Vologda was first mentioned in reliable sources in 1264 as a remote settlement controlled by the Novgorod Republic. Subsequently, it became an important settlement on the trade route connecting Central Russia to the White Sea via the Northern Dvina River, and therefore it was a subject of frequent disputes between Novgorod and the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In the 15th century, it became the seat of the quasi-independent Principality of Vologda, which was most of the time controlled by Moscow and which included the current area of Vologodsky District.