Sights of the Moscow Kremlin. History of construction, scheme, description

In this article we will examine the main attractions of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located on the Borovitsky hill, which rises 25 meters above the adjoining territory at the confluence of the Moskva River with the Neglinnaya River. Borovitsky hill in the old days covered the forest, 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 of Moscow were located on its territory. Attractions of the Kremlin and Red Square were erected at different times. Therefore, let us begin the story about them from the very beginning, in chronological order.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the background of the emergence of such an important place for our country as the Kremlin (Moscow). Scientists date the first traces of being on the Borovitsky hill of man by the end of the II millennium BC. E. At the beginning of the 12th century, a settlement emerged here, which became the ancestor of modern Moscow. The Vyatichi occupied a large area along the Borovitsky hill. That is, there were two villages, 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. Its capital was the city of Vladimir from the second half of the 12th century. Moscow borders on this principality from the west.

In 1147, as they say in the Ipatiev Chronicle, Yuri Dolgoruky, the Suzdal prince, invited his ally Svyatoslav, a Novgorod-Severny 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 in this period there was the first dynasty of princes, founded by Daniil, the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky. The Tatar-Mongols failed to destroy completely the Russian state. The land continued to rule the Russian princes, receiving for this the Horde letters (labels). Such a label in 1319 was also given to the eldest son of Daniel, Yuri Danilovich, to reign in Novgorod. And Moscow was transferred to them in control of his brother.

Ivan Kalita, whose image is presented below, has not moved to Vladimir, as his predecessors traditionally did. He decided to stay in Moscow. This event played a big role in the fate of the Kremlin and the whole city. In Moscow, after Ivan, moved and Peter, Metropolitan.

The Kremlin becomes the residence of Russian princes

Since that time, the Kremlin has ceased to be just a defensive structure. The description of the Moscow Kremlin no longer fit into this framework. He became the residence of the Metropolitan and Grand Duke. The territory of the Kremlin was previously built only by wooden structures. Since this time, here began to build buildings of white stone. So, on the Borovitsky hill, at its highest point, the Assumption Cathedral was founded, which became the main temple of the Moscow principality. The Church of St. John of the Ladder appeared in 1329, the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in 1333. These first stone constructions determined the further architectural concept of the Moscow Kremlin, which has survived to our time. The capital under Ivan Kalita grew strong. The Kremlin is becoming a separate central part of the city.

It should be said that the name "Kremlin" arose for the first time in the Resurrection Chronicle, dated 1331. It means a fortified central part of the city.

Ivan Kalita before his death wrote a spiritual letter. In it, he bequeathed the symbols of the power of Rus (princely clothes, precious dishes, gold belts and chains), as well as all the Moscow lands to his sons.

The White-stone Kremlin

In 1365, once again, the wooden buildings of the Kremlin suffered from the fire. Then Dmitry Donskoy, a young Moscow prince, decided to erect stone fortifications on the Borovitsky hill. In the winter of 1367, for this purpose, limestone was brought to the capital from the village of Myachkovo, 30 miles from the city. Construction began in the spring. In the center of Moscow as a result of it appeared the white-stone fortress, 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. Its architecture by the end of the XV century acquired features that are typical of the modern Russian capital, and Moscow began to be perceived as the successor to Vladimir and Kiev.

Constantinople, the main city of Byzantium, was captured in 1453 by the Turks. Therefore, Moscow became the role of the Orthodox capital. In order to bring the city into line with this status, Ivan III summoned Russian masters and Italian architects to the capital to rebuild the Kremlin.

Formation of the Kremlin ensemble

Under the direction of Aristotle Fioravanti, an Italian architect, in the period from 1475 to 1479 a new Assumption Cathedral was established, the main church in Russia. At the other end of the square, opposite the cathedral, another Italian, Aleviz Novy, built a shrine-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 the Great Faceted Chamber.

The Annunciation Cathedral was built a little later, in the period from 1485 to 1489 years. Near it was the church of the Deposition. In the space that was bounded by the Annunciation and Archangel cathedrals, the State Palace is located. This was the prince's main treasury.

The formation of the ensemble of the Cathedral Square was completed by the construction of the bell tower of Ivan the Great. It was completed in 1505-1508. The bell of Ivan the Great Bell Tower has since started to please the residents of the capital.

