In this article we will look at the main sights of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located on Borovitsky Hill, rising 25 meters above the adjacent territory at the confluence of the Moskva River with the Neglinnaya River. Borovitsky hill in the old days was covered with forests, thanks to which it got its name. The Moscow Kremlin can also be considered the progenitor of the current capital of Russia. After all, the first buildings in Moscow were located on its territory. The sights of the Kremlin and Red Square were built at different times. Therefore, let's start the story about them from the very beginning, in chronological order.
We invite you to get acquainted with the background of the emergence of such an important place for our country as the Kremlin (Moscow). Scientists date the first traces of human presence on Borovitsky Hill to the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e. At the beginning of the XII century, a settlement arose here again, which became the ancestor of modernMoscow. Vyatichi occupied a large area along Borovitsky Hill. That is, two villages appeared here, protected by ring fortifications.
Period of Ancient Russia
The Old Russian state originally consisted of separate principalities. The most extensive and influential was Rostov-Suzdal. Since the second half of the 12th century, the city of Vladimir has been its capital. Moscow bordered this principality from the west.
In 1147, as the Ipatiev Chronicle says, Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince of Suzdal, invited his ally Svyatoslav, Novgorod-Seversky Prince, to Moscow. This event was the first mention of the Russian capital in documentary sources, and this date is considered to be the beginning of the formation of the city.
In the XIII century, Moscow, like other Russian cities, suffered from the raids of Batu. However, after a while the city began to revive. In Moscow during this period, the first dynasty of princes appeared, founded by Daniel, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky. The Tatar-Mongols failed to completely destroy the Russian state. The Russian princes continued to rule the lands, receiving letters (labels) from the Horde for this. In 1319, Daniel's eldest son, Yuri Danilovich, also received such a label to reign in Novgorod. And Moscow was handed over to him under the control of his brother.
Ivan Kalita, whose image is presented below, did not move, as his predecessors traditionally did, to Vladimir. He decided to stay in Moscow. This event played a big role in the fate of the Kremlin and the entire city. Metropolitan Peter, following Ivan, also moved to Moscow.
The Kremlin becomes the residence of Russian princes
The Kremlin has since ceased to be just a defensive structure. The description of the Moscow Kremlin no longer fit into this framework. It turned into the residence of the Metropolitan and the Grand Duke. The territory of the Kremlin was previously built up only with wooden structures. Since that time, white stone buildings have been built here. So, on Borovitsky Hill, at its highest point, the Assumption Cathedral was founded, which became the main temple of the Moscow principality. The Church of John of the Ladder appeared in 1329, the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael - in 1333. These first stone buildings determined the further architectural concept of the Moscow Kremlin, which has survived to this day. The capital under Ivan Kalita grew a lot. The Kremlin becomes an isolated central part of the city.
It should be said that the name "Kremlin" appeared for the first time in the Resurrection Chronicle, dated 1331. It means the fortified central part of the city.
Ivan Kalita wrote a spiritual letter before his death. In it, he bequeathed the symbols of power of Russia (princely clothes, precious dishes, golden belts and chains), as well as all Moscow lands to his sons.
Kremlin white stone
In 1365, the wooden buildings of the Kremlin were once again damaged by fire. Then Dmitry Donskoy, a young Moscow prince, decided to build stone fortifications on Borovitsky Hill. In the winter of 1367, limestone was brought to the capital from the village of Myachkovo, located 30 miles from the city. Construction began in the spring. As a result of it, a white-stone fortress appeared in the center of Moscow, which became the first in North-Eastern Russia. The territory of the Kremlin at the same time was increased due to the hill, as well as its hem. By the end of the 15th century, its architecture acquired the features that are characteristic of the modern Russian capital, and Moscow began to be perceived as the successor of Vladimir and Kyiv.
Constantinople, the main city of Byzantium, was captured in 1453 by the Turks. Therefore, Moscow began to play the role of the Orthodox capital. In order to bring the city in line with this status, Ivan III summoned Russian craftsmen and Italian architects to the capital to rebuild the Kremlin.
Formation of the Kremlin Ensemble
Under the leadership of Aristotle Fioravanti, an Italian architect, a new Assumption Cathedral, the main temple in Russia, was created between 1475 and 1479. At the other end of the square, opposite the cathedral, another Italian, Aleviz Novy, built a temple-tomb - the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael. The palace of the Moscow prince was built in the western part of the Kremlin. It included the Middle Golden, Embankment and Big Faceted Chambers.
The Cathedral of the Annunciation was built somewhat later, in the period from 1485 to 1489. Near it was founded the Church of the Deposition of the Robe. In the space that was limited by the Annunciation and Archangel Cathedrals, the State Palace is located. It was the main treasury of the prince.
