Russia's Old Capital, from an Italian Brush           NYPL, Slavic and Baltic Division

	Inside the Palace of Facets NYPL, Slavic and Baltic Division

Although settlement of the area around Moscow dates back to prehistoric times, the historical record of Moscow extends back to 1147, when it is mentioned in one of the earliest written chronicles. The building of the Moscow Kremlin (in Russian, any fortified citadel) began in 1156, when Prince Iurii Dolgorukii of Kiev (1090–1157) laid the foundation of the city by erecting a wooden wall to surround his quarters. Three fires and military attacks necessitated the repeated rebuilding of the citadel. Despite the destruction wrought by successive Mongol sacks during the 13th century, Moscow's favorable geographical location for trade, and its relatively good soils, helped it bounce back quickly. In the 14th century, Grand Duke Dmitrii (Donskoi) (r. 1359–89) ordered that the Kremlin wall be rebuilt in stone. In the next century, Ivan III (r. 1462–1505) invited Italian architects to erect cathedrals in the courtyard, and their onion domes became visible over the Kremlin wall. Another plan merged two rivers, the Moscow and the Neglinnaia, to create a moat around the Kremlin.