Wooden walls of the Kremlin. Who built the Moscow Kremlin - a symbol of the Russian state

WITH Today the Kremlin houses the residence of the President of Russia. In addition, the Moscow Kremlin ensemble is included in the World Heritage List cultural heritage UNESCO and on its territory the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Moscow Kremlin” is located. The total number of towers is 20.

The "Red" Kremlin has replaced " White » The Kremlin of Dmitry Donskoy. Its construction (during the reign of Grand Duke Ivan III) was determined by the events that took place in Muscovy and on the world stage. In particular: 1420-1440 - the collapse of the Golden Horde into smaller entities (uluses and khanates); 1425-1453 – Internecine war in Rus' for the great reign; 1453 – fall of Constantinople (its capture by the Turks) and cessation of existence Byzantine Empire; 1478 - the subjugation of Novgorod by Moscow and the final reunification of Russian lands around Moscow; 1480 - standing on the Ugra River and the end of the Horde yoke. All these events influenced the social processes of Muscovy.

In 1472, Ivan III married a former Byzantine princess Sofya Paleolog, which, to one degree or another, contributed to the emergence of foreign masters (mainly Greek and Italian) in the Moscow State. Many of them arrived in Rus' in her retinue. Subsequently, the arriving masters (Pietro Antonio Solari, Anton Fryazin, Marco Fryazin, Aleviz Fryazin) will supervise the construction of the new Kremlin, while jointly using both Italian and Russian urban planning techniques.

It must be said that the mentioned Fryazins were not relatives. Anton Fryazin's real name is Antonio Gilardi, Marco Fryazin's real name was Marco Ruffo, and Aleviza Fryazin's name was Aloisio da Milano. “Fryazin” is a well-established nickname in Rus' for people from southern Europe, mainly Italians. After all, the word “Fryazin” itself is a distorted word “Fryag” - Italian.

The construction of the new Kremlin lasted more than one year. It happened step by step and did not involve the immediate demolition of white brick walls. This gradual replacement of the walls began in 1485. New walls began to be erected without dismantling the old ones or changing their direction, but only retreating slightly from them outward. Only in the northeastern part, starting from the Spasskaya Tower, the wall was straightened, and thereby the territory of the fortress increased.

The first one was built Taynitskaya Tower . According to the Novgorod Chronicle, “On May 29, a strelnitsa was laid on the Moscow River at the Shishkov Gate, and a cache was placed under it; Anton Fryazin built it...” Two years later, master Marko Fryazin laid the corner Beklemishevskaya tower, and in 1488 Anton Fryazin began building another corner tower from the side of the Moscow River - Sviblov (in 1633 it was renamed Vodovzvodnaya).

By 1490, the Blagoveshchenskaya, Petrovskaya, first and second Nameless towers and the walls between them were erected. The new fortifications primarily protected the southern side of the Kremlin. Everyone who entered Moscow saw their inaccessibility, and they involuntarily began to think about the strength and power of the Moscow state. At the beginning of 1490, the architect Pietro Antonio Solari arrived in Moscow from Milan, and he was immediately instructed to build a tower with a passage gate on the site of the old Borovitskaya and a wall from this tower to the corner Sviblova.

...on the Moscow River, an archer was laid at the Shishkov Gate, and a hiding place was placed under it

The Neglinka River flowed along the western wall of the Kremlin, with swampy banks at its mouth. From the Borovitskaya Tower it turned sharply to the southwest, going quite far from the walls. In 1510, it was decided to straighten its bed, bringing it closer to the wall. A canal was dug, starting near the Borovitskaya tower with its exit into the Moscow River at Sviblova. This section of the fortress turned out to be even more difficult to access militarily. A drawbridge was thrown across the Neglinka to the Borovitskaya Tower. Lifting mechanism The bridge was located on the second floor of the tower. The steep, high bank of the Neglinka formed a natural and reliable line of defense, so after the construction of the Borovitskaya Tower, the construction of the fortress was moved to its northeastern side.

In the same 1490, the passage Konstantino-Eleninskaya tower with a diversion archer and a stone bridge across the moat was built. In the 15th century, it was approached by a street that crossed Kitay-Gorod and was called Velikaya. On the territory of the Kremlin, a street was also built from this tower, crossing the Kremlin hem and leading to the Borovitsky Gate.

