When was the Kremlin wall built? The Moscow Kremlin is the crown of power of Russia. The structure of the Kremlin wall

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.

About how to get to the Moscow Kremlin, which Kremlin attractions to see first, how to buy entry tickets, about opening hours, excursions and much more, read in this article.

History of the Moscow Kremlin

First on the territory modern Kremlin Finno-Ugric tribes settled 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 modern look. 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 main event is held here Christmas tree countries, concerts and ballet performances take place.

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. Kazakov, has the shape of a triangle. During the Soviet years, V.I.’s office and apartment were located here. Lenin, work rooms of I.V. Stalin, L.I. Brezhnev, M.S. Gorbachev. Nowadays, the Senate is the official residence of the 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 most tall building Moscow's Kremlin bell tower came into existence under Boris Godunov, who ordered it to be built in 1600 to a height of 81 m. You can climb up to summer time by purchasing a separate ticket.

From April to October, on Saturdays at 12-00 on Cathedral Square, the ceremony of the mounted and pedestrian parade of the Presidential Regiment 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 are 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.

In the same building is located Diamond fund- the national treasury of Russia, a repository of precious stones and nuggets, ceremonial jewelry 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 the Trinity and Commandant 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)— visit to 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, an exhibition of 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
in Days cultural heritage single ticket is 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.

— visits are carried out by 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.

The Moscow Kremlin is the main attraction of the city. Getting there is quite easy. There are several metro stations, from which you can walk to the Kremlin. The Alexandrovsky Sad station will take you, as you can easily guess, straight to the Alexandrovsky Garden. The Kutafya Tower will already be visible there, where they sell tickets to the Kremlin and to the Armory Chamber. You can also go to the metro station. Library named after IN AND. Lenin. In this case, the Kutafya Tower will be visible across the road. The stations Ploshchad Revolyutsii and Kitai-Gorod will take you to Red Square, but from different sides. The first is from the State Historical Museum, the second - from the side. You can also get off at Okhotny Ryad - if you want to stroll along the shopping row of the same name. Just be prepared for unusual prices)).

About prices for the Kremlin museums. A visit to the Kremlin is not a cheap pleasure. An hour and a half visit to – will cost 700 rubles, – 500 rubles, a walk around with inspection – 500 rubles. For more information about museums and some nuances about visiting them that you should know, see the links.

The Kremlin is called not only the walls with towers, as some people think, but also everything that is located inside it. Outside the walls on the ground of the Moscow Kremlin there are cathedrals and squares, palaces and museums. This summer on Cathedral Square every Saturday at 12:00 the Kremlin Regiment shows its skills. If I manage to escape to the Kremlin, I will write about it.

History of the Moscow Kremlin.

The word “Kremlin” is very ancient. The Kremlin or Detinets in Rus' was the name given to the fortified part in the center of the city, in other words, a fortress. In the old days, times were different. It happened that Russian cities were attacked by countless enemy forces. That’s when the city’s residents gathered under the protection of their Kremlin. The old and young took refuge behind its powerful walls, and those who could hold weapons in their hands defended themselves from enemies from the walls of the Kremlin.

The first settlement on the site of the Kremlin arose approximately 4,000 years ago. Archaeologists have established this. Shards of clay pots, stone axes and flint arrowheads were found here. These things were once used by ancient settlers.

The location for the construction of the Kremlin was not chosen by chance. The Kremlin was built on a high hill, surrounded on two sides by rivers: the Moskva River and the Neglinnaya. High location The Kremlin made it possible to notice enemies from a greater distance, and the rivers served as a natural barrier on their path.

Initially the Kremlin was wooden. An earthen rampart was built around its walls for greater reliability. The remains of these fortifications were discovered during construction work in our time.

It is known that the first wooden walls on the site of the Kremlin were built in 1156 by order of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. This data was preserved in ancient chronicles. At the beginning of the 14th century, Ivan Kalita began to rule the city. Kalita in ancient Rus' called a money bag. The prince was so nicknamed because he accumulated great wealth and always carried a small bag of money with him. Prince Kalita decided to decorate and strengthen his city. He ordered the construction of new walls for the Kremlin. They were cut down from strong oak trunks, so thick that you couldn’t wrap your arms around them.

