The Moscow Kremlin is a history of origin and development. Kremlin walls and towers What is behind the Kremlin wall

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

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

How to get to the Moscow Kremlin, which Kremlin sights to see first, how to buy entrance tickets, about opening hours, excursions and much more, read this article.

History of the Moscow Kremlin

The first to settle on the territory of the modern Kremlin were the Finno-Ugric tribes back 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 with defensive fortifications - earthen ramparts with palisades surrounded by a deep moat was built here.

Until the middle of the 14th century, the Moscow Kremlin was made of wood. Under 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 craftsmen, in 1485-1516, new powerful fortifications of fired bricks were erected - towers and battlements from three to six and a half meters thick, which we have the opportunity to admire 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 Faceted Chamber, and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. In the 17th century, the Terem Palace was erected, at about the same time the Kremlin towers acquired their modern appearance. In the 18th century, the Arsenal, the Senate, the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Armory appeared.

Unfortunately, the most ancient 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 Nikolaevsky Palace and many other buildings, have not survived. During the years of Soviet power, out of 54 Kremlin buildings, only 26 survived.

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, crowned with a beautiful openwork "crown".

Before getting 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 a metal detector and the procedure for inspecting personal belongings. Large bags, suitcases and backpacks will need to be checked into the storage room.

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

After crossing the Trinity Bridge, we will look at the multi-tiered Trinity Tower from the other side. Its height is 80 meters, it is the tallest tower in the Kremlin.

On the right in the photo is the Arsenal, erected by order of Peter the Great. The building was supposed to be used as a military warehouse and trophy storage. In our time, the administrative services of the Kremlin Commandant's Office and the barracks of the Presidential Regiment are stationed here.

Left - 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 the architect M.F. Kazakov, has the shape of a triangle. In Soviet times, there was a study and an apartment of V.I. Lenin, the offices 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 other direction - to Trinity Square and the Kremlin Cathedrals.

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

The powerful cannon was manufactured in 1586. This is the largest cannon in the world, an outstanding example of Russian arms 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, the Big Kremlin Square and Taynitsky Garden adjoin Ivanovskaya Square.

Unfortunately, you cannot walk around the entire garden - this is a secure facility. But still, you can see something interesting: for example, an aviary for peregrine falcons, goshawks and an owl, which are kept specially so that they chase crows and pigeons. Or here is a helipad for the President and the Prime Minister, equipped not so long ago.

View from the park to the Ivan the Great Bell Tower ensemble. The Kremlin bell tower became the tallest building in Moscow under Boris Godunov, who ordered to build it up in 1600 to a height of 81 m. You can go upstairs in the summer by purchasing a separate ticket.

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

The Assumption Cathedral, built according to the project of the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti, was the main temple of Russia for four centuries - Ivan the Terrible and other tsars were crowned here, and 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. The temple-royal burial vault contains 54 burials of saints, princes, kings and their wives, including the holy Tsarevich Dmitry of Uglich, Moscow princes Vasily Dark, Dmitry Donskoy, Ivan Kalita, Tsars Ivan the Terrible and Alexei Mikhailovich.

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

An interesting exhibition "Treasures and Antiquities of the Moscow Kremlin" is located in the basement of the Annunciation Cathedral.

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

The Faceted Chamber is called, as it is lined with blocks having 4 edges.

In the corner of Cathedral Square are the Verkhospassky Cathedral - part of the ancient Terem Palace, the eastern facade of the Golden Tsaritsin'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 the Georgievsky, Vladimirsky, Andreevsky, Alexandrovsky and Catherine halls, the Golden Tsaritsyn's chamber, the Malachite foyer, the Cabinet and the Bedroom of the emperors, nine churches and the Terem Palace.

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

Next to the BKD there is the Armory Chamber - a museum with countless riches: old gold and silver jewelry and other items, weapons, armor, state decorations, and a collection of carriages. Here you can see the cap of Monomakh, scepters, orbs, thrones, coronation dresses and royal royal dress.

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 5,000 diamonds, 75 large pearls and a very large rare dark red spinel gem.

View from the Armory to Vodovzvodnaya, Borovitskaya Tower 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 at the Kremlin wall between the Troitskaya and the Commandant towers. In 1672, entertainments were held here - performances for the amusement of the kings, which gave the name to the palace. Under Peter the Great, the Police Order was located in the Amusement Palace, and nowadays - 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 Garden, Borovitskaya and Arbatskaya blue Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya lines. It is also easy to walk to the Kremlin from many central stations: Okhotny Ryad, Revolution Square, Teatralnaya and others.

Opening hours

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

• from May 16 to September 30 - every day, except Thursday, from 9-30 to 18-00 (ticket offices are open from 9-00 to 16-30)
• from October 1 to May 15 - every day, except Thursday, from 10-00 to 17-00 (ticket offices are open from 9-30 to 16-00)

The Armory works in sessions 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 - every day, 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. The sale of tickets for morning sessions starts at 9-00, for 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 information 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 public holidays and other events.

Ticket prices

Single ticket (territory, cathedrals, exhibitions)- visiting the territory of the Kremlin, cathedral-museums of the Cathedral Square, exhibition halls of the Patriarch's Chambers, the exposition "Treasures and Antiquities of the Moscow Kremlin" in the basement of the Annunciation Cathedral, an exhibition of wooden sculpture in the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, expositions in the annex of the Arkhangelsk Cathedral:

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

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

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

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

Entrance tickets to the Armory are sold on the day of the visit, subject to the availability of tickets 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 ones).