Until 1493, Solari built passage towers: Frolovskaya (later Spasskaya), Nikolskaya and corner Sobakina (Arsenal) towers. In 1495, the last large gate tower, the Trinity Tower, and the blind ones were built: Arsenalnaya, Komendantskaya and Oruzheynaya. The Commandant's Tower was originally called Kolymazhnaya - after the nearby Kolymazhnaya yard. All work was supervised by Aleviz Fryazin.

The height of the Kremlin walls, not counting the battlements, ranges from 5 to 19 m, and the thickness from 3.5 to 6.5 m. At the base of the walls there are inside wide embrasures covered with arches were made for firing at the enemy from heavy artillery guns. You can climb from the ground to the walls only through Spasskaya, Nabatnaya, Konstantino-Eleninskaya,

In the historical center of the capital is the most recognizable architectural structure of Russia - the Moscow Kremlin. Main feature The architectural ensemble is its fortifying complex, consisting of walls in the form of a triangle with twenty towers.

The complex was built between 1485 and 1499 and is well preserved to this day. Several times it served as a model for similar fortresses that appeared in other cities of Russia - Kazan, Tula, Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod, etc. Within the walls of the Kremlin there are numerous religious and secular buildings - cathedrals, palaces and administrative buildings of different eras. The Kremlin was included in the list World Heritage UNESCO in 1990. Together with the adjacent Red Square, which is included in this list, the Kremlin is generally considered the main attraction of Moscow.

Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin

The architectural ensemble is formed by three temples, in the center is located. The history of the cathedral began in 1475. It is the oldest fully preserved building among all the Kremlin buildings.

Initially, construction took place in 1326-1327 under the leadership of Ivan I. After completion of construction, the cathedral served as the home church of the Metropolitan of Moscow, who settled in the predecessor of the current Patriarchal Palace.

By 1472, the now ruined cathedral was destroyed, and then a new building was built in its place. However, it collapsed in May 1474, possibly due to an earthquake or due to errors in construction. Made a new attempt at revival Grand Duke Ivan III. It was in this cathedral that prayer services were held before important campaigns, kings were crowned and patriarchs were elevated to the rank of patriarchs.

Dedicated to Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Russian rulers, it was built in 1505 on the site of the church of the same name built in 1333. It was built by the Italian architect Aloisio Lamberti da Montignana. The architectural style combines traditional ancient Russian religious architecture and elements of the Italian Renaissance.

Located on the southwest corner of the square. A wooden church was built here in 1291, but a century later it burned down and was replaced by a stone church. Cathedral of white stone It has nine onion domes on the facades and is intended for family ceremonies.

Cathedral opening hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (closed on Thursday). A single ticket for visits will cost 500 rubles for adults and 250 rubles for children.

Palaces and squares of the Moscow Kremlin

- These are several representative secular buildings created in different centuries and served as a home for Russian grand dukes and tsars, and in our time for presidents.
- a five-story building, decorated with richly carved decorative frames, as well as a tiled roof.
- a building of the 17th century, has preserved rare architectural features of civil architecture of that time. The museum presents jewelry work, exquisite tableware, paintings, royal hunting items. The magnificent iconostasis of the Ascension Monastery, destroyed in 1929, has been preserved.
- a three-story building made in the early neoclassical style. Initially, the palace was supposed to serve as the residence of the Senate, but in our time it exists as the central working representation of the President of Russia.

Among the popular places in the Moscow Kremlin, the following squares should be noted:

Towers of the Moscow Kremlin

The length of the walls is 2235 meters, their maximum height– 19 meters, and the thickness reaches 6.5 meters.

There are 20 defensive towers similar in architectural style. Three corner towers have a cylindrical base, the remaining 17 are quadrangular.

Trinity Tower is the highest, rising 80 meters high.

Lowest - Kutafya Tower(13.5 meters), located outside the wall.

Four towers have travel gates:

The tops of these 4 towers, which are considered especially beautiful, are decorated with symbolic red ruby stars from the Soviet era.

