Moscow, Third Rome
Moscow, Third Rome (Russian: Москва — третий Рим, romanized: Moskva — tretiy Rim) is a theological and political concept asserting Moscow as the successor to ancient Rome, carrying forward the legacy of the Roman Empire. The term "Third Rome" refers to a historical topic of debate in European culture originating in Eastern Orthodox circles: the question of the successor city to the "First Rome" (Rome, within the Western Roman Empire) and the "Second Rome" (Constantinople, within the Eastern Roman Empire).