Under the next ruler of Moscow, Dmitry Donskoy, the Kremlin had other walls built - stone ones. Stone craftsmen from all over the area were gathered to Moscow. And in 1367 they got to work. People worked without interruption, and soon Borovitsky Hill was surrounded by a powerful stone wall, 2 or even 3 meters thick. It was built from limestone, which was mined in quarries near Moscow near the village of Myachkovo. The Kremlin so impressed its contemporaries with the beauty of its white walls that from then on Moscow began to be called white-stone.

Prince Dmitry was very brave man. He always fought in the forefront and it was he who led the fight against the conquerors from the Golden Horde. In 1380, his army completely defeated the army of Khan Mamai on the Kulikovo field, not far from the Don River. This battle was nicknamed Kulikovskaya, and the prince has since received the nickname Donskoy.

The white stone Kremlin stood for more than 100 years. During this time, a lot has changed. Russian lands united into one strong state. Moscow became its capital. This happened under the Moscow Prince Ivan III. From that time on, he began to be called the Grand Duke of All Rus', and historians call him “the collector of the Russian land.”

Ivan III gathered the best Russian masters and invited Aristotle Fearovanti, Antonio Solario and other famous architects from distant Italy. And now, under the leadership of Italian architects, new construction began on Borovitsky Hill. In order not to leave the city without a fortress, the builders erected a new Kremlin in parts: they dismantled a section of the old white stone wall and quickly built a new one in its place - from brick. There was quite a lot of clay suitable for its production in the vicinity of Moscow. However, clay is a soft material. To make the brick hard, it was fired in special kilns.

Over the years of construction, Russian masters stopped treating Italian architects as strangers, and even changed their names into the Russian way. So Antonio became Anton, and the complex Italian surname was replaced by the nickname Fryazin. Our ancestors called the overseas lands Fryazhsky, and those who came from there were called Fryazin.

It took 10 years to build the new Kremlin. The fortress was defended on both sides by rivers, and at the beginning of the 16th century. A wide ditch was dug on the third side of the Kremlin. He connected two rivers. Now the Kremlin was protected on all sides by water barriers. They were erected one after another, equipped with diversion archers for greater defensive capability. Along with the renovation of the fortress walls, the construction of such famous ones as Uspensky, Arkhangelsky and Blagoveshchensky took place.

After the crowning of the Romanov kingdom, the construction of the Kremlin began at an accelerated pace. The Filaret belfry was built next to the bell tower of Ivan the Great, Teremnaya, Poteshny Palaces, Patriarchal Chambers and the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles. Under Peter I, the Arsenal building was erected. But after the capital was moved to St. Petersburg, they stopped building new buildings.

During the reign of Catherine II, a number of ancient buildings and part of the southern wall were demolished for the construction of a new palace. But soon the work was canceled, according to official version due to lack of funding, unofficially due to negative public opinion. In 1776-87. The Senate building was built

During Napoleon's invasion, the Kremlin suffered enormous damage. Churches were desecrated and looted, and part of the walls, towers and buildings were blown up during the retreat. In 1816-19. Restoration work was carried out in the Kremlin. By 1917 There were 31 churches in the Kremlin.

During the October Revolution, the Kremlin was bombed. In 1918, the government of the RSFSR moved to the Senate building. Under Soviet rule, the Kremlin Palace of Congresses was built on the territory of the Kremlin, stars were installed on the towers, they were placed on pedestals, and the walls and structures of the Kremlin were repeatedly restored.

Today's buildings were built mainly in 1485-1495 years is not the place of dilapidated white stone walls erected in 1366.
Fortress with twenty towers connected by walls, has a triangular shape.
Three corner towers have round shape for conducting circular fire, the rest are square, very different from one another.
The length of the Kremlin wall is 2335 m, height is 8-19 m, and its thickness is 3.5-6.5 m.
The towers have details characteristic of Italian architecture of that time, which is not surprising, since they were built by Italian architects.
IN tower names reflects their history and the history of the place.

The towers of the Moscow Kremlin with peaked tents and walls with battlements in the form of “swallow tails” are irreplaceable elements of the capital’s panorama. On the site where the Kremlin stands, a settlement has been located since ancient times. This location is very advantageous: on the high Borovitsky Hill, at the confluence of two rivers - the Moskva River and the Neglinnaya. The first fortifications that appeared here were wooden. And in 1366-1368, Prince Dmitry Donskoy built the first white stone Moscow Kremlin. The walls and towers that appear before us now are basically fortifications built in 1485 - 1495. by Italian architects on the site of the former, dilapidated white stone walls.