The clock on the Spasskaya Tower first appeared in the 15th century, but burned down in 1656. On December 9, 1706, the capital first heard the chimes, which announced a new hour. Since then, many events have happened: wars were fought, cities were renamed, capitals changed, but the famous chimes of the Moscow Kremlin remain the main chronometer of Russia.

The bell tower (height 81 meters) is the most tall building in the Kremlin ensemble. It was built between 1505 and 1508 and still serves its function for three cathedrals that do not have their own bell towers - Arkhangelsk, Assumption and Annunciation.

Nearby is the small church of St. John, hence the name of the bell tower and the square. It existed before early XVI century, then collapsed and has since become significantly dilapidated.

The Chamber of Facets is the main banquet hall of the Moscow princes; it is the oldest surviving secular building in the city. Currently, this is the official ceremonial hall for the President of Russia, so it is not open to tours.

Armory Chamber and Diamond Fund

The chamber was built by order of Peter I to store weapons obtained in wars. Construction was delayed, starting in 1702 and ending only in 1736 due to financial difficulties. In 1812, the chamber was blown up in the war against Napoleon and was reconstructed only in 1828. Now the Armory Chamber is a museum, which can be visited any day of the week from 10:00 to 18:00, except Thursday. Ticket price for adults is 700 rubles, for children – free.

Here are not only exhibits of the weapons industry, but also the Diamond Fund. The permanent exhibition of the State Diamond Fund first opened in the Moscow Kremlin in 1967. Unique jewelry and gems, most of them were confiscated after the October Revolution. Opening hours are from 10:00 to 17:20 on any day except Thursday. For a ticket for adults you will have to pay 500 rubles, for children it costs 100 rubles.

The two diamonds on display deserve special attention, as they belong to the most famous examples of this gemstone in the world:

It is not only the largest medieval fortress in Russia, but also the largest active fortress in all of Europe. Of course, there were more such structures, but the Moscow Kremlin is the only one that is still in use.
The Kremlin walls were white. The walls “acquired” their red brick at the end of the 19th century. To see the White Kremlin, look for works by 18th or 19th century artists such as Pyotr Vereshchagin or Alexey Savrasov.
Red Square has nothing to do with the color red. The name comes from the Old Russian word "red", meaning beautiful, and is in no way related to the color of the buildings, which we now know were white until the end of the 19th century.
The stars of the Moscow Kremlin were eagles. During times Tsarist Russia the four Kremlin towers were crowned with double-headed eagles, which have been the Russian coat of arms since the 15th century. In 1935 soviet government replaced the eagles, which were melted down and replaced with the five-pointed stars we see today. The fifth star on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower was added later.
The Kremlin towers have names. Of the 20 Kremlin towers, only two do not have their own names.
The Kremlin is densely built up. Behind the 2235-meter Kremlin walls there are 5 squares and 18 buildings, among which the most popular are the Spasskaya Tower, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Assumption Cathedral, the Trinity Tower and the Terem Palace.
The Moscow Kremlin was virtually undamaged in World War II. During the war, the Kremlin was carefully camouflaged to look residential building block. The church domes and famous green towers were painted gray and brown colors Accordingly, fake doors and windows were attached to the walls of the Kremlin, and Red Square was encumbered with wooden structures.
The Kremlin is in the Guinness Book of Records. In the Moscow Kremlin you can see the world's largest bell and the world's largest cannon. In 1735, a bell 6.14 meters high was made from metal casting; the Tsar Cannon, weighing 39.312 tons, was lost in 1586 and was never used in war.
The stars of the Kremlin always shine. Over the 80 years of its existence, the Kremlin's star lighting has only been turned off twice. The first time was during World War II, when the Kremlin was camouflaged to hide it from bombers. The second time they were turned off was for the film. Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov filmed a scene for The Barber of Siberia.
Kremlin watches have deep secret. The secret of the accuracy of the Kremlin watches literally lies under our feet. The clock is connected to the control clock at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute via a cable.

Moscow Kremlin - The Kremlin, an ancient fortified structure on the territory of modern Moscow, is currently the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

The Kremlin is located on Borovitsky Hill on the left bank of the Moscow River and is a triangle irregular shape with a total area of about 27 and a half hectares. The construction of the first fortifications on this territory began in the 12th century, but it is generally accepted that the Moscow Kremlin in its modern sense was built in 1482-1495.

