The architectural ensemble of the Kremlin and its architects. “The earth, as you know, begins from the Kremlin

The Kremlin is the oldest part of Moscow, the main socio-political, historical and artistic complex of the center of the capital, the seat of the highest government bodies of the country.

The walls and towers were built in 1485 – 1495. made of red brick with internal backfilling made of cobblestones and white stones with lime mortar. Since their craftsmen did not have sufficient knowledge to produce buildings, the Grand Duke of All Rus' Ivan III Vasilyevich, on the advice of his wife Sophia, hired Italian architects: Anton Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi), Marco Fryazin (Marco Ruffo), Peter Fryazin (Pietro Antonio Solari ), Aleviza Fryazin the Old (Aloisio da Carcano) led by Aristotle Fioravanti. These are not brothers or even namesakes. In Rus' at that time, Italians were called “fryags” or “fryazins”.

It should be assumed that some of the Kremlin towers were built by Russian craftsmen, since their forms bear the character of wooden structures. One must think that our masters could not abandon the forms of wooden towers that they had perfectly mastered, which, as is known, were built in great numbers along the walls surrounding the then city of Moscow, and were distinguished by their enormity, complexity of design and skill in execution. Carpentry skills reached possible perfection in ancient wooden Rus', since their wonderful material and constant, thanks to fires, abundant work greatly contributed to this. And it seems that it is precisely this circumstance that should be attributed to the shape of the current small towers of the Kremlin.

Kremlin walls

Currently, the Kremlin walls stretch over an area of ​​2235 m. As if following the outline of the Kremlin hill, they either descend into the depths or rise to the hill itself, forming an irregular triangle with a length of the southern part of 300 fathoms, the eastern part - 350 fathoms and the western part - 390 fathoms at thickness 3.5 - 6.5 m and height from 5 to 19 m. Along the top of the wall there is a military passage 2 - 4 m wide, laid with square slabs with a slope and stairs at the turn, and in the very thickness of them you can often find corridors. In the past, they housed so-called dungeons, chambers, and pits for criminals. At their inner base there were sheds and cellars for shells and gunpowder. The combat is based on rhythmically alternating arches (“pechura”). On the outside it is covered with 1045 two-horned teeth (the so-called merlons, or “swallowtails”, 2 - 2.5 m high, 65 - 70 cm thick), on the inside - a parapet. On top of the passage there was a wooden gable roof for protection from bad weather (it burned down in 1737).

Along the walls there are 20 towers of various heights, shapes and styles.

Three round corners (Vodovzvodnaya, Beklemishevskaya and Corner Arsenal) protruded far beyond the plane of the walls and were designed for all-round defense.

Six passage towers: Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya, Tainitskaya, Konstantino-Eleninskaya - the most powerful defensive structures, the system of which included diversion arrows, bridgehead towers (the Kutafya Tower has been preserved), stone bastions, and drawbridges. Lowering gratings (gers) were installed in the gate openings. Located in the intervals, 9 blind (without gates) rectangular towers each had 3 - 5 combat tiers with loopholes for frontal and flanking fire, upper platforms with mounted battle loopholes (maschicules) for shelling the enemy at the foot of the tower, hiding-wells and underground rumors to prevent undermining.

From the south and north-west, the approaches to the walls were covered by the Moscow and Neglinnaya rivers, and from the east (from the side of modern Red Square) by a ditch (width 30 m, depth 10 m). The bank of the Moscow River and both edges of the ditch in 1508 - 1516. were reinforced with an additional wall with battlements.

In the 17th century, all towers, except Nikolskaya, were crowned with tents; The drawbridges were replaced with stone arched ones, and a decorative Tsar's Tower was erected on the eastern wall. In the 15th – 18th centuries, clocks were installed on a number of towers (the Kremlin chimes on the Spasskaya Tower have been preserved). In 1707 - 1708, due to the threat of an attack by the Swedes, the Kremlin walls and towers were fortified with bastions, traces of which are preserved at the Middle Arsenal and Armory towers.

CATHEDRAL SQUARE

The Kremlin's Cathedral Square is one of the oldest in Moscow. Its appearance dates back to the beginning of the 14th century. The Assumption, Annunciation and Archangel Cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Faceted Chamber and other monuments of Russian architecture rise on the square. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the area was covered several times with slabs of strong sandstone. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was freed from the accumulated cultural layer, and in the 30s of our century it was paved. In 1955, the asphalt was removed and the original stone surface was restored.

Cathedral Square was the main square of the Kremlin. In ancient times, ceremonial processions took place on it on the occasion of the crowning of kings and the coronation of emperors. They were usually accompanied by magnificent military escorts. Foreign ambassadors were met in front of the Red Porch of the Faceted Chamber. Funeral processions also took place here to the Archangel Cathedral - the tomb of the Moscow great princes and tsars - and the Assumption Cathedral - the burial place of Moscow metropolitans and patriarchs. The uniquely beautiful architectural ensemble of Cathedral Square, picturesque and harmonious, was created by the labor and talent of Russian masters from Moscow, Vladimir, Pskov, and Italian architects.

Built more than 500 years ago, this magnificent ensemble still excites today with the grandeur of its design.

ASSUMPTION CATHEDRAL

The Assumption Cathedral stands on the site of the first stone cathedral in Moscow built by Ivan Kalita in 1326-1327. It, in turn, was preceded by the oldest Moscow churches - a wooden one from the 12th century and a stone one from the 13th century. The Assumption Cathedral was built by the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti, invited by Ivan III. The cathedral was erected in 1475-1479 on the model of the Assumption Cathedral of the 12th century in the ancient Russian city of Vladimir. This emphasized the continuity of Moscow in relation to one of the ancient centers of the Russian land. For four centuries, the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin remained the main temple of Rus', where heirs to the throne were crowned, state acts were announced, metropolitans and patriarchs were elected at church councils, and other solemn ceremonies were performed. The cathedral served as the tomb of Moscow patriarchs and metropolitans. Their tombs line the walls. The main entrance to the temple is located from the cathedral square. The wide staircase ends with a portal of three semicircular arches. The entrance to the building is guarded, as it were, by the Archangel Michael and the Guardian Angel; figures of saints are inscribed in the arches above. Above them is an image of the Virgin and Child. These multicolor frescoes were painted by unknown Russian artists of the 17th century. Inside, the central part of the cathedral is separated from the altar by a five-tiered 17th-century iconostasis, about 16 meters high, covered at the end of the 19th century with chased gilded silver. The iconostasis was made in 1652-1653 by painters of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. In 1682, the icons were damaged by fire and were updated by the royal isographers Kirill Ulanov, Georgy Zinoviev and Tikhon Filatyev. Over the centuries, icons created by Russian painters accumulated in the Assumption Cathedral. The most ancient icon of the cathedral is “St. George” (in front of the iconostasis). During the Patriotic War of 1812, the cathedral was devastated by Napoleonic troops. A chandelier that hangs in the center of the cathedral was forged from some of the silver that was then beaten off by the Russian Cossacks. The oldest monument of applied art in the cathedral is its southern doors (brought to Moscow from the Suzdal Cathedral, dating back to the beginning of the 15th century), on which 20 images on biblical themes are painted in gold over black varnish.

BLAGOVESHCHENSKY CATHEDRAL

In the southwestern part of Cathedral Square there is an elegant nine-domed Annunciation Cathedral with golden domes. The cathedral was built in 1484-1489 by Pskov craftsmen as the house fortress of the Grand Duke of Moscow. Initially, the temple was small and crowned with three domes. In the 60s of the 16th century, four single-domed churches (altars) were erected above the galleries of the cathedral and two false ones - thus, the cathedral turned into a nine-domed structure. In the 70s of the 16th century, a porch with a high white stone porch was built for Ivan the Terrible. The cathedral was connected to the palace by a special passage. During ceremonies held on Cathedral Square, the temple served as the grand exit from the palace for the prince (later the tsar) and his retinue. The cathedral was built in the traditions of early Moscow architecture. But since it was built by Pskovites, then, naturally, there are features of Pskov architecture: an octagon under the central drum, original belts on the heads and many other decorative elements. There are two entrances with high porches leading to the temple from the square. They enter the cathedral through the northern porch and find themselves in a gallery, the walls of which are painted with frescoes on biblical themes (“The Miracle of the Prophet Jonah,” “He Rejoices in You,” “The Trinity,” “The Tree of Jesus,” “The Exploits of Monastic Hermits” and others). In the piers, on the slopes of the vaults and on the pilasters, ancient philosophers and writers are depicted in full height: Aristotle, Thucydides, Plutarch, Homer, Virgil and others - at that time educated people in Rus' were familiar with their works. From the gallery, through a portal decorated with white stone carvings, you can enter the central part of the temple. The greatest value of the cathedral is the iconostasis. The icons in the iconostasis are arranged in five rows. The third row is called “festive” - its icons depict various Christian holidays. Seven icons on the left side of the row (except for the fourth, it was painted by an unknown Pskov master of the 16th century) - “Annunciation”, “Nativity”, “Candlemas”, “Baptism”, “Transfiguration”,

