Moscow Kremlin, past and present. Features of the national excursion to the Kremlin In the 15th century, the Kremlin received
The city center has long been located on a high hill at the confluence of the Neglinnaya and Moscow Rivers. However appearance the fortress wall did not correspond to the power of the state. By the end of the 15th century, the walls made of white stone (limestone) had become dilapidated, and the appearance of artillery required a fundamentally new system - fortification. The invited Italians began to build new fortifications ( Mark Fryazin...). The new Kremlin wall is more than 2 km long, has 18 towers, and forms an irregular triangle in plan. At the corners of the walls, 3 round towers were placed; hiding places were built in them - wells; in places where important roads approached, 6 quadrangular passage towers with gates were erected; in front of them were towers - archers with rising gratings; bridges across the ditch were lowered from the gates of the archers on chains. The remaining towers were blind, that is, not passable. The towers were topped with wooden tents with watchtowers, in some towers bells or alarms were placed, along the perimeter the wall was decorated with battlements, the height of which reached 2.5 m, the height of the walls was about 19 m, and the thickness was 6.5 m. underground passages. The tower was made of red brick, and the base of the walls remained white stone. In terms of beauty and inaccessibility, the Kremlin was among the best fortresses of its era.
In the 17th century, the monumental style was replaced by a picturesque decorative style, the shapes of buildings became more complex, the walls were covered with multi-colored ornaments, carvings, and brick patterns. After the liberation of Moscow from Polish invaders in 1612, the Kremlin was restored. Above Frolovskaya tower(now the Spasskaya Tower is the main entrance to the Kremlin) a stone tent covered with tiles rose. The Spasskaya Tower has a lower quadrangle (square in plan), which is completed by a belt of arches with a white stone pattern; in the arches there are statues (blockheads) above the arcature belt - turrets, pyramids, sculptures of strange animals. At the corners of the quadrangle 
gilded weather vanes, on the lower quadrangle there is another two-tiered smaller clock on it - a chime (English watchmaker Christopher Galovey). The second quadrangle turns into an octagon, which ends with a stone gazebo with keeled arches (currant pattern). There are chimes in the gazebos. The architecture of this tower combines features of Western European Gothic and Russian Middle Ages. The tower was renamed in 1658, thanks to the inscription above the gate, the image of Christ.
Temples of the Moscow Kremlin
Assumption Cathedral 1472 Main temple the Kremlin, because it was where kings were crowned. The cathedral was supposed to be larger in size than all existing churches in Rus'. 2 years after the start of work, the northern wall collapsed. Construction was continued by Alberti Fioravanti, a master from Bologna, (region of Italy), nicknamed Aristotle in Rus'. The master connected the blocks of white stone (limestone) with iron clamps. After 4 years, construction was completed.
Characteristics of the cathedral: smooth walls are dissected by wide blades (flat protrusions), the belt on the facade consists of columns and arches, narrow slit-like windows, the entrances are decorated with picturesque portals, 5 altar apses, the walls are crowned with zakomaras (to emphasize the national character), five domes. The cathedral was built in the likeness of the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral.
Annunciation Cathedral (Golden-Domed). Also called the prince's house church. Here, artistic techniques of various architectural schools are used - Vladimir, Pskov, Novgorod.
Characteristics of the temple: high basement (lower floor), the cathedral has the shape of a cube, 3 apses, keel-shaped zakomaras, 9 domes, the roof repeats the outlines of the gilded zakomaras.
Cathedral of the Archangel. Family tomb of the family of the Grand Dukes. Master – Aleviz Novy (Italian). He built the temple in the traditions of Russian architecture in the Italian style.
Characteristics of the cathedral: a six-pillar temple crowned with 5 domes, the facade is divided by a cornice into 2 horizontal parts, and Russian blades are replaced with pilasters ending in capitals, the zakomari are separated by another cornice, and shells are placed inside them.
The Faceted Chamber is the throne room. The word chamber comes from the Italian palazzo, and the name comes from the decoration of the facade with cut stone.
The plan is a square with one column in the center, on which 4 arches rest. In ancient times it had a hipped roof.
Ivanovo Bell Tower. The bell tower received its name from the Church of St. John located at its base. The bell tower is a pillar of two octahedrons placed one on top of the other and a chapter crowning them. Each tier ends with arched openings through which the bells are visible. The bell tower unites the entire architectural ensemble of the Kremlin.
At the turn of the 16th – 17th centuries, another tier was added, and the total height of the bell tower was 81 m. Later, a quadrangular belfry with a powerful dome for heavy bells and a Filaret extension with a tent and pyramids were added to the bell tower.