Kremlin construction techniques and fortress plan

Twenty Kremlin towers, connected by walls, form an irregular triangle with an area of 27.5 hectares. The fortifications were built taking into account the most modern military technologies of the 15th century. The towers protrude beyond the line of the walls so that soldiers can not only fire, but also control the situation in close proximity to the walls. Round towers were erected at the corners (Vodovzvodnaya, Moskvoretskaya and Arsenalnaya) - this shape was chosen both because of their greater strength and for conducting all-round fire. They also had the opportunity to arrange hidden wells with water. Most towers are square at the base, but differ quite greatly from each other, depending on their purpose. The travel towers (Spasskaya, Borovitskaya, Troitskaya and others), erected on the axes of the roads leading to the Kremlin, were the most powerful and well fortified. The towers were also endowed with a symbolic meaning of protection, protecting the Kremlin from the penetration of evil and evil spirits. Therefore, icons can still be seen above the gates of some towers.

Attached to most of the towers were diversion arrows - fortifications that were carried beyond the fortress walls or beyond the ditch for additional defense. This type of fortification fully met the requirements of the late 15th century. Of the archery towers, one has survived - Kutafya, which covers Trinity and in our time serves as the main entrance for tourists to the Kremlin. When constructing fortifications, various measures were taken against enemy attacks. This, for example, is the construction of secret underground passages leading outside the walls to protect the city from undermining. A through tunnel was built inside the walls to quickly move defenders.

The length of the walls of the Moscow Kremlin is 2235 meters, the thickness of the walls ranges from 3.5 to 6.5 meters, and the height - from 8 to 19 meters. The highest walls are located on the side of Red Square, where there was no natural oh water hazard. The walls were not built immediately, their construction began from the south-eastern part (from the side of the Moscow River), continued to the east and west and was completed in 1516. The most old tower Kremlin - Tainitskaya.

The construction technique itself is also interesting. The walls were built on the foundations of the previous ones, white stone, the material was large red brick, which was used to lay out the front walls, and the gaps were filled with the remains of the collapsed walls of the time of Dmitry Donskoy. So, since 1485, the walls of the Moscow Kremlin acquired a recognizable color. The towers were erected by visiting Italian architects (Friazis, as they were called then): Pietro Antonio Solari, Marco Ruffo, Aleviz di Carcano. This explains their unusual, strange appearance for that time. The fact is that the design of loopholes in the form of the famous “swallow tails” was a typical detail of Northern Italian architecture, characteristic of buildings in cities where the ruling “party” were the Ghibellines - supporters of rapprochement with the emperor (unlike the Guelphs, supporters of the Pope, who decorated the walls of their cities are battlements with a straight ending). These battlements were not only decoration: they protected the upper battle platforms.

Angular and travel towers after another fire, they were decorated in the 17th century with stone tents with weather vanes. They served as watchtowers, and signal bells were also located there. In the second half of the 18th century. famous Russian architect V.I. Bazhenov completed the design of the Kremlin Palace - a large-scale building in a classicist style, reminiscent of the architecture of French palaces. The project proposed to line the hill leading to the cathedrals with turf - this place would become one of the first “walks” in Europe. To build such a huge structure, it was necessary to demolish a third of the Kremlin walls. At one site, which is located near the Moscow River, work began on dismantling the fortifications, but soon due to the growing colossal costs, this project was curtailed. In the 19th century During Napoleon's invasion of Moscow, serious damage was caused not only to the palaces and temples of the Kremlin, but also to the Kremlin walls. The architect who was involved in the restoration of the damaged Kremlin towers was O.I. Beauvais (ironically, also Italian).

Spasskaya Tower and Kremlin chimes

The most famous of all the Kremlin towers, Spasskaya, built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari, deserves special mention. Tsars entered the Kremlin through it and religious processions took place. Since the 15th century Only dedicatory white stone slabs have reached us, which tell in Cyrillic (from the Kremlin side) and in Latin (from Red Square) about the order and construction of this tower. Its general appearance and decoration then were much more modest: it was almost half the size, and it was originally called Frolovskaya, after the Church of Flora and Lavra on. The Spasskaya Tower began to be called after the icon of the Savior, known throughout Russia, which was placed above the entrance in the middle of the 17th century. It was considered lost, but in 2010 it turned out that Soviet time it was simply covered with plaster. In the 17th century The tower was one of the first to be built with a multi-tiered elegant top. And the history of the clock on the Spasskaya Tower deserves a separate story.