“The Raising of Lazarus” and “Entrance into Jerusalem” were painted by Andrei Rublev. The remaining icons in this row of the iconostasis - “Last Vespers”, “Crucifixion”, “Entombment”, “Descent into Hell”, “Ascension”, “Descent of the Holy Spirit”, “Assumption” - were made by the artist Prokhor from Gorodets. The main row of the iconostasis is deesis (from the Greek word “deesis” - prayer). It is located below the festive one. The main theme of the series is the intercession of saints (they are depicted in full growth) for mere mortals before God. Most of the icons in this series (except for “Archangel Michael” and “Apostle Peter”) were painted by Theophan the Greek. Of considerable interest is the cathedral's murals, made in 1508 by an artel of artists headed by Theodosius, the son of the famous Dionysius. There are both traditional motifs and new ones characteristic of the 16th century. A large place in the painting is occupied by scenes on the theme of the Apocalypse (to the right and left of the iconostasis on the vaults under the choir and on the arches supporting the choir). In addition to biblical scenes, in the wall paintings one can see purely secular motifs - images of Byzantine emperors and Russian princes (pillars of the central part of the temple and pilasters). At the western wall, according to custom, choirs were built for the queen and the royal children. The floor of the cathedral looks very unusual. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, the floor was paved with tiles made of precious agate-like jasper. Above the exit from the cathedral, a wall painting depicting the Savior Not Made by Hands, made by the famous 17th-century Russian painter Simon Ushakov, attracts attention.

CATHEDRAL OF THE ARCHANGEL

The Archangel Cathedral was built in 1505-1509 by the architect Aleviz Novy, invited from Italy, in the traditions of Russian architecture, but its rich decoration bears the features of the Italian Renaissance. Construction began under Ivan III and was completed under his son, Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich. Before this, there was the ancient Archangel Cathedral, built by Ivan Kalita in 1333 in memory of the deliverance of Moscow from severe famine. At the beginning of the 16th century, due to its cramped space, it was dismantled to make way for the construction of a more extensive temple. The walls of the cathedral end with zakomaras. The zakomars are decorated with white stone shells, and the facades are decorated with pilasters with capitals, cornices and a high white stone plinth. From the outside, the walls of the cathedral are divided into two tiers by a horizontal belt, which gives it the appearance of a two-story civil building. The cathedral is crowned with five domes. The central dome was gilded, the side domes were painted silver. On the eastern side of the cathedral, at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century, two single-domed churches were added - “St. Wan” and “John the Baptist”. In the north and west, the cathedral is decorated with carved white stone portals in the Italian Renaissance style. On the southern, western and northern sides there were covered galleries, broken in the 18th century (only the gallery on the southern side survived). At the end of the 18th century, a portal in the Gothic style was added to the northern side by the architect M.F. Kazakov, which was dismantled in 1920. A stone tent adjoins the cathedral on the southwest side. It was erected in 1826 on the site of the former “court hut of the Arkhangelsk estates,” in which the trial of quitrent peasants who had not paid taxes was held. The cellars of this hut have survived to this day. During Napoleon's invasion of Moscow, the French set up a wine warehouse in the Archangel Cathedral, and used the altar as a kitchen. All the valuables of the cathedral were stolen. After the defeat of Napoleonic troops, the cathedral was restored to its original form. In addition to daylight, the cathedral is illuminated by nine gilded chandeliers made in the 17th century. Since the time of Ivan Kalita, the Archangel Cathedral has been the tomb of the great Moscow princes and tsars. The oldest tomb - Ivan Kalita, who died in 1342 - is located near the southern wall of the cathedral. Burials in the cathedral continued until Peter I. An exception is the burial of Emperor Peter II, who died in Moscow from smallpox in 1730. There are a total of 54 burials or 46 tombs in the cathedral (there are tombs with two and three burials). The tombs are white stone tombstones. They are carved with inscriptions in Slavic script about the time and name of the buried prince or king. Dmitry Donskoy and Ivan III (tombs near the southern wall), Ivan the Terrible and his sons (tombs in the southern altar) and other figures of Russian history are buried in the cathedral. At the right south-eastern pillar there is a shrine for the son of Ivan the Terrible - Tsarevich Dmitry, whose remains were transferred to the cathedral by Tsar Vasily Shuisky in 1606 from Uglich. A carved white stone gilded canopy was made over the tomb. In 1955, it was restored as a monument of history and applied art of the early 17th century and returned to its original appearance.

CHURCH OF THE ROBE

The small one-domed Church of the Deposition of the Robe was built by Moscow craftsmen in 1484-1486. This church is located on the site of the ancient Church of the Deposition of the Robe, erected in 1451 by Metropolitan Jonah in memory of the deliverance of Moscow from the invasion of the Tatar hordes of Mazowsza. On the night of July 2, 1451, the Tatars approached Moscow, but suddenly retreated, abandoning all the stolen goods. This event was caused by the political struggle in the enemy’s camp, but the church gave it a purely religious significance, since it coincided with the church holiday “Position of the Robe.” The church was named in memory of this. In 1473, it burned down along with the metropolitan's courtyard. In the vacant space, a new brick church was erected on a basement, surrounded on three sides by an open porch-promenade. It retained its old name. In the 17th century, the church was rebuilt and a hipped roof was installed. The porch on the western side was covered with vaults. Along the resulting covered gallery, which still exists, the female half of the royal family moved from Terem to the Assumption Cathedral. In a fire in 1737, the church burned down and was restored by the architect I.F. Michurin. A new chapter in the form of a vase was built and the altar areas were hewn out. In the 19th century, a covered staircase was added to the church on the south side. It led to the western facade, on which the icon “Pechersk Mother of God” was painted. Therefore, the church was sometimes called Pechersk.

BELL TOWER OF IVAN THE GREAT AND BELLOW In the center of the Kremlin on Cathedral Square rises one of the most remarkable buildings of the 16th century - the bell tower of Ivan the Great. She

unites all the ancient churches of the Moscow Kremlin into a majestic architectural ensemble. The bell tower is considered a miracle of architectural art of the 16th century. The history of the bell tower goes back centuries. Under Ivan Kalita in 1329, approximately on the site of the existing bell tower, a small stone church was built in honor of John Climacus. In 1505 this church was dismantled and in 1508 a new one was founded, the builder of which was the architect Bon Fryazin. In 1532-1543, the architect Petrok Maly added a rectangular belfry of the Novgorod-Pskov type with the Church of the Ascension to the north side of the bell tower. The belfry housed a thousand-pound bell called the Blagovestnik. To enter the temple, which was located on the third tier of the belfry, Moscow craftsmen built a high stone staircase in 1552. The Ivan the Great Bell Tower is a three-tiered pillar made of elongated, tapering octahedrons, placed one on top of the other. Each of the octahedrons has a terrace and an open gallery, in the arched spans of which bells are placed. The galleries of the tiers house bells, which are remarkable monuments of Russian foundry art of the 16th-19th centuries. There are 21 of them in total. All bells are decorated with ornaments, bas-reliefs and inscriptions that tell about the history of the bell, the date of casting, weight, and master. The largest bell, the Assumption Bell, weighs 70 tons. It was cast in the 19th century by masters Zavyalov and Rusinov. Another bell weighing 19 tons was cast by Andrei Chokhov in 1622. In the Filaret annex hangs a bell weighing 12.5 tons, cast in the 18th century by Ivan Motorin.

The height of the bell tower is 81 meters. It was the main watchtower of the Kremlin, from the height of which Moscow and its surroundings within a radius of up to 30 kilometers were clearly visible. In 1624, on the northern side of the belfry, master Bazhen Ogurtsov erected the so-called Filret extension, completed with white stone pyramids and a tiled storm. Its second and third floors were reserved for the patriarchal sacristy. In 1812, Napoleonic troops retreating from Moscow tried to blow up the bell tower. It survived, but the belfry and the Filaretov extension were destroyed. In 1819, they were restored by the architect D. Gilardi according to the type of the old ones, but with some elements of 19th century architecture.

STATE ARMORY CHAMBER

Almost five centuries have passed since the first mention of the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin that has survived to this day was recorded in ancient acts. This happened in the past since the first mention of the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin that has survived to this day was recorded in ancient acts. This happened in 1508. But long before this date, in 1339, the spiritual letter of the Moscow prince Ivan Kalita spoke about the values ​​that laid the foundation for the creation of the grand ducal treasury. Mention was made of jewelry, dishes made of precious metals, church vessels, clothing made of magnificent fabrics, and expensive weapons. A century later, the grand ducal treasury already included numerous valuables stored in the basements of the Kremlin palaces and cathedrals.

