Beautiful views of the Kremlin. The Moscow Kremlin is the crown of power of Russia. Monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky
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 whitewashing it, and when did they stop? On this issue, statements in all articles diverge, as do the thoughts in people’s heads. Some write that whitewashing began in the 18th century, others that at the beginning of the 17th century, and still others are trying to provide evidence that the Kremlin walls were not whitewashed at all. The phrase is widely circulated that the Kremlin was white until 1947, and then suddenly Stalin ordered it to be repainted red. Was it so? Let's finally dot the i's, fortunately there are enough sources, both picturesque and photographic.
Let's understand the colors 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. And whitewashing fortifications in those days was dangerous: when a cannonball hits a wall, the brick is damaged, the whitewash crumbles, and a vulnerable spot is clearly visible, where you should aim again to quickly destroy the wall.
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. Tree of the Russian State. It was written in 1668, and the Kremlin is red.
The whitewashing of the Kremlin was first mentioned in written sources in 1680.
The historian Bartenev, in the book “The Moscow Kremlin in the Old Time and Now” writes: “In a memorandum submitted on July 7, 1680 to the Tsar, it is said that the Kremlin fortifications “were not whitewashed”, and the Spassky Gate “were painted in ink and white in brick". The note asked: should the Kremlin walls be whitewashed, left as is, or painted “in brick” like the Spassky Gate? 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 based on an engraving by M. Makhaev. The Kremlin here is clearly white.
1797, Gerard Delabarte.
1819, artist Maxim Vorobyov.
In 1826, the French writer and playwright Francois Anselot came to Moscow; in his memoirs he described the white Kremlin: “With this we will leave the Kremlin, my dear Xavier; but, looking back at this ancient citadel again, we will regret that, while correcting the destruction caused by the explosion, the builders removed from the walls the centuries-old patina that gave them so much grandeur. The white paint that hides the cracks gives the Kremlin an appearance of youth that belies its shape and obliterates its past.”
1830s, artist Rauch.
1842, daguerreotype of Lerebourg, the first documentary image 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 whitewash was renewed in some places, and the structures on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower were given a frame for illumination.
The same year, 1856, view in the opposite direction, the one closest to us is the Taynitskaya tower with the archery facing the embankment.
Photo from 1860.
Photo from 1866.
1866-67.
1879, artist Pyotr Vereshchagin.
1880, painting from the English school of painting. The Kremlin is still white. From all the previous images we conclude that 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, revealing the red brick walls.
1884, wall along the Alexander Garden. The whitewash was very crumbling, 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 year, 1909, the whitewash on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower is still holding up well. Most likely it was whitewashed for the last time later than the rest of the walls. From several previous photos it becomes clear 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, a dirtier shade, the whitewash stains more obvious than in the picture, but the overall color scheme was already red.
1914, Konstantin Korovin.
The colorful and shabby Kremlin in a photograph from the 1920s.
And the whitewash on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower was still in place, mid-1930s.
Late 1940s, the Kremlin after restoration for the 800th anniversary of Moscow. Here the tower is clearly red, with white details.
And two more color photographs from the 1950s. Somewhere they touched up the paint, 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 turned out to be not so simple. Some towers stand out from the general chronology of whitewashing.
1778, Red Square in a painting 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 color red was returned again. This is a painting by English masters, 1823. The walls are invariably 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 whitewashed again, most likely for the celebrations of the coronation of Alexander II in 1856.
Photograph from the early 1860s. The tower is white.
Another photograph from the early to mid 1860s. The whitewash of the tower is crumbling in some places.
Late 1860s. And then suddenly the tower was painted red again.
1870s. The tower is red.
1880s. The red paint is peeling off, and here and there you can see newly painted areas and patches. After 1856, the Spasskaya Tower was never whitewashed again.
Nikolskaya Tower
1780s, Friedrich Hilferding. The Nikolskaya Tower is still without a Gothic top, decorated with early classical decor, red, with white details. In 1806-07, the tower was built on, in 1812 it was undermined by the French, almost half destroyed, and restored at the end of the 1810s.
1823, fresh Nikolskaya Tower after restoration, red.