Stages of construction of the Moscow Kremlin

The construction of the Kremlin is directly connected with the heyday of Moscow and the formation of Muscovite Rus' - the period when all the disparate principalities began to unite around new capital, when Rus' was struggling with the Tatar-Mongol invasion and was in dire need of a completely new type of state that would be strong and integral. It was from the gates of the Kremlin that roads diverged in all directions of the world, from here protruded Russian army to fight the invaders, and here the prince and all the most important statesmen took refuge from danger.

In the history of the construction of the Kremlin, several significant periods can be distinguished, which were largely determined by political and economic development states.

The first period dates back to the 12th-14th centuries, when the first fortifications began to form in this territory. These were wood-earth structures that were used for housing, as well as for household needs. Today, no parts of these fortifications have survived. The construction of the ancient Kremlin dates back to 1156.

The second period passes between the 14th century and the second half of the 15th, when the first white-stone parts of the Kremlin began to be built, which significantly expanded its territory. In 1366-1368, under Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, the wooden walls of the Kremlin were replaced by walls and towers made of local white stone. During this period, the Kremlin was no longer used only for residential and economic needs, but also for the military.

The third period is last years 15th century and up to the 16th-17th centuries. At this time, the Kremlin was actively developing, works of art were created, which are still considered real architectural monuments.

The fourth period begins in the 18th century and continues until the October Revolution. At this time, ancient structures are replaced by newer ones, restored, and also created new system layouts. New bridgeheads appeared, the Arsenal, the Senate, a new palace, and the Armory were erected.

After the October Revolution, some changes were made to the layout of the Kremlin, the buildings of the Palace of the Congress and Supreme Council, new gardens and squares have been laid out. As a result, by the end of the 20th century, only the walls and general appearance remained of the ancient buildings in the Kremlin; everything else was updated.

Architectural features and history of construction of the Kremlin

The architectural design of the Kremlin largely depended on the achievements of architecture and construction of each period. So, in ancient times, only wooden fortifications were erected, which could protect a small number of people and were flammable; later the Kremlin was gradually strengthened, new walls and new buildings were built, and it was protected with stone.

The first buildings in the 12th century, the first fortress, were erected on the cape, which today has already lost its real outlines. There was a moat around the cape, and on the earthen ramparts there was a surrounding fortress wooden wall- a stockade no more than 700 meters long. In 1156, Yuri Dolgoruky expanded the city, and at the same time the wooden wall protecting it expanded. A new shaft was built on the ridge of the Neglinka bank, the Kremlin took on the shape of a triangle, and the length of the wall increased to 1200 meters. Over time, the space of the Kremlin gradually expanded, the ramparts were poured over, the surrounding forests were cleared, in place of which new walls were built.

The first reliable images of the Kremlin date back to the 16th century, and in written sources it is often mentioned in connection with the name of Ivan 3, who began large-scale construction with the goal of rebuilding the Kremlin and erecting new buildings and Cathedrals on its territory.

Thus, we can say that the construction of the Moscow Kremlin began not in the 15th century, as claimed, but in the 12th, when the first fortifications were built on the territory of Moscow, which, unfortunately, are completely lost today. Over the course of its history, the Kremlin was rebuilt several times and changed its appearance.

The significance of the Moscow Kremlin

Over the years of its existence, the Moscow Kremlin has served both military and political purposes, transformed from a fortress into a place where the government and the president meet. Today the Kremlin is an outstanding monument of architecture and culture of Russia, as well as an important government facility from which the country is governed.

The chronicle contains the first mention of Moscow from 1147, and the walls of the Moscow fortress were notified in 1156, when Prince Yuri Vladimirovich " "The Kremlin becomes the beginning of all rays passing through the subsequent rings of Moscow.

Titles - Moscow and the Kremlin

Moscow and the Kremlin– origin of ancient names. Presumably the city of Moscow got its name from the Moscow River; in the 12th century, Yuri Dolgoruky used the word “Moskov” to designate the area near Borovitsky Hill. In ancient times, the Moscow Kremlin was called “kremnik” from the ancient word “krom” (fortress).

