How to get to the Kremlin in Moscow

It is not difficult to get to the Moscow Kremlin. Today it is open to all comers. Every day hundreds of tourists can visit the Kremlin. Everyone who has been here, probably walked around the Tainitsky garden, admired the beauty of the ensemble of the Cathedral Square. Amazing with their greatness are the ancient temples: the Archangel, the Annunciation, the Assumption. One of the main attractions, of course, is the Armory Chamber. But those who were lucky enough to visit the Diamond Fund, see the royal regalia of amazing beauty, you can only envy.

The beginning of history

Perhaps everyone will take a little interest in Moscow's history before they get to the Kremlin. Moscow - an ancient city, which has many unique buildings, monuments, complexes, the main one is the Kremlin. It was located on the Borovitsky Hill, on the left bank of the Moskva River, where it merges with the Neglinnaya River. Once Borovitsky Hill completely covered the dense forests, hence the name of it. The Moscow Kremlin is considered the progenitor of the birth of the city. It was here in the XII century, the first buildings were erected, a settlement arose, which became the ancestor of present-day Moscow. The settlement of the Vyatichi stretched along the entire Borovitsky hill, occupied a considerable area, was protected by a ring fortification.

Description of the Moscow Kremlin

Now the Moscow Kremlin is an amazing and memorable architectural ensemble of the XV-XIX centuries. This place attracts a lot of visitors, as getting into the Kremlin is quite easy. In its form, the architectural ensemble resembles an irregular triangle, the southern side of which leads to the Moscow River. The whole territory of the Kremlin is protected by a high brick wall. Twenty towers, located here, are made in different architectural styles.

How to get to the Moscow Kremlin? The main entrance is the Spassky Gate, they are located from the east, look at the Red Square and St. Basil's Cathedral. The Spasskaya tower was originally built in the 15th century, and later, in 1625, it received its tent-shaped completed look, then the famous clock was installed. It is only worth noting that the modern watch operates since 1851. The south-west of the Kremlin is famous for its Borovitsky gates, it was through them in the distant 1812 that the city managed to break into Napoleon and his troops. How to get to the Kremlin from the west? Here the Trinity Gate opens. In the eponymous tower, in its time, valuable archives of the imperial family were kept. Nikolsky Gates (the exit from them to the northern extremity of Red Square) are used to pass to the state institutions.

Kremlin Palace

On the territory of the Kremlin are state institutions, numerous palaces and temples. The largest building is the Great Kremlin Palace. He built it for eleven years (1838-1849). He looks at the building on the Moskva River. In the eastern wing there is an ancient structure: the Faceted Chamber (XV century), in the north - the Terem Palace (XVI-XVII century). Inside the Kremlin Palace there are many beautiful rooms and halls, and all official receptions are held here.

The largest museum of the capital is the Armory Chamber, it is located in the western palace wing. Look here rare beauty exhibits: silver, gold products, armor, weapons, rich clothing, royal regalia, carriages, a variety of historical values. Before visiting the Moscow Kremlin, everyone probably plans an excursion to the Armory Chamber.

Temples of the Kremlin

The main religious buildings of the Kremlin are cathedrals: Uspensky, Blagoveschensky and Archangel. The Cathedral of the Assumption is easily guessed by five domes. The building was built in the middle of the XV century, it was robbed and burned many times, but like the phoenix, the temple was reborn and always acquired its original appearance. All the coronations of the Russian tsars, beginning in the 16th century, took place in this cathedral.

The Archangel Cathedral was built at the very beginning of the 16th century (1505-1508). The last time the temple was restored in the distant 1921, almost a hundred years have passed. The Archangel Cathedral was the burial-vault of representatives of the great dynasties: the ancient Rurikovichs, the first Romanovs.

Directly opposite Arkhangelsky is the Annunciation Cathedral, which is crowned with nine gilded domes. This temple was considered a house church by Russian tsars, it was opened in 1489. In the 16th century it was completely rebuilt and has since been restored several times.

Ivan the Great Belltower

Before you get to the Kremlin, from a distance everyone notices the famous bell tower of Ivan the Great, it can be attributed to one of the Kremlin's main attractions. Today, it is difficult for a modern person to imagine that this building was once the tallest in all of Russia. The bell tower was built under Boris Godunov in 1600, it was reconstructed in 1813. The unique structure has five tiers, the total height is 81 meters. The bell-tower is crowned with a gilded dome and a cross. Now the complex includes two churches with separate belfries, 24 domes are installed.