1883, white tower. Perhaps they whitewashed it together with Spasskaya for the coronation of Alexander II. And the whitewash was renewed 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 restoration in 1918, after revolutionary damage.
Trinity Tower
1860s. The tower is white.
In the watercolor of the English school of painting from 1880, the tower is gray, the color given by 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 whitewash was updated only on the Nikolskaya Tower, and possibly also on Vodovzvodnaya. Since then, the whitewash gradually crumbled and was washed away, and by 1947 the Kremlin naturally took on 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 light tinting. These are bricks from the 19th century, the result of another restoration.
Wall from the river side. 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.
Address: Russia Moscow
Start of construction: 1482
Completion of construction: 1495
Number of towers: 20
Wall length: 2500 m.
Main attractions: Spasskaya Tower, Assumption Cathedral, Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, Annunciation Cathedral, Archangel Cathedral, Faceted Chamber, Terem Palace, Arsenal, Armory Chamber, Tsar Cannon, Tsar Bell
Coordinates: 55°45"03.0"N 37°36"59.3"E
An object cultural heritage Russian Federation
Brief history of the Moscow Kremlin
In the very heart of Moscow, on Borovitsky Hill, the majestic Kremlin ensemble rises. It has long become a symbol not only of the capital, but of all of Russia. History itself decreed that an ordinary Krivichi village, located in the middle of the forest, eventually turned into the capital of a mighty Russian state.
The Kremlin from a bird's eye view
Kremlin or Detinets in ancient Rus' called the central, fortified part of the city with a fortress wall, loopholes and towers. The first Moscow Kremlin, built in 1156 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, was a wooden fortress surrounded by a moat and rampart.
During the reign of Ivan I, nicknamed Kalita (money bag), oak walls and towers were erected in Moscow and the first stone building was laid - the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady.
View of the Kremlin walls from the Kremlin embankment
In 1367, Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy surrounded the Kremlin with a powerful fortress wall made of white limestone. Since then, the capital has received the nickname “White Stone Moscow”. Large-scale construction began under Ivan III, who united a significant part of the Russian lands around Moscow and built a residence worthy of the “Sovereign of All Rus'” in the Kremlin.
Ivan III invited architects from Milan to build fortifications. It was in 1485 - 1495 that the walls and towers of the Kremlin that still exist today were built. The top of the walls is crowned with 1045 battlements in the shape of a “swallowtail” - they have the same appearance as the battlements of Italian castles. At the turn of the 15th - 16th centuries, the Moscow Kremlin turned into an impregnable massive fortress, lined with red brick.
View of the Kremlin from the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge
In 1516, a moat was dug along the fortifications overlooking Red Square. After the Time of Troubles, the towers were decorated with tents, giving the Kremlin a modern look.
The miraculous return of the shrine of the Moscow Kremlin
The main one of the 20 towers of the Moscow Kremlin is rightfully considered Spasskaya, created by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The Spassky Gate has long been the main entrance to the Kremlin, and the chimes placed in the tower's tent are known as the main clock of the country. The top of the tower is crowned with a luminous ruby star, but after the collapse of the USSR there are increasingly calls to remove the star and erect a double-headed eagle in its place. The tower got its name from the icon of the Savior of Smolensk over the gate.
View of the Kremlin from the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge
The icon was revered by saints, so men, passing through the gate, in front of the image of the Savior had to take off their headdress. Legend has it that when Napoleon was passing through the Spassky Gate, a gust of wind tore the cocked hat off his head. But the bad omens did not end there: the French tried to steal the gilded robe that adorned the image of the Savior of Smolensk, but the ladder attached to the gate overturned, and the shrine remained unharmed.
During the years of Soviet power, the icon was removed from the tower. For more than 70 years, the shrine was considered lost, until in 2010, restorers discovered a metal mesh hiding the image of Christ under a layer of plaster. On August 28, 2010, on the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Patriarch Kirill solemnly consecrated the newly found icon above the gates of the Spasskaya Tower.
Beklemishevskaya Tower
Legends and myths of the Kremlin
From time immemorial, the Moscow Kremlin was not only a symbol of the unlimited power of the sovereign, but also a place about which legends were written. Over the long history of the Kremlin churches and towers, so many legends have been created that would be enough for a whole book.