Attention! Purchasing tickets Online for a specific session does not guarantee that you will receive additional free or reduced tickets for the same session on the day of your visit. Free and discounted tickets are issued only if they are available at the box office, on a first-come, first-served basis. The museum's bandwidth does not allow for an unlimited number of tickets for each session.

Diamond fund- you can buy tickets at the box office # 4 and # 5 in the Alexander Garden on the day of your visit for a certain session. A guided tour is included in the ticket price.

• 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, you can enter through the Borovitskaya Tower.

The queue at the box office and at the entrance is least of all during the cold season on weekdays, most of all - during the warm season at good weather on weekends, especially on Saturday in the first half of the day - because of the opportunity to watch the ceremony of the divorce of the guard on Cathedral Square.

Excursions

The Kremlin excursion center offers sightseeing and thematic excursions around 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 procedure for registration and payment of 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 in cathedrals-museums, the Armory and the Diamond Fund is prohibited.

The first mention of the word Kremlin appears in the Resurrection Chronicle in 1331, when it was still light wooden walls. In 1339, Ivan Kalita changed them to new wooden walls made of durable oak, and in 1367, Prince Dmitry Donskoy erected impregnable white-stone walls in place of the old walls.

(The walls of the Moscow Kremlin under Ivan III at the end of the 15th century. Painting by A. Vasnetsov)

In 1485, architects from Italy Mark Fryazin, Anton Fryazin, Aloiso di Carcano began the long work of erecting the walls of the Moscow Kremlin after the construction of the first tower - Tainitskaya. The work took five years, during which a wall was built on the most threatened southern side, as well as seven towers were erected. Then the walls began to be built from the side of the square, the current Red. Then Ivan III, by order, demolished all the buildings near the old walls of the Kremlin for the convenient construction of new ones. Then, over the next 30 years, all the other Kremlin towers were built along with the walls.

We can see these red brick walls even now. They beautifully adorn the slopes of Borovitsky Hill in red from brick chips with graceful architectural towers.

Characteristics of the Kremlin walls:

The length of the entire wall is 2235 meters;

Thickness from 3.5 to 6.5 meters;

Height from 5 to 19 meters.

The structure of the Kremlin wall:

Inside, the wall consists of cobblestone and white stone, they are filled with lime mortar.

A fighting move was made at the top of the wall, it is fenced off from the defended side with sharp two-angled teeth, in total there are 1045 teeth.

The towers blended not only with the architectural ensemble of the Kremlin, but also performed a military-defensive mission, making the fortress one of the most impregnable in Europe.

There are 18 towers in the Kremlin wall. Three of them: Vodovzvodnaya, Beklemishevskaya and Arsenalnaya went beyond the walls, thus, defensively holding back the attack. Six more, powerful, well equipped from a military point of view, are travel passes for defensive purposes.

In the middle of the 17th century, four towers were decorated with imperial double-headed eagles, which were replaced in the 30s of Soviet times with red stars with a ruby ​​coating. Then the stars were placed not on four, but on five towers, adding a fifth star on Vodovzvodnaya tower.

The Moscow Kremlin is located on Borovitsky Hill. Its southern part faces Moscow, the eastern part borders on Red Square, and Aleksandrovsky Park is closely adjacent to the northwest. It is currently the seat of the President and an important political center for the entire country. It is believed that the construction of a modern architectural and historical complex was started in 1482 and completed in 1495. The exact year of the founding of the very first fortress by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky is unknown, but already in 1156, wooden fortifications surrounded by a moat were built on the territory of the Kremlin. To find out who built the Moscow Kremlin, you need to turn to history.

On the territory of the Kremlin back in the II millennium BC. NS. people already lived. Not far from the Archangel Cathedral, a settlement of Finno-Ugric peoples was discovered, which dates back to the second half of the 1st millennium BC. NS. Archaeologists have found flint arrowheads, stone axes and shards of pottery. The buildings were protected by two ravines, which significantly increased the defense at that distant time.

In the 10th century, the Slavs began to populate the lands located between the basins of the Moskva River and the Oka. It is believed that the Vyatichi built two fortified centers on Borovitsky Hill. They were protected by a ring of stockade and reinforced with a moat dug around it and a high rampart. Two ravines were attached to these structures, the depth of which was brought to 9 m, and the width - to 3.8 m. The rapid development of the settlement was facilitated by the busy trade routes between the East and the West, running along the Moskva River, and two large land roads. One of them led to Novgorod, and the other connected Kiev, Smolensk and the north-eastern lands.

Moscow was first mentioned in the annals in 1147. And in 1156, by order of Yuri Dolgoruky, on the site of the modern Kremlin, military fortifications, residential and outbuildings were already erected. The area occupied by them was supposedly equal to 3 hectares. In 1264, the Kremlin became the seat of the Moscow appanage princes.

In the XIV century, five monasteries were built on the territory of the Kremlin. The oldest of them is the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior on the pine forest, which was erected in 1330, the year of the celebration of the millennium of Constantinople. However, it was destroyed in 1933. The Miracle Monastery was founded by Metropolitan Alexy in 1365. The name was given in honor of the Church of the Miracle of the Archangel Michael in Khoneh. In 1929, all the buildings that were part of the monastery complex were demolished.