Also on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin, every tourist can see the famous Tsar Bell. Its weight is almost two hundred tons. This is the largest bell in the world.

To the interesting sights of the Kremlin ensemble belong the oldest towers Beklemishevskaya and Vodovzvodnaya, they were built in the fifteenth century. The latter had special mechanisms, through which water was supplied from the Moscow River to the Kremlin's palaces and posad.

How to visit the Kremlin in Moscow

The Moscow Kremlin is the main attraction, so every guest of the capital tries to visit here. How to get to the Kremlin? Moscow is a huge metropolis, where a modern metro allows you to reach anywhere, including the Kremlin. To reach the ticket offices, you need to get to the metro station "Arbatskaya", "Borovitskaya", "Alexander Garden" or "Lenin Library". Leaving the metro, you need to navigate the signs "Alexander Garden." In the center of the garden are cash desks, where you can buy tickets to visit the Moscow Kremlin. If you are thinking about how to get to the Kremlin's museums, then tickets can be bought at the same ticket offices. However, this can be done directly in the museums themselves.

The middle of the summer is considered to be the peak season, many foreign tourists come to the capital, so it's not easy to get into the Armory Chamber, not everyone has enough tickets. Well, those who visited the Diamond Fund, you can simply call the lucky ones. Tickets to this place can not be bought in advance to get here, you need to spend a lot of time, but it's worth it.

How to visit the Diamond Fund of the Kremlin

Everyone who wants to see the expositions of the Diamond Fund can get on an excursion. They are held daily, except Thursday, but only not on public holidays. The work of the Diamond Fund is conducted in the form of sessions, each of which recruited a limited group of people. For foreigners, you can book individual excursions with a guide-interpreter. Opening hours from 10.00 to 17.00, there is a lunch break from 13 to 14 hours. Before you visit the Moscow Kremlin and its museums, plan ahead of time.

A little bit from the history of the Diamond Fund

The history of the Diamond Fund begins from the distant Petrine times. Imitating the European monarchs, Tsar Peter declared that all the treasures, the crowns stored in the palace, are state values, they must be kept in special imperial rooms under reliable protection. All expensive regalia were issued to the ruling persons only for temporary use. In 1839 a diamond room was specially created to store the crown values. In order to surprise foreigners, the Russian tsars tried in every possible way to replenish the wealth of their yard, they were purchased at the state expense, only a small part was received as a gift. Nicholas I finally fixed all the crown jewels as state property. Anyone who thinks about how to visit the Kremlin in Moscow, find themselves in the Diamond Fund, try to learn in advance some information about the exhibits that are presented there. The most significant are described below.

The Great Imperial Crown

This crown was made by the court jeweler Ekart together with the famous master Pose. The crown was created especially for the young Empress Catherine II in the distant 1762 year. In silver was fixed 4936 diamonds, their shine is highlighted by large matte pearls, arranged in two rows. The height of the product is 27.5 cm. All Russian emperors were crowned afterwards by this crown.

The Little Imperial Crown

One of the many imperial regalia stored in the Diamond Fund. The creation of the jeweler Zeftigen. A crown was created in 1856 for Empress Maria, who was the wife of Alexander II.

The State and Scepter of the Imperial

The regalia was created by the jeweler Eckart in 1762 for Catherine II. The imperial power is decorated with gold, diamonds, silver, diamonds. Its height is 24 cm. Already with Paul I, a big sapphire appeared on the power and a huge diamond was of rare beauty. The scepter has a length of 59.5 cm, is decorated with gold, diamonds, silver, enamel, the main decoration is the diamond "Orlov"

The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called

Until 1917 was considered the highest award of the Russian Empire, the first, if you consider the time of establishment of the Russian order. The Order consisted of a sign-cross with the image of St. Andrew, an eight-pointed silver star, in the center of which is the motto: "For faith and faithfulness." Wore an order on the left side of the chest.

The best time to visit the Kremlin

Thinking about how to get to the Kremlin, better plan a visit on a weekday in the morning. In the summer, the Kremlin receives guests from 9.30 to 18 hours, and in the winter - from 10.00 to 17 hours. Thursday is a day off. They close the Kremlin during important political events, meetings. The armory has its own schedule, sessions at 10, 12, 14-30, 16-30. The Armory closes at 6 pm. The Diamond Fund operates from 10 to 17 hours with a break for lunch from 13 to 14.