Composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhail Matusovsky wrote the song in 1955 under the title "Leningrad Nights".
The group introduced the song with its original Russian lyrics to the American mainstream audience during the Cold War era of strained relations between the U.S. and the USSR.
[6] A version of the song was recorded by James Last and appears on his Russland zwischen Tag und Nacht album.
"[8] In 2015, the Massed Bands of the Moscow Garrison, under the direction of Lieutenant General Valery Khalilov, performed a march arrangement of the song during the march past of foreign contingents (specifically those from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) in the Moscow Victory Day Parade that year.
The melody of "Moscow Nights" by Solovyov-Sedoi resembles the famous 1897 song "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" by Paul Dresser.