All the new churches were traditionally built on the site of the predecessors, who were here during the time of Dmitry Donskoy and Ivan Kalita. The sights of the Moscow Kremlin erected in their place had the same names. All burials and relics from old temples were carefully transferred in them. From Vladimir to the Assumption Cathedral was transported the most revered Russian shrine at that time - the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir.

The Kremlin towers

The erection of new towers and walls was the finishing touch in the design of the Kremlin ensemble. Their restructuring and renovation took place in several stages. The Taynitskaya Tower was created first. 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, who also had a secret outlet to the Moscow River. In Sviblova Tower in 1633 a special machine was installed to raise water and renamed it Vodovzvodnaya.

In 1488 the Annunciation Tower was built. Then, other sights of the Moscow Kremlin were built. These were the two towers, as well as Borovitskaya, Petrovskaya, Nabatnaya and Konstantin-Yeleninskaya. The Spasskaya Tower was built to strengthen the eastern part of the Kremlin. Now she is his business card. The Spasskaya Tower received its name in honor of the two icons: the Savior's Holy Face and the Savior of Smolensk.

Nikolskaya was built at the same time. Between her and Spassky, one more grew, which later became known as the Senate. The middle and angular arsenal towers appeared by the end of the XV century. At the same time, Troitskaya emerged, the highest in the Kremlin. To ensure the safety of approaches to it, the Kutafya Tower was built . For the same purpose, the Armory and the Commandant's were built along the Neglinnaya River. In 1680 the last tower in the Kremlin appeared - Tsar's Tower.

Time of the reign of Ivan the Terrible in the history of the Kremlin

In 1547, at the Assumption Cathedral, Ivan the Terrible, the Grand Prince of Moscow, was proclaimed the first autocrat in Rus. The head of the Russian church, Metropolitan Macarius, officially declared him king, laying Monomakh's cap on Ivan the Terrible's head. In order to give the Moscow kingdom more authority, it was decided to canonize many devotees and historical figures, and an idea arose to decorate the walls of the Kremlin cathedrals with monumental paintings.

Military campaigns, which resulted in the conquest of the Astrakhan and Kazan khanates, strengthened the authority of the Russian state. In honor of these events, it was decided to build a cathedral of the Intercession of Our Lady, also known today as St. Basil's Cathedral. It was built in the period from 1555 to 1562 outside the Kremlin, which emphasized the special importance of this structure. It was here, not far from the Spassky Gate, that the new center of social life in Moscow - Red Square - was gradually formed.

In the course of the Livonian War, Polotsk, the ancient Russian city, was returned. In honor of this event, Ivan the Terrible ordered to rebuild the church of the Annunciation, which served as his home church. 4 small churches (chapels) were built over the galleries of this cathedral in 1563-1566.

The rule of the king, in addition, was marked by the appearance of orders in the Kremlin. So called the government. 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 ambassador's order was considered the most important of them. His department included issues of the foreign policy of the state, as well as control over the observance of the ambassadorial ceremonies.

Transformations of the Kremlin, made in the XVIII century

The first detailed map of the Kremlin, preserved at present, dates back to 1663. It can be roughly imagined as it looked then this place.

The Kremlin (Moscow) at the turn of the XVII-XVIII centuries experienced the time of its highest flowering. The capital of the state was moved by decree of Peter the Great from Moscow to St. Petersburg in 1712. However, the Assumption Cathedral continued to be the main church 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 the Borovitsky hill was rebuilt. There were new sights of the Moscow Kremlin, in particular palaces that replaced monasteries and ancient boyar chambers.

So, we dismantled the chambers of the Gosudarev court built in the 15th century. They were replaced by the Baroque-designed architect Rastrelli, the stone Winter Palace. The Tsar Bell was also cast by the decree of Anna Ioannovna. It took two years - from 1733 to 1735. However, it was not destined to serve its purpose. In 1737, during the Troitsky fire that had engulfed the Kremlin, water was put on the bell when extinguishing the structures from the tree. Because of the temperature difference, a significant fragment broke away from it. The bell remained in the foundry pit for about a hundred years, but in 1836 it was installed on a pedestal, on which it still stands.