The formation of the Cathedral Square ensemble was completed with the construction of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. It was completed in 1505-1508. Bell tower ringingIvan the Great has since begun to please the residents of the capital.
All new churches were traditionally built on the site of their predecessors, who were here during the time of Dmitry Donskoy and Ivan Kalita. The sights of the Moscow Kremlin erected in their place bore the same names. All graves and relics from the old temples were carefully transferred to them. The most revered Russian shrine at that time, the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir, was transported from Vladimir to the Assumption Cathedral.
Kremlin towers
The construction of new towers and walls was the finishing touch in the design of the Kremlin ensemble. Their restructuring and updating took place in several stages. The Taynitskaya Tower was the first to be built. She had an underground passage to the Moscow River. The architect who completed this project is Anton Fryazin, an Italian. Another of his compatriots, Marco Fryazin, created the Beklemishevskaya tower, now called Moskvoretskaya. Then they created Sviblova, which also had a secret exit to the Moscow River. A special machine for lifting water was installed in the Sviblova tower in 1633 and renamed it Vodovzvodnaya.
In 1488 the Annunciation Tower was built. Then other sights of the Moscow Kremlin were erected. These were two Nameless towers, as well as Borovitskaya, Petrovskaya, Nabatnaya and Konstantin-Eleninskaya. The Spasskaya Tower was built to strengthen the eastern part of the Kremlin. Now she is his calling card. The Spasskaya Tower got its name in honor of two icons: the Savior Not Made by Hands and the Savior of Smolensk.
Nikolskaya wasbuilt at the same time. Between her and Spasskaya, another one grew up, which later became known as the Senate. The Middle and Corner Arsenal Towers appeared by the end of the 15th century. At the same time, Troitskaya, the highest in the Kremlin, arose. To ensure the safety of approaches to it, the Kutafya tower was built. For the same purpose, Armory and Komendantskaya were built along the Neglinnaya River. In 1680, the last tower in the Kremlin appeared - the Tsarskaya turret.
The reign of Ivan the Terrible in the history of the Kremlin
In 1547, Ivan the Terrible, the Grand Duke of Moscow, was proclaimed the first autocrat in Russia in the Assumption Cathedral. The head of the Russian church, Metropolitan Macarius, officially declared him tsar, placing the cap of Monomakh on the head of Ivan the Terrible. In order to give the Moscow kingdom more authority, it was decided to canonize many ascetics and historical figures, and the idea arose to decorate the walls of the Kremlin cathedrals with monumental paintings.
Military campaigns, as a result of which the Astrakhan and Kazan khanates were conquered, strengthened the authority of the Russian state. In honor of these events, it was decided to build the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God, also known today as St. Basil's Cathedral. It was erected in the period from 1555 to 1562 outside the Kremlin, which emphasized the special significance of this building. It was here, not far from the Spassky Gates, that a new center of Moscow's public life, Red Square, gradually took shape.
During the Livonian War, Polotsk, an ancient Russian city, was returned. In honor ofof this event, Ivan the Terrible ordered the rebuilding of the Church of the Annunciation, which served as his house church. 4 small churches (chapels) were built over the galleries of this cathedral in 1563-1566.
The reign of the king, in addition, was marked by the appearance of orders in the Kremlin. That was the name of the governing bodies. Their buildings were located on Ivanovskaya Square in the Kremlin, which at that time turned into the administrative and business center of the capital. The ambassadorial order was considered the most important of them. His department included issues of state foreign policy, as well as control over the observance of embassy ceremonies.
18th century transformations of the Kremlin
The first detailed map of the Kremlin, preserved at the present time, dates back to 1663. From it you can roughly imagine how this place looked then.
The Kremlin (Moscow) at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries experienced the time of its highest prosperity. The capital of the state was transferred by decree of Peter the Great from Moscow to St. Petersburg in 1712. However, the Assumption Cathedral continued to be the main temple in Russia. It was here that the state power was consecrated. But the new conditions dictated a different way of life, so the territory of Borovitsky Hill began to be rebuilt. New attractions of the Moscow Kremlin have appeared, in particular palaces that have replaced monasteries and ancient boyar chambers.
Thus, the chambers of the Tsar's Court built in the 15th century were dismantled. They were replaced by the stone Winter Palace, made in the Baroque style by the architect Rastrelli. The Tsar Bell was also cast by order of Anna Ioannovna. It took two years -1733 to 1735. However, he was not destined to serve his purpose. In 1737, during the Trinity fire that engulfed the Kremlin, water fell on the bell while extinguishing wooden structures. Due to the temperature difference, a significant fragment broke off from it. The bell remained in the casting pit for about a hundred years, but in 1836 it was installed on a pedestal, where it remains to this day.
