Kremlin high resolution. Master class in fine arts "Kremlin

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Everyone has already heard that the Kremlin was white. Many articles have already been written about this, but people still manage to argue. But when did they start whitening it, and when did they stop? On this issue, statements in all articles diverge, as well as thoughts in people's heads. Some write that they began to whitewash in the 18th century, others that as early as the beginning of the 17th century, others are trying to provide evidence that the Kremlin walls were not whitewashed at all. Everywhere the phrase is replicated that the Kremlin was white until 1947, and then suddenly Stalin ordered it to be repainted red. Was it so? Let's finally dot all the and, since there are enough sources, both picturesque and photographic.

Dealing with the color of the Kremlin: red, white, when and why —>

So, the current Kremlin was built by the Italians at the end of the 15th century, and, of course, they did not whitewash it. The fortress retained the natural color of red brick, there are several similar ones in Italy, the closest analogue is the Sforza Castle in Milan. Yes, and whitewashing fortifications in those days was dangerous: when a cannonball hits a wall, the brick is damaged, the whitewash crumbles, and you can clearly see the weak spot where you should aim again to destroy the wall as soon as possible.

So, one of the first images of the Kremlin, where its color is clearly visible, is the icon of Simon Ushakov “Praise to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. The tree of the Russian state. It was written in 1668, and the Kremlin is red here.

For the first time, in written sources, the whitewashing of the Kremlin was mentioned in 1680.
The historian Bartenev, in the book “The Moscow Kremlin in Antiquity and Now” writes: “In a memorandum filed on July 7, 1680 in the name of the tsar, it is said that the Kremlin’s fortifications were “not whitewashed”, and the Spassky Gates “were registered in black and white in brick". The note asked: whitewash the walls of the Kremlin, leave them as they are, or paint them “in brick” like the Spassky Gates? The Tsar ordered the Kremlin to be whitewashed with lime…”
So, at least since the 1680s, our main fortress has been whitewashed.

1766. Painting by P. Balabin after the engraving by M. Makhaev. The Kremlin is clearly white here.

1797, Gerard Delabart.

1819, artist Maxim Vorobyov.

In 1826, the French writer and playwright François Anselot came to Moscow, he described the white Kremlin in his memoirs: “On this we will leave the Kremlin, my dear Xavier; but, looking again at this ancient citadel, we will regret that, while repairing the destruction caused by the explosion, the builders removed from the walls the age-old patina that gave them so much grandeur. The white paint that hides the cracks gives the Kremlin an air of youth that does not match its shape and erases its past.”

1830s, artist Rauch.

1842, Lerebour's daguerreotype, the first documentary depiction of the Kremlin.

1850, Joseph Andreas Weiss.

1852, one of the very first photographs of Moscow, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is under construction, and the walls of the Kremlin are whitewashed.

1856, preparations for the coronation of Alexander II. For this event, the whitewashing was updated in places, the structures on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower were a frame for illumination.

The same 1856, view in the opposite direction, closest to us is the Taynitskaya tower with an archer overlooking the embankment.

Photo from 1860.

Photo from 1866.

1866-67.

1879, artist Pyotr Vereshchagin.

1880, painting by the English school of painting. The Kremlin is still white. From all previous images, we conclude that the Kremlin wall along the river was whitewashed in the 18th century, and remained white until the 1880s.

1880s, Konstantin-Eleninskaya tower of the Kremlin from the inside. The whitewash is gradually crumbling, and exposes the red-brick walls.

1884, wall along the Alexander Garden. The whitewash was crumbling badly, only the teeth were renewed.

1897, artist Nesterov. The walls are already closer to red than to white.

1909, peeling walls with remains of whitewash.

The same 1909, whitewash is still holding up well on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower. Most likely it was whitewashed for the last time later than the rest of the walls. It is clear from several previous photographs that the walls and most of the towers were last whitewashed in the 1880s.

1911 Grotto in the Alexander Garden and the Middle Arsenal Tower.

1911, artist Yuon. In reality, the walls were, of course, of a dirtier shade, the stains from whitewashing were more pronounced than in the picture, but the overall gamut was already red.

1914, Konstantin Korovin.

The motley and shabby Kremlin in a photograph of the 1920s.

And on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower, the whitewash was still holding on, mid-1930s.

Late 1940s, the Kremlin after restoration for the 800th anniversary of Moscow. Here the tower is already clearly red, with white details.