By the end of the 15th century, Moscow became a kind of center of artistic crafts. There are many skilled Russian and foreign craftsmen working at the Moscow court who have created many excellent monuments. Many of them became part of the Armory Chamber. The political successes of the Moscow princes allowed them to establish diplomatic relations with the major powers of the East and West. Numerous foreign embassies delivered luxurious gifts to Moscow: silver cups, precious fabrics, pearls, military equipment, ceremonial horse harness. During the reign of Ivan III, the grand ducal treasury grew so much that in 1485, a two-story stone building with a high hipped roof and deep basements was specially erected to store it in the Kremlin, between the Archangel and Annunciation Cathedrals. It was called the “state yard”. There are almost three hundred deep cellars here. It was called the “state yard”. The treasures of Moscow rulers were kept here for almost three hundred years. A significant part of the assets of the Kremlin treasury consisted of products made on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin, in art workshops, or “chambers”. The current museum owes its name to the leading Kremlin workshop, the Armory, which has long produced bladed weapons and firearms, as well as military armor of all types.

Many first-class examples have survived to this day, doing credit to Russian weapons craftsmanship. The Konushennaya Treasury was also located on the territory of the Kremlin, the products of which - saddles, blankets - were given an important place in the design of all court ceremonies: royal trips, hunting, ambassadorial meetings. In the Tsaritsyn and Sovereign Chambers, also located in the Moscow Kremlin, luxurious clothes were sewn from imported fabrics, laying out patterns of remarkable beauty and richness on their surfaces with pearls and gems. The craftsmen of the Golden and Silver Chambers made precious dishes and a huge amount of gold jewelry in the Kremlin.

FACETED CHAMBER

The Faceted Chamber is one of the few surviving parts of the royal palace, built at the end of the 15th century by Ivan III, his ceremonial throne room. This is the oldest of the stone civil buildings in Moscow. It was built in 1487-1491 by Russian craftsmen under the guidance of Italian architects Marco Ruffo and Pietro Antonio Solari. The chamber building with a clear silhouette of a simple rectangular volume is distinguished by the unusual decoration of the main facade. It is faced with tetrahedral white limestone (hence the name), starting from the basement floor and ending below the cornice. The Chamber itself is a huge square hall with cross vaults resting on a central pillar. The majestic and spacious hall, 9 meters high, is illuminated by 18 windows located on three sides, and in the evening by 4 round massive chandeliers. They were made in the 19th century from bronze according to the model of ancient Novgorod chandeliers. The floor area of ​​the Chamber of Facets is 495 square meters. In the second half of the 16th century, the Chamber of Facets was decorated with murals on church and biblical themes. Over the centuries, many major events in the life of the Russian state were celebrated in the Faceted Chamber; it was the ceremonial throne room. Foreign ambassadors were received there, the heirs to the Russian throne were solemnly announced, Zemsky Councils met, at one of which, more than 300 years ago, the issue of reunification of Ukraine with Russia was resolved. The victories of the Russian troops were celebrated here. Thus, Ivan IV celebrated the capture of Kazan here in 1552, and Peter I celebrated the Poltava victory in 1709, and in 1721 the conclusion of the Peace of Nishbadt, which ended the Northern War.

RED SQUARE

The square arose, according to chronicles, at the end of the 15th century, when Ivan III ordered the demolition of wooden buildings around the Kremlin, which constantly threatened it with fire, and allocate this place for trade. This is how the first name of the square appeared - Torg. True, the square was not called that way for long. In the 16th century, it began to be called Trinity - after the Church of the Holy Trinity, on the site of which St. Basil's Cathedral was subsequently erected. Documents from the 17th century indicate that in those days the square was called Pozhar. It must be said that in Rus' one and the same object could have several names. So Krasnaya Square (from V.I. Dahl’s dictionary it follows that the word “red” among our ancestors meant beautiful, beautiful, excellent, best) officially began to be called only in the 19th century, although it was mentioned under this name in documents of the 17th century. Different centuries have left their traces on the square. XV century - the Kremlin wall with the Spasskaya, Senate and Nikolskaya towers; XVI century - Place of Execution and St. Basil's Cathedral; XIX century - a monument to Minin and Pozharsky, the building of the Historical Museum and the Upper Trading Rows (GUM); 20th century – Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin and necropolis near the Kremlin wall.

ST BASIL'S CHURCH

The temple was built in 1555-1560 in memory of the capture of Kazan, this decisive stage in the difficult struggle of Rus' with its strong and dangerous enemy - the Kazan Khanate.

The temple is a grandiose composition of 9 pillars rising above the ground floor (basement) and interconnected by galleries running around the central pillar of the building. The entire composition, unifying it, is dominated by a central octagonal pillar, which turns into tiers of semi-circular kokoshniks into a second, smaller octagon. The pillar is crowned with a tent with a decorative dome at the top; eight domes located at the corners of the star-shaped base of the tent have not survived.

The central tent is surrounded by eight pillars, of which four axial ones are of greater height, and four diagonal ones are of lesser height. All these pillars are topped with onion-shaped heads. The decorative decoration of the building amazes with its exceptional variety of shapes and details.

Two porches from the side of the Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower led to the terrace and from there to the bypass gallery. The transition from the dark low gallery to the rapidly rising white pillar-shaped church premises creates a sharp, exciting impression. The ancient colors of the temple on the outside represented a noble combination of natural colors, red brick and white stone from which the details were made. The temple received bright colors on the outside and paintings on the inside later, in the 17th century. The later additions are the bell tower and the north-eastern aisle. The documents have preserved for us the names of the brilliant architects - Barma and Posnik.

In the historical center of the capital is the most recognizable architectural structure of Russia - the Moscow Kremlin. The main feature of the architectural ensemble is its fortifying 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 adjacent Red Square, which is included in this list, the Kremlin is generally considered the main attraction of Moscow.

Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin

The architectural ensemble is formed by three temples, in the center is located. The history of the cathedral began in 1475. It is the oldest fully preserved building among all the Kremlin buildings.

Initially, construction took place in 1326-1327 under the leadership of Ivan I. After completion of 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 Grand Duke Ivan III. It was in this cathedral that prayer services were held before important campaigns, kings were crowned and patriarchs were elevated to the rank of patriarchs.

Dedicated to Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Russian rulers, it was built in 1505 on the site of the church of the same name built in 1333. It was built by the Italian architect Aloisio Lamberti da Montignana. The architectural style combines traditional ancient Russian religious architecture and elements of the Italian Renaissance.

Located on the southwest corner of the square. A wooden church was built here in 1291, 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.

Cathedral opening hours: 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

• - 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.
  

  

  

  

• - a five-story building, decorated with richly carved decorative frames, as well as a tiled roof.
  

  

  

• - a building of the 17th century, has preserved rare architectural features of civil architecture of that time. The museum displays jewelry, exquisite tableware, paintings, and royal hunting items. The magnificent iconostasis of the Ascension Monastery, destroyed in 1929, has been preserved.
  
  
• - a three-story building made in the early neoclassical style. Initially, the palace was supposed to serve as the residence of the Senate, but in our time 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:

Towers of the Moscow Kremlin

The length of the walls is 2235 meters, their maximum height is 19 meters, and their thickness reaches 6.5 meters.

There are 20 defensive towers similar in architectural style. Three corner towers have a cylindrical base, the remaining 17 are quadrangular.

Trinity Tower is the highest, rising 80 meters high.

Lowest - Kutafya Tower(13.5 meters), located outside the wall.

Four towers have travel gates:

The tops of these 4 towers, which are considered especially beautiful, are decorated with symbolic red ruby ​​stars from 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 first heard the chimes, which announced a new hour. Since then, many events have happened: wars have been fought, cities have been renamed, capitals have changed, but the famous chimes of the Moscow Kremlin remain the main chronometer of Russia.

The bell tower (height 81 meters) 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 is the small church of St. John, hence the name of the bell tower and the square. It existed until the beginning of the 16th century, then it collapsed and has since become significantly dilapidated.

The Chamber of Facets is the main banquet hall of the Moscow princes; it is the oldest surviving secular building in the city. Currently, this is the official ceremonial hall for the President of Russia, so it is not open to tours.

Armory Chamber and Diamond Fund

The chamber was built by order of Peter I to store weapons obtained in wars. Construction was delayed, starting in 1702 and ending only in 1736 due to financial difficulties. In 1812, the chamber was blown up in the war against Napoleon and was reconstructed only in 1828. Now the Armory Chamber is a museum, which can be visited any day of the week from 10:00 to 18:00, except Thursday. Ticket price for adults is 700 rubles, for children – free.

Here are not only exhibits of the weapons industry, 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 are from 10:00 to 17:20 on any day except Thursday. For a ticket for adults you will have to pay 500 rubles, for children it costs 100 rubles.