Tent architecture 16th century
The reign of Vasily 3. The temple became a monument associated with the birth of the heir of John 4 (Ivan the Terrible) Ascension in Kolomenskoye. The symbolism of the temple speaks of two events: 1 – heavenly, the ascension of the Son of God to the Father; 2 – earthly, the birth of the heir to the Moscow throne. The powerful foundation of the temple grows from an intricacy of galleries. The multifaceted pointed base ends with triple pointed kokoshniks. And above them rises a tent. The edges of the tent are intertwined with garlands that look like strings of pearls. Its top is covered with a small cupola with a gilded cross.
St. Basil's Cathedral (Pokrovsky). 1555 – 1561 Named after the famous Moscow holy fool, buried in 1552 near the walls of the Trinity Church, which originally stood on this site. The idea of building a temple was born in memory of the capture of Kazan in 1552. According to one version, the temple was built by masters Barma and Postnik. The distinctive feature of this temple is its multi-side chapel. ( Side chapel- this is an extension to the church where worship can take place). The composition of the temple: around the central, highest pillar, on the cardinal points, there are 4 large temple, and diagonally there are 4 small ones. Tower-shaped volumes start from the ground itself and are perceived as independent volumes, at the same time they form a complex pyramidal composition, which is distinguished by artistic unity and dynamism. Most researchers see in this temple the embodiment of the symbolic image of Jerusalem. The interiors are like dark labyrinths, and the viewer’s main attention is focused on its external monumental appearance. In addition to the complexity of the silhouette, the volumes are decorated machismos(mounted bainitsa, attributes of fortress architecture). The facades are decorated panels(frame, recess), lucarnes(window openings) and multi-tiered kokoshniks. The original color scheme was more restrained. In the 17th century, the cathedral was decorated: individual architectural details were painted, complex patterns and multicolors appeared, the walls of the cathedral (inside and outside) were painted with ornaments. The architecture of the cathedral acquired the image of a marvelous garden, a fantasy of paradise.
This design of temples with a high silhouette but small internal space was very suitable for the construction of monument temples. In the 17th century, architecture became more and more elegant. From the main floor, the tent turns into a decorative detail.
Merchant architecture
The 17th century began with a terrible famine, cholera, then robberies and robberies, turmoil began: the invasion of the Poles and Swedes, the death of Boris Godunov, the murder of False Dmitry and the emergence of new impostors. Therefore, until the 20s of the 17th century there was no construction. The builders have lost their art.
In the 30s of the 17th century, architects took a new path. Moscow became an example of new architecture Trinity Church in Nikitki, placed in the courtyard of the merchant Nikitnikov.
The church is small in size, elegant: against the red background of brick walls, white stone details (platbands, columns, rows of kokoshniks, etc.) stand out. Compared to ancient temples, the church is striking in its liveliness and diversity; one gets the feeling that it is growing and developing like a tree. The church is not symmetrical, which creates a feeling of dynamics. They went there to pray not to the God they feared, but to the one who helped man in his earthly affairs. The architecture is joyful, does not elevate a person, but does not frighten him either.
Patriarch Nikon saw in the pattern an inappropriate deviation from the original samples. Nikon forbade the construction of tented churches. All buildings of this time were distinguished by severity and severity, reaching the point of asceticism. However, the tsar was dissatisfied with the patriarch's claims to the supreme power of the state. The gap between them led to exile and the deposition of the patriarch. Patterned architecture continued its march across the country.
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 go to Okhotny Ryad– if you want to take a walk along the eponymous shopping row. 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. The high location of the Kremlin made it possible to spot enemies from a greater distance, and the rivers served as a natural barrier in 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. In ancient Rus', a kalyta was 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 a 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 - out of 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 in 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.
Trinity Tower
Trinity Tower (formerly Epiphany, Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya, Karetnaya) is a tower with a gate in the middle of the northwestern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, facing the Alexander Garden.
Trinity Tower and Bridge. Ser of the 19th century. Unknown artist.
Trinity Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The height of the tower at present, together with the star from the side of the Alexander Garden, is 80 m.
The Trinity Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower. The tower gate serves as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin.
Kutafya and Trinity towers of the Moscow Kremlin. 1900s.
The Russian Presidential Orchestra is based in the Trinity Tower. The Trinity Tower was built in 1495-1499. Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanz (Italian: Aloisio da Milano). The tower was called differently: the original name was Epiphany, then the Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya (in honor of the cathedrals located on the territory of the Kremlin) and Karetnaya (in honor of the Carriage House)
.