And two more color photographs from the 1950s. Somewhere they touched up, somewhere they left peeling walls. There was no total repainting in red.

1950s These two photos are taken from here: http://humus.livejournal.com/4115131.html

Spasskaya Tower

But on the other hand, everything was not so simple. Some towers are out of the general chronology of whitewashing.

1778, Red Square by Friedrich Hilferding. The Spasskaya Tower is red with white details, but the walls of the Kremlin are whitewashed.

1801, watercolor by Fyodor Alekseev. Even with all the diversity of the picturesque range, it is clear that the Spasskaya Tower was still whitewashed at the end of the 18th century.

And after the fire of 1812, the red color was returned again. This is a painting by English masters, 1823. The walls are always white.

1855, artist Shukhvostov. If you look closely, you can see that the colors of the wall and the tower are different, the tower is darker and redder.

View of the Kremlin from Zamoskvorechye, painting by an unknown artist, mid-19th century. Here the Spasskaya Tower is again whitewashed, most likely for the celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of Alexander II in 1856.

Photo from the early 1860s. The tower is white.

Another photo from the early to mid-1860s. The whitewashing of the tower is crumbling here and there.

Late 1860s. And then suddenly the tower was painted red again.

1870s The tower is red.

1880s. The red paint is peeling off, in some places you can see the newly painted places, patches. After 1856, the Spasskaya Tower was never whitewashed again.

Nikolskaya tower

1780s, Friedrich Hilferding. The Nikolskaya tower is still without a Gothic top, it is decorated with early classical decor, red, with white details. In 1806-07, the tower was built on, in 1812 it was blown up by the French, almost half destroyed, and restored already at the end of the 1810s.

1823, brand new Nikolskaya tower after restoration, red.

1883, white tower. Perhaps they whitened it together with Spasskaya, for the coronation of Alexander II. And they updated the whitewash for the coronation of Alexander III in 1883.

1912 The White Tower remained until the revolution.

1925 The tower is already red with white details. It became red as a result of the restoration in 1918, after revolutionary damage.

Trinity Tower

1860s. The tower is white.

On the watercolor of the English school of painting in 1880, the tower is gray, this color is given by the spoiled whitewash.

And in 1883 the tower was already red. Painted or cleaned of whitewash, most likely for the coronation of Alexander III.

Let's summarize. According to documentary sources, the Kremlin was first whitewashed in 1680, in the 18th and 19th centuries it was white, with the exception of the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya and Trinity towers in certain periods. The walls were last whitewashed in the early 1880s, at the beginning of the 20th century the whitewashing was renewed only on the Nikolskaya tower, possibly also on Vodovzvodnaya. Since then, the whitewash has gradually crumbled and washed off, and by 1947 the Kremlin naturally adopted the ideologically correct red color, in some places it was tinted during restoration.

Kremlin walls today

photo: Ilya Varlamov

Today, in some places, the Kremlin retains the natural color of red brick, perhaps with a slight tint. These are bricks of the 19th century, the result of another restoration.

Wall from the river. Here you can clearly see that the bricks are painted red. Photo from Ilya Varlamov's blog

All old photos, unless otherwise noted, are taken from https://pastvu.com/

Alexander Ivanov worked on the publication.

Looking at these pictures one wants not to exclaim: "Moscow still has beautiful views! We haven't managed to mutilate everything yet!"

Original taken from gelio to Moscow from above. 2014

Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation. This is the largest city in Russia in terms of population, in which, according to official statistics, more than 12 million people live. According to this indicator, it is among the ten largest cities in the world. It is the financial, transport, logistics, business, cultural and tourist center of the country. Important sights are concentrated here, including the Kremlin, Red Square, the Bolshoi Theater, Stalin's skyscrapers and many other iconic objects.
Moscow is a city with monumental architecture: one can understand the real scale of wide multi-lane streets, multi-tier interchanges and skyscrapers only from a height.

The Moscow Kremlin is the geographical and historical center of Moscow. This is the most ancient part of the city, which is currently the residence of the highest state authorities of the Russian Federation and one of the main historical and artistic complexes of the country.

Kremlin Embankment and Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge.

Panorama of the Kremlin.
The existing walls and towers were built in 1485-1495. The total length of the walls is 2235 m.

There are 19 towers along the walls, and another one - the Kutafya tower - is placed outside the walls.
3 towers standing at the corners have a circular section, the rest are square.

The highest tower is Troitskaya, it has a height of 80 meters.