The most famous legends tell about secret dungeons and underground passages. It is believed that they were invented by Italian architects who designed and built the Kremlin walls and towers. Many underground rooms have been preserved under the former Chudov Monastery, which until the 1930s was located in the eastern part of the Kremlin Hill. These are transitions interior spaces temples and long galleries. Today, some of them are flooded with groundwater.
Eternal flame at the walls of the Kremlin
There are rumors among Muscovites that previously there were branched roads leading out from each of the Kremlin towers. underground passages. The same secret passages connected everything royal palaces. When builders began digging a large foundation pit for the State Kremlin Palace in the 1960s, they discovered three underground passages dating back to the 16th century. The dungeons were so wide that you could drive a cart through them.
Underground passages were found during every major reconstruction. Most often, voids, gaps and labyrinths were walled up or simply filled with concrete for safety reasons.
Spasskaya Tower
One of the secrets of the Moscow Kremlin is also connected with its dungeons. For several centuries now, historians and archaeologists have been struggling with the mystery of the disappearance of the library of Ivan IV the Terrible, which is also called Liberia. The Russian sovereign inherited a unique collection of ancient books and manuscripts from his grandmother Sophia Paleologus, who received these books as a dowry.
In historical documents there is an inventory of the library, consisting of 800 volumes, but the collection itself disappeared without a trace. Some researchers are convinced that it burned down in a fire or disappeared during the Time of Troubles. But many are sure that the library is intact and hidden in one of the Kremlin dungeons.
View of the Assumption, Annunciation Cathedrals and Cathedral Square
The discovery of books in storage facilities located underground was not an accident. When Sophia Paleologus arrived in the city in 1472, she saw the terrible consequences of the fire that raged in Moscow two years earlier. Realizing that the library she brought could easily perish in a fire, Sophia ordered a spacious basement, which was located under the Kremlin Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, to be equipped for storage. After this, the valuable Liberia was always kept in dungeons.
View of Cathedral Square and Ivan the Great Bell Tower
Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin - “altars of Russia”
Today the Moscow Kremlin is both the place of work of the President of the Russian Federation and a historical and cultural museum. The historical center of the Kremlin is represented by Cathedral Square with three cathedrals - the Assumption, Archangel and Annunciation. An old proverb says: “The Kremlin rises above Moscow, and above the Kremlin there is only the sky.” That is why all the people honored the tsar’s decrees, which he proclaimed in the Assumption Cathedral.
This temple can rightfully be called the “altar of Russia.” In the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, kings were crowned kings, the next head of the Russian church was elected, and in the tombs of the temple the relics of Moscow saints found eternal rest. The Archangel Cathedral, from 1340 until the 18th century, served as the tomb of Moscow princes and kings.
Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
Under its arches, tombstones are placed in strict order on white stone slabs. The Annunciation Cathedral was the personal house of prayer for the Moscow princes: here they were baptized, confessed, and got married. According to legend, the grand ducal treasury was kept in the basement of this temple. The Cathedral Square is surrounded by the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Faceted and Patriarchal Chambers. Meetings of the Boyar Duma and Zemsky Sobors were held in the Faceted Chamber, and the office of the Holy Synod was located in the Patriarchal Palace.
Sights of the Moscow Kremlin
The younger buildings of the Kremlin include the Bolshoi Kremlin Palace, built in the mid-19th century by order of Emperor Nicholas I. Today, within its walls is the ceremonial residence of the President of Russia.
Tsar Cannon
In the palace halls, ceremonies of inauguration of the President are held, state awards and credentials are presented. In one of the palace buildings the Diamond Fund of the Russian Federation and the Armory Chamber are located - a treasury of palace items. In the Kremlin, on pedestals stand the Tsar Cannon weighing 40 tons and the Tsar Bell weighing 200 tons - masterpieces of Russian foundry craftsmanship. Due to their gigantic dimensions, they are not suitable for their intended use, but they have become symbols great Russia. The Kremlin is always crowded. Guests admire the timeless beauty architectural creations, personifying Russian history. As M.Yu. wrote Lermontov in “Panorama of Moscow”, nothing can compare with this Kremlin which, “surrounded by battlements and golden domes of cathedrals, reclines on high mountain, How crown of sovereignty on the forehead of the formidable ruler."