It received its current name in 1658 by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich based on the nearby courtyard of the Trinity Monastery. In the 16th-17th centuries, the two-story base of the tower housed a prison. From 1585 to 1812 there was a clock on the tower.
Trinity and Kutafya towers, 1905
Trinity and Kutafya towers, 2012
At the end of the 17th century, the tower received a multi-tiered hipped superstructure with white stone decorations. In 1707, due to the threat of a Swedish invasion, the loopholes of the Trinity Tower were expanded to accommodate heavy cannons.
Kremlin. Trinity and Kutafya towers. On the right is St. Nicholas Church in Sapozhka. Watercolor. Fedor Alekseev.
Kutafya
Moscow.View of the Trinity Gate and Kutafya Tower 2009Sergey Glushkov
Kutafya (Predmostnaya) tower is the only surviving diversion tower-strelnitsa (barbican) of the Moscow Kremlin. Located opposite the Trinity Tower, at the end of the Trinity Bridge.
Kutafya Tower is a branch archer of the Moscow Kremlin. End of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries.
The tower was built in 1516 under the direction of the Milanese architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya River, with a single gate, which in moments of danger was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for those besieging the fortress. It had plantar loopholes and machicolations.
Trinity Bridge at the Kutafya Tower and Vasnetsov Drawbridge
The Kutafya Tower has never had a covering. In 1685, it was crowned with an openwork “crown” with white stone details. In the 16th-17th centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that water surrounded the tower on all sides. Initial height its height above ground level was 18 meters (now 13.5 meters). The only way to enter the tower from the city was via an inclined bridge.
View of the Manege, Kutafya Tower and St. Nicholas Church in Boots. 1817.
There are two common versions of the origin of the name “Kutafya”: from the word “kut” - shelter, corner, or from the word “kutafya”, which meant a plump, clumsy woman. However, the first seems very doubtful, since from the word “kut” the name “Kutovaya” would be formed, and not “Kutafya”.
In 2011, the construction of modern pavilions began on the sides of the tower, which, according to the fears of experts in the preservation of cultural heritage, will distort the historical appearance of the monument
Commandant's Tower
Commandant (Deaf, Kolymazhnaya) tower on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. It was previously called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny yard in the Kremlin located near it. In the 19th century, the tower received the name “Komendantskaya” when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Kremlin, in the Amusement Palace of the 17th century.
The tower was built in 1493-1495 on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. It was formerly called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny yard located near it in the Kremlin. In 1676-1686 it was built on.
The tower is made up of a massive quadrangle with machicolations and a parapet and an open tetrahedron standing on it, completed with a pyramidal roof, an observation tower and an octagonal ball.
The main volume of the tower contains three tiers of rooms covered with barrel vaults; The completion tiers are also covered with vaults.
In the 19th century, the tower received the name “Komendantskaya”, when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Kremlin, in the Poteshny Palace of the 17th century.
The height of the tower from the Alexander Garden side is 41.25 m.
Weapon Tower
The Armory (Konyushennaya) tower is located between the Borovitskaya and Commandant towers on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. At the beginning of the 17th century, it had a passage gate to the Stables Yard in the Kremlin. Hence its ancient name.
The tower was built in 1493-1495. It is possible that the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Stary) took part in its construction. In 1676-1686, the tower was built with a hipped roof and has well preserved its medieval shape to this day. The tower received its modern name in the 19th century after the Armory Chamber building built on the territory of the Kremlin.
Its architectural design is close to the neighboring Commandant's Tower- a massive, square quadrangle, completed by a combat platform with a parapet, above it an open quadrangle, topped with a tent with a watchtower. Inside the main volume of the tower there are two tiers of vaulted rooms; the lower one has an entrance from the Kremlin.
Borovitskaya
Borovitskaya (Predtechenskaya) Tower is one of the southeastern towers of the Moscow Kremlin. It overlooks the Alexander Garden and Borovitskaya Square, located next to the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge. The name of the tower, according to legend, comes from an ancient forest that once covered one of the seven hills on which Moscow stands. According to another legend, the tower got its name from the builders white stone Kremlin under Dmitry Donskoy, this part was built by the residents of Borovsk.
Borovitskaya Tower. 1839. Andre Durand.
View of the Borovitskaya Tower 2010
Before the construction of the modern Borovitskaya tower, there was another one in its place, which had the same name. This is evidenced by the record of the construction of the Church of John the Baptist “on the forest” in 1461, where it was written that this church stood at the “Borovitsky Gates”
The new Borovitskaya Tower was built by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari during the renovation of the Kremlin in 1490, by order of Ivan III (the architect arrived from Milan to Moscow in 1490). At the same time, Solari erected a wall from Borovitskaya to the corner Vodovzvodnaya tower.