Grand Kremlin Palace.

It was built in 1838-1849 by order of Emperor Nicholas I by a group of Russian architects led by K. A. Ton. Currently used for state and diplomatic receptions and official ceremonies, and the palace itself is the main residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

Pokrovsky Cathedral (St. Basil's Cathedral) is one of the most famous sights in Russia. For many, he is a symbol of Moscow, Russia.

The cathedral was built by Barma and Postnik under Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1555-61. in memory of the conquest of Kazan.

In front of the cathedral there is a bronze monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky.

"Museum of V. I. Lenin"

State Historical Museum.

The collection of the museum reflects the history and culture of Russia from ancient times to the present day, is unique in terms of the number and content of the exhibits.

Manezhnaya Square

Fountain "Clock of the World". The main dome of the underground shopping complex "Okhotny Ryad".

Tverskaya Street is the central street of Moscow.

The State Academic Bolshoi Theater is one of the largest in Russia and one of the most significant opera and ballet theaters in the world.

Bronze quadriga above the entrance portico. The Bolshoi Theater is depicted on hundred-ruble banknotes.

"House on the waterfront"

The residential complex of the CEC-SNK of the USSR occupies an area of ​​three hectares. 25 entrances open onto two streets - Serafimovicha and Bersenevskaya embankment.
The history of the country is reflected in the history of the House as in a mirror. The fate of many residents of the House is tragic. During the years of the Great Terror, almost a third of its inhabitants suffered from repressions and disappeared into prisons and camps. Outstanding military leaders, heroes, artists, journalists, writers, academicians, party and government figures, and workers of the Comintern lived in the House.

GUM (Main department store)

A large shopping complex, which occupies an entire quarter of Kitay-Gorod and faces the Red Square with its main facade. A monument of pseudo-Russian architecture of federal significance. It is on lease until 2059 from the Russian retailer Bosco di Ciliegi, which specializes in the sale of luxury goods.

TSUM (Central Department Store)

State Duma (State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation)

The building was built in 1938 for the Labor and Defense Council. Subsequently, it housed the Soviet government (the Council of People's Commissars, then the Council of Ministers of the USSR), and then the State Planning Committee of the USSR. The State Duma has been sitting here since 1994.

"White House" - House of the Government of the Russian Federation

The "White House" was badly damaged during the October events of 1993, when troops called by President Yeltsin opened fire from tanks on a building defended by supporters of the dissolved Congress of People's Deputies and the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation.

Left: former territory of the Krasny Oktyabr confectionery factory. In the center: Monument to Peter the Great by Tsereteli.

New Arbat

Garden Ring road

Borodinsky bridge across the Moscow River. Smolenskaya embankment and Taras Shevchenko embankment.

"Stalin skyscrapers" - seven high-rise buildings built in Moscow in the late 1940s - early 1950s. High-rise buildings are the pinnacle of the post-war "Soviet Art Deco" in urban architecture. All Stalin's skyscrapers were laid on the same day - September 7, 1947, when the 800th anniversary of Moscow was celebrated. It was a symbol of a new stage in the life of the ancient capital.

The main building of Moscow State University is the largest and tallest of all the Stalinist skyscrapers.

It has 36 floors, and the height with the spire reaches 240 meters. The building was the tallest administrative and residential building in Moscow in terms of spire for many years, from 1953 until December 2003.

Residential building on Kotelnicheskaya embankment

The house was built in 1938-1940, 1948-1952. The central building has 26 floors (32 including technical floors) and has a height of 176 m. There are 540 apartments in the skyscraper.

High-rise building on Red Gate Square

During the construction of the base of a high-rise building on Lermontovskaya Square, a technique was used that had no analogues in terms of technical courage and engineering art. The fact is that the house with a height of 138 meters was built simultaneously with the Krasnye Vorota metro station. The designers faced a difficult problem: for some time, the multi-storey building will be located on the very edge of the pit, therefore, the soil will settle unevenly and the high-rise building will tilt. Therefore, it was decided to specifically build with a slope. Before that, the soil along the perimeter of the pit was artificially frozen according to the metro construction technology. When it then melted, the building sank and assumed a strictly vertical position. This method has never been used anywhere else due to the complexity of the calculations.

Residential building on Kudrinskaya Square

The skyscraper was nicknamed the “House of Aviators” due to the fact that apartments in it were provided to workers in the aviation industry. The upper floors housed special KGB equipment for monitoring the American embassy, ​​which is located nearby, on Novinsky Boulevard.