Red Square

Red Square- the main attraction of Moscow. It is located in the center of the capital, near the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. As soon as it was not called: Trade from the trade since the time of Ivan III; Trinity - according to the standing Trinity Church; and then Red (i.e. Beautiful Square).

- surround the Moscow Kremlin from all sides. First wooden, then reinforced oak, later white stone. In 1485, it was erected by Italian craftsmen, together with the towers, now standing red from brick chips.

- in 1485, when the Taynitskaya tower was erected, and then within 5 years 7 more towers, the construction of all other towers and fortifications took another 30 years. There are twenty Kremlin towers in total, four of them, from the 50s of the 17th century, were decorated with imperial double-headed eagles, in the 30s of the 20th century, they were replaced with ruby stars, and a fifth star was added to them on another tower - Vodovzvodnaya. The first star sparkled in 1935 on the Spasskaya Tower, then on the other four. Thus, 5 stars decorate all 5 Kremlin towers: Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya and Vodovzvodnaya.

In the Moscow Kremlin

Assumption Cathedral

Assumption Cathedral – located on Cathedral Square. This building is the oldest. Over the years of its existence, it has never been destroyed and has been preserved in its original form. Until 1917 it was considered the main cathedral of Rus'.

– was built in 1505-1508. The project was developed by Bon Fryazin, an Italian architect. Until 1815, the church was constantly rebuilt and enlarged. On the territory of the bell tower there is a church and an exhibition hall dedicated to the history of the Kremlin.

- a historical monument that can tell a lot about the military power of Rus'. The cannon was cast in 1586. At first it was installed near the Execution Ground, and later it was moved near the Armory Chamber.

- was cast in the 18th century, by order of Empress Anna Ioannovna. But it was never used for its intended purpose. During the Trinity Fire the monument was severely damaged and for a long time lay in the ground. Later it was restored and installed near the Ivan the Great bell tower.

– one of the oldest buildings in Moscow. The monument took a long time to build. It is named so because it is finished with faceted rustication.

- a place intended for storing weapons and ammunition. In ancient times, entire fortresses were built in which everything necessary for military operations was stored. The monument was built in the 18th century. Peter I set up a real museum here and collected all the interesting ancient weapons, armor and trophies.

- this is a real treasury where precious items received by rulers from foreign ambassadors, local craftsmen and patriarchs are kept. It was built in 1851.

- a very beautiful building. It was built by a group of Russian architects. It was built for royal family, where they were supposed to live during their arrival in Moscow. It was built on the site of other palaces. The palace has 5 halls of extraordinary beauty.

- a particularly picturesque building, built for Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in 1635-1637 by architects Antip Konstantinov, Trefil Sharutin, Bazhen Ogurtsov and Larion Ushakov.

Senate

Senate - a building skillfully placed on the site triangular shape. The peculiarity of the building is that it has a dome in the center (located above the round hall), such architectural solution is a masterpiece of classical architecture.

- built in 1652 by boyar Ilya Danilovich Miloslavsky, then it became a state-owned building, and received its name because it hosted “fun”, entertainment for the royal family.

Palace of Congresses (State Kremlin Palace)

– (nowadays the State Kremlin Palace) was built by order of Nikita Khrushchev. It was opened in October 1961. Not only congresses of the CPSU, but also concerts were held on the territory of the palace. theatrical performances and other important events.

History of the Moscow Kremlin

The name Kremlin first appears in the Resurrection Chronicle in 1331; it is derived from the word “krem” (or “krom”), meaning a fortress inside the city. The first news about the walls of the Moscow fortress is contained in a chronicle message in 1156, then Prince Yuri Vladimirovich " lay the city of Moscow, at the mouth below Neglinn, above the Auza River".

(The Kremlin under the Prince of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy. XIV century. Painting by A. Vasnetsov)

In 1339, Ivan Kalita erected new oak walls, which were replaced in 1367 by Prince Dmitry Donskoy with white stone ones. On their basis, under Ivan III, they built modern walls. They began to be built in 1485, when the Taynitskaya Tower was erected by the Italian architect Anton Fryazin, and over the next five years a wall and seven towers were built on the most threatened southern side.