While creating a description of the Moscow Kremlin, one should also mention that its building was not always justified and rational. Thus, in the place where the Kazenny courtyard was located, in 1756-1764 a gallery of the Armory Chamber was built, there treasures of the treasury were to be placed there. And in a few years it was decided to reconstruct the Kremlin, and the Armory was demolished together with other ancient buildings. Because of this, the south-eastern part of the Borovitsky Hill was bare and no longer built up.

MF 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 blended into the space between Nikolskaya Street and Chudov Monastery. It completed the ensemble of the Senate Square.

Alexander I in 1806 issued a decree according to which the place of the Troitsky farmstead and Tsareborysov's court was decided to erect a museum building for the storage of all valuables. Yegotovym developed a draft of this building. The museum was built from 1806 to 1810. In the Kremlin, as a result of this, a new building appeared, as well as a small area between the Arsenal and the Trinity Tower, which was called Troitskaya.

The Kremlin after the Patriotic War of 1812

Plans for further restructuring of the Kremlin was violated by the Patriotic War. When the army of Napoleon invaded Moscow, the city was engulfed by fires. Many values were looted. Exploded Petrovskaya, 1st Nameless, Vodovzvodnoy Tower, almost nothing remained from Nikolskaya.

The creation of the Moscow Kremlin, as well as the restoration of its ensemble, was continued after the victory. Implemented by his Russian architects. The blown walls of the Kremlin and its towers were rebuilt. In 1838-1851, on the orders of Nicholas I, the palace complex was erected on the site of the Winter Palace. It included the Moscow Armory Chamber, the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Apartment. Construction was headed by KA Ton. The ensemble of the Palace Square was decorated with a complex of new buildings.

Cathedral Square since the demolition of orders and remained open. Here, in the XIX century, military inspections were conducted. It began to be called the Dragoon parade ground. In this place in 1989 a monument to Alexander II was erected.

The Kremlin in Soviet Time

We suggest you 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 Senate building there was a cabinet-apartment first Lenin, and then Stalin. The halls of the Kremlin were closed to visitors.

At this time, irreparable damage was done to the temples and monasteries of the whole country. The Kremlin ensemble did not escape this fate. The plan of the Moscow Kremlin has changed somewhat. In 1929 the Ascension and Chudov monasteries were destroyed. The building of the Military School grew in their place.

During the Great Patriotic War, the architectural complex almost did not suffer. It was opened for inspection already in 1955. In 1961, near the Trinity Gate, the Palace of Congresses was built.

The Kremlin Ensemble today

Today, a lot of tourists from all corners of the world come to see the sights of the Kremlin and Red Square. These places and this day have not lost their greatness.

In 1990, the Kremlin added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The museums located here constitute the Moscow Kremlin Preserve, which includes the Armory Chamber, the Annunciation Cathedral, the Assumption and Archangel's Cathedrals, the Museum of Russian applied art and everyday life of the 17th century, the Church of the Deposition and the ensemble of the Ivan the Great belltower. Since 1991, the Kremlin has become the residence of the Russian president.

By 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 repaired, and other works were also carried out. Today, in the Kremlin cathedrals, during the great Orthodox holidays, divine services are held. There are also guided tours throughout 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, whose height reaches 80 meters. The walls of the Kremlin have a thickness of 3.5 to 6.5 m. Their height ranges from 5 to 15 m.

Today in this place is an interesting event - the divorce of guard in the Kremlin. It is held on Cathedral Square every Saturday at 12 noon. The period in which you can see the divorce of the guard in the Kremlin - 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 and historical and cultural monument. At various international and all-Russian exhibitions, treasures were often displayed from the Patriarch's sacristy and the Armory Chamber. The latter already in the XIX century was a palace museum. However, its history began much earlier. As early as 1547, the first mention of the Armory created at the time was included. At that time a military arsenal was kept here. Some time later, the Armory Chamber began to be called a large treasury, and the name that was customary for us arose in the 1560s. The museum now houses unique historical artifacts, including the Monomakh's Hat, as well as ancient precious fabrics, the throne of Russian emperors, weapons and much more.

The history of the Kremlin continues, as is the history of our state, of which it is a symbol. And the twenty-first century will still write its page into it.