The two diamonds on display deserve special attention, as they belong to the most famous examples of this gemstone in the world:

1. 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 that is still in use.
2. 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 Alexey Savrasov.
3. Red Square has nothing to do with the color red. The name comes from the Old Russian word "red", meaning beautiful, and is in no way related to the color of the buildings, which we now know were white until the end of the 19th century.
4. The stars of the Moscow Kremlin were eagles. During Tsarist Russia, the four Kremlin towers were topped 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 we see today. The fifth star on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower was added later.
5. The Kremlin towers have names. Of the 20 Kremlin towers, only two do not have their own names.
6. 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 Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Assumption Cathedral, the Trinity Tower and the Terem Palace.
7. The Moscow Kremlin was virtually undamaged in World War II. During the war, the Kremlin was carefully camouflaged to look like a residential building block. The church domes and famous green towers were painted gray and brown respectively, fake doors and windows were attached to the Kremlin walls, and Red Square was encumbered with wooden structures.
8. 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 bell 6.14 meters high was made from metal casting; the Tsar Cannon, weighing 39.312 tons, was lost in 1586 and was never used in war.
9. The stars of the Kremlin always shine. Over the 80 years of its existence, the Kremlin's star lighting has only been turned off twice. The first time was during World War II, when the Kremlin was camouflaged to hide it from bombers. The second time they were turned off was for the film. Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov filmed a scene for The Barber of Siberia.
10. The Kremlin clock has a deep secret. The secret of the accuracy of the Kremlin watches literally lies under our feet. The clock is connected to the control clock at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute via a cable.

The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin allows you to get a complete picture of how the center of the Russian capital was originally structured. includes temples, squares, chambers, buildings. Today, all these are attractions that guests and tourists come to see from all over Russia and from abroad.

Construction of the Kremlin

The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin was formed at the end of the 15th century. The main towers and walls were built in 1485-1495. Red brick and white stone with lime mortar were used. It is worth noting that local craftsmen were not sufficiently qualified for such work. Therefore, foreign specialists were invited. Ivan III hired architects from Italy to build the Moscow Kremlin.

However, some towers were still erected by Russian craftsmen. The fact is that their shape resembles characteristic wooden structures. As is known, at that time the art of carpentry in Rus' reached its perfection, which was facilitated by the universal material itself, and work was constantly required, since periodically large fires destroyed all buildings. To avoid this, stone was used in the construction of the Moscow Kremlin.

Assumption Cathedral

One of the main buildings of this architectural ensemble is the Assumption Cathedral. It was erected on the site of the first stone cathedral in Ivan Kalita in the first half of the 14th century. The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin is largely determined by this building.

Construction of the cathedral began in 1475. A similar religious building in Vladimir of the 12th century was taken as a model. Thus, the continuity of Moscow in relation to Vladimir, which was previously considered one of the main cities of Rus', was once again emphasized.

Over the next 400 years, it was the main temple in Rus'. It was here that all rulers were crowned kings. The main entrance is located on the side of Cathedral Square. The entrance to this one is guarded, as it were, by the Archangel Michael, whose figure is depicted above the arch. Even higher is the Virgin and Child.

The iconostasis, which we can see today in the Assumption Cathedral, was made by icon painters of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the middle of the 17th century.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin were looted and devastated. This cathedral was no exception. Russian Cossacks later recaptured part of the loot from the French.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin cannot be imagined without the Annunciation Cathedral. It is located in the southwestern part of Cathedral Square. It was built at the end of the 15th century. The work was carried out by Pskov craftsmen.

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, a porch with a high porch made of white stone was added.

This Kremlin was built in the traditions of early Moscow architecture. Today, the frescoes of the cathedral, which appeared at the beginning of the 16th century, are of great interest. The main merit belongs to the artel of artists, which was led by Theodosius and his son Dionysius. There are many stories on the theme of the Apocalypse. You can also find secular motifs. For example, Russian princes and Byzantine emperors.

The floor of this cathedral is unique. It was laid with special tiles made of precious agate-like jasper.

Cathedral of the Archangel

This cathedral within the walls of the Moscow Kremlin appeared at the beginning of the 16th century. It was built by the invited Italian architect Aleviz Novy. At the same time, he followed the traditions of Russian architecture. The features of the Italian Renaissance are visible only in the rich decoration of the temple.

Its construction was carried out on the site of the ancient Archangel Cathedral, which was erected by Ivan Kalita in the 14th century, in memory of the deliverance of the capital from widespread famine. It was dismantled due to its cramped space, making way for a more spacious temple.

The cathedral is crowned with five domes. The central one is gilded, and the side ones are simply painted with silver paint. Carved white stone portals are made in the Italian Renaissance style.

During the capture of the capital by Napoleon, a wine warehouse was located here. The French set up a kitchen on the altar and stole all the valuables.

Church of the Deposition of the Robe

Also noteworthy is the small church built by domestic craftsmen at the end of the 15th century. It appeared on the site of the old wooden Church of the Deposition of the Robe, which was built after the Tatars retreated from Moscow.

In 1451, they came close to the city, but did not storm it, but retreated, abandoning all the loot. The Orthodox Church gave this a religious significance, considering it a miracle. In reality, the Tatars retreated due to political disagreements between the military leaders.

The new church was seriously damaged by fire in 1737. It was restored by the architect Michurin.

Armouries

The chambers of the Moscow Kremlin are of great interest to tourists today. The first mention of the valuables that are today in the Armory can be found in 1339. Even during the time of Ivan Kalita, the formation of princely treasures began. Among them were jewelry, dishes, church vessels, expensive clothing and weapons.

At the end of the 15th century, one of the centers of Russian artistic crafts was located here. In addition, gifts from foreign embassies were brought here. Pearls, ceremonial horse harness.

By 1485, the treasury had grown so much that it was decided to build a separate two-story stone building between the Annunciation and Archangel Cathedrals. It was called the government yard.

Faceted Chamber

The Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin is one of the few parts of the palace that have survived from the time of Ivan III. This was his ceremonial throne room. This is the oldest civil stone building in Moscow.

It was built in 4 years Chinese masters with the help of invited Italians - Pietro Solari and Marco Ruffo.

The chamber is a square hall in which they rest on a pillar in the center of the room. The 9-meter-high hall is illuminated by well-placed 18 windows, as well as four massive chandeliers. The total area of ​​the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin is almost 500 square meters.

At the end of the 16th century, its walls were painted with church and biblical scenes. For centuries, the most important events in the history of the Russian state were celebrated here. Foreign embassies and delegations were received here, and the Zemsky Sobor met here. Victories of Russian weapons were regularly celebrated in the Faceted Chamber. For example, Ivan the Terrible and Peter I celebrated the victory over the Swedes at Poltava.

Red Square

Red Square of the Moscow Kremlin appeared in the 15th century. Today it is one of the symbols of not only the capital, but also the country, its calling card.

It was founded by Ivan III, who ordered the demolition of all wooden buildings around the Kremlin. Because they seriously threatened him with fire. This place, by his order, was allocated for trade. Therefore, Red Square was originally called Torg. True, this did not last long.

Already in the 16th century it was renamed Trinity. Because of the nearby Holy Trinity Church. Later, St. Basil's Cathedral appeared in its place. Judging by the documents, in the 17th century the square was called Pozhar. At the same time, one should not forget the interesting toponymic feature of Ancient Rus'. At that time, the same object could simultaneously have several official names.

Red Square officially began to be called that only in the 19th century. Although in some documents this name dates back to the 17th century. The meaning of this name, according to Vladimir Dahl’s dictionary, is that among our ancestors the word “red” meant beautiful, excellent.

Over the centuries, using the example of Red Square, one can trace how the Moscow Kremlin has changed. In the 15th century it appeared here with the famous towers - Senate, Spasskaya and Nikolskaya. In the 16th century, St. Basil's Cathedral and Execution Place. In the 19th century - the Historical Museum, the Upper Trading Rows, which are now called GUM, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky. The 20th century brought the Mausoleum and necropolis near the Kremlin wall to Red Square.

St Basil's Church

This temple was built in the middle of the 16th century. It was erected in honor of the capture of Kazan by Russian troops. The building is a grandiose structure of 9 pillars that rise above the ground floor, connected by a gallery. The composition is united by a central pillar, which is crowned with tents with a decorative dome at the top. Many come to Moscow specifically to see this temple with their own eyes.

Eight pillars surround the central tent. All others end with onion-shaped chapters.

From the side of the Spasskaya Tower, two porches lead to the terrace of the temple. From there you can get to the bypass gallery. Tourists and residents of the capital are still impressed by the colors of the temple, even though they were made several centuries ago. St. Basil's Cathedral was painted by real masters. They used exclusively natural colors in combination with white stone and red brick. The smallest details are made from the latter. The bright painting was done in the 17th century. When later extensions appeared, they included a bell tower and a chapel of the temple in the northeast. The names of the architects who erected this iconic religious building have survived to this day. Their names were Posnik and Barma.

Publications in the Architecture section

“The earth, as we know, begins from the Kremlin”

D etinets, krom, fortress, kremlin - the names changed from century to century, but the essence remained the same: a city fortification surrounded by a powerful wall with towers and loopholes. Kremlins are the main medieval centers of Rus' and the main defenders in the event of an enemy attack. Today they are the pearls of tourist routes and the main decoration of Russian cities. Those that are poorly preserved are being actively restored, because “the earth begins, as the Kremlin knows”...