Irina Viktorovna Pasynkova
Dear colleagues. During the thematic week dedicated to Moscow, the children and I listened to songs about our beloved capital, recited poems, read literary works, carefully examined illustrations and albums with image sights of the main city of the country. Moscow Kremlin- one of the main attractions of the capital, greatest monument history of our Motherland, a brilliant creation of Russian national culture, beautiful and complex architectural ensemble. During the lesson on fine arts the guys learned to draw Kremlin. I suggest you Master Class, in my opinion, not difficult Kremlin images.
On a landscape sheet, mark two horizontal lines with a simple pencil. Bottom line is ground, top line is wall Kremlin. It is located below the middle of the sheet (consolidate knowledge of spatial representations)
In the middle we draw the central tower and columns (consolidate knowledge of geometric shapes)
Now we make the composition in color
Here it is the image of the Kremlin turned out
Publications on the topic:
Developed by: Bedristova Alexandra Aleksandrovna Position: Teacher of additional education Educational institution: MBOU DOD Center.
Abstract of a creative lesson in fine arts “Friends for Cheburashka” Abstract of a creative lesson in fine arts “Friends for Cheburashka.” Goal: Create conditions for the formation of creative initiative.
Summary of the fine arts lesson “Wonderful Summer” Summary of the lesson in fine arts “Wonderful Summer” Prepared by additional education teacher Evgenia Vladimirovna Chumova.
Summary of a lesson in fine arts “Easter still life” using EOR (with presentation) Purpose of the lesson: To organize the activities of students to consolidate knowledge about the technology of step-by-step drawing and working with a sketch, getting to know each other.
Lesson notes in senior group on fine arts “Autumn Trees” Program content: -educational objectives: continue.
Open combined lesson on folk art and fine arts at school of type 8 “Miracles from a box” Topic: Miracles from a box Form: Lesson - travel Equipment: 1. Exhibition of Easter eggs, drawings 2. Tape recorder 3. Musical instruments.
Lesson plan for fine arts: “Ornament in stripes” Lesson outline in fine arts Type of activity: image on a plane. Educational problem: composition. Lesson topic:.
The Moscow Kremlin is the main attraction of the Russian capital, having 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 Moscow River. On one side is Red Square, on the other - Alexander Garden.
Read about how to get to the Moscow Kremlin, which Kremlin attractions to see first, how to buy entrance tickets, opening hours, excursions and much more in this article.
History of the Moscow Kremlin
Finno-Ugric tribes were the first to settle on the territory of the modern Kremlin 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 was built here with defensive fortifications - earthen ramparts with palisades, surrounded by a deep ditch.
Until the mid-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 leadership of Italian craftsmen, in 1485-1516, new powerful fortifications were erected from baked bricks - towers and battlements with a thickness of three to six and a half meters, which we can admire today.
Architectural ensemble
The architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin consists of the golden-domed Annunciation, Archangel and Assumption Cathedrals, the Patriarchal 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 built, around 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, not preserved ancient cathedral Savior on Bor, built in 1330 and destroyed in 1933, Chudov Monastery, founded in 1365 and demolished in 1929, Ascension Monastery, Small Nicholas Palace and many other buildings. 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 list world heritage UNESCO.
Photo - tour of the territory
The entrance to the territory is through the Kutafya tower, crowned with a beautiful openwork “crown”.
Before entering the Kremlin, you must buy tickets in the dark glass pavilion, which is located nearby in the Alexander Garden, go through a metal detector and have your personal belongings searched. Large bags, suitcases and backpacks will have to be checked into a storage room.
The Kutafya Tower, previously surrounded by a river and a ditch, protected the approaches to the Trinity Tower.
Having crossed the Trinity Bridge, we will look at the multi-tiered Trinity Tower from the other side. Its height is 80 meters, this is the most high tower 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 country's main New Year's Eve party is held here, as well as concerts and ballet performances.
Historical guns are located near the walls of the Arsenal - collections of ancient Russian and foreign cannons, military trophies of the Patriotic War of 1812.
Now let's go to Senate Square.
The Senate building, designed by architect M.F. Kazakova, has the shape of a triangle. IN Soviet years here was V.I.’s office and apartment. Lenin, work rooms of I.V. Stalin, L.I. Brezhnev, M.S. Gorbachev. Today the Senate is located official residence President of the Russian Federation.