In the XVI-XVII centuries. Through the Borovitskaya Tower we entered the economic part of the Kremlin - to the Zhitny and Konyushenny courtyards, isolated from the front part of the fortress by a wall built in 1499.
In 1493 the tower was seriously damaged by fire
By decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on April 16, 1658, the Borovitskaya tower was renamed the Predtechenskaya - after the Church of the Nativity of the Baptist in the Kremlin (later dismantled during the construction of the Armory Chamber), however, the new name did not take root.
Borovitsky Gate of the Moscow Kremlin Watercolor by I. Weiss 1852
Above the Borovitsky Gate in the icon case there was an icon of St. John the Baptist. The lamp was looked after by the parable of the Church of St. Nicholas Streletsky, located on Borovitskaya Square. The temple was destroyed in 1932 during the construction of the Sokolnicheskaya metro line. The icon was lost during Soviet times. Its place above the gate is occupied by a clock.
In the fall of 1935, the Soviet authorities installed a five-pointed star 3.35 m high (the span of the rays is 3.2 m) on the Borovitskaya Tower. Before this, the tower was crowned by a double-headed royal eagle. In addition to the Borovitskaya Tower, stars crown the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Trinity and Vodovzvodnaya towers. In 1937, the star was replaced with a new one, which is still on the tower today.
The five-pointed star was erected in the fall of 1935.
Today, the Borovitsky Gate is the only permanently operating travel gate in the Kremlin. Visitors to the Armory Chamber also pass through the Borovitskaya Tower.
The Borovitskaya Solari Tower had a quadrangle at its base, which was crowned with a wooden tent. Then in 1666-1680s. the wooden tent was removed and three more quadrangles, one octagon and a stone tent were built on. Therefore, the Borovitskaya Tower has a peculiar stepped (or pyramidal) shape. In addition, a diversion arch with a drive-through gate was built on the side of the tower. The gate had an iron lattice, and a drawbridge was thrown across the Neglinnaya River.
In the 18th century the tower was repaired and decorated with white stone details in a pseudo-Gothic style. When the French army led by Napoleon entered Moscow in 1812, many architectural monuments Moscow was damaged or destroyed by fires and explosions. Thus, the Vodovzvodnaya tower adjacent to Borovitskaya was also blown up. During the explosion, the top of the tent fell from the Borovitskaya Tower.
In 1816-1819 the tower was repaired by O.I. Bove. Apparently, at the same time, a clock appeared on the tower; at least, the gates and clocks are indicated on the drawings that have survived from that time.
In 1848, after the destruction of the Church of the Nativity of the Baptist near Bor, the tower was turned into a church. The throne was moved there from the church and the pseudo-Gothic decorations were destroyed.
Many other decorative elements of the Borovitskaya Tower were destroyed during the next renovation in the 1860s.
In the 1970s The white stone decorations were restored, and a shield with the coat of arms of Moscow was placed above the gate.
In the summer of 2006, regular repair work was carried out on the Borovitskaya tower. During the week, government motorcades drove through the Spassky Gate
From the outside Kremlin wall on the folds of the gate one can see coats of arms carved from white stone, clearly of ancient origin - Lithuanian and Moscow. Experts still have not given an answer about the time and reasons for their appearance on the Borovitskaya Tower. The dialectic of the three coats of arms of the Borovitskaya Tower is noteworthy
At the beginning of the 16th century. The Neglinka River flowed along the western wall of the Kremlin and had rather muddy and swampy banks. In addition, from the Borovitskaya Tower it turned sharply to the southwest, moving away from the Kremlin walls. Near the Borovitsky Gate a stone arched bridge was thrown across the river.
In 1510, they decided to straighten the riverbed and bring it closer to the walls. A canal was dug from the Borovitskaya Tower to the Moscow River past the Vodovzvodnaya Tower. This made this section of the Kremlin difficult to access militarily, but also forced a drawbridge to be built to the Borovitskaya Tower, which has a passage gate. The lifting mechanism was located on the second tier of the tower.
In 1821, Neglinka was taken into the pipe, the Alexander Garden was laid out in its place, and the drawbridge of the tower lost its significance and was dismantled.
On January 22, 1969, near the Borovitskaya Tower, Viktor Ilyin carried out an unsuccessful attempt on the life of L. I. Brezhnev.
. There is an opinion that there is an underground passage under the Borovitsky Gate.