Moscow Kremlin

With the transformation of Moscow into the capital of Russia in the middle of the 15th century, the need arose to show the whole world the power of the new state. The old, dilapidated Kremlin did not contribute in any way to solving this problem. In addition, Byzantium fell in 1453, and the Moscow clergy announced: “Moscow is the third Rome, but there will never be a fourth...” The territory of the Moscow Kremlin is turning into one large construction site. Not only Pskov, Novgorod and Moscow craftsmen worked here, but also Fryazh fortifiers and architects. In 1472, the main cathedral church, the Assumption Cathedral, was built on the site of the old one, built in the 14th century by the architects Krivtsov and Myshkin.

But haste led to the fact that in 1474 the almost completed building collapsed. Pskov craftsmen refused to build it anew, but the Bolognese architect Aristotle Fioravanti agreed, who, together with Russian craftsmen, erected the majestic Assumption Cathedral by 1479. In 1484, Pskov architects began to rebuild the Annunciation Cathedral, which closed the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin.

Faceted Chamber

In 1485, new brick walls began to be laid around the Kremlin. Two years later, the reconstruction of the Kremlin Palace began, and in 1487–1491, Italian architects Marco Ruffo (Mark Fryazin) and Antonio Solari erected the Chamber of Facets. In 1505, the reconstruction of two small and dilapidated churches began - the Archangel Cathedral and the Church of St. John the Climacus. Italian Bon Fryazin (the real name of this Italian architect has not survived; Fryazin in Rus' was the name given to people from Southern Europe, usually of Romanesque origin, hence Fryazin - a distorted franc. - Note ed.) turns the church-bell tower into the pillar of Ivan the Great. And Aleviz the New completed the construction of the Archangel Cathedral by 1509.

The construction of the new Kremlin was completed by the beginning of the 16th century. For the first time it was built of brick, thanks to which it turned not only into an impregnable bastion, but also into the ideological and artistic center of Moscow. Mighty battlements with loopholes, harsh towers with watchtowers and impregnable gates - all this was created over the course of ten years from 1485 to 1495 with the participation of Italian craftsmen. This is how the ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin, the heart of Russia, was formed. In the 16th century, fortresses began to be built in his image and likeness in other Russian cities.

Tula Kremlin

Tula is the southern outpost of Moscow, which for centuries defended the capital from foreign invaders. That’s why the best gunsmiths are from Tula. And the Tula Kremlin is an outstanding monument of Russian defensive architecture of the 16th century. Its construction began in 1507 by decree of Vasily III, who ordered the construction of a “stone city”. It took 13 years to build.

Throughout its existence, the Tula fortress never surrendered to the enemy. In 1552, the Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey was defeated here, and in 1607, for four months, the rebels led by Ivan Bolotnikov held back the siege of government troops of Vasily Shuisky.

The Tula Kremlin is located in a low, swampy area in the floodplain of the Upa River. Its walls rest on a powerful stone foundation about 5.5 meters deep. The original height of the walls is about 10 meters, and the thickness, according to the 1685 inventory, is about 4 meters. They were built from two types of building materials: the lower part was made of white limestone, the top was made of large red brick. Wall spinning (a section of the fortress wall between two towers. – Note ed.) are divided by wide semi-circular arches, in the lower part of which loopholes of the lower tier of defense are cut, the so-called. plantar combat. The walls end with two-horned Merlon teeth in the shape of a swallowtail. The firepower of the fortress was concentrated in nine towers, far beyond the line of the walls, which ensured the conduct of flank and frontal combat.

Holy Assumption Cathedral

In addition to walls and towers, the architectural ensemble of the Tula Kremlin includes the Holy Assumption and Epiphany Cathedrals, shopping arcades and the building of the city's first power plant. The Holy Assumption Cathedral (1762–1764) is one of the most beautiful churches in Tula: simple and strict architectural forms are combined with the regal monumentality of the interior. Unique paintings by Yaroslavl masters (1765–1766) and a seven-tiered carved gilded iconostasis (II p. of the 18th century) have been preserved in the temple to this day. The Epiphany Cathedral is 100 years younger than its brother (1855–1862) and was built by the architect M.A. Mikhailov in memory of the Tula soldiers who died in the Patriotic War of 1812. The shopping arcade (1837–1841) once contained 48 stone shops, but 24 of them were demolished at the end of the 19th century. And the vacated space was adapted for the premises of the city's first power plant. The arcade-gallery of the shopping arcade, which has survived to this day, gives the monument a unique charm of antiquity.

Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

The 16th century fortress has the shape of an irregular polygon in plan, with towers at the corners. The first stone Kremlin was erected back in the 14th century on the site of a wooden fortress by order of Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich. And at the beginning of the 16th century, when military conflicts escalated between Russia and the Kazan Khanate, stone fortifications were erected. The work was carried out quickly - from 1508 to 1515, and the construction was led by the Italian engineer and architect Pyotr Fryazin. The fortress became a unique military fortification structure: 13 towers, the total length of the walls is 2045 meters, the height of the walls is 12, the thickness is 5 meters.

Dmitrievskaya Tower

Over its long history, the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, like the Tula fortress, has never been taken by enemies. Located on the high right bank, at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, it resembles “a stone necklace thrown onto the slopes of the Dyatlov Mountains.” The Kremlin ensemble includes a unique architectural monument of the 17th century, the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, and the main - Dmitrievskaya - tower is crowned with the symbol of the city - a golden deer.

Volokolamsk Kremlin

Detinets was founded by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. Today, the Kremlin ensemble includes the white-stone Resurrection Cathedral of the 15th century, the bell tower of the 18th century, St. Nicholas Cathedral of the 19th century, and an architectural fence with turrets of the 19th – early 20th centuries.

At one time, it even became the center of the independent appanage Volotsk principality, which was owned by Ivan III's brother Boris, and then by his son Fedor. At the same time, in the Kremlin, the ramparts of which have been preserved to this day, a beautiful white stone Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ was built. The single-domed temple, decorated with a terracotta frieze, is distinguished by exquisite proportions. In its interior, on one of the pillars, a fragment of painting from the late 15th century has been preserved. St. Nicholas Cathedral (1853–1862) is dedicated to the memory of those killed in the Crimean War. Its decor uses a favorite technique of the pseudo-Russian style - a combination of red brick with white decorations. At the end of the 19th century, the cathedral complex was surrounded by a brick fence with corner and gate turrets, closing the entire historical space into a single composition.

Astrakhan Kremlin

The first wooden fortress in the lower reaches of the Volga on a high hill surrounded by marshes and swamps was founded back in 1558. Under Ivan the Terrible in 1582, the Astrakhan Kremlin began to be rebuilt from stone. The architects are Moscow city masters Mikhail Ivanovich Velyaminov, Grigory Ovtsyn and clerk Dey Gubasty. For construction, they used an old but very durable Tatar plinth, which was brought from the ruins of the Golden Horde cities. The Astrakhan Kremlin was built according to the model of its counterpart in Moscow.

The impregnable stronghold on the southeastern border of the state remembers a lot. Crimean-Turkish campaigns in the Lower Volga in the 16th century, the Troubles in Rus' and the peasant uprising led by Stepan Razin in the 17th century, the Streltsy uprising of 1705–1706, the Persian campaign of Peter I and the formation of the Caspian flotilla in the 18th century, strengthening the borders of the state and entering the composition of Russia's territories of the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The Astrakhan Kremlin was distinguished by the latest system of organizing “fire combat” for that time. In the walls, in addition to the traditional lower foot battle, for the first time additional loopholes were installed on the middle line. The loopholes of the middle and plantar battles were located in a checkerboard pattern, which made it possible to significantly increase the density of fire during an enemy attack, and the rectilinear shape of the Kremlin walls and strongly protruding combat towers made it possible to fire at the enemy from the flanks.

The thickness of the walls of the Astrakhan Kremlin reached 3–3.5 meters. The fortress had eight towers, of which seven have survived to this day - three travel towers and four blind ones.

The Kremlin ensemble includes the Gate Church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (1729–1738), the Prechistenskaya Bell Tower (early 20th century), the Assumption Cathedral (1698–1710), the Trinity Monastery, and the artillery yard.

Tobolsk Kremlin

The only stone Kremlin in Siberia. The city of Tobolsk was founded in 1587. In the 17th century it became the capital of Siberia, and in the 18th century it became the center of the largest Tobolsk province in Russia.
Moscow encouraged stone construction here in every possible way, and in 1683–1686, masons Gerasim Sharypin and Gavrila Tyutin erected the Sophia-Assumption Cathedral here. By the beginning of the 18th century, stone walls and towers of the Kremlin appeared, as well as a number of temple buildings that have not survived to our time.