View from approximately the same point in the other direction - to Trinity Square and the Kremlin cathedrals.
The Tsar Cannon, which is a must-see, stands near Trinity Square and the Patriarchal Chambers with the Church of the Twelve Apostles.
The powerful weapon 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 southern side, Ivanovskaya Square is adjacent to the Big Kremlin Square and Tainitsky Garden.
Unfortunately, you cannot walk around the entire garden - this is a sensitive facility. But you can still see some interesting things: for example, an aviary for peregrine falcons, goshawks and an eagle owl, which are kept specifically to chase crows and pigeons. Or here - Helipad for the President and Prime Minister, equipped not so long ago.
View from the park to the ensemble of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. The Kremlin bell tower became the tallest building in Moscow under Boris Godunov, who ordered it to be built in 1600 to a height of 81 m. You can go up to summer time by purchasing a separate ticket.
From April to October on Saturdays at 12-00 on Cathedral Square The Presidential Regiment's horse and foot ceremony takes place. Viewing the ceremony is included in the price of a single ticket to visit the Kremlin and the cathedral-museums of Cathedral Square.
The Assumption Cathedral, built according to the design 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. In the temple-royal tomb there are 54 burials of saints, princes, kings and their wives, including the holy Tsarevich Dmitry of Uglich, Moscow princes Vasily the Dark, Dmitry Donskoy, Ivan Kalita, Tsars Ivan the Terrible and Alexei Mikhailovich.
The Annunciation Cathedral is one of the oldest on the Kremlin territory, built by Pskov craftsmen in 1484-1489. The small-sized temple was used as a home church for 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 ceremonial reception hall, a place for meetings of the Boyar Duma, and meetings of the Zemsky Sobor. Now this is the executive hall of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation.
The chamber is called faceted because it is lined with blocks having 4 sides.
In the corner of Cathedral Square there is the Verkhospassky Cathedral - part of the ancient Terem Palace, the eastern facade of the Golden Tsarina 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 Great Kremlin Palace, built in the 19th century. The ensemble of the palace includes about 700 rooms, including Georgievsky, Vladimir, Andreevsky, Alexander and Catherine Halls, the Golden Tsarina Chamber, the Malachite Foyer, the Study and 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 only get there 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 untold riches: ancient gold and silver jewelry and other items, weapons, armor, state regalia, and a collection of carriages. Here you can see Monomakh's hat, 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. This is where 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 gemstone.
View from the Armory to the Vodovzvodnaya, Borovitskaya towers and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
The amusing palace - the chambers of boyar Miloslavsky is better visible from the Alexander Garden, it is located near the Kremlin wall between Troitskaya and Commandant's towers. In 1672, fun events were held here - performances for the amusement of the kings, which gave the name to the palace. Under Peter the Great, the Police Department was located in the Poteshny Palace, and today the services of the Commandant’s Office were located.
How to get to the Kremlin
On public transport: the nearest metro stations are the Lenin Library, Aleksandrovsky Garden, Borovitskaya and Arbatskaya of the blue Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line. The Kremlin is also easily accessible 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 Thursdays, from 9-30 to 18-00 (ticket offices are open from 9-00 to 16-30)
- from October 1 to May 15 - daily, except Thursdays, from 10-00 to 17-00 (ticket offices are open from 9-30 to 16-00)
The Armory is open for sessions from 10-00 to 18-00 every day except Thursday. Sessions start: 10-00, 12-00, 14-30, 16-30
Diamond fund - daily, except Thursdays, from 10-00 to 17-20 for sessions. Break - from 13-00 to 14-00. Session duration is 40 minutes. Ticket sales for morning sessions begin at 9:00 a.m., and for evening sessions at 1:00 p.m. 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 does not work on holidays. More information about the operating hours can be found on the official website: gokhran.ru/ru/diamond-fund/contacts.phtml
It is rare, but it happens that access to the Kremlin is closed in connection with ceremonial events, meetings of heads of foreign states, receptions on the occasion public holidays and other events.