(Moscow Kremlin, with walls familiar to this day, under the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III at the end of the 15th century. Painting by A. Vasnetsov)

In 1490, they began to build a wall on the side of what is now Red Square, as we are used to seeing them now, namely from the northeast. Then, by decree of Ivan III, all buildings adjacent to the Kremlin were demolished. In 1495, under the leadership of the architect Aleviz Novy, walls were erected on the western side, where the bed of the Neglinnaya River was. The Kutafya diversion tower also dates back to that time.

The construction of all fortifications took more than 30 years. Later, from 1625 to 1685, all the towers (with the exception of Nikolskaya) were built with tents.

The area of the Kremlin was 27.5 hectares (0.28 km 2), the length of the walls with 20 towers, of which 4 were passable, was 2235 meters. The height of the walls varies - from 5 to 19 meters, thickness; from 3.5 to 6.5 meters.

(Ruby stars of the Kremlin against the backdrop of Soviet Moscow under construction)

IN Soviet time Double-headed eagles were removed from the towers and stars made of Ural gems were installed, but they quickly faded and instead they were replaced by stars made of ruby glass, which were a complex engineering structure with powerful lamps and cooling units. But the old star can still be seen; it is located on the spire of the Northern River Station in Moscow.<

Dolgoruky's Kremlin was tiny: it fit between the modern Tainitskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya towers. It was surrounded by a wooden wall 1,200 meters long.

At first this fortress was called a city, and the lands around it were called a suburb. When it appeared, the fortress was renamed Old Town. And only after construction in 1331 the fortress was called the Kremlin, which meant “fortress in the center of the city.”

The word "comes from the Old Russian "krom" or "kremnos" (solid) - this was the name of the central part of ancient cities. Kremlin fortress walls and towers were usually placed at the highest places.

The word “Kremlin” could also come from the so-called “kremlin” (strong) wood from which city walls were built. And in 1873, researcher A.M. Kubarev suggested that this toponym could come from the Greek language, where “kremnos” means “steepness, a steep mountain above a bank or ravine.” The Moscow Kremlin really stands on a mountain on a steep river bank, and the words “kremn” and “kremnos” may have entered Russian speech with the Greek clergy who arrived in Moscow in the late 1320s along with Metropolitan Theognostus.

Guide to Architectural Styles

The Moscow Kremlin stands on Borovitsky Hill, at the confluence of the Moscow River and. Behind the walls of the fortress with an area of 9 hectares, residents of the surrounding villages could hide from danger.

Over time, the plantings grew. The fortress grew with them. In the 14th century, under Ivan Kalita, new walls of the Moscow Kremlin were built: wooden outside, coated with clay, stone inside. Since 1240, Rus' was under the Tatar-Mongol yoke, and the Moscow princes managed to build new fortresses in the center of the captured country!

The Kremlin under Dmitry Donskoy (after the fire of 1365) was built from white stone. Then the walls were almost 2 kilometers long - 200 meters shorter than today.

Fires and an earthquake in 1446 damaged the fortress, and under Ivan III at the end of the 15th century the Moscow Kremlin was rebuilt. For this purpose, Italian architects - specialists in fortification - Aristotle Fiorovanti, Pietro Antonio Solari, Marco Ruffo were invited. They built not just a fortress, but a holy city. The legendary Constantinople was laid out in three corners on all sides, seven miles apart, so the Italian craftsmen placed 7 red-brick towers (together with the corner ones) on each side of the Moscow Kremlin and tried to maintain the same distance from the center - . In this form and within these boundaries, the Moscow Kremlin has survived to this day.

The Kremlin walls turned out so good that no one has ever taken possession of them.

How to read facades: a cheat sheet on architectural elements

Two water lines and the slopes of Borovitsky Hill already gave the fortress a strategic advantage, and in the 16th century the Kremlin turned into an island: a canal was dug along the northeastern wall that connected the Neglinnaya and Moscow rivers. The southern wall of the fortress was built first, since it faced the river and was of great strategic importance - merchant ships arriving along the Moscow River moored here. Therefore, Ivan III ordered the removal of all buildings south of the Kremlin walls - since that time nothing has been built here except earthen ramparts and bastions.