At the end of the 17th century, the Tobolsk Kremlin was rebuilt according to the plans of Semyon Remezov, a cartographer and historian of Siberia. The Prikaznaya Chamber (1699–1704) appeared at the southern cliff of the mountain, and the Gostiny Dvor (1702–1706) was erected in the northwestern corner of the Kremlin. Remezov's Kremlin, the new administrative center of Siberia, repeated the broken configuration of the previous walls and corner towers. However, secular buildings corresponded to the style of Moscow architecture of the 17th century.

Peter I also patronized Tobolsk and sought to give the Siberian capital a representative appearance. Prince Matvey Petrovich Gagarin, appointed in 1708 as the first governor of the Siberian province, conceived impressive buildings of a military-administrative and trade complex in the Kremlin, which, together with the Sophia Court, were to form a monumental center. In 1712, a stone tower of the Dmitrievsky Gate was built on the Sofia Vzvoz, and next to it, on the very edge of the mountain, the Ascension Church, which, unfortunately, was lost.

Holy Gate

In 1743–1746 the Church of the Intercession was erected. In 1748 - in the northern wall of the fortress - the Holy Gate. In 1782, a governorship was established in Tobolsk with the cities of Western Siberia subordinate to it. Two new buildings appear in the Tobolsk Kremlin - the governor’s palace and the bishop’s house. The 19th century also left its monument in the Kremlin ensemble - the Castle of the Convict Transit Prison.

Kazan Kremlin

The history of Kazan begins with the ancient fortifications of the Bulgar settlement, built at the turn of the 10th–11th centuries. In the pre-Mongol period, the city developed as a military and trading place. Already in the 12th century, the Kazan Kremlin became a stone outpost on the northern border of Volga Bulgaria. In the 13th–15th centuries, the fortress became the center of the Kazan Principality as part of the Golden Horde. From 1438 to 1552, the Kremlin was the military and administrative center of the Kazan Khanate. After the capture of Ivan the Terrible in 1552 by the troops, the former capital of the Kazan Khanate became the administrative and military center of the annexed Volga region (1552–1708). Since 1708, the Kazan Kremlin has been the center of the Kazan province.

After the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, the fortress lay in ruins. The Tsar entrusted the construction of the new Kremlin to the Pskov architects Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Shirai (builders of St. Basil's Cathedral). The fortress was significantly expanded, six towers (out of 13) were built of stone, but only a third of the wooden wall with a total length of 1800 meters could be replaced with stone, and most of the wall was again built of oak. Only at the beginning of the 17th century the Kremlin completely became stone.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

Simultaneously with the construction of the walls, Pskov craftsmen also built the first Orthodox churches of the Kazan Kremlin: the Annunciation Cathedral (XVI century), the Church of Cyprian and Justina, the Church of Dmitry of Solunsky at the Dmitrievskaya Tower, the Spasskaya Church, as well as two monasteries - Trinity-Sergius and

Spaso-Preobrazhensky

(XVI century). For more than a century and a half, five stone buildings from the khan’s time were preserved in the Kazan Kremlin: the khan’s mosque, the khan’s palace and mausoleums, used as warehouses for storing weapons and ammunition, but over time they were dismantled due to disrepair.

The multi-minaret Kul-Sharif mosque (named in honor of the last imam Seid Kul-Sharif, one of the leaders of the defense of Kazan), a center of religious education and the development of sciences in the Middle Volga region in the 16th century. It was destroyed in October 1552 during the assault on Kazan by the troops of Ivan the Terrible. Recreated in its original form in 1996. It is the main juma mosque of the Republic of Tatarstan and Kazan.

Tower Syuyumbike

Tower Syuyumbike. Scientists suggest that it was built during the reign of Shah Ali Khan, who established good relations with Moscow. Hypotheses have been expressed that the Moscow prince could have sent his craftsmen to build it, which explains the external similarity between Syuyumbike and the Borovitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Until 1917, Syuyumbike was crowned with a double-headed eagle. After the revolution, a crescent moon rose above it, which was removed in the 1930s and put back in place in the 1990s.

Since 2000, the Kazan Kremlin has been included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.

Rostov Kremlin

The former residence of the Metropolitan of the Rostov diocese, located in the center of Rostov on the shores of Lake Nero. The name “Kremlin” was assigned to the metropolitan court, although it is controversial.

During the construction of the fortress (1670–1683), Rostov no longer had any defensive significance; nevertheless, the Kremlin was built in the traditions of Russian defense architecture and is a monument to Russian military architecture of the pre-Petrine era.

According to the design of the customer, Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich, the local Kremlin was to resemble heaven on earth in full accordance with the biblical description: the Garden of Eden surrounded by walls and towers with a mirror of a pond in the center.

After the metropolis was transferred from Rostov to Yaroslavl in 1787, the lord's court lost its importance and gradually fell into disrepair. However, thanks to the Rostov merchants and merchant money, the architectural complex was restored in the 1860s and 1880s.

The ensemble of the Rostov Kremlin includes: the Assumption Cathedral (1508–1512), the Holy Gate, the Gate Church of the Resurrection (1670), the Judgment Order (1650–1660), the Church of St. John the Evangelist (1683), the Church of Hodegetria (1693), the Church of the Savior on Senya ( 1675), Church of St. Gregory the Theologian (1680), Red Chamber (1670–1680), “House on the Cellars” (XVII century), Samuel's Building, White (Dining) Chamber.

Novgorod Kremlin

Novgorod Detinets - a fortress of Veliky Novgorod - is located on the left bank of the Volkhov River. The first mention of it in the chronicle dates back to 1044.

In 1302, stone buildings - towers - were erected. According to the number of administrative districts - the “ends” of Novgorod - five towers were built, the location of which was determined by the direction of the Kremlin streets.

The Novgorod Kremlin was the political and cultural center of the feudal Novgorod Republic. On the square in front of the St. Sophia Cathedral, noisy meetings gathered more than once. From here the Novgorodians left to fight for their city and all of Rus'. Alexander Nevsky walked on this land. Chronicles were written here, ancient books and works of art were kept. Here in 1478 the unification of Novgorod with Moscow was proclaimed.

Novgorod Kremlin, one of the oldest monuments of Russian military-defensive architecture of the 15th–17th centuries, has the shape of an irregular oval, elongated from south to north and somewhat concave on the coastal side. The total area of ​​the fortress inside the walls is 12.1 hectares. A deep ditch surrounds it from the north, west and south. The fortress walls, standing on the rampart, stretch for 1487 m, their height is from 8 to 15, their thickness is from 3.6 to 6.5 meters. Of the twelve towers that existed in the 15th-century Detinets, nine have survived: Dvortsovaya, Spasskaya, Knyazhaya, Kokuy, Pokrovskaya, Zlatoustovskaya, Metropolitan, Fedorovskaya and Vladimirskaya.

The ensemble of the Novgorod Kremlin includes: the oldest temple in Russia - St. Sophia Cathedral (1045–1050) with a belfry, the Vladychnaya (Faceted) Chamber (1433), the Likhud building (1670), the Palace Tower. In the center of the Kremlin there is a monument to the Millennium of Russia (1862).

The ensemble of the Novgorod Kremlin is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Pskov Kremlin

The local edge is located on a high rocky cape, where the small Pskova River flows into the Velikaya River at an acute angle. The height of the chrome walls is from 6 to 8 meters, thickness is from 2.5 to 6 meters. There was a veche square with a bell tower and a chamber where the Council of Boyars met. At the veche, decisions important for the Pskov Republic were made - about war, peace, the calling of the prince, taxes... The last time the veche bell rang was on January 13, 1510, when the period of the Pskov veche republic ended and the history of Pskov began as part of the Russian state of Muscovite Rus'.

Pskovites perceived their city as an earthly resemblance to the Heavenly City “Like the Jerusalem above” and called it the House of the Holy Trinity. The first Holy Trinity Cathedral, built in 1699, was erected at the behest of Princess Olga in the middle of the 10th century. The second one was erected in stone in the 12th century by Vsevolod-Gabriel, the first prince of Pskov. The third, Trinity Cathedral of 1367, played a vital role in the development of the local architectural tradition. Some scientists believe that its author was Master Kirill, who embodied in Pskov urban planning the idea of ​​a cathedral church as an image and likeness of the Jerusalem above, the heavenly home of the Holy Trinity.

The current Trinity Cathedral, the fourth in a row, was built in all-Russian Moscow traditions. The architectural solution is quite strict: a clear volume of the temple, whitewashed walls, some decor in the “Naryshkin Baroque” style and bright spots of Pskov glazed tiles in the first tier. Despite reconstructions in the 18th century (porch, buttresses, filling of galleries) and renovations at the end of the 19th century, the cathedral retained its original design.

Trinity Cathedral

The bell tower of the Trinity Cathedral of the 17th–19th centuries was built on the site of the ancient tower “at Radchin Vskhod”. Square in plan, multi-storey, completed with tiered bell spans, a decorative tier of tower clocks and a spire with a cross. The upper tiers were built on in the 18th–19th centuries.

