The district's center, the Khodynka Field, takes its name from the now-filled Khodynka River, a former left tributary of the Moscow River just to the south. During the Time of Troubles in the early 1600s, the field was the site of a battle between the forces of Tsar Vasili IV and those of False Dmitry II. Throughout the 19th century, the field was the site of public celebrations, ending tragically in 1896 when a stampede during festivities for the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II killed 1,389 people. In 1910, the first airplane flight in Russia occurred on the field, and Khodynka Aerodrome was established.