. If a foreign flag flies on a building near the Borovitsky Gate, this means that the Kremlin this moment there is a foreign president
. Borovitskaya, Vodovzvodnaya, Moskvoretskaya and Nikolskaya towers are located on the same circle with the center at the Assumption Cathedral.
. One of the towers of the Kazan Kremlin, the tower of the Tatar queen Syuyumbike, is similar to the Borovitskaya Tower.
Vodovzvodnaya Tower
Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Located on the corner of the Kremlin embankment and the Alexander Garden, on the banks of the Moscow River. Erected in 1488 by Italian architect Anton Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi). The name Sviblova Tower comes from the boyar family Sviblova, whose courtyard adjoined the tower from the Kremlin.
One of the most beautiful buildings in the Kremlin. Modern name received in 1633 after the installation of a water-lifting machine, manufactured under the leadership of Christopher Galovey, to supply water from the Moscow River to the Kremlin.
Lithograph from a watercolor by D. Indiantsev from the 1850s.
This was the first water supply system in Moscow from tanks placed in the upper tiers of the tower. Water from it was carried “to the sovereign’s Sytny and Kormovoy Palace,” and then to the gardens.
On the Moscow River at the Vodovzvodnaya Tower there was a port-washing raft for rinsing clothes. On the bank of the river there was a port-washing hut with accessories for the raft. A small port-washing gate was built in the Kremlin wall, through which laundry was carried.
The Vodovzvodnaya Tower was built in a classical style. Up to the middle of the height, it is lined with alternating belts of protruding and recessed masonry. A narrow strip of white stone, covering the tower in its middle part, seems to emphasize the arcature belt.
The tower is completed with battlements in the form of “swallow tails” with slots for firing. The arcature belt, machicolations, and “dovetails” had not previously been found in Russian fortification architecture and were used here for the first time. The tent over the tower was erected at the end of the 17th century. In 1805, due to dilapidation, it was dismantled and rebuilt.
In 1812, the army of Napoleon Bonaparte, retreating from Moscow, blew up the tower. Restored in 1817-1819 by the architect Osip Ivanovich Bove. The walls are rusticated, the loopholes are replaced with round and semi-circular windows. The dormers are decorated with Tuscan porticoes with columns and pediments.
Unlike other towers on which ruby stars are installed, Vodovzvodnaya did not previously have a top in the form of an eagle. The star, 3 meters in diameter, was installed on the tower in 1937 and is the smallest of the Kremlin stars.
Annunciation Tower
The Annunciation Tower is a tower on the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in a part of the Kremlin wall running along the Moscow River, between the Vodovzvodnaya and Tainitskaya towers. The name comes from the “Annunciation” icon that previously existed on the tower. The tower was probably built in 1487-1488; in the 1680s, a stone tetrahedral tent with a decorative watchtower was built over the main quadrangle.
Panorama of the Kremlin G. Quarenghi 1786 Watercolor fragment
The lower quadrangle of the tower ends with machicolations, a defense platform and a parapet. The internal space of the lower quadrangle has the shape of an irregular quadrangle and is covered with a closed vault. The middle arched quadrangle with wide windows is separated from the tent by a flat ceiling. The same flat ceilings separate the tiers inside the tent. In the old days, there was also an underground floor in the tower, now half-buried.
In 1731, the Church of the Annunciation was added to the tower according to the design of the architect G. Shedel. At the same time, the watchtower was converted into a bell tower with seven bells, and the weather vane was replaced with a cross. The tower was restored in 1866. From 1891-1892, the Annunciation Tower was used as a chapel of the church, while the loopholes were cut into large windows.
In 1933, during the restoration of the tower by the architect N.D. Vinogradov, the Church of the Annunciation was dismantled, the hewn loopholes on the facades were narrowed, and the cross was replaced by a weather vane.
Near the Annunciation Tower (from the side of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower) in the Kremlin wall until 1831 there were the so-called Portomoyny Gates, which provided access to the bank of the Moscow River to the Portomoyny raft for washing “ports” - linen. The remains of this now blocked gate are visible from the inside of the Kremlin wall.
Under Ivan the Terrible, the Annunciation Tower housed a prison.
Taynitskaya Tower
Tainitskaya Tower is one of the 20 towers of the Moscow Kremlin. The central tower of the southern wall of the Kremlin. The construction of the existing Kremlin walls and towers began with the Tainitskaya Tower.
In the last years of the 15th century, Ivan III conceived the idea of rebuilding the towers and walls of the Kremlin. The beginning of this construction is closely connected with the name of the architect Italian roots Anton Fryazin. The Italian architect arrived in Moscow in 1469 as part of the retinue of the Polish cardinal Vissarion to prepare the marriage of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus.