The first clocks on the Kremlin, still white-stone towers, were installed in 1404 by Lazar Serbin. In the 17th century, the Spasskaya Tower acquired a very unusual clock thanks to a native of Scotland, Christopher Galovey. They were a sun-shaped hand with a rotating dial, on which 17 o'clock was marked. The famous Kremlin chimes, which can still be seen today, date back to the mid-19th century. They were made by watchmakers, brothers named Butenop - the founders of the company of the same name. IN different time the chimes sounded different melodies. Since 1770 it has been the song “Oh, my dear Augustine”, since the middle of the 19th century. ‒ “How glorious is our Lord in Zion”, after the revolution the clock began to play “The Internationale”, and since 2000 you can hear the famous excerpt from Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar”. Currently, the clock mechanism occupies three whole floors, and until 1937 this clock was wound manually with a cast iron key.

Famous Kremlin towers and the history of their names

Let's take a closer look at the history of some of the towers. As already mentioned, the most important for defense and for the composition in general are the corner towers. The Vodovzvodnaya Tower was built by Anton Fryazin in 1488. In the 17th century the tower was equipped with a water-lifting machine, which is why it got its name. Its other name - Sviblova Tower - comes from the boyar family of the Sviblovs, who had a courtyard on the territory of the Kremlin. In 1812 it was blown up by the French, after which it was restored by O.I. Beauvais. Thanks to him, its appearance is emphatically classic: rustication (horizontal lines) in the lower part, columns, decorative design of dormer windows. Decoration comes first, not functionality; the hand of the architect of the early 19th century is felt.

The Beklemishevskaya Tower, built by Marco Ruffo in 1487, was named so because of the boyar I. Beklemishev who lived during the reign of Tsar Vasily III, who fell out of favor and was executed. From the name, one of the functions of this tower becomes obvious - a place of imprisonment for rebels. Its other name is Moskvoretskaya, since it is located on the banks of the Moscow River and occupies a strategically important position. It was from this side that the city was most often subjected to Tatar raids. A secret well was built in this tower. In 1707, the loopholes in the tower were expanded for a new type of weapon, since Swedish intervention was feared at that time. This fact indicates that the tower did not lose its defensive significance until the 18th century.

The corner round tower, located on the north side of the Kremlin buildings, was erected by Pietro Antonio Solari c. 1492. Its other names come from the Sobakin boyars who lived nearby (Sobakina) and from its location next to the Arsenal (Arsenalnaya). Thanks to the edges that form its volume and the base that expands downward, it gives the impression of particular stability and strength. It also had a strategic secret: there was a well inside, as well as an underground passage to the Neglinnaya River.

The Borovitskaya Tower got its name from the pine forest that was located on Borovitsky Hill in ancient times. The tower was built according to the design of Pietro Antonio Solari in 1490. design feature is the location of the archer on the side. It is also angular, but in plan it is not round, but resembles a pyramid, which is formed from quadrangles stacked on top of each other (volumes quadrangular at the base) and crowned with an octagon (volume octagonal at the base). Although this tower was located outside the main roads and was used for household needs, it has retained its significance to this day: it is the only permanently operating passage gate to the Kremlin territory.

The Trinity and Kutafya towers were built by Aleviz Fryazin. Kutafya dates back to 1516, Trinity - 1495. These towers are connected by a bridge, both were travel, and the Kutafya tower had only one gate, which was closed with heavy forged bars. Today this is the main entrance to the Kremlin architectural and museum complex. The Trinity Tower is the largest, its height reaches 76.35 meters. Its structure is complex: it consists of six floors, two of which are underground, and in the 17th and 18th centuries. it was a place of detention for rebels. It received its name in 1658 from the Trinity Metochion, located nearby.

The Tainitskaya Tower is so called because not only a secret well was built inside it, but also secret passage to the Moscow River. This tower was built first, in 1485 - it was from this side that the Tatars usually attacked.

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
Cultural heritage site Russian Federation

Content:

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

The Kremlin or Detinets in ancient Rus' was the name given to 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 dovetail-shaped battlements - 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 passages, interiors of 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 branched underground passages led outside from each of the Kremlin towers. 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.

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 Grand Kremlin Palace, built in the mid-19th century by order of Emperor Nicholas I. Today, the ceremonial residence of the President of Russia is located within its walls.

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 of great Russia. The Kremlin is always crowded. Guests admire the enduring beauty of architectural creations that personify 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, like a sovereign crown on the brow of a formidable ruler.”

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