"Radisson Royal" (Hotel "Ukraine")

The hotel was built in 1953-1957 and got its name in honor of the homeland of General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev. In April 2010, the hotel reopened after a large-scale restoration under the new name "Radisson Royal".

The building opens Kutuzovsky prospect.

"Moscow City"

In 1992, the first projects of a multi-storey business center appeared, which were proposed to be built on the Presnenskaya embankment of the Moscow River. The quarter was named the Moscow International Business Center "Moscow-City".

On an area of ​​60 hectares, 16 multi-storey buildings should be built, which are an integrated complex of structures with a single information space. The skyscrapers of Moscow City should house numerous offices, restaurants, hotels, congress halls, entertainment centers, shops, galleries, exhibition halls.

As of the end of 2014, 10 high-rise buildings have been built on the territory of Moscow City, and 11 are under construction or being completed. Of these, 15 buildings are skyscrapers (over 150 meters).

The average number of storeys of the complex at the moment is 54 floors.

Budgets for the purchase of apartments in MIBC "Moscow-City" are concentrated in the range of 1-2 million dollars.

Eurasia Tower. 70 floors, 309 m.

Mercury City Tower. 75 floors, 339 m.

The height of the building is 338.8 meters, which allowed the tower to be called the tallest skyscraper in Europe until September 25, 2014. The 75-storey tower "Mercury City" bypassed the height of the London skyscraper "The Shard" (306 m), which lasted only 4 months in the status of the tallest building in Europe. Upon completion, Mercury City was almost 33 meters taller than its London rival.

In 2013, Mercury City won the prestigious International Property Awards Europe 2013 in the Best High-Rise Architecture nomination.

"The Tower on the Embankment". 59 floors, 268 m.

Trade and cultural center "Evolution". 54 floors, 255 m.

The tower differs from all other projects in its unusual twisting shape, reminiscent of a DNA molecule. The project was designed by architect Tony Kettle with Karen Forbes, who currently teaches in Edinburgh. The tower itself is a creative offspring of constructivism, borrowing the outlines of the Tatlin tower dedicated to the Third International.

Ostankino Tower.

Construction was carried out from 1963 to 1967. At that time it was the tallest building in the world (540 meters). It is now the 8th tallest free-standing structure in the world.

Panorama from the Ostankino television tower.

View from the 503 mark of the TV tower.

The idea to use prestressed concrete compressed by steel cables made the tower structure simple and strong.

Another progressive idea was the use of a relatively shallow foundation: according to the plan of engineer Nikitin, the tower had to practically stand on the ground and its stability was ensured by repeatedly exceeding the mass of the cone-shaped base over the mass of the mast structure.

Victory Park

The memorial complex of victory in the Great Patriotic War was opened on May 9, 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory.

Belarusian

Komsomolskaya Square is the square of three railway stations where Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky and Kazansky railway stations are located.

More than 30 million people depart from the capital's railway stations throughout Russia and to foreign countries per year.

Kyiv railway station

Belorussky railway station

The Third Transport Ring (TTK) is one of the three ring highways of Moscow along with the Garden Ring and the Moscow Ring Road.

Street Begovaya

The total length of the Third Ring Road is about 36 kilometers, of which about 19 kilometers are flyovers, and about 5 kilometers are tunnels.

Horoshovo-Mnevniki

Strogino

Round house on Dovzhenko, 6

The most recognizable architectural structure in Russia, the Moscow Kremlin, is located in the historical center of the capital. 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. It several times 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 usually 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 the 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 collapsed 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 construction errors. A new attempt at revival was made by Grand Duke Ivan III. It was in this cathedral that prayer services were served before important campaigns, kings were crowned and elevated to the rank of patriarchs.

Dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Russian rulers, it was built in 1505 on the site of the 1333 church of the same name. 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. In 1291, a wooden church was built here, but burned down a century later and was replaced by a stone church. The white stone cathedral on the facades has nine onion domes and is intended for family ceremonies.

Working hours of the cathedrals: 10:00 to 17:00 (day off - 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 rich carved decorative frames, as well as a tiled roof.
  

  

  

• - a building of the 17th century, preserved rare architectural features of civil architecture of that time. The museum presents jewelry, exquisite dishes, paintings, items of royal hunting. 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:

Moscow Kremlin towers

The length of the walls is 2235 meters, their maximum height is 19 meters, and the 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 up to 80 meters.