In 1485, Anton Fryazin founded a tower (“strelnitsa”) on the site of the Cheshkov (Chushkov) gate of the fortress of 1366-1368, providing inside a well-cache and a hidden exit to the Moscow River, for which reason the tower was nicknamed Tainitskaya.
When constructing the tower, the architect used brick for the first time for fortress construction. This innovation marked the beginning of a complete renovation of the Moscow Kremlin
. The tower played an important role in the defense of the Kremlin from the river. It had a passage gate and a diversion arch, equipped with a lifting mechanism and connected to the tower stone bridge. Later, sentries were on duty on the tower, watching Zamoskvorechye and signaling the bell to let people know about the fire. Until 1674, the tower had a striking clock.
In 1670 - 1680, Russian craftsmen erected a stone top over the quadrangle of the tower - an open arched quadrangle, completed with a tetrahedral tent with an observation tower.
Until the 18th century, a Jordan was held on the Moscow River, opposite the Tainitsky Gate, on the feast of the Epiphany. The royal entrance to Jordan was one of the most magnificent ceremonies.
In 1770-1771, in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the design of V.I. Bazhenov, the Taynitskaya tower was dismantled, and in 1783 it was restored, but without the outlet arch. In 1812, during the retreat of Napoleon's troops from the Kremlin, the tower was damaged by an explosion and repaired in 1816-1818.
In 1862, according to the design of one of the Campioni family of artists (A. S. Campioni), the archery was also restored.
Until 1917, the Kremlin signal cannon was fired daily from the archer of the Tainitskaya tower, notifying Muscovites about the onset of noon - similar to the tradition of firing the Peter and Paul cannon in St. Petersburg.
In 1930 - 1933 the archer was dismantled again. At the same time, the passage gates were blocked and the well was filled in.
First Nameless Tower
The First Nameless Tower (Porokhovaya) is a tower on the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in a part of the Kremlin wall running along the Moscow River, next to the Tainitskaya Tower.
This architecturally simple tower was rebuilt many times. It was first erected in the 1480s. In 1547, the tower collapsed during the fire of Moscow from the explosion of a gunpowder warehouse built in it.
There is a fire in the Kremlin! Vereshchagin's painting
In the 17th century it was rebuilt, and a second tented tier was built on the main quadrangle.
The tower was dismantled in 1770 in preparation for the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace by V. I. Bazhenov. After the completion of the palace in 1776-1883, the tower, together with the wall between it and the Second Nameless Tower, was rebuilt in a new location, closer to the Tainitskaya Tower. In 1812, the tower was blown up by the retreating French. In 1816-1835 it was restored under the supervision of the architect O. I. Bove.
The tower ends with a simple tetrahedral pyramidal tent. The interior of the tower is formed by two tiers of vaulted rooms: the lower tier with a cross vault and the upper tier with a closed vault. The upper quadrangle is open into the cavity of the tent.
Second Nameless Tower
The second Nameless Tower is a tower on the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in the part of the Kremlin wall running along the Moscow River, east of the First Nameless Tower. The tower was built in the 1480s as an intermediate tower on the south side of the Kremlin. In the 1680s, a tetrahedral tent with a watchtower, an octagonal tent and a weather vane was built over the main quadrangle.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the tower had a later gate. Like many other towers of the southern wall, the Second Nameless Tower was dismantled in 1771 in preparation for the construction of the Bazhenov Grand Kremlin Palace and was rebuilt after the construction of the palace ceased.
Above the upper quadrangle of the tower there is an octagonal tent with a weather vane; the upper quadrangle is open into the tent. The interior of the tower includes two levels of premises; the lower tier has a cylindrical vault, and the upper one is closed.
Petrovskaya Tower
Petrovskaya Tower (also Ugreshskaya) is a tower on the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in a part of the Kremlin wall running along the Moscow River, next to the Beklemishevskaya Tower. The name comes from the courtyard of the Ugreshsky Monastery with the Church of Metropolitan Peter, which from the 15th to the 17th centuries was located inside the Kremlin near the tower. In 1771, to make way for the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace, the monastery's courtyard was destroyed.
This tower, which looks very different from the neighboring towers, was rebuilt many times. The exact time of the first construction of the Petrovskaya Tower is unknown; it is assumed that it was erected along with other towers of the southern wall in the 1480s (some sources indicate 1485-1487).
Corner Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) and Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) towers. According to Barshchevsky Catalog N 2004 1882-1896
During the Polish intervention in the Time of Troubles, the tower was destroyed by cannon fire in 1612, then rebuilt. In 1667, a church was built in the tower. In 1676-1686, two new quadrangles and a low tent were built on the main quadrangle of the tower.