Stcreation of the white-stone Kremlin

In the second half of the 14th century, during the reign of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, the Kremlin's wooden walls began to be replaced with stone ones, the thickness of which exceeded two or even three meters. The most important sectors and areas are erected from the local white stone, to which the main attacking forces of the enemy could be directed. For a more powerful reflection of enemy attacks, the walls began to be strengthened with towers. The new walls were at a distance of 60 m from the previous ones, built of oak, thus the area of ​​the entire Kremlin becomes almost equal to the modern one. Over the years, stone buildings began to require repairs. Under the leadership of V.D. Ermolin, a Moscow merchant, the head of the construction work of the Russian state, in 1462 the Kremlin walls were repaired from the Sviblova Strelnitsa to the very Borovitsky Gate.

Under the Moscow prince Ivan III, the long-awaited unification of all Russian lands and principalities into one state took place. By this time, a significant restructuring of the Moscow Kremlin was required. The construction of the new Assumption Cathedral in 1471 was entrusted to Russian architects - Krivtsov and Myshkin. But the building collapsed in an earthquake.

Then Ivan III invited in 1475 the architect from Italy Ridolfo Aristotle Fioravanti. In four years he built a building based on the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. Fioravanti was also a good engineer and, remaining in Russia, participated in several military campaigns as the chief of artillery. Later, masters from Pskov erected the Church of the Robe, and then a new Cathedral of the Annunciation.

The newly invited Italian architects did a great job and built several religious buildings in full accordance with the basic principles of Russian architecture. Since 1485, they have carried out the construction of the Kremlin walls from baked bricks, which weighed 8 kg (half a pound). It was also called two-handed, since it was impossible to lift it with one hand.

The walls of the Kremlin are very high and sometimes reach the height of a six-story building. They have a passage, the width of which is about two meters. It is not interrupted anywhere, which allows you to bypass the entire Kremlin along the perimeter. From the outside, the building is covered with 1,045 merlon battlements, typical of Italian fortresses. They are also called "dovetail". The height of the battlements reaches 2.5 m, and the thickness reaches 70 cm. The construction of one battlement required 600 bricks, and loopholes were built in almost each of them. There are 20 towers along the walls. The highest of them is Troitskaya, its height is 79.3 m.

During the reign of Peter I, the Moscow Kremlin ceased to be a royal residence, since the emperor, together with the court, moved to the built St. Petersburg (until 1720 - St. Peter-Burkh). In 1701, a severe fire broke out in the Kremlin, as a result of which many wooden buildings were destroyed. In 1704, Peter I issued a decree forbidding the erection of any wooden structures inside the Kremlin. In 1702, construction began on the two-story Arsenal building, which continued until 1736. Under Elizaveta Petrovna, a building was built Winter Palace, designed by the Italian architect V.V. Rastrelli.

In 1812, the Moscow Kremlin was occupied by the French army. During the retreat, it was mined and blown up on the personal orders of Napoleon. Not all charges exploded, but the damage was very significant. Several towers, the Arsenal, annexes to the bell tower of Ivan the Great were destroyed, the building of the Senate was damaged. The restoration work was entrusted to the architect F.K. Sokolov.

In 1917, during the October armed uprising in the Kremlin, walls, towers and a number of buildings were partially destroyed. Later, under the leadership of the architect N.V. Markovnikov, restoration work and repair of damaged objects were carried out.

The Moscow Kremlin has been rebuilt and restored more than once throughout its long history. Prominent architects and craftsmen from both Italy and Italy took an active part in the construction of churches and public buildings. It is almost impossible to say exactly who built the Moscow Kremlin. But one must always remember that this complex defended the capital of our state for many centuries and is now the center of the political life of the Russian Federation.

The oldest center of Moscow - the Moscow Kremlin- was founded as a fortification of a small settlement located on Borovitsky Hill, when its history began.

The first mentions of Moscow were found in the annals for 1147. They also report that the wooden walls of the Kremlin were erected by order of Yuri Dolgoruky. Initially, the size of the fortress was small, the length of the wall reached 1200 meters.

Versions of origin there are several words "Kremlin".

According to one of them, this name comes from the name of the central part of the ancient cities, called "Krom". Another version suggests that this word could have come from the "kremleny", a very strong tree used to build the fortress walls. There is even an assumption that the roots of this word are Greek, that is, "flint" - a steep mountain, steepness over a ravine or coast. Judging by where the fortress was built, this version has every right to exist.

But all this does not change the essence, which lies in the fact that the Moscow Kremlin is the largest surviving fortress in Europe.

And at first it was a small fortification on an area of ​​about nine hectares, where residents of the townships located outside the walls of the fortress could take refuge in the event of a threat of an enemy attack. Over time, the settlements grew, and the fortress grew along with them.

New Kremlin walls were erected during the reign of Ivan Kalita. They were stone inside, and outside they were wooden and plastered with clay.

It is noteworthy that even in the difficult years of the yoke in Russia, the Moscow princes rebuilt the existing and erected new fortresses. So, under Dmitry Donskoy, the Kremlin, damaged in a fire in 1365, was rebuilt. For the construction of the walls, the length of which became about two kilometers, and the Kremlin towers, white stone was used. Since then, in the annals, Moscow began to be called white-stone.

