In the historical center of the capital there is the most recognizable architectural structure in Russia - the Moscow Kremlin. The main feature of the architectural ensemble is its strengthening complex, consisting of walls in the form of a triangle with twenty towers.
The complex was built between 1485 and 1499 and is well preserved to this day. Several times it served as a model for similar fortresses that appeared in other cities of Russia - Kazan, Tula, Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod, etc. Within the walls of the Kremlin there are numerous religious and secular buildings - cathedrals, palaces and administrative buildings of different eras. The Kremlin was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990. Together with the adjoining Red Square, which is on this list, the Kremlin is generally considered to be Moscow's main attraction.
Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin
The architectural ensemble is formed by three temples, in the center there is Assumption Cathedral... The history of the cathedral began in 1475. It is the oldest fully preserved building among all the Kremlin buildings.
Initially, the construction took place in 1326-1327 under the leadership of Ivan I. After the completion of the construction, the cathedral served as the home church of the Metropolitan of Moscow, who settled in the predecessor of the current Patriarchal Palace.
By 1472, the now ruined cathedral was destroyed, and then a new building was built in its place. However, it collapsed in May 1474, possibly due to an earthquake or due to errors in construction. A new attempt at revival was made by the Grand Duke Ivan III. It was in this cathedral that prayers were held before important campaigns, kings were crowned and elevated to the dignity of patriarchs.
Cathedral of the Archangel dedicated to Archangel Michael, patron saint of Russian rulers, was built in 1505 on the site of the church of the same name in 1333 It was built by the Italian architect Aloisio Lamberti da Montignana. The architectural style combines traditional Old Russian religious architecture and elements of the Italian Renaissance.
Blagoveshchensky cathedral located at the southwest corner of the square. In 1291 a wooden church was built here, but a century later it burned down and was replaced by a stone church. The white stone cathedral has nine onion domes on its facades and is intended for family ceremonies.
Working hours of cathedrals: 10:00 to 17:00 (closed on Thursday). A single ticket for visits will cost 500 rubles for adults and 250 rubles for children.
Palaces and squares of the Moscow Kremlin
- Grand Kremlin Palace - these are several representative secular buildings, created in different centuries and served as a home for Russian grand dukes and tsars, and in our time for presidents.
- Terem Palace - a five-story building, decorated with rich carved decorative frames and a tiled roof.
- Patriarchal Palace - the building of the 17th century, has preserved the rare architectural features of civil architecture of that time. The museum presents jewelry, exquisite dishes, paintings, items of the royal hunt. The magnificent iconostasis of the Ascension Monastery, destroyed in 1929, has survived.
- Senate Palace - a three-storey building made in the early neoclassical style. Initially, the palace was supposed to serve as the residence of the Senate, but nowadays it exists as the central working representation of the President of Russia.
Among the popular places in the Moscow Kremlin, the following squares should be noted:
Moscow Kremlin towers
The walls are 2235 meters long, their maximum height is 19 meters, and the thickness reaches 6.5 meters.
There are 20 defensive towers that are similar in architectural style. Three corner towers have a cylindrical base, the other 17 are quadrangular.
Trinity Tower is the tallest, rising 80 meters high.
Lowest - Kutafya tower (13.5 meters) located outside the wall.
Four towers have access gates:
The tops of these 4 towers, which are considered particularly beautiful, are decorated with the symbolic red ruby stars of the Soviet era.
The clock on the Spasskaya Tower first appeared in the 15th century, but burned down in 1656. On December 9, 1706, the capital heard the chimes for the first time, which announced a new hour. Since then, many events have happened: wars were fought, cities were renamed, capitals changed, but the famous chimes of the Moscow Kremlin remain the main chronometer of Russia.
Ivan the Great belltower
The bell tower (81 meters high) is the tallest building in the Kremlin ensemble. It was built between 1505 and 1508 and still serves its function for three cathedrals that do not have their own bell towers - Arkhangelsk, Assumption and Annunciation.
Nearby there is a small church of St. John, where the name of the bell tower and the square came from. It existed until the beginning of the 16th century, then collapsed and since then has significantly decayed.
Faceted Chamber
The Faceted Chamber is the main banquet hall of the Moscow princes; it is the oldest surviving secular building in the city. It is currently the official ceremonial hall for the President of Russia, so it is closed for excursions.
The Armory and the Diamond Fund
The chamber was built by decree of Peter I to keep weapons obtained in wars. Construction dragged on, starting in 1702 and ending only in 1736 due to financial difficulties. In 1812 the chamber was blown up in the war against Napoleon, it was reconstructed only in 1828. Now the Armory is a museum, which can be visited any day of the week from 10:00 to 18:00, except Thursday. The ticket price for adults is 700 rubles, for children it is free.
Here are not only the exhibits of the arms trade, but also the Diamond Fund. The permanent exhibition of the State Diamond Fund first opened in the Moscow Kremlin in 1967. Unique jewelry and precious stones are especially valuable here, most of them were confiscated after the October Revolution. Opening hours - from 10:00 to 17:20 on any day except Thursday. You will have to pay 500 rubles for a ticket for adults, 100 rubles for a ticket for children.
Two diamonds on display deserve special attention, as they belong to the most famous examples of this gem in the world:
- Diamond "Orlov" in the scepter of Catherine II.
- Diamond "Shah", which Tsar Nicholas I received in 1829 from Persia.
We advise you to look at the Kolomna Kremlin.
10 interesting facts about the Moscow Kremlin
- It is not only the largest medieval fortress in Russia, but also the largest active fortress in all of Europe. Of course, there were more such structures, but the Moscow Kremlin is the only one still in use.
- The Kremlin walls were white. The walls acquired their red brick at the end of the 19th century. To see the White Kremlin, look for works by 18th or 19th century artists such as Pyotr Vereshchagin or Alexei Savrasov.
- Red Square has nothing to do with red. The name comes from the Old Russian word for "red", which means beautiful, and has nothing to do with the color of buildings that we now know were white until the late 19th century.
- The stars of the Moscow Kremlin were eagles. During the time of Tsarist Russia, the four Kremlin towers were crowned with double-headed eagles, which have been the Russian coat of arms since the 15th century. In 1935, the Soviet government replaced the eagles, which were melted down and replaced with the five-pointed stars that we see today. The fifth star on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower was added later.
- The Kremlin towers have names. Of the 20 Kremlin towers, only two do not have their own names.
- The Kremlin is densely built up. Behind the 2235-meter Kremlin walls there are 5 squares and 18 buildings, among which the most popular are the Spasskaya Tower, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the Assumption Cathedral, the Trinity Tower and the Terem Palace.
- The Moscow Kremlin was practically not damaged in the Second World War. During the war, the Kremlin was carefully camouflaged to look like a residential building block. The domes of the church and the famous green towers were painted gray and brown, respectively, fake doors and windows were attached to the walls of the Kremlin, and Red Square was burdened with wooden structures.
- The Kremlin is in the Guinness Book of Records. In the Moscow Kremlin, you can see the world's largest bell and the world's largest cannon. In 1735, a 6.14 meter bell was made from metal casting, the Tsar Cannon weighing 39.312 tons was lost in 1586 and was never used in the war.
- The stars of the Kremlin always shine. In 80 years of its existence, the lighting of the Kremlin stars was turned off only twice. The first time was during World War II when the Kremlin was disguised to hide it from bombers. The second time they were disabled for the movie. Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov filmed the scene for the Siberian Barber.
- The Kremlin clock has a deep secret. The secret of the accuracy of the Kremlin clock literally lies under our feet. The clock is connected to the control clock at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute via a cable.