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 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 for the first time the chimes, which announced a new hour. Since then, many events have taken place: 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 (81 meters high) is the tallest building in the Kremlin ensemble. It was built between 1505 and 1508 and still performs its function for three cathedrals that do not have their own bell towers - Arkhangelsk, Assumption and Annunciation.

Nearby is a small church of St. John, from which the name of the bell tower and the square appeared. It existed until the beginning of the 16th century, then collapsed and has since deteriorated significantly.

The Faceted Chamber 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 closed for tours.

Armory and Diamond Fund

The chamber was built according to the decree of Peter I, so that weapons obtained in wars were stored in it. 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 is a museum, which can be visited on any day of the week from 10:00 to 18:00, except for Thursday. Ticket price for adults - 700 rubles, for children - free of charge.

There are not only exhibits of the weapons 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. For an adult ticket, you will have to pay 500 rubles, a child ticket costs 100 rubles.

Two exhibited diamonds deserve special attention, as they belong to the most famous examples of this gem 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 Alexei Savrasov.
3. Red Square has nothing to do with red. The name comes from the old Russian word "krasny", which means beautiful, and is in no way related to the color of the buildings, which, as we now know, were white until the end of the 19th century.
4. The stars of the Moscow Kremlin were eagles. During the time of Tsarist Russia, 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 we see today. The fifth star on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower was added later.
5. 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 Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the Assumption Cathedral, the Trinity Tower and the Terem Palace.
7. The Moscow Kremlin was practically not damaged in World War II. During the war, the Kremlin was carefully disguised 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.
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 6.14 meter high bell was made from metal casting, the tsar cannon weighing 39.312 tons was lost in 1586 and was never used in the war.
9. The stars of the Kremlin always shine. In its 80 years of existence, the illumination of the Kremlin's stars has only been switched 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 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 clock literally lies under our feet. The clock is connected to the control clock at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute via a cable.

The Moscow Kremlin is the main attraction of the capital of Russia, which has great historical, architectural, socio-political value.

The Kremlin is located in the very center of the city on the high Borovitsky Hill near the Moscow River. On one side of it is Red Square, on the other - Alexander Garden.

Read about how to get to the Moscow Kremlin, what Kremlin sights to see first, how to buy entrance tickets, about working hours, excursions and much more in this article.

History of the Moscow Kremlin

The Finno-Ugric tribes were the first to settle on the territory of the modern Kremlin in the Bronze Age. In the 10th century, Borovitsky Hill, located at the intersection of important trade routes, was occupied by the Vyatichi, and in 1156, by the will of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, a typical Russian fortress was built here with defensive fortifications - earthen ramparts with palisades, surrounded by a deep moat.

Until the middle of the 14th century, the Moscow Kremlin was wooden. Under the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, its walls and towers were replaced with white stone ones, which served until the end of the 15th century.

Under the guidance of Italian masters in 1485-1516, new powerful fortifications made of burnt bricks were erected - towers and battlements with a thickness of three to six and a half meters, which we have the opportunity to admire even today.

Architectural ensemble

The architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin is made up of the golden-domed Annunciation, Archangel and Assumption Cathedrals, the Patriarch's Chambers, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the Chamber of Facets, and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. In the 17th century, the Terem Palace was erected, around the same time the Kremlin towers acquired a modern look. In the 18th century, the Arsenal, the Senate, the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Armory appeared.

Unfortunately, the oldest Cathedral of the Savior on Bor, built in 1330 and destroyed in 1933, the Chudov Monastery, founded in 1365 and demolished in 1929, the Ascension Monastery, the Small Nicholas Palace and many other buildings have not survived. In total, during the years of Soviet power, out of 54 Kremlin buildings, only 26 remained “alive”.

However, in 1990 the Kremlin was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo - tour of the territory

The entrance to the territory is through the Kutafya tower topped with a beautiful openwork "crown".

Before you get to the Kremlin, you need to buy tickets in the dark glass pavilion, which is located nearby in the Alexander Garden, go through the "frame" of the metal detector and the procedure for screening personal belongings. Large bags, suitcases and backpacks will have to be left in the luggage room.

The Kutafya Tower, previously surrounded by a river and a moat, protected the approaches to the Trinity Tower.

Having passed along the Trinity Bridge, we will look at the multi-tiered Trinity Tower from the other side. Its height is 80 meters, it is the highest tower of the Kremlin.