At the very beginning of the 18th century, Peter I ordered the removal of government offices outside the Kremlin. All dilapidated buildings are demolished, and the Arsenal building is laid. It was built from 1702 to 1736. From 1776 to 1788, the Senate building with a spectacular round hall covered with a dome was built in the Kremlin.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, the idea of ​​building the Grand Kremlin Palace appeared. There were many projects, but it was built according to the drawings of the architect K.A. Tones. The years of construction are 1839-1849.

A tangible damage was inflicted on the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin in 1812.

Napoleon, during his retreat from Moscow, ordered to blow up the Kremlin. Mines were laid under buildings, walls and towers. Some explosions were prevented thanks to Russian patriots, but, nevertheless, significant destruction did occur. After the French emperor was expelled from the country, they began to restore the destroyed palaces, towers and walls, then the Armory and the Grand Kremlin Palace were completed. In those days, the Moscow Kremlin was accessible to the public. Visitors entered the territory through the open Spassky Gate, having previously bowed to the icon of the Savior.

Kremlin in Moscow after the 1917 revolution

In 1917, there were cadets on the territory of the Kremlin. As a result of the shelling, which was carried out by the revolutionary troops, the Moscow Kremlin was partially destroyed: the walls, the Small Nicholas Palace, almost all the cathedrals, the Beklemishevskaya, Nikolskaya and Spasskaya towers were damaged.

In 1918 V.I. Lenin and the entire government of Soviet Russia, since the capital was transferred to Moscow. Because of this, the bells in the Kremlin are silenced, churches are closed, Muscovites are deprived of free access to the territory.

The dissatisfaction of believers with the closure of cathedrals was quickly stopped by Yakov Sverdlov, who was not slow to declare the primacy of the interests of the revolution over all prejudices. In 1922, more than thirty kilograms of gold, about five hundred kilograms of silver, the shrine of Patriarch Hermogenes and more than a thousand different precious stones were seized from the religious buildings of the Moscow Kremlin.

During the Soviet era, the Kremlin architectural ensemble suffered more than in the entire previous history of its existence.

Of the 54 structures marked on the Kremlin plan at the very beginning of the last century, less than half remain. Monuments to Alexander II, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich were demolished. Congresses of Soviets began to be held in the Grand Kremlin Palace, a public dining room was set up in the Faceted Chamber, and a kitchen in the Golden Chamber. The Catherine Church of the Ascension Monastery was adapted into a gymnasium; the Kremlin hospital was located in the Chudov Monastery. In the thirties, the Small Nicholas Palace and all the monasteries with buildings were demolished. Almost the entire eastern part of the Moscow Kremlin has turned into ruins. The Soviet government destroyed 17 churches.

Many years passed before the restoration of the Moscow Kremlin began.

To celebrate Moscow's 800th anniversary, the towers and walls were thoroughly restored. Palekh artists in the Annunciation Cathedral opened the murals of 1508. A large amount of restoration work has been carried out in the Archangel Cathedral (wall paintings have been restored). The Assumption Cathedral has also undergone a major restoration.

The ban on living in the Kremlin was introduced in 1955, and the ancient architectural ensemble becomes a museum, partially open to the public.

In today's multifaceted Moscow, the Kremlin remains a historical place that millions of tourists seek to visit, hoping to touch the history of the white-stone capital there, to feel and understand it.

The Moscow Kremlin to this day is the main socio-political, artistic, historical and religious-spiritual center of Russia. In addition, the Moscow Kremlin is the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

UNESCO in 1990 included the Moscow Kremlin, whose history continues, in the list of world cultural heritage.

Kremlin Wall is a brick wall that surrounds the Moscow Kremlin. It was erected on the site of the white-stone wall of Dmitry Donskoy in 1485-1516 by Italian ("fryazhsky") architects. The total length of the walls is 2235 m, the height is from 5 to 19 m, the thickness is from 3.5 to 6.5 m. In the plan, the walls form an irregular triangle.

According to the Lombard tradition, the top of the wall is decorated with teeth in the form of a dovetail, the total number of teeth along the top of the wall is 1045. Most of the teeth have slit-like loopholes. The walls have wide embrasures covered with arches. On the outside, the walls are smooth, on the inside, they are decorated with arched niches - a traditional technique designed to lighten and strengthen the structure of the building.

The existing walls and towers were built in 1485-1516. The total length of the walls is 2235 m, the height is from 5 to 19 m, the thickness is from 3.5 to 6.5 m.

In plan, the walls form an irregular triangle. The top of the wall is decorated with dovetail-shaped teeth, 1045 teeth in total along the top of the wall. Most of the teeth have slit-like loopholes. The walls have wide embrasures covered with arches. On the outside, the walls are smooth, on the inside, they are decorated with arched niches - a traditional technique designed to lighten and strengthen the structure of the building.

Kivshenko Alexey d. (1851-96). Ivan the Great

Under Ivan III and his successor Vasily III, the construction of the Kremlin walls was headed by architects Anton Fryazin, Marko Fryazin, Pietro Antonio Solari and Aleviz Fryazin Stary.

Moscow Kremlin at the beginning of the 17th century.

Brick walls were placed along the line of white-stone ones, with a slight retreat outward. Starting from the Spasskaya Tower, the territory of the Kremlin was enlarged eastward. Approximately 20 years after construction Kremlin wall the Kitaygorodskaya wall was attached to it, embracing the whole Kitay-gorod.