The tower was dismantled in 1770 (according to some sources, in 1771) in preparation for the construction of the Bazhenov Grand Kremlin Palace; after its construction was stopped, it was rebuilt again in 1783, but without the church.
In 1812, the tower was blown up by the retreating French; in 1818 it was restored by the architect O.I. Bove.
The tower ends with an octagonal pyramidal tent. The lower quadrangle ends with false machicolations, the upper ones are framed by cornices and semi-columns at the corners.
Although the Petrovskaya Tower was erected “for best view and strength,” it was used for household needs by Kremlin gardeners.
Spasskaya Tower (separate post part 15)
Literature
Architectural monuments of Moscow. Kremlin. China town. Central squares. - Moscow: Art, 1982. - P. 309.
Ivanov V.N. Moscow Kremlin. - Moscow: Art, 1971. - P. 32-36
. Goncharenko V.S. Walls and towers. Guide. — Moscow, 2001
. Ivan Zabelin 1 // Home life of Russian tsars in the 16th and 17th centuries. - Moscow: Transitbook, 2005.
Architectural monuments in pre-revolutionary Russia, M., Terra, 2002
Photos of Ilya Varlamov from here-
How to get to the Kremlin
Dear readers! This article was written in 2012. We constantly monitor changes in the situation in the Kremlin and, if necessary, edit the text. The last update was made in March 2019. The algorithm for purchasing tickets and access to the Kremlin remains the same.
To be sure to buy tickets to the Armory Chamber, we recommend purchasing them online on the Moscow Kremlin website.
For those for whom it is important to save themselves from reading a tedious article of 1700 words and quickly buy tickets and a tour to the Kremlin, I offer an alternative.
How to get to the Kremlin
Be careful! Many websites are misleading and give incorrect information about ticket prices to the Kremlin. Tickets have increased in price since February 2019.
Summary of the article
- How to get to the Kremlin.
- Where to buy tickets to the Kremlin
- Where are the Kremlin ticket offices?
- Tickets to the Kremlin. How much are?
- Excursions to the Kremlin
All the aspirations of those who want to meet cultural heritage capitals are directed towards the Kremlin. What you need to know in order to least losses see all three Kremlin components ( , ; ; ) ?
Part one. For Russian and Russian-speaking tourists.
How to get to the Kremlin. For visitors
Attention! With the onset of the warm season (from mid-April), the queues for tickets to the Kremlin have increased! On weekends, be prepared to spend 30 minutes or more at the checkout! IN summer time on Saturdays, due to the queue at the box office long before its opening, by 9 o'clock in the morning there may already be a substantial tail standing.
– Day off is Thursday. On holidays the Kremlin is usually open. But there are special events, meetings of foreign heads of state, inaugurations again. In such exceptional cases it is closed.
– works in sessions. There are four of them - at 10, 12, 14.30 and 16.30
– Opening hours of the Moscow Kremlin Museum-Reserve are from 10:00 to 17:00 in winter, from 9:30 to 18:00 in summer (from mid-May to mid-September). closes at 18:00. open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., lunch break: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The Borovitsky Gate of the Kremlin is intended for vehicles. The entrance to the Kremlin is to the left of the gate through the arch.
To get to the Borovitsky Gate you need to go from the ticket office along the road, it is shown in the photo. If you stand facing the cash register, then to the right. Borovitsky Gate of the Kremlin is NOT visible from the ticket office
In the top photo, the Borovitskaya Tower is barely visible in the distance on the left. On the way to the Borovitskaya Tower you will pass by the recently erected monument to Emperor Alexander I.
The monument to Tsar Alexander I was erected in the Alexander Garden between the Commandant (pictured) and Armory towers
When entering the Borovitsky Gate you need to present admission ticket to the Kremlin or the Armory Chamber and undergo inspection.
Officers at the entrance to the Kremlin through the Borovitsky Gate will ask you to open your bags and lay out all the contents of your pockets on the table. Be sure to inquire about the availability of tickets.
You will be asked to show your ticket either in the building (ticket to visit the Armory Chamber) or at the very end of the long building of the Armory Chamber. There you need to present a ticket to the Kremlin territory.
You can enter the Kremlin through the Trinity Gate
The Trinity Gate is located in the Alexander Garden, in the Trinity Tower, which is connected by a bridge to the Kutafya Tower. Ticket control and inspection is carried out at the Kutafya Tower.