On the right in the photo is the Arsenal, built by order of Peter the Great. It was assumed that the building would be used as a military warehouse and trophy storage. Nowadays, the administrative services of the Kremlin Commandant's Office and the barracks of the Presidential Regiment are stationed here.

On the left is the State Kremlin Palace (formerly the Palace of Congresses), built in 1961. The main New Year tree of the country is held here, concerts and ballet performances are held.

Near the walls of the Arsenal there are historical weapons - collections of old Russian and foreign cannons, military trophies of the Patriotic War of 1812.

Now let's go to the Senate Square.

The Senate building, designed by architect M.F. Kazakov, has the shape of a triangle. In the Soviet years, V.I. Lenin, working rooms of I.V. Stalin, L.I. Brezhnev, M.S. Gorbachev. Today, the Senate is the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

View from about the same point in the opposite direction - to Trinity Square and the Kremlin cathedrals.

The Tsar Cannon, which is a must-see, stands near Trinity Square and the Patriarch's Chambers with the Church of the Twelve Apostles.

A powerful tool was made in 1586. This is the largest cannon in the world, an outstanding example of Russian weapons art. Its caliber is 890 mm, weight is 40 tons.

At the foot of the bell tower there is another giant - the Tsar Bell, cast in the 18th century. Its weight is 202 tons, diameter is 6.6 meters. The Tsar Bell was cast right there, on the territory of Ivanovskaya Square. A piece of the bell broke off during a big fire in the Kremlin.

On the south side, Ivanovskaya Square adjoins the Big Kremlin Square and the Tainitsky Garden.

Unfortunately, you can’t walk around the entire garden - this is a secure facility. But you can still see something interesting: for example, an aviary for peregrine falcons, goshawks and an eagle owl, which are kept specifically to chase crows and doves. Or here - a helipad for the president and prime minister, equipped not so long ago.

View from the square on the ensemble of the bell tower Ivan the Great. The Kremlin bell tower became the tallest building in Moscow under Boris Godunov, who ordered it to be built up to a height of 81 m in 1600. You can climb up in the summer by purchasing a separate ticket.

From April to October, on Saturdays at 12-00 on the Cathedral Square, the ceremony of equestrian and foot divorce of the Presidential Regiment takes place. Viewing the ceremonial is included in the price of a single ticket to visit the territory of the Kremlin and the cathedral-museums of Cathedral Square.

The Assumption Cathedral, designed by the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti, was the main temple of Russia for four centuries - Ivan the Terrible and other tsars were crowned here, emperors were crowned. Many patriarchs and metropolitans are buried in the Assumption Cathedral.

In the photo - the Archangel Cathedral, erected in 1505-1508 in honor of the Archangel Michael by the Venetian Aleviz Novy.

Entrance to the Archangel Cathedral. In the temple-royal tomb there are 54 burials of saints, princes, tsars and their wives, including the holy prince Dmitry Uglichsky, Moscow princes Vasily the Dark, Dmitry Donskoy, Ivan Kalita, tsars Ivan the Terrible and Alexei Mikhailovich.

The Cathedral of the Annunciation, one of the oldest on the Kremlin territory, was built by Pskov craftsmen in 1484-1489. The temple, small in size, was used as a home church of Russian sovereigns.

In the basement of the Annunciation Cathedral there is an interesting exhibition "Treasures and Antiquities of the Moscow Kremlin".

The Faceted Chamber, one of the oldest civil buildings in Moscow, in tsarist times served as the main front reception hall, a place for meetings of the Boyar Duma, meetings of the Zemsky Sobors. Now it is the representative hall of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

The chamber is called the Faceted Chamber because it is lined with blocks having 4 faces.

In the corner of Cathedral Square are the Verkhospassky Cathedral - part of the ancient Terem Palace, the eastern facade of the Golden Tsarina's Chamber and the Church of the Deposition of the Robe - the home church of Moscow metropolitans and patriarchs.

From Cathedral Square we move to the Grand Kremlin Palace, built in the 19th century. The ensemble of the palace includes about 700 rooms, including St. George, Vladimir, Andreevsky, Alexander and Catherine's halls, the Golden Tsaritsyna Chamber, the Malachite Foyer, the Study and Bedroom of the Emperors, nine churches and the Terem Palace.

Since the Grand Kremlin Palace is the main residence of the President of the Russian Federation, you can get there only as part of a group from an organization on a preliminary application submitted a month in advance.

