Istra is a town and the administrative center of Istrinsky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Istra River, 40 kilometers (25 mi) west of Moscow, on the Moscow–Riga railway.

Known since the 16th century as the village of Voskresenskoye, it was acquired by Patriarch Nikon to serve the needs of the neighbouring Voskresensky (Resurrection) Monastery. By 1781, the village had grown into the town of Voskresensk and become the seat of an uyezd.

In 1930, the town was renamed Istra (after the river which flows through it) in order to avoid the old name's religious connotations. As a result of short-term occupation during the Great Patriotic War (from November 25 to December 11 1941), the town was severely damaged. After the war, Istra became a center of research in the area of electrical power engineering.