For the construction of walls and towers, large (30x14x17 cm or 31x15x9 cm) bricks weighing up to 8 kg each were used. The front walls were laid out of bricks, which were filled with white stone. The highest walls were erected along Red Square, where there was no natural water barrier

Fedor Alekseev. View in the Kremlin at the Spassky Gate. Around 1800
Initially, there was a through passage through all the towers inside the wall, covered with cylindrical vaults. Over time, most of the passage was covered with construction waste; the section between the Konstantino-Eleninskaya and Nabatnaya towers has been preserved. There were also caches and passages under the walls, in some cases extending far beyond the line of fortifications.

View of Zamoskvorechye from behind the wall in 1848

At the beginning of the 18th century, the Neglinnaya River was diverted further from the western wall along which it originally flowed.

At the same time, the originally existing plank roofs of the walls burned down. In 1702-1736, part of the wall was dismantled for the construction of the arsenal building, later restored.

Modern chimes were made by brothers Nikolai and Ivan Budenop in 1851-1852 and installed on the 8-10 tiers of the Spasskaya Tower. Since that time the chimes were performed at 12 and 6 o'clock "March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment", and at 3 and 9 o'clock the hymn "If our Lord is glorious in Zion" by Dmitry Bortnyansky, which sounded over Red Square until 1917. Initially, they wanted to play the anthem of Russia "God Save the Tsar" on the playing shaft of the chimes, but Nicholas I did not allow this, saying that "the chimes can play any songs except the anthem."

In 1771-1773, part of the southern wall between the Beklemishevskaya and Annunciation towers, which was later restored, was also dismantled for the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the design of V. I. Bazhenov. The bombing of the Kremlin by the French (1812) caused heavy damage to the walls, especially the walls along Neglinnaya. Repair and restoration of the fortifications were carried out from 1817 to 1822.

In 1866-1870, the walls and towers of the Kremlin were restored by architects N. A. Shokhin, P. A. Gerasimov, F. F. Richter, who sought to give the buildings their original appearance. At the same time, many authentic details were then lost and replaced with inaccurate copies.

The survey and partial restoration of the walls was carried out in 1931-1936. The next restoration of the Kremlin walls and towers took place in 1946-1953. In its course, the walls were cleaned and repaired, loopholes and parapets were restored. The restoration commission included prominent scientists and restorers: I.E. Grabar, V.N.Lazarev, M.V. Alpatov, P.D.Korin, D.P. Sukhov and others

The "inconsistency" of the Kremlin wall. 2012 r.

The "inconsistency" of the Kremlin wall between the Blagoveshchenskaya (far) and Taynitskaya (near) towers. 2012 r.

The Kremlin wall between the Blagoveshchenskaya and Taynitskaya towers has a vertical ledge and a reduced pitch of two teeth, as if during the construction from different sides they made a mistake in joining. This "mistake" divides the wall between the towers in an approximate ratio of 1 to 2, counting from the Annunciation.

The northeastern section of the wall, facing the northern part of Red Square, serves as a columbarium for urns with the ashes of the leaders of the communist movement and the Soviet state. Many of them are also buried in the ground along this section of the wall. In the post-Soviet period, the question of the need to move the necropolis to another place was repeatedly raised for political, religious and other considerations.

The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers. Three towers (Beklemishevskaya, Vodovzvodnaya and Angular Arsenalnaya), standing in the corners of the triangle, have a circular cross-section, the rest are square.
Most of the towers are made in the same architectural style, given to them in the second half of the 17th century. The Nikolskaya Tower stands out from the general ensemble, which was rebuilt in the Gothic style at the beginning of the 19th century.

The list is compiled starting from the southeastern corner of the Kremlin wall, counterclockwise.
3 towers, standing in the corners of the triangle, have a circular cross-section, the rest are square. The highest tower is Troitskaya, it has a height of 79.3 m.
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For the construction of walls and towers, large (30x14x17 cm or 31x15x9 cm) brick weighing up to 8 kg each was used. The front walls were laid out of bricks, which were filled with white stone. The highest walls were erected along Red Square, where there was no natural water barrier

The Spasskaya, Nabatnaya, Konstantino-Eleninskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya, Blagoveshchenskaya and Petrovskaya towers had sprouts on the walls. Initially, there was a through passage inside the wall through all the towers, covered with cylindrical vaults. Over time, most of the passage was covered with construction waste; the section between the Konstantino-Eleninskaya and Nabatnaya towers has been preserved. There were also caches and passages under the walls, in some cases extending far beyond the line of fortifications.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Neglinnaya was retracted further from the walls. To install new guns on the towers, loopholes were cut. At the same time, the originally existing plank roofs of the walls burned down.

In 1702-1736, part of the wall was dismantled for the construction of the Arsenal, later restored. In 1771-1773, part of the southern wall between the Beklemishevskaya and Annunciation towers, which was later restored, was also dismantled for the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the design of V. I. Bazhenov.