Next to the BKD is the Armory - a museum with innumerable riches: ancient gold and silver jewelry and other items, weapons, armor, state regalia, a collection of carriages. Here you can see Monomakh's cap, scepters, orbs, thrones, coronation dresses and ceremonial royal clothes.

The same building houses the Diamond Fund - the national treasury of Russia, a repository of precious stones and nuggets, ceremonial jewelry of Russian tsars and emperors. It is here that the Great Imperial Crown, made on the occasion of the coronation of Catherine II, is located. The crown is adorned with 5000 diamonds, 75 large pearls and a very large rare dark red spinel gemstone.

View from the Armory to the Vodovzvodnaya, Borovitskaya towers and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

The amusing palace - the chambers of the boyar Miloslavsky is best seen from the Alexander Garden, it is located near the Kremlin wall between the Trinity and Commandant towers. In 1672, fun was organized here - performances for the amusement of the kings, which gave the name to the palace. Under Peter the Great, the Poteshny Palace housed the Police Order, and today the services of the Commandant's Office.

How to get to the Kremlin

By public transport: the nearest metro stations are the Lenin Library, Aleksandrovsky Sad, Borovitskaya and Arbatskaya on the blue Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line. It is also easy to walk to the Kremlin on foot from many central stations: Okhotny Ryad, Revolution Square, Teatralnaya and others.

Opening hours

The territory of the Kremlin and cathedral-museums of Cathedral Square:

• from May 16 to September 30 - daily, except Thursday, from 9-30 to 18-00 (the box office is open from 9-00 to 16-30)
• from October 1 to May 15 - daily, except Thursday, from 10-00 to 17-00 (the box office is open from 9-30 to 16-00)

The Armory is open from 10:00 to 18:00 every day except Thursday. The beginning of the sessions - 10-00, 12-00, 14-30, 16-30

Diamond Fund - daily, except Thursday, from 10-00 to 17-20 for sessions. Break - from 13-00 to 14-00. The duration of the session is 40 minutes. Sale of tickets for the morning sessions starts at 9-00, for the evening - at 13-00. Morning sessions: 10-00, 10-20, 10-40, 11-00, 11-20, 12-00, 12-20. Evening sessions: 14-00, 15-00, 15-20, 16-00, 16-20, 16-40, 17-00, 17-20.

The Diamond Fund is closed on holidays. More details about the working hours - on the official website: gokhran.ru/ru/diamond-fund/contacts.phtml

Rarely, but it happens that access to the Kremlin is closed in connection with solemn events, meetings of heads of foreign states, receptions on the occasion of state holidays and other events.

Ticket price

Single ticket (territory, cathedrals, exhibitions)– visiting the territory of the Kremlin, the cathedral-museums of the Cathedral Square, the exhibition halls of the Patriarchal Chambers, the exposition “Treasures and Antiquities of the Moscow Kremlin” in the basement of the Annunciation Cathedral, the exhibition of wooden sculpture in the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the exposition in the annex of the Archangel Cathedral:

• adults - 500 rubles
• Russian students and pensioners - 250 rubles, without the possibility of visiting museums (territory only) - free of charge
• children under 16, members of large families, disabled people of the 1st and 2nd groups and other privileged categories of citizens - free of charge
• for persons under the age of 18, the second Tuesday of each month - free of charge
• on Cultural Heritage Days, a single ticket is free for everyone

Single tickets are sold online on the official website of the Moscow Kremlin kreml.ru (except for free and reduced tickets) and at the box office in the Alexander Garden on the day of the visit.

- the visit is carried out on a separate ticket, the price includes an audio guide:

• adults — 700 rubles
• Russian students and pensioners - 350 rubles
• children under 16, members of large families, disabled people of the 1st and 2nd groups and other privileged categories of citizens - free of charge

Entrance tickets to the Armory are sold on the day of the visit if tickets are available at the box office in the Alexander Garden and via the Internet on the official website of the Moscow Kremlin kreml.ru (except for free and discounted tickets).

Attention! Purchasing tickets Online for a particular session does not guarantee additional free or reduced-price tickets for the same session on the day of your visit to the museum. Free and discount tickets are issued only if they are available at the box office, in the order of the general queue. The museum's capacity does not allow allocating an unlimited number of tickets for each session.

Diamond fund- you can buy tickets at the box office No. 4 and No. 5 in the Alexander Garden on the day of your visit for a certain session. The ticket price includes an excursion.

