Moscow Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin (Russian: ?????????? ??????) is the best known kremlin (Russian citadel). It is a historical fortified complex overlooking the Red Square in Moscow, which includes Kremlin Palaces, Kremlin Cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. The complex serves as the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Russian Federation.

Buildings

The irregular triangle of the Kremlin walls encloses an area of 275,000 square metres (68 acres). Cathedral Square is the heart of the Kremlin. It is surrounded by six buildings, including three cathedrals.

Related Topics:
Cathedral Square - Cathedral

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The Cathedral of the Dormition was completed in 1479 to be the main church of Moscow and where all the Tsars were crowned. The massive limestone facade, capped with its five golden cupolas was the design of Fioravanti. The gilded, three-domed Cathedral of the Annunciation was completed next in 1489, only to be reconstructed to a nine-domed design a century later. On the south-east of the square is the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael (1508), where over fifty members of the Russian Royal families are interred.

Related Topics:
Cathedral of the Dormition - 1479 - Tsar - Limestone - Gold - Cupola - Cathedral of the Annunciation - 1489 - Cathedral of the Archangel Michael - 1508

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There are two domestic churches of the Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Moscow, the Cathedral of 12 Apostles (1653-56) and the one-domed exquisite church of the Deposition of the Virgin?s Robe, built by Pskov artisans over the years 1484-88 and featuring superb icons and frescoes from 1627 and 1644. The Saviour Cathedral in the Woods, dating back to the 1330s, and the 16th-century magnificent cathedrals of the Chudov Monastery and the Ascension Convent were demolished in the 1930s to make room for the Communist Palace of Congresses. The current director of the Kremlin Museums, Elena Gagarina (Yuri Gagarin's daughter) advocates a full-scale restoration of destroyed cloisters.

Related Topics:
Moscow - Pskov - Chudov Monastery - Yuri Gagarin

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The other notable structure is the Ivan the Great Bell Tower on the north-east corner of the square, it is 81 m (266 ft) high and is said to mark the exact centre of Moscow. Its 21 bells would sound the alarm if any enemy was approaching.

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The oldest secular structure still standing is the Palace of Facets (1491), which holds the imperial thrones, it was commissioned by Ivan IV (the Terrible). Next oldest is the first home of the royal family, the Terem Palace. The original Terem Palace was commissioned by Ivan III, but most of the existing palace was built in the 17th century. The Terem Palace and the Palace of Facets are linked by the Grand Kremlin Palace. This was commissioned by Nicholas I in 1838. It was the largest structure in the Kremlin and cost 11 million rubles to build. It contains luxurious reception halls, a ceremonial red staircase, private apartments of the tsars, and the lower storey of the Resurrection of the Lazarus church (1393), which is the oldest extant structure in the Kremlin and the whole of Moscow.

Related Topics:
Palace of Facets - 1491 - Ivan IV - Terem Palace - 17th century - Grand Kremlin Palace - Nicholas I - 1838 - Ruble - Moscow

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The Northeast corner of the Kremlin is occupied by the Arsenal, which was originally built for Peter the Great in 1701. The current Arsenal was built in 1817 after Napoleon's troops destroyed the previous building in his failed invasion of Russia in 1812. The northwestern section of the Kremlin holds the Armoury building. Built in 1851 to a design by Konstantin Thon, it is currently a museum housing Russian state regalia and Diamond fund.

Related Topics:
The Arsenal - Peter the Great - 1701 - 1817 - Napoleon - Armoury building - 1851 - Konstantin Thon

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