Hem of the Moscow Kremlin in the 17th century Painting by Sergei Glushkov

In 1802-1805, the towers were overhauled, during which almost all the diverter arrows were dismantled. The war of 1812 caused heavy damage to the walls, especially the Nikolskaya tower, towers and walls along Neglinnaya. Repair and restoration of the fortifications were carried out from 1817 to 1822. During the renovation work, pseudo-Gothic decor details were added to the external appearance of the Borovitskaya and Vodovzvodnaya towers

In 1866-1870, the walls and towers of the Kremlin were restored by architects N. A. Shokhin, P. A. Gerasimov, F. F. Richter, who tried to give the buildings their original appearance. During the restoration process, pseudo-Gothic decorative details disappeared from the Borovitskaya Tower, but many elements of the original details of the Kremlin walls and towers were lost and replaced with inaccurate copies. Damage to the towers and walls was caused during the alterations of the second half of the 19th century during the adaptation of their premises for household needs

The Nikolskaya and Beklemishevskaya towers, which suffered during the revolution, were repaired in 1918. The survey and partial restoration of the walls was carried out in 1931-1936. In 1935-1937, ruby ​​five-pointed stars were installed on five towers.

This is how the Kremlin found Napoleon

The next restoration of the Kremlin walls and towers was carried out in 1946-1953, during which the walls were cleaned and repaired, loopholes and parapets were restored, details on a number of towers were revealed, the tops of the Spasskaya, Troitskaya and Nikolskaya towers were covered with sheet copper. The restoration commission included prominent scientists and restorers: I.E.Grabar, V. N. Lazarev, M. V. Alpatov, P. D. Korin, D. P. Sukhov and others.

Beklimishevskaya

Also known as Moskvoretskaya - the tower of the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. Located in the southeastern corner of the Kremlin triangle, near the Moskva River and the Moskvoretsky Bridge. The name comes from the courtyard of the boyar I.N. Beklemishev, which was located inside the Kremlin near the tower. After the execution of Beklemishev by Vasily III, the courtyard, together with the tower, was used as a prison for the disgraced boyars. Located near the junction of the Moskva River with the moat, the tower performed an important defensive function, covering, among other things, the ford and the crossing over the Moskva River.

The high round tower was built in 1487-1488 by the Italian architect Marco Ruffo. The main cylinder is located on a white stone base with a semicircular roller at the junction.

The tower has four tiers with the possibility of circular firing: three tiers of round vaulted rooms and the upper tier, where the mashikuli and the battle platform are located. A well and a rumor hiding place were arranged in the tower to prevent undermining. In 1680, an octagon with a narrow tent and two rows of rumors was built over the main cylinder. The tent of the tower has no internal slabs.

Under Peter I in 1707, the tower was converted for defense against the Swedes. In particular, the loopholes of the tower were hewn to accommodate more powerful cannons (restored to their original form during restoration in 1949).

View of the Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) tower 1890-1900

The Beklemishevskaya Tower is one of the few Kremlin towers that have practically not been rebuilt. After the invasion of Napoleon, the Beklemishevskaya tower was repaired. Also, during the storming of the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks in 1917, the top tent was shot down by a shell (in 1920 it was restored by the architect I.V. Rylsky).
Eastern Wall The Eastern Wall of the Kremlin runs along Red Square

Konstantino-Eleninskaya tower

Formerly Timofeevskaya - the tower of the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. Located on the eastern side of the Kremlin, above the Beklemishevskaya tower.

The tower was built in 1490 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari (Pyotr Fryazin) on the site of the Timofeevsky gate of the white-stone Kremlin of Dmitry Donskoy. The tower received its modern name after the construction of the Church of Constantine and Helena in the Kremlin in the 17th century (the church was dismantled in 1928).

Moscow torture chamber. End of the 16th century (the Konstantino-Eleninsky gate of the Moscow torture chamber at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries)

The tower was intended to protect the entrances to the pier on the Moskva River and the nearby streets of Veliky Posad, going towards Zaryadye: Vsekhsvyatskaya (now Varvarka) and Velikaya (which later became Mokrinsky Lane, and now completely disappeared). Initially, the Konstantino-Eleninskaya tower was a travel tower, with a drawbridge over the moat and a diversion arrow (an additional tower connected to the main bridge). After 1508, a second diverter arrow was completed.

In the 1680s, an arched quadruple with a slender hipped roof was built over the main square quadrangle. After the loss of its significance at the end of the 17th century by Great Street, the gates were closed, and the outlet arrow and the lower tier of the tower were turned into a prison. In 1707, the loopholes of the Konstantin-Eleninskaya tower were hewn for more powerful cannons. In the 18th century, the diversion bars and the bridge were demolished.

Konstantino-Eleninskaya tower 1882-1996 photographer Barshchevsky I.F.

The arch of the laid gates, partially closed by late layers, is still clearly visible on the facade of the tower from the side of Vasilyevsky Spusk, as well as the recess for the gate icon and traces of vertical slots for the levers of the drawbridge.

On the upper platform of the main quadrangle there are mashikuli, inside it is divided into two tiers, covered with brick vaults. The first tier was previously used for passage, and the second was used for office space. Ascent to the upper platform of the tower - along a narrow staircase located in the thickness of the wall.

Konstantino-Eleninskaya tower from the Kremlin wall

The tower was renovated in the 1950s and 1970s.
Dmitry Donskoy

Alarm tower

Nabatnaya tower - the tower of the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. Located on the slope of the Kremlin hill opposite the St. Basil's Cathedral. The name comes from the Spassky alarm bell that hung on it, which served as a fire alarm.

This tower, which has preserved its ancient forms, was built in 1495. The main quadrangle ends with a parapet. Its interior consists of two tiers: the lower one with a flat ceiling and numerous rooms, with stairs and openings that provide access to the walls, and the upper one with a closed vault.