• adults - 500 rubles
• schoolchildren, students, pensioners, members of large families - 100 rubles
• disabled children, non-working disabled people of groups 1 and 2 and other preferential categories of citizens - free of charge

The number of tickets for each session is limited.

If you want to visit only the Armory and / or the Diamond Fund, the entrance is possible through the Borovitskaya Tower.

The line at the box office and at the entrance is the least in the cold season on weekdays, most of all - in the warm season in good weather on weekends, especially on Saturday in the morning - because of the opportunity to watch the ceremony of setting the guard on Cathedral Square.

Excursions

The Kremlin excursion center offers sightseeing and thematic tours of the Kremlin, the Armory, cathedral-museums and museum expositions for organized groups and individual visitors as part of a combined group.

Prices for excursions around the Moscow Kremlin, the order of registration and payment for excursions, see the official website: kreml.ru

Free mobile guide around the Kremlin - izi.travel/ru/7cce-moskva-kreml/ru

Photography

Amateur photography and video filming is prohibited in cathedral-museums, the Armory and the Diamond Fund.

Author: The list of desirable points was severely cut - they were not allowed to shoot from the roofs of buildings, they were not allowed to climb some towers, but most importantly, the Kremlin wall was left. Walking along the Kremlin walls, climbing inaccessible towers was my old dream, and now it has come true! In the first part, I will post a walk along the walls of the Kremlin.

01. Here is a staircase leading to the Spasskaya Tower. There are two platforms on the tower, one under the clock, the other above.


02. Dawn.


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05. Let's get a little closer...


06. View of Red Square from the Spasskaya Tower.


07. Historical Museum and Mausoleum.


08. There is a path along the perimeter of the Kremlin wall. Pipes with some kind of communications are laid along it, as well as lighting elements and security systems.


09. Wall. View from the Konstantin-Eleninskaya tower.


10. Behind the wall, everything is not as beautiful as in tourist areas. For example, behind the Beklemishevskaya Tower some rubbish is piled up. On the left you can see the mount for the Kremlin Christmas tree.


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13. Symbol of Moscow on the building of the Senate


14. As I said, there are spotlights on the wall. It's hard to walk freely.


15. Staircase in one of the towers. Most of the towers are empty inside, there is electrical equipment and communications.


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18. Platform on the Taynitskaya tower.


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20. Despite the large number of sensors and cameras, city lunatics sometimes try to take the wall by storm.


21. Annunciation Tower

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24. Near the Kremlin wall between the Komendatskaya and Trinity towers there is an interesting civil structure of the middle of the 17th century. - the so-called Amusing Palace.


25. In the XIX century. the commandant of Moscow lived in the Poteshny Palace, in the 20th century - here was the first Kremlin apartment of I.V. Stalin (until 1932). The Poteshny Palace is the only architectural monument of the boyar dwellings preserved in the Kremlin.


26. Cameras.

27. Commandant's Tower


28. Borovitskaya tower. Interestingly, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1658, the Borovitskaya Tower was renamed the Baptist Tower after the nearby Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist near Bor. However, the old name of the tower still survived and has come down to our days.

29. My shadow.


30. View from the observation deck of the Borovitskaya tower to the Armory and BKD.


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33. "House on the embankment"


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35. Wall, view from the tower.


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40. Surprisingly, there is a gate on the wall. Here they are needed so that the musicians of the Presidential Orchestra, located in the Trinity Tower, cannot escape;)


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42. And this is a greenhouse that grows plants in it, which decorate the interiors of the Kremlin premises.


43. And here is the musician.


44. Arsenal.


45. There are a lot of inscriptions on the pipes, they were left by the soldiers who served here.


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47. Eternal Flame of Glory at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier


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50. Grotto "Ruins" in the Alexander Garden


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57. The doors in the tower are old)


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62. And this is the royal tower. A small turret was placed right on the wall in the 80s of the 17th century between the Spasskaya and Nabatnaya towers of the Kremlin. Its octagonal tent on pitcher-shaped pillars resembles the lockers of the porches of stone residential choirs common at that time.


63. The name of the tower is associated with a legend according to which it served as a kind of canopy over the royal throne, from where the sovereign of all Russia could observe the events taking place on Red Square from the walls of the Kremlin. The view from it is bad.


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66. Staircase in one of the towers.

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70. And this is the sunset from the Spasskaya Tower.


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