Pskov remained the most important defensive line in northwestern Russia until the mid-18th century. During the war years, the walls of the Kremlin were strengthened and expanded, but then they began to deteriorate and were little looked after, although partial restoration was carried out in the 19th century. In the 20th century, after the revolution and then the German occupation of Pskov, the walls and towers of the Kremlin practically turned into ruins. Large-scale restoration began only in the 1960s.

The Moscow Kremlin is a fortress in the center of the Russian capital. This is the main socio-political and artistic complex of the city and the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation. The Kremlin is located on the high left bank of the Moscow River.

Today's structures were built mainly between 1485 and 1495 on the site of dilapidated white stone walls erected in 1366. The fortress with twenty towers connected by walls has a triangular shape. Three corner towers are round in shape for all-round firing, the rest are square, very different from one another.

The length of the Kremlin wall is 2,335 m, its height is 8-19 m, and its thickness is 3.5-6.5 m. The towers have details characteristic of Italian architecture of that time, which is not surprising, since they were built by Italian architects.

The age of the architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin has exceeded 500 years. At one time, its construction was started by Prince Ivan III. Today, residents and guests of the city can see 20 towers, the names of which reflect their history:

• Sviblova;
• Borovitskaya;
• Armory;
• Kutafya;
• Sobakina;
• Average arsenal;
• Kolymazhnaya;
• Petrovskaya;
• Tsarskaya;
• Nabatnaya;
• Senate;
• Spasskaya;
• Konstantino-Eleninskaya;
• Moskvoretskaya.

Prices: entrance ticket to the territory - 500 rubles (for full-time students and pensioners - 250 rubles). To get to the Moscow Kremlin, you need to purchase a single ticket to visit the architectural ensemble of Cathedral Square, which also gives you the right to view the Ceremonial Dividing of the Horse and Foot Guards of the Presidential Regiment (on Saturdays at 12:00).

Tickets can be purchased online (except for discounted ones) or at the box office in the Alexander Garden (only on the day of the visit, that is, you cannot buy a ticket “for tomorrow” here).

The treasury museum is part of the Grand Kremlin Palace complex. It is housed in a building built in 1851 by the architect Konstantin Ton. The basis of the museum collection consists of exhibits that were kept for centuries in the royal treasury and the patriarchal sacristy.

The Armory contains ancient state regalia, ceremonial royal clothing and coronation dress, vestments of hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest collection of gold and silver items made by Russian craftsmen.

The museum displays about four thousand monuments of decorative and applied art from Russia, European and Eastern countries of the 4th – early 20th centuries. It is named after the state treasury, which in 1720 included the Kremlin workshops. Since 1806 it has functioned as a museum.

Location: Palace Square.

The Diamond Fund was created under Peter the Great, when in 1719 he established a regulation according to which valuable items, primarily coronation regalia, belonged to the state and were kept in the treasury, in a chest behind three locks.

The chamber built for storing valuables was called the Diamond Fund, later – the Diamond Room. Over time, the fund was replenished, some decorations were remade, others were sold. The charter changed, but the procedure for storing valuables remained unchanged.

During the reign of the Romanovs, the room in which the jewelry was kept was called the Diamond Room. With the outbreak of the Second World War, a threat arose to the values, so the collection was transported from St. Petersburg to the Moscow Armory.

Official site: http://www.gokhran.ru

Operating mode: from 10:00 to 17:00. Ticket office - from 09:00 to 16:30, break from 13:00 to 14:00. Closed on Thursday.

Ticket price– 500 rubles, preferential – 100 rubles.

The Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin is located on Cathedral Square. The simple, but at the same time majestic temple is an example of cathedral architecture. This is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Moscow. For several centuries it was the cathedral church of Russia.

Where the Assumption Cathedral is now located, at the end of the 12th century there was a wooden church, and at the end of the 13th century. The son of Alexander Nevsky, Daniil, built a stone temple on the highest point of the Moscow Kremlin, which became the first stone building in Moscow.

In 1472, the church became completely dilapidated, and it was decided to build a new, large church. The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was taken as a model. Construction began, but it was never completed. On May 20, 1474, the temple was destroyed. The reason is an earthquake in the capital.

After the revolution, the temple was closed. Since 1955 it has operated as a museum. Since 1991, it has been part of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Moscow Kremlin". Here, with the blessing of the Patriarch, divine services are held on certain holidays.

Location: Cathedral Square. Official site: www.uspenskymos.moseparh.ru

Located in the southwestern part of Cathedral Square. The nine-domed temple shines with golden domes. Small in size, but majestic Orthodox Cathedral was built in honor of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. It is the home church of rulers - princes and kings. During the solemn ceremonies that took place on Cathedral Square, the prince or king and his retinue came out of the temple.

During the revolution of 1917, the shrine was damaged by artillery shelling. The porch of the temple was destroyed by a shell. In March 1918, when the Bolshevik government moved to Moscow, the temple was closed.

Location: Cathedral Square.

The church-bell tower is part of the architectural ensemble of Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin. Built in 1505-1509. designed by the Italian architect Bon Fryazin. In the period before 1815, it was repeatedly completed, rebuilt and expanded. In 1992, after a 74-year break, the ringing was heard again from the heights of the Ivan the Great bell tower.

The architectural ensemble of the bell tower includes a functioning Orthodox church, a museum exhibition hall and a museum dedicated to the history of architecture of the Moscow Kremlin.

You can get there from the metro stations “Alexandrovsky Sad”, “Biblioteka im. Lenin", "Borovitskaya", "Arbatskaya".

Museum opening hours: from 9:00 to 17:00. Ticket office - from 09:30 to 16:00. Seven days a week.

World Heritage Architectural Monument. Its history begins in 1487, when, by order of Ivan III, the Italian architect Marco Fryazin began construction of the ceremonial throne room in the palace of the Grand Duke of All Rus'.

For several centuries, the Chamber of Facets was the main ceremonial reception hall in the Grand Duke's palace. Nowadays it is a representative hall at the residence of the President of Russia.

This is a two-story building. The lower ground floor is not connected to the upper one. According to the stored documentation, there were once ovens on the lower floor, and a huge ceremonial hall on the upper floor.

Today, through the Holy Entrance, the chamber is connected to the Vladimir Hall.

Working hours: Wednesday from 10:00.

A monument of medieval Russian architecture, located in Moscow on Red Square. Open 24 hours a day.

Created presumably in the 16th century. Until 1917, it was used during religious processions on Orthodox holidays, as well as for the public announcement of royal decrees.

The expression “frontal place” is often used to mean “scaffold”.

In 1980-1985 The next major scientific restoration work was carried out, the result of which was the modern exhibition.

In 2010, the museum's exhibition was slightly modified. And during the renovation work in 2013, areas of 17th-century painting were uncovered. on the walls of the front hallway and executive chambers.

Location: Cathedral Square.

The Temple of the Twelve Apostles in the Moscow Kremlin is a Russian national architectural monument. It was built by Russian masters, the authors of the Tsar's Prison Palace, Bakhen Ogurtsov and Antipa Konstantinov in 1635-1656.

The Temple of the Twelve Apostles was not intended for religious services, but was a patriarchal palace.

In 1917, the cathedral was damaged during the shelling of the Kremlin, and in 1918, after the ban imposed by the new government on religion, the temple was transferred to the museum. After many years of restoration, the entire second floor began to be occupied by the exhibition of the Museum of Applied Arts and Life of Russia of the 17th century.

Location: Kremlin embankment. Opens on Wednesday from 10:00.

The white, majestic Archangel Cathedral is quiet and gloomy inside. It seems to be filled with deep sadness, because under these arches lie great princes and Russian tsars. Included in the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve.

It is believed that the stone Archangel Cathedral was built in 1333 by dismantling the old church.

Location: Cathedral Square.

An Orthodox church on Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin, consecrated in honor of the robe of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was built in 1484-1485, served as a chapel for Moscow metropolitans, and with the establishment of the patriarchate it became the home church of the patriarchs.

As of 2018, the northern gallery is used as an exhibition space, where wooden sculptures of the 15-19th centuries from Moscow, Novgorod, Rostov and monasteries of the Russian North, examples of church art, faces of saints, icons, etc. are presented.

Memorial architectural complex located near the walls of the Moscow Kremlin in the Alexander Garden. Built in 1967 according to the design of architects Dmitry Burdin, Vladimir Klimov, Yuri Rabaev and sculptor Nikolai Tomsky.

Since 1997, Post No. 1 has been located at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The monument has been given the status of an object of cultural heritage of Russia, as well as a National Memorial of Military Glory. Open 24 hours a day.

Monument to Russian foundry art of the 18th century. The height with the lintel is 6.24 m, the diameter is 6.6 m, the weight is 202 tons. Never used for its intended purpose. The bell was cast by order of Empress Anna Ioanovna in 1730 in memory of the descendants of her reign.

The bell was damaged in 1737 during the Trinity Fire and lay in the ground for about a century. In the first half of the 19th century. it was raised and installed on a pedestal in the Moscow Kremlin near the Ivan the Great bell tower.