Ticket prices
Single ticket (territory, cathedrals, exhibitions)— visiting the territory of the Kremlin, cathedral-museums of Cathedral Square, exhibition halls of the Patriarchal Chambers, the exhibition “Treasures and Antiquities of the Moscow Kremlin” in the basement of the Annunciation Cathedral, exhibitions wooden sculpture in the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, exhibitions in the annex of the Archangel Cathedral:
- adults - 500 rubles
- Russian students and pensioners - 250 rubles, without the possibility of visiting museums (only the territory) - free
- children under 16 years of age, members of large families, disabled people of groups 1 and 2 and other preferential categories of citizens - free
- for persons under 18 years of age, the second Tuesday of every month is free
- on Cultural Heritage Days single ticket free for everyone
Single tickets are sold online on the official website of the Moscow Kreml.ru (except for free and discounted ones) and at the box office in the Alexander Garden on the day of the visit.
— the visit requires a separate ticket, the price includes an audio guide:
- adults - 700 rubles
- Russian students and pensioners - 350 rubles
- children under 16 years of age, members of large families, disabled people of groups 1 and 2 and other preferential categories of citizens - free
Entrance tickets to the Armory Chamber 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 specific session does not guarantee that you will receive additional free or discounted tickets for the same session on the day of your museum visit. Free and discount tickets are issued only if they are available at the box office, on a first-come, first-served basis. The museum's capacity does not allow for an unlimited number of tickets to be allocated 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 to a specific session. The ticket price includes a tour.
- 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
The number of tickets for each session is limited.
If you want to visit only the Armory Chamber and/or the Diamond Fund, entry is possible through the Borovitskaya Tower.
The queue at the box office and at the entrance is least in the cold season on weekdays, most of all in the warm season on good weather on weekends, especially on Saturday in the morning - because of the opportunity to watch the changing of the guard ceremony on Cathedral Square.
Excursions
The Kremlin excursion center offers sightseeing and thematic excursions on the territory of the Kremlin, the Armory Chamber, cathedral-museums and museum exhibitions for organized groups and individual visitors as part of a team group.
Prices for excursions around the Moscow Kremlin, the procedure for registration and payment for excursions, see the official website: kreml.ru
Free mobile guide to the Kremlin territory - izi.travel/ru/7cce-moskva-kreml/ru
Photography
Amateur photography and video shooting in cathedral-museums, the Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund is prohibited.
Looking at these pictures, I just want to help but exclaim: “Moscow also has beautiful views! They haven’t managed to mutilate everything yet!”
Original taken from helio to Moscow from above. 2014
Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation. It is the largest city in Russia by population, with more than 12 million people living in it, according to official statistics. According to this indicator, it is one of the ten largest cities in the world. These are financial, transport, logistics, business, cultural and tourist centre countries. Important sights are concentrated here, including the Kremlin, Red Square, Grand Theatre, Stalin's skyscrapers and many other iconic objects.
Moscow is a city with monumental architecture: you can only understand the real scale of wide multi-lane streets, multi-tiered interchanges and skyscrapers from above.
Moscow Kremlin - geographical and historical Center Moscow. This is the most ancient part of the city, currently the residence of the highest government bodies 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 located outside the walls.
3 towers standing on the corners have a round cross-section, the rest are square.
The tallest tower is Trinity, it has a height of 80 meters.
Grand Kremlin Palace.
Built in 1838-1849 by order of Emperor Nicholas I by a group of Russian architects under the leadership of K. A. Ton. Currently, they are used for state and diplomatic receptions and official ceremonies, and the palace itself is the ceremonial residence of the President of the Russian Federation.
Intercession Cathedral (St. Basil's Cathedral) is one of the most famous landmarks in Russia. For many, it is a symbol of Moscow and 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 museum's collection reflects the history and culture of Russia from ancient times to the present day, and is unique in the number and content of exhibits.
Manezhnaya Square
Fountain "World Clock". The main dome of the Okhotny Ryad underground shopping complex.
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 Embankment"
The residential complex of the Central Executive Committee-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 if 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 repression and disappeared into prisons and camps. Outstanding military leaders, heroes, artists, journalists, writers, academics, party and government figures, and Comintern workers lived in the House.