The alarm tower of the Moscow Kremlin. 1882-1896

In 1680, an upper arched quadrangle and a tent with an observation tower were built on the tower. The quadruple is open into the cavity of the tent. The details and decoration of the upper quadrangle and the tent (the brick semi-columns of the quadrangle and the observation tower with white-stone capitals and belts) resemble the completion of the Arsenal Tower.
In total, there were three alarm bells in the Kremlin: Spassky (on the Nabatnaya tower), Troitsky and Taynitsky.

By decree of Alexei Mikhailovich from 1668, the alarm signals were regulated:
... in the event of a fire in the Kremlin, "strike all three alarms in both directions, as soon as possible"
... in case of fire in Kitay-gorod "beat one Spassky alarm in one edge, soon"
... in the event of a fire in the White City - "to beat the Spassky on both sides and to the alarm, which is quieter on the Trinity Bridge on both sides"
... in the event of a fire in Zemlyanoy Gorod, sound the alarm on the Taynitskaya tower with a "quiet custom"
In 1771, during the Plague Riot, the rebels sounded the Spassky alarm bell and thus rallied Muscovites to the Kremlin. At the end of the revolt, Catherine II ordered to remove the tongue from the bell. For over 30 years, the bell hung on the tower without a tongue. In 1803, the bell was moved to the Arsenal, and in 1821 - to the Armory, where it still hangs in the lobby.
The inscriptions on the bell report: “On July 6, 1714, this alarm bell poured out of the old alarm bell from the old alarm bell, which beat the city Kremlin to the Spassky Gate. It weighs 150 pounds "," This bell was poured by master Ivan Motorin ".
In the 1970s, the Nabatnaya Tower began to heel due to the loss of density by the soil and a cracked foundation. After screeding the base of the tower with metal hoops and strengthening the soil, the roll was stopped. However, the tower still deviates from the vertical by one meter.
Tsar tower

The Tsar's Tower is the youngest and smallest tower of the Moscow Kremlin, built in 1680.
Strictly speaking, this is not a tower, but a stone tower, a tent, placed on the wall. Once there was a small wooden turret, from which, according to legend, Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) loved to watch the events taking place on Red Square - hence the name of the tower.
White stone belts on pillars, high pyramids in the corners with gilded flags, a tent ending in a gilded graceful weather vane - all this gives the tower the appearance of a fairytale tower

A small turret was erected directly on the wall in the 80s of the 17th century (that is, almost two centuries later than the other towers) between the Kremlin's Spasskaya and Nabatnaya towers. Its octagonal tent on pitcher-shaped pillars resembles the common porch lockers of stone dwelling mansions that were common at that time.

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 (hence the name of the tower).

Senate tower

The Senate Tower is one of the towers of the Moscow Kremlin wall. Located on the eastern side of the Kremlin between the Spasskaya and Nikolskaya towers.

Built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The tower received its name after the completion of the construction of the Senate Palace on the territory of the Kremlin in 1787. Until that time, it had no special name. In 1680, a stone tent was built over the tower, ending with a golden weather vane. Inside, the tower has three tiers of vaulted rooms. Tower height 34 meters

In 1918, a plaque "To those who fell for peace and brotherhood of peoples" was installed on the tower, made by the sculptor S. T. Konenkov. In the 1920s, the plaque was removed and moved to the Russian Museum. In 1924, Lenin's Mausoleum was built in front of the tower on Red Square. In 1948, a passage was made from the tower to the Mausoleum, so that members of the CPSU Central Committee could enter the stands directly from the Kremlin, bypassing Red Square.
NIKOLSKAYA TOWER

The gate icon of St. Nicholas Mozhaisky

Built in 1491 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. Most likely, the tower got its name from the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, located on the eastern facade. A number of researchers believe that the tower was named after the monastery of St. Nicholas the Old, located nearby on the ancient Nikolskaya Street.

Nikolskie gates of the Kremlin and Alevizov ditch. Alekseev, students. 1800s.

In 1612, it was through the gates of the Nikolskaya and Spasskaya towers that the people's militia, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, solemnly entered the Kremlin on November 1 (on October 27, an agreement on the surrender of the Polish garrison was signed). In ancient times, a clock was placed on the tower, the last mention of which dates back to 1614.

In the fire of 1737, the Nikolskaya Tower burned down and, after restoration under the leadership of I.F. Michurin, acquired a baroque decor, like the original design of the Arsenal. By 1780 the tower was built on by K. I. Blank with a round top with a low tent.

In 1805-1806, the tower was overhauled by the architect A. I. Ruska, together with A. N. Bakarev: the former superstructure over the quadruple was replaced by a Gothic octagonal top with a high white-stone tent and openwork decorations. The Gothic look is the main difference between the Nikolskaya Tower and other Kremlin towers.