In plan, the Kremlin walls form an irregular triangle with an area of about 28 hectares. On the outside they are made of red brick, but inside they are built from the white stone of the old walls of the Kremlin of Dmitry Donskoy, and for greater strength they are filled with lime. They were built from half-pound bricks (weighing 8 kg). In proportions it resembled a large loaf of black bread. It was also called two-handed, because it could only be lifted with two hands. At the same time, brick was an innovation in Rus' at that time: they used to build from white stone and plinth (something in between brick and tile).

The height of the Kremlin walls ranges from 5 to 19 meters (depending on the topography), and in some places reaches the height of a six-story building. Along the perimeter of the walls there is a continuous passage 2 meters wide, but from the outside it is hidden by 1,045 merlon battlements. These M-shaped battlements are a typical feature of Italian fortification architecture (they were used to mark fortresses by supporters of imperial power in Italy). In everyday life they are called “swallowtail”. From below, the teeth seem small, but their height reaches 2.5 meters and their thickness is 65-70 centimeters. Each battlement is made of 600 half-pound bricks, and almost all the battlements have loopholes. During the battle, the archers covered the gaps between the battlements with wooden shields and fired through the cracks. Every tooth is a Sagittarius, people said.

The walls of the Moscow Kremlin were surrounded by rumors of underground wars. They defended the fortress from undermining. There was also a system of secret underground passages under the walls. In 1894, archaeologist N.S. Shcherbatov discovered them under almost all the towers. But his photographs disappeared in the 1920s.

Dungeons and secret passages of Moscow

There are 20 towers in the Moscow Kremlin. They played a key role in monitoring the approaches to the fortress and in defense. Many of the towers were drive-through, with gates. But now three are open for travel to the Kremlin: Spasskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya.

The corner towers have a round or multifaceted shape and contain secret passages and wells inside to supply the fortress with water, while the remaining towers are quadrangular. This is understandable: the corner towers were supposed to “look” in all external directions, and the rest - forward, since they were covered from the sides by the neighboring ones. Also, the passage towers were additionally protected by diversion towers. Of these, only Kutafya has survived.

In general, in the Middle Ages, the towers of the Moscow Kremlin looked different - they did not have hipped tops, but there were wooden watchtowers. Then the fortress had a more severe and impregnable character. Now the walls and towers have lost their defensive significance. The gable roof also did not survive: it burned down in the 18th century.

By the 16th century, the Kremlin in Moscow acquired the appearance of a formidable and impregnable fortress. Foreigners called it a “castle” on Borovitsky Hill.

The Kremlin has been at the center of political and historical events many times. Russian tsars were crowned here and foreign ambassadors were received here. The Polish interventionists and the boyars who opened the gates for them took refuge here. The Kremlin tried to blow up Napoleon fleeing from Moscow. The Kremlin was going to be rebuilt according to Bazhenov’s grandiose project...

What can be compared with this Kremlin, which, surrounded by battlements, flaunting the golden domes of cathedrals, reclines on a high mountain, like a sovereign crown on the brow of a formidable ruler?.. It is the altar of Russia, on it many sacrifices worthy of the fatherland should be and are already being made.. No, it is impossible to describe neither the Kremlin, nor its battlements, nor its dark passages, nor its magnificent palaces... You must see, see... you must feel everything that they say to the heart and imagination!..

During Soviet times, the Moscow Kremlin housed the government. Access to the territory was closed, and the dissatisfied ones were “calmed down” by the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee Ya. Sverdlov.

Undoubtedly, the bourgeoisie and the philistines will raise a howl - the Bolsheviks, they say, are desecrating holy places, but this should least of all bother us. The interests of the proletarian revolution are higher than prejudices.

During the reign of Soviet power, the architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin suffered more than in its entire history. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 54 structures inside the Kremlin walls. Less than half have survived. For example, in 1918, on the personal instructions of V.I. Lenin's monument to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was demolished (he was killed in February 1905), and at the same time the monument to Alexander II was destroyed (a monument to Lenin was later erected on its pedestal). And in 1922, more than 300 pounds of silver and 2 pounds of gold, more than 1,000 precious stones, and even the shrine of Patriarch Hermogenes were taken from the cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin.