GUM (Main Department Store)
Large shopping complex, which occupies an entire block of Kitay-Gorod and faces Red Square with its main façade. Monument of pseudo-Russian architecture federal significance. It is leased until 2059 from the Russian retail company 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 Council of Labor and Defense. 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 meeting here since 1994.
"White House" - House of the Government of the Russian Federation
The “White House” was heavily damaged during the October events of 1993, when troops called by President Yeltsin opened fire from tanks at the building, which was defended by supporters of the dissolved Congress of People’s Deputies and the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation.
Left: the former territory of the Red October confectionery factory. In the center: Monument to Peter the Great by Tsereteli.
New Arbat
Garden Ring road
Borodinsky Bridge over the Moscow River. Smolenskaya embankment and Taras Shevchenko embankment.
"Stalin's Skyscrapers" are seven high-rise buildings built in Moscow in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The high-rise buildings are the pinnacle of post-war "Soviet Art Deco" in urban architecture. All Stalin's skyscrapers were laid down on the same day - September 7, 1947, when the 800th anniversary of Moscow was celebrated. This 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 Stalin's 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 by spire for many years, from 1953 to 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. The high-rise building contains 540 apartments.
High-rise building on Red Gate Square
When constructing the foundation of a high-rise building on Lermontov Square, a technique was used that had no analogues in terms of technical courage and engineering skill. The fact is that the 138-meter-high house was built simultaneously with the Krasnye Vorota metro station. The designers were faced with a difficult problem: for some time, the multi-story building would be located at the very edge of the pit, therefore, the soil would settle unevenly and the high-rise would tilt. Therefore, it was decided to specifically build with a slope. Before this, the soil around the perimeter of the pit was artificially frozen using subway 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 high-rise was nicknamed the “House of Aviators” due to the fact that apartments in it were provided to workers in the aviation industry. On the upper floors there was 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 received its name in honor of the homeland of Secretary General Nikita Khrushchev. In April 2010, the hotel opened after a large-scale restoration under the new name “Radisson Royal”.
The building opens with Kutuzovsky Prospekt.
"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, representing an integrated complex of structures with a single information space. Moscow City skyscrapers 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 in the process of construction or are being completed. Of these, 15 buildings are skyscrapers (above 150 meters).
The average number of floors in the complex is currently 54 floors.
Budgets for the purchase of apartments in the Moscow City International Business Center are concentrated in the range of $1-2 million.
Tower "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 Mercury City tower has surpassed the London skyscraper The Shard (306 m), which retained its status as the most tall building Europe is only 4 months old. Upon completion, Mercury City was almost 33 m higher than its London rival.
In 2013, Mercury City won the prestigious International Property Awards Europe 2013 in the category “Best High-Rise Building Architecture”.
"Tower on the Embankment". 59 floors, 268 m.
Trade and cultural center "Evolution". 54 floors, 255 m.
The tower differs from all other projects with its unusual twisting shape, reminiscent of a DNA molecule. Architect Tony Kettle worked on the design of the project together with Karen Forbes, who teaches at this moment in Edinburgh. The tower itself is a creative offspring of constructivism, borrowing the outlines of Tatlin's tower, dedicated to the Third International.
Ostankino Tower.
Construction took place 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 TV tower.
View from level 503 of the TV tower.
The idea of using prestressed reinforced concrete, compressed by steel cables, made it possible to make the structure of the tower simple and strong.
Another progressive idea was the use of a relatively shallow foundation: as conceived by engineer Nikitin, the tower was supposed to practically stand on the ground and its stability was ensured by the multiple excess of the mass of the cone-shaped base over the mass of the mast structure.
Victory Park
The Victory Memorial Complex in the Great Patriotic War was opened on May 9, 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory.
Belarusian
Komsomolskaya Square is an area of three stations on which the Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky and Kazansky railway stations are located.
Every year, more than 30 million people depart from the capital’s stations throughout Russia and to foreign countries.
Kyiv railway station
Belorussky railway station
The Third Transport Ring (TTK) is one of three ring highways in Moscow, along with Garden Ring and the Moscow Ring Road.
Begovaya Street
The total length of the Third Transport Ring is about 36 kilometers, of which about 19 kilometers are overpasses, about 5 kilometers are tunnels.
Khoroshevo-Mnevniki
Strogino
Round house on Dovzhenko, 6