Location: on the corner of Spasskaya Street and Ivanovskaya Square, on the eastern side of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. You can get there from the metro stations “Borovitskaya”, “Alexandrovsky Sad”, “Biblioteka im. Lenin" and "Arbatskaya". The ticket office is located near the Kutafya Tower.

After passing through the Trinity Tower, you will find yourself directly in the Kremlin itself. Here you need to follow Troitskaya Street through Ivanovskaya Square.

Operating mode:

Artillery weapon of the Russian Kingdom, a monument of Russian foundry art of the New Age. A masterpiece of heavy fortress artillery of its period, the most significant work of Russian gunsmiths, one of the largest cannons in the world.

The cannon was cast in 1856. In the 30s of the 19th century. together with other cannons, it is exhibited at the façade of the Armory Chamber as a museum exhibit. Currently it is an exhibit of the artillery museum.

Location: Ivanovskaya Square. The metro stations closest to the Kremlin are Borovitskaya, Aleksandrovsky Sad, Biblioteka im. Lenin" and "Arbatskaya". You need access to the Alexander Garden (follow the signs). Coming out of the subway, you will find yourself in a long pedestrian passage, near the exit of which you will see a ticket office where you can buy a ticket to the Kremlin territory (the ticket office is located near the Kutafya Tower in the Alexander Garden).

Then through the Trinity Tower you need to enter the Kremlin itself. Next, walk past the Palace of Congresses and reach the Tsar Cannon (it is located on the western side of Ivanovo Square, between the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great and the Church of the Twelve Apostles).

Operating mode: Thursday is a day off. From May 15 to September 30 - from 9:30 to 18:00, from October 1 to May 14 - from 10:00 to 17:00.

Archaeological windows are a well-known way to show cultural layers, the so-called “portals to the past”, in which you can see the foundations of lost monasteries and palaces. In 2017, two archaeological windows were opened on Ivanovskaya Square. This is a design that allows you to see the excavation site under glass.

Visitors say that the windows didn’t turn out very well, because they can’t see well. But the idea is considered good.

From the middle of the 20th century. The Kremlin attracts close attention from archaeologists. However, it has not been sufficiently studied: the modern functions of the Kremlin as the seat of the highest organs of state power have long held back archaeological work.

The dismantling of the 14th building of the Moscow Kremlin, built in 1930-1932, opened up unique opportunities not only for the archaeological study of the eastern part of the Kremlin Hill, but also for filling the modern ensemble of the Kremlin with authentic heritage elements that reveal its historical appearance.

One of the palaces of the Moscow Kremlin. Built in 1838-1648. by order of Emperor Nicholas I.

Currently used for state diplomatic receptions and official ceremonies and is the ceremonial residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

A public building located on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. It was built on the initiative of Nikita Khrushchev. The palace was intended to host congresses of the CPSU, and also served as a venue for theatrical performances, concerts and other public events. Opened on October 17, 1961 by the 22nd Party Congress.

After the collapse of the USSR, the palace retained its status as one of the most prestigious theater and concert venues in the country. In 1992 it was renamed the State Kremlin Palace. As of 2018, it is an identified cultural heritage site in the Moscow Kremlin. However, due to stylistic inconsistency with the historical building, the modernist building was not included in the UNESCO list. Located in the Department of Administration of Presidential Affairs.

Architectural monument of the 17th-19th centuries. Located between the Trinity and Nikolskaya towers. It was founded by Peter I in 1701. Damaged in the Great Moscow Fire of 1737, restored in 1786-1796. It was blown up by retreating Napoleonic troops in 1812.

Currently, the arsenal houses the barracks of the Kremlin regiment and the administrative services of the Kremlin commandant's office.

Artillery guns

The Moscow Kremlin Museums have the largest historical collection of artillery in Russia - about 800 barrels. In quantitative terms, it is second only to the Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg.

A sculptural monument dedicated to the leaders of the people's militia in 1612. It is the first sculptural monument in Moscow.

Location:

A building on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin, built in 1776-1787. The palace was built by order of Empress Catherine. Initially, the building was supposed to serve as the residence of the highest authority of the Russian Empire - the Governing Senate - from which it got its name.

Under Soviet rule, V.I.’s office was located in the palace. Lenin, later it became the building of the USSR Government. Currently, the Senate Palace is the working residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

Address: Kremlin, building No. 1.

Located on the Kremlin embankment. It is located along the southern wall of the fortress, and received its name in honor of the Tainitskaya Tower.

Included in the UNESCO list. The part of the park bordering Ivanovskaya Square is called the Great Kremlin Square.

A palace building of the Moscow Kremlin, located near the western Kremlin wall between the Commandant and Trinity towers on Dvortsovaya Street. The building was built in 1651 as the living chambers of boyar Ilya Danilovich Miloslavsky, father-in-law of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. It is the only example of a boyar choir preserved in the Kremlin.

Working hours: Thursday – day off, other days – from 10:00 to 17:00.

An architectural monument of the 17th century, located on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. The palace was built in 1635-1636. by order of Mikhail Fedorovich as ceremonial royal chambers.

Currently, the palace is part of the ensemble of the Grand Kremlin Palace and is the residence of the President of Russia.

Verkhospassky Cathedral

Cathedral of the Great Kremlin Palace, built in 1635-1636. It is part of the complex of house churches at the Terem Palace.

The temple is closed to the public and no services are held there.

The oldest of the partially surviving architectural monuments of Moscow. It is part of the Grand Kremlin Palace complex.

It was believed that the temple was founded in memory of the Battle of Kulikovo, as it was dedicated to the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A monument erected in the Moscow Kremlin at the site of the murder of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Located near the Nikolskaya Tower between the Senate and Arsenal buildings.

The opening of the monument took place on April 2, 1908. Demolished by the Bolsheviks on May 1, 1918. Restored on behalf of the President of Russia, opened on May 4, 2017.

The main square of Moscow is located between the Moscow Kremlin and Kitay-Gorod. It comes out to the bank of the Moscow River through the gentle Vasilyevsky Descent. The square stretches along the north-eastern wall of the Kremlin, from Kremlyovsky passage and Voskresenskiye Vorota passage to Vasilyevsky Spusk, which faces the Kremlin embankment.

On Red Square there is Lobnoye Mesto, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky, Lenin’s mausoleum, and a necropolis near the Kremlin wall. In the northern part of the square there is a historical museum and the Kazan Cathedral, in the southern part - the Intercession Cathedral.

Since ancient times, the square has served as a trading place, where temporary and permanent shopping arcades were erected for many centuries in a row. During Soviet times, military parades and demonstrations took place on the square. After the collapse of the USSR, it began to be used for public events and concerts.

Total length – 330 meters, width – 75 meters, area – 750 sq. m.

Orthodox church on Red Square in Moscow, a monument of Russian architecture. Construction of the cathedral took place from 1555 to 1561. St. Basil's Cathedral was built by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in memory of the events of the Kazan campaign. The cathedral unites 11 churches, some of which are consecrated in honor of saints, whose memorial days coincided with the decisive battles for Kazan.

The cathedral was popularly called the Intercession on the Moat. The ditch mentioned in the name ran along the Kremlin wall and served as a defensive fortification. Its depth was about 13 meters and its width was about 36 m.

Later, St. Basil the Blessed was buried in one of the chapels of the temple, thanks to whom the cathedral acquired its name.

The cathedral is included in the Russian UNESCO list.

Monument-tomb on Red Square near the Kremlin wall in Moscow, where since 1924 the body of V.I. has been exhibited in a transparent sarcophagus. Lenin.

The first wooden mausoleum was erected in January 1924, the second wooden one in May 1924. The stone mausoleum was built by October 1930.

Since 1924, there has been a laboratory at the mausoleum for the preservation of Lenin’s body. The bodies of several famous politicians from different countries were also embalmed in it. From 1953 to 1961, the mausoleum housed a sarcophagus containing the body of Joseph Stalin.

From 1989 to the present, there have been debates about the reburial of Lenin and the closure of the mausoleum.

Other sights of the Moscow Kremlin

Other attractions located in Moscow and worth visiting include:

• Tretyakov Gallery;
• Moscow Zoo;
• Zaryadye Natural Landscape Park;
• Moscow Planetarium;
• Old Arbat in Moscow;
• Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow;
• State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin;
• Ostankino TV tower;
• Big theater;
• Novodevichy Convent;
• house-museum of V.M. Vasnetsova;
• Kalomenskoye Museum-Reserve;
• Gorky Park in Moscow;
• Sokolniki Park;
• the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye;
• cable car on Vorobyovy Gory.

Sights of the Moscow Kremlin - video review

This video talks about some famous interesting places and buildings of the Moscow Kremlin:

The Moscow Kremlin is extremely rich in various attractions, which include parks, gardens, monuments, churches, palaces, etc. All of them are architectural monuments that have been preserved since ancient times and now delight the eyes of tourists and city residents.