When creating a description of the Moscow Kremlin, it should be mentioned that its development was not always justified and rational. So, in the place where the Treasury was located, in 1756-1764 the gallery of the Armory was built, the treasures of the treasury were supposed to be placed there. A few years later, it was decided to reconstruct the Kremlin, and the Armory was demolished along with other ancient buildings. Because of this, the southeastern part of Borovitsky Hill was exposed and no longer built up.
M. F. Kazakov played an important role in changing the appearance of the Kremlin. The bishop's house was built under his leadership. And in 1776-1787 the Senate was erected. The building fits into the space between Nikolskaya Street and the Chudov Monastery. It completed the Senate Square ensemble.
Alexander I in 1806 issued a decree according to which it was decided to erect a museum building on the site of the Trinity Compound and the Tsareboris Court to store all the valuables. Egozov developed the project of this building. The construction of the museum was carried out from 1806 to 1810. As a result of this, a new building appeared in the Kremlin, as well as a small square between the Arsenal and the Trinity Tower,called Trinity.
The Kremlin after the Patriotic War of 1812
Plans for further restructuring of the Kremlin were violated by the Patriotic War. When Napoleon's army invaded Moscow, the city was engulfed in fires. Many valuables were looted. They blew up the Petrovsky, 1st Bezymyannaya, Vodovzvodnaya towers, practically nothing was left of Nikolskaya either.
The creation of the Moscow Kremlin, as well as the restoration of its ensemble, was continued after the victory. It was carried out by Russian architects. The blown up walls of the Kremlin and its towers were rebuilt. In 1838-1851, on the orders of Nicholas I, a palace complex was erected on the site of the Winter Palace. It included the Moscow Armory, the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Apartments. The construction was headed by K. A. Ton. The Palace Square Ensemble adorned the complex of new buildings.
Cathedral Square has remained open since the demolition of orders. Reviews of troops were held here in the 19th century. It began to be called the Dragoon parade ground. A monument to Alexander II was erected in this place in 1989.
The Kremlin in Soviet times
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the plan of the Moscow Kremlin, dated 1917.
In March 1918, the government of the RSFSR settled in the Kremlin. In the building of the Senate, there was an office-apartment, first of Lenin, and then of Stalin. The halls of the Kremlin have become closed to the public.
At this time, irreparable damage was done to temples and monasteries throughout the country. The Kremlin ensemble did not escape this fate. Plan of the Moscow Kremlinchanged somewhat. In 1929, the Ascension and Chudov monasteries were destroyed. The Military School building has grown in their place.
During the Great Patriotic War, the architectural complex was almost not damaged. It was opened for inspection already in 1955. In 1961, the Palace of Congresses was built near the Trinity Gate.
Kremlin ensemble today
Today, many tourists from all over the world come to see the sights of the Kremlin and Red Square. These places have not lost their greatness to this day.
In 1990, the Kremlin was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The museums located here constituted the Moscow Kremlin Reserve, which includes the Armory, the Annunciation, Assumption and Archangel Cathedrals, the Museum of Applied Arts and Life of Russia of the 17th century, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe and the ensemble of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. Since 1991, the Kremlin has become the residence of the Russian president.
To the 850th anniversary of the capital, which Moscow celebrated in 1997, the Kremlin was restored again. As a result of these works, the Red Porch of the Faceted Chamber was restored, the Senate building was restored, and other works were also carried out. Today, divine services are held in the Kremlin cathedrals during the great Orthodox holidays. There are also excursions around the territory of the entire ensemble.
The plan of the Moscow Kremlin includes many different buildings. Its area today is 27.5 hectares, and the length of the walls is 2235 m. There are 20 towers, the height of whichreaches 80 meters. The walls of the Kremlin are 3.5 to 6.5 meters thick. They are 5 to 15 meters high.
Today, an interesting event is taking place in this place - the setting of guards in the Kremlin. It is held on Cathedral Square every Saturday at 12 noon. The period in which you can look at the guards in the Kremlin is from April to October. It is very convenient for tourists.
The Kremlin at the beginning of the 20th century was increasingly perceived as an architectural, historical and cultural monument. Treasures from the Patriarchal sacristy and the Armory were often displayed at various international and all-Russian exhibitions. The latter was already a palace museum in the 19th century. However, its history began much earlier. Back in 1547, the first mention of the Armory Order created at that time dates back to 1547. At that time, a military arsenal was stored here. After some time, the Armory began to be called the big treasury, and the name familiar to us arose in the 1560s. The museum today houses unique historical exhibits, including the Cap of Monomakh, as well as ancient precious fabrics, the thrones of Russian emperors, weapons and much more.
The history of the Kremlin continues, as does the history of our state, of which it is a symbol. And the 21st century will still write its page in it.