Congresses of the Soviets were held, a kitchen was set up in the Golden Chamber, and a dining room was set up in Granovita. The Small Nicholas Palace turned into a club for workers of Soviet institutions, a gym was opened in the Catherine Church of the Ascension Monastery, and a Kremlin hospital was opened in the Chudov Monastery. In the 1930s, the monasteries and the Small Nicholas Palace were demolished, and the entire eastern part of the Kremlin turned into ruins.

The Kremlin: a mini-guide to the territory

During the Great Patriotic War, the Kremlin was one of the main targets of aerial bombardment of Moscow. But thanks to camouflage, the fortress “disappeared.”

The red brick walls were repainted, and windows and doors were painted on them to imitate individual buildings. The battlements on top of the walls and the stars of the Kremlin towers were covered with plywood roofs, and the green roofs were painted to look rusty.

The camouflage made it difficult for German pilots to find the Kremlin, but did not save them from bombing. In Soviet times, they said that not a single bomb fell on the Kremlin. In fact, 15 high-explosive and 150 small incendiary bombs fell. And a bomb weighing a ton hit, and part of the building collapsed. British Prime Minister Churchill, who later arrived in the Kremlin, even stopped and took off his hat as he passed by the gap.

In 1955, the Moscow Kremlin was partially opened to the public - it turned into an open-air museum. At the same time, residence in the Kremlin was prohibited (the last residents left in 1961).

In 1990, the Kremlin ensemble was included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage sites. At the same time, the Kremlin became a government residence, but retained its museum functions. Therefore, there are uniformed employees on the territory who quickly guide lost tourists “on the right path.” But every year more and more corners of the Kremlin become open for walks.

The Kremlin is also often filmed for film. And in the film “The Third Meshchanskaya” you can even see the Moscow Kremlin before the demolition of the Chudov and Ascension monasteries.

Mini-guide to the Kremlin walls and towers

They say that......The Kremlin walls were built by Ivan the Terrible (Ivan III was also called “The Terrible”). He called 20,000 village men and ordered:
- So that everything will be ready in a month!
They paid little - 15 kopecks a day. Therefore, many died of hunger. Many were beaten to death. New workers were brought in to take their place. And a month later the Kremlin walls were completed. That's why they say that the Kremlin is standing on its bones.
...in the lower tiers of the bell tower the shadow of Ivan IV often wanders. Even the memories of Nicholas II have been preserved, how on the eve of the coronation the spirit of Ivan the Terrible appeared to him and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
And when False Dmitry was killed in the Moscow Kremlin, Muscovites sometimes began to see the outlines of the Pretender’s figure flashing in the twilight between the battlements of the walls. He was also seen on the August night of 1991 - before the coup attempt.
And one evening, the watchman on duty in the building next to the Patriarchal Chambers (there was housing there under Stalin) raised the alarm. One of the apartments on the second floor was occupied by the People's Commissar of the NKVD Yezhov, and the duty officer's post was located in the hallway of the former Yezhov apartments. Around midnight, the watchman heard footsteps on the stairs, then the jingling of a key in the lock, and the creak of a door opening and closing. He realized that someone had left the building and tried to apprehend the intruder. The duty officer jumped out onto the porch and saw, a few meters from the house, a small figure in a long overcoat and cap, well known from old photographs. But the ghost of the security officer melted into thin air. We saw Yezhov several more times.
The spirit of Stalin did not appear in the Moscow Kremlin, but the ghost of Lenin is a frequent guest. The spirit of the leader made his first visit during his lifetime - on October 18, 1923. According to eyewitnesses, the terminally ill Lenin unexpectedly arrived from Gorki to the Kremlin. Alone, without security, he went to his office and walked around the Kremlin, where he was greeted by a detachment of cadets from the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. The head of security was at first taken aback, and then rushed to call Gorki to find out why Vladimir Ilyich was unaccompanied. Then he learned that Lenin had not gone anywhere. After this incident, real devilry began in the leader’s Kremlin apartment: the sounds of moving furniture, the crackling of a telephone, the creaking of floorboards and even voices were heard. This continued until Ilyich’s apartment with all his belongings was transported to Gorki. But until now, security and Kremlin employees sometimes see on frosty January evenings