Borovitsky hill is the place where the settlement arose, which later became the basis of the capital of the Moscow state. It is located at the confluence of the Moscow River in the Neglinnaya. In antiquity, it was covered with dense vegetation, mainly coniferous and pine trees. This place has become a haven for several population groups and a number of archaeological cultures.
First stage
In ancient times, Borovitsky hill was originally inhabited by hunters and fishermen (Fatyanovo period). Subsequently, they were replaced by pastoral peoples (Dyakonovsky stage), after which the place became a zone of settlement of the Slavic population itself: Vyatichi and Krivichi. Researchers find the remains of their stay here in the form of barrows. There is an assumption that in the 11th century Borovitsky hill was a settlement with small fortifications, a wooden picket fence, and a moat.
First indication
The place was first mentioned in the annals under 1147 in connection with a feast that Prince Rostov-Suzdal Yuri Dolgoruky arranged for his ally. There is information that after a while he ordered a wooden fortress to be built here. However, there is a point of view that the estate of a certain boyar Kuchka was located here, which was forcibly taken from him and turned into a hereditary princely estate. Favorable geographical location subsequently led to the fact that Borovitsky hill took an important place in the system of defensive structures in the northeastern lands.
Migrations
The period of feudal fragmentation was marked by strife and strife between the princes, from which the simple local population suffered greatly. In search of secluded shelter, they rose from their homes and went to more remote and safe places. It was a fairly powerful migration flow, which led to a new population of the region. Borovitsky Hill in Moscow has also become a place of refuge. Nevertheless, the city that arose in its place often became the object of attacks and looting: for example, in the 11th century the Ryazan prince burned him down, in the 13th century he suffered a terrible devastation as a result of a raid by Batyeva rati.
Topography
Today, here is located Red Square, part of Kitai Gorod. The highest part was called Makowitz, which means the crown of the head. Here is the Cathedral Square with one of the main temple buildings in our country - the patriarchal Assumption Cathedral. Thus, Borovitsky hill became the center of the future capital and the core of the new state. This was largely determined by its advantageous geographical location, rich in natural resources, as well as the protection of this place from raids by nomads and Mongol-Tatars, which attracted many people here during the years of the rule of the Horde yoke. The edge of the hill was called the rookery, or frontal place: from here the kings and patriarchs addressed the people.
Title
The origin of the name "Borovitsky hill" is associated with the peculiarities of its natural and geographical conditions. There is a point of view that he received such a name because he was covered with boron. According to another version, the place was named after the word "Borovitsa", which means the space where the forest or boron is located. Both hypotheses are similar to each other, and the fact that the early buildings here were associated with this name, for example, a church and a monastery, proves the correctness of this assumption. This explains the answer to the question of why Borovitsky hill is so called.
Middle Ages
The further history of this place is connected with the rule of the first Moscow princes who were engaged in its development. Under Ivan Kalit, several churches were founded and built here, and three years before his death, the oak Kremlin. Under his grandson, Dmitry Donskoy, the construction of stone walls around the capital began, which played an important role in protecting the city from the invasion of the Lithuanian prince, the Tatar khan. A new structure was built on the outside of the old walls. The thickness of the new walls ranged from two to three meters. The fortified row also included ditches, embankments. The walls were equipped with loopholes. Under Ivan III, a new construction of the Kremlin structures began, this time from brick. Its construction took about ten years.
New time
In the 17th century, construction on Borovitsky Hill continued again. Here were built churches, belfry, chambers, palaces. The towers were made in a tent style, in this form they have survived to this day. Under the first emperor of Russia, the Arsenal building was erected here, but subsequently, unfortunately, construction was stopped due to the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg. The significance of Borovitsky hill is great not only in the history of the Moscow principality, but also in Russia in general. The fact is that this place has become the core of a single state, becoming the center of the unification of disparate lands and principalities. Favorable strategic and economic importance played a large role in its development and enrichment.