Tver was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and a model provincial town in the Russian Empire, with a population of 60,000 by 14 January 1913.

In 1246, Alexander Nevsky granted it to his younger brother Yaroslav Yaroslavich (d. 1271), from whom a dynasty of local princes descended.

Formerly a land of woods and bogs, the Principality of Tver was quickly transformed into one of the richest and most populous Russian states.

As the area was hardly accessible for Tatar raids, there was a great influx of population from the recently devastated south.

Mikhail Yaroslavich, the prince of Tver, who ascended the throne of Vladimir in 1305, was one of the most revered medieval Russian rulers.

His son, Dmitry Mikhailovich ("the Terrible Eyes"), succeeded him and, concluding an alliance with the mighty Grand Duchy of Lithuania, managed to raise Tver's prestige even higher.

Exasperated by Dmitry's influence, Ivan Kalita, the prince of Moscow, engineered his murder by the Mongols in 1326.

Two senior branches of the ruling house, those of Kashin and Kholmsky, asserted their claims to the grand princely throne.

During the Great Feudal War in the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Tver again rose to prominence and concluded defensive alliances with Lithuania, Novgorod, Byzantium, and the Golden Horde.

On 12 September 1485, the forces of Ivan III seized the city, leading to it to be formally annexed by Moscow.

The only remnant of his ephemeral reign is a graceful tent-like church in the village of Kushalino, 28 kilometres (17 mi) northeast of Tver.

With the foundation of St. Petersburg, Tver gained importance as a principal station on the highway (and later railway) en route from Moscow.

[17] An architect designed the Cathedral of Christ and houses on the waterfront and in the city center (30 buildings), and rebuilt the summer palace.

Writer and historian Nikolay Karamzin read excerpts from his History of the Russian State to Alexander.

The structure consists of the mayor (since 2017 – Alexey Ogonkov), his deputies, industry bodies (departments of architecture and construction, housing and communal services, health and social policy, property management and land resources; economy, investment and industrial policy, a number of departments and divisions), as well as the administration of the four districts: Zavolzhsky, Moskovsky, Proletarsky and Tsentralny.

On 7 June deputies were able to hold the first meeting, and on 14 June Valery Matitsyn was elected a speaker (later this post was held by Valery Pavlov, Victor Pochtaryov, Dmitry Bazhenov, Igor Serdyuk, Andrei Borisenko, Lyudmila Polosina, Vladimir Babichev).

In 2007, 12 former deputies (including the former chairman of the Duma Victor Pochtaryov) were convicted of taking bribes for decisions in favor of Rosvodokanal and other utilities.

On 2 December 2007 when he was supported by the pro-government party United Russia, he was re-elected for a second term, receiving more than 70 % of the vote.

On 11 April 2008 he was suspended by the Tsentralny District Court in connection with a criminal case opened in 2005, closed in 2006 and renewed by the Prosecutor General of Russia in March 2008 (Lebedev was accused of hindering the work of the investigation against his deputy Oleg Kudryashov).

On 2 May Oleg Lebedev was reinstated, and on 3 June, again dismissed, and on 25 June he was taken into custody and transported to Kashin, where he was convicted by visiting college of Tver Regional Court jury to eighteen years’ imprisonment, which automatically meant the termination of his powers.

On 29 March 2012 the Tver City Duma (25 for, 4 against) appointed Valery Pavlov to the post of Head of the Administration.

On 22 September 2016, immediately after Igor Rudenya assumed the post of governor, Timofeev resigned and Alexey Ogonkov, who claimed this position in 2014, became acting Mayor.

[25] The primary Tver Railway Station has a locomotive and car shed, allowing it to service both passenger and cargo trains.

The newly designed high-speed railway line between Moscow and St Petersburg is expected to have a "New Tver'" station several kilometres southward of the city border.

The new highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg, that is designed at the present time, will pass close to the northern border of Tver.

On August 7, 2019, all car drivers, as well as track fitters and support staff of the trams, left by "mutual agreement".

During the first quarter of 2020, local authorities plan to introduce a new transport model, which implies the elimination of trolleybus traffic and the duplication of its routes with buses.

Winters are long, snowy and cold, but extremely severe frosts (below −35 °C (−31 °F)) are rare, less than 10 calendar days per annum.

Ascension Cathedral, built in the 1750s, is in the historic centre of the city on Tverskoy Avenue and has the status of an episcopal monastery.

Preserved Assumption Cathedral 18th century pre-existing Otroch monastery is in Trans-Volga district, near the mouth of Tvertsa river.