Vasily II reigns as Grand Prince. |
| 1460-1505 |
Ivan III (Ivan the Great) reigns as Grand Prince. He rebuilds the Kremlin, adopts the double eagle crest, annexes Novgorod, refuses to pay tribute to the Mongols and defeats their armies. |
| 1460,1465,1472,1480 |
Mongol invasions. |
| 1495-1519 |
Kremlin walls, towers and moats are constructed of brick by various Italian and unknown architects. |
| 1505-1533 |
Vasily III, rules as Grand Prince. He is father of Ivan the Terrible and finishes some of the Kremlin buildings started by his father. |
| 1533-1584 |
Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible, crowns himself Tsar of All Russia in 1547, organizes the Oprichniki or special bodyguard to prosecute Boyars. He defeats the Mongols in the far eastern territories. He orders the construction of the Cathedral of Intercession on the Moat, later called St. Basil's. |
| 1534-1538 |
A wall of white stone is constructed around the area known as Kitai Gorod under the supervision of Petrok Maly or Pyotr the Younger, an Italian architect. |
| 1584-1598 |
Fyodor I, son of Ivan IV rules as tsar but the country is effectively led by his brother in law, Boris Godunov. |
| 1598-1605 |
Boris Godunov rules as tsar during the period known as the Time of Troubles. |
| 1605-1613 |
Continuation of the Time of Troubles during which two false Dmitris claim the throne, and Lithuanian-Polish armies invade and claim the throne for the second False Dmitri. |
| 1612 |
Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitri Pozharsky retake the Kremlin from Polish invaders. |