In 1812, the Nikolskaya Tower was damaged in an explosion by the French leaving Moscow, the Arsenal: a tent collapsed, part of the passage gate was damaged, but part of the four with the gate icon of Nikola Mozhaisky was not touched

Nikolskaya tower, 1883

The news of the miracle soon reached the emperor. Arriving in Moscow, Alexander I was personally convinced of the safety of the icon and ordered, first of all, to restore the tower, and hang a marble plaque under the icon, the words for which he himself wrote: “In 1812, during an enemy invasion, this stronghold was almost completely destroyed by the enemy's blowing up; but by the miraculous power of God, St. the image of the great saint of God, St. Nicholas, here inscribed on the stone itself, and not just the image itself, but the very glass that covered it, the lantern with a candle remained unharmed. Who is great God, like our God! You are God, work miracles: God is wondrous in his saints "

The tower was restored in 1816-1819 according to the project of the architect Osip Ivanovich Bove. During the restoration, some changes were made to both the design and architecture of the tower.
At the suggestion of the architect F.K.Sokolov, the white-stone tent was replaced with an iron one on the frame, and four white-stone phial turrets were installed at the corners of the quadrangle to complement the Gothic look. The architect V. A. Bakarev took part in the restoration of the tower. The tower was painted white.

There were one-domed chapels near the Nikolsky Gate. On the left was the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, on the right was the chapel of Alexander Nevsky. Initially wooden, then stone chapels were rebuilt several times, most recently in 1883. The chapels belonged to the Kazan Cathedral.

Destruction of the Kremlin in 1812. Nikolskaya tower, Arsenal ruins, Arsenal tower

The duties of the rectors of the chapels included caring for the inextinguishable icon lamp at the gate icon of Nikola Mozhaisky. Above the entrances to the chapel was the image of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Both chapels were demolished in 1925.

Watercolor by I.A. Weiss. 1852

At the end of October 1917, the tower and the gate were badly damaged as a result of artillery shelling, restored in 1918 by the architect N.V. Markovnikov. During the restoration of 1918, the Kremlin wall was repainted from white to the general brick color.

The marble board with the words of Alexander I was dismantled. On October 26, 1935, a semi-precious star was installed over the tent of the Nikolskaya Tower instead of a two-headed eagle. In 1937, the semi-precious star was replaced by the modern ruby ​​one. The star of the Nikolskaya Tower has the largest number of faces per ray - 12.

Nikolsky Gate, November 1917

During the restoration of the tower in 1919, renovations were removed from the gate image to the most ancient drawing and traces of bullets and fragments were repaired. In 1920-1922, at the initiative of the Restoration Department, the later paintings of angels on the sides of the central image were eliminated; the fresco of Nikolai Mozhaisky, as indicated in 1925 in one of the documents, "is only partially preserved"

Until 2010, the gate icon was considered lost
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On May 11, 2010, the chairman of the Andrew the First-Called Foundation, Vladimir Yakunin, announced the discovery of ancient icons on the Kremlin's Spasskaya and Nikolskaya Towers, hidden by plaster in their icon cases during Soviet times

On July 5, 2010, restoration work began on the Nikolskaya Tower. In the future, to protect the gate icon from rain, snow and other negative influences, it is planned to make glazing with a natural ventilation system or an icon case.
On October 28, 2010, the restoration work was finally completed.

Corner Arsenal Tower

The corner Arsenalnaya tower (Sobakina) is the most powerful tower of the Moscow Kremlin. She completed the defense line from the side of Red Square and controlled the crossing of the Neglinnaya River to Torg

Built in 1492 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari (c. 1450-1493). From the moment of its construction, for a long time, the tower was called Sobakina after the nearby courtyard of the Sobakin boyars; it received its modern name after the construction of the Arsenal building in the 18th century. Originally Sobakin Tower was the tallest tower in the Kremlin

In the past, it has performed more than just defense functions. There was a dug-well in the tower, which in the event of a siege could be used by the garrison of the fortress. From the Corner Arsenal Tower there was a secret passage to the Neglinnaya River, and its sixteen-sided volume had seven rows of loopholes; the passage and loopholes were probably laid in the 1670s-1680s with the construction of a base expanding downwards, applied in a semicircle to the original wall

In 1672-1686, an octagonal tent was erected over the tower on a stepped base, which ended in an openwork octagon with a hipped roof and a weather vane. In 1707, Peter I, in the course of preparing Moscow for the defense against the Swedes, gave the order to cut the remaining five tiers of tower loopholes that were not laid to install artillery.

In 1812, when the French troops exploded the Arsenal, cracks formed in the walls of the tower and the watchtower collapsed.

Soon the tower was restored in its former forms by the architect OI Bove. In 1894, the tower was repaired, the interiors were altered and its adaptation to accommodate the Moscow Provincial Archive. In the 1948-1950s, during the restoration of the towers, the embrasures located in six levels were restored to their original forms

Medium Arsenal Tower

The Middle Arsenalnaya Tower is a tower of the Moscow Kremlin, located on the northwestern side of the Kremlin Wall, which stretches along the Alexander Garden.

The tower was built in 1493-1495 on the north-western side of the Kremlin wall, on the site of the corner tower of the time of Dmitry Donskoy. In the 15th-16th centuries, there were dams near the tower on the Neglinnaya River. In the 1680s, it was completed - an open quadrangle with a tetrahedral tent, completed by a through observation tower with a hipped roof.

The tower got its current name during the construction of the Arsenal building at the beginning of the 18th century. Previously, it was called Faceted - from the façade dismembered on the verge. In 1821, when the Alexander Garden was being laid out, an amusement grotto was built at the foot of the tower according to the design of O. I. Bove.

Kremlin in the morning
2007

Used photos by Ilya Varlamov "Walks on the Kremlin Wall", Wikimedia
(To be continued)

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