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People have lived in Moscow for over two thousand years, but the origin of the name is unknown. Some think that it is derived from the ancient Finnish language of Vikings who lived in the area early in the Christian era. It is not recorded in written form until the 12th century. In the 13th century Mongol invaders destroyed Moscow, but it was rebuilt and gradually became an important regional center of political power. In 1380 Prince Dmitri Donskoi of Moscow led a combined Russian army to victory over the Mongol armies in the Battle of Kulikovo. In succeeding centuries Moscow gradually became the center of Russian political power. The Mongols returned in the 16th century to destroy all of Moscow save the Kremlin. In the 17th century first a Swedish and then a Polish-Lithuanian army invaded. In the 18th century St. Petersburg became the capital of Russia, but Moscow remained an important regional center. In the 19th century Napoleon invaded and the city was destroyed. After the Revolution of 1917 Moscow became the capital of the Soviet Union. During the Second World War Moscow was extensively damaged. In 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow became the capital of the Russian Federation.
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