The photo shows the Kutafya Tower (left), Trinity Tower (right). They are connected by the Trinity Bridge. After inspection by officers of the Kremlin commandant's office (the procedure is the same as at an airport), visitors enter the Kremlin through the Trinity Gate. Metal detectors are very sensitive. Be prepared to empty all your change from your pockets.
At the bottom, at the stairs, you need to present a ticket to the territory of the Kremlin or the Armory Chamber.
At the bottom of the stairs there is a lone ticket inspector checking the availability of tickets for those wishing to visit the Kremlin. (Taken on a weekday afternoon in the fall).
Here are the diagrams for clarity.
– You cannot enter the Kremlin with large bags, backpacks, or suitcases. These things are left in a storage room near the Kutafya Tower of the Kremlin. (Water will not be taken into the storage room; take bottles with you to the Kremlin). Handbags, which sometimes come in quite large sizes, can be carried. It is prohibited to bring ANY weapons into the Kremlin, including gas cans and pocket knives. Professional photo and video shooting on the territory of the Kremlin is prohibited.
Entrance to the Kremlin with luggage - bags and backpacks
ENTRANCE TO THE KREMLIN WITH BACKPACKS is sometimes allowed, sometimes prohibited. It is better to leave a large backpack in a storage room under the Kutafya Tower. It works from 10 to 18. Lunch breaks are from 11:00 to 11:30 and from 15:30 to 16:00.
Luggage storage is to the left of the stairs. The Kutafya Tower is visible at the top.
Details about the operation of the storage room can be found on the official Kremlin website. http://www.kreml.ru/visit-to-kremlin/ticket-prices/kamera-khraneniya1/
When is the best time to visit the Kremlin?
If you want to see the Kremlin in the morning and buy tickets for a 10-hour show (the museum's ticket office opens half an hour before the Kremlin opens), in the summer it is better to come early. On weekday mornings at 9.30 am the queue is usually small. Sometimes it’s not there at all. On weekends, people gather early in the morning. In the summer at 11 o'clock, there is a decent crowd at the Kremlin ticket office. I remind you once again that in the summer on Saturdays when the guard of honor ceremony takes place, The line at the cash register is very long even in the morning .
Not the longest line at the ticket office of the Moscow Kremlin museums Upon entering the museum, you will be subject to a serious search carried out by the Kremlin Commandant's Office and passage through very sensitive metal detectors. There is a queue at the Borovitsky Gate in the morning: from 10 to 11 and around 12 and 14 o’clock - people gather to get into the Armory Chamber at 12 or 14.30 and at
The best time to explore the Kremlin on your own
General advice. During the warm season, weekends and holiday It’s better to come to the Kremlin ticket office early. But if possible, go to the Kremlin in WEEKDAY day. The most best time to visit the Kremlin – afternoon. Around 2 p.m. Schoolchildren visit the Kremlin in the morning excursion groups. Plan to visit the Armory at 4:30 p.m. In the second half weekday there is a high probability that you will end up in the Diamond Fund.
It often happens that all tickets in already sold. Then at the cash registers there is a sign like this:
Tickets for evening sessions run out very quickly at the box office! The ideal option is to go to the Kremlin ticket office in the Alexander Garden around 2 p.m. Buy a ticket to visit the Kremlin territory. Maybe they will even sell you a ticket to the Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund. Although, until recently, tickets to the Armory were sold only 40 minutes before the start of the show.
We'll tell you about it separately.
Dear sirs, if you still have questions on the topic “How to get to the Kremlin,” please re-read the article again and look at the comments. They have answers to many questions!
Let me remind you that some frequently asked questions are answered in a separate publication (comments to it are still open, if you have any questions, ask, we will try to answer). I hope that the article will help you get into the Kremlin.
Dear Muscovites and guests of the capital! Before entering the Kremlin, we strongly recommend that you resolve technical issues using, excuse me, the toilet in the Alexander Garden. On the territory of the Kremlin there is a nanotech toilet with an eternal queue. There is also a toilet in the Armory building, but you can’t get there from the street without a ticket. Therefore, we repeat once again - the optimal solution to technical problems is located in the Alexander Garden opposite the Kremlin ticket office.
We described the rules for undergoing security checks at the entrance to the Kremlin in the publication.
We recommend you a service where in a couple of minutes you can book any excursion to the Kremlin. Let's offer two of them:
Our articles to help travelers
There are additional publications for this article, where we talked in detail about
,
And
.
Author's excursions
In connection with repair and restoration work, visitors enter the Kremlin through the Trinity Gate, and exit through the Borovitsky Gate. Visitors enter and exit the Armory through the Borovitsky Gate.
December 25
The territory of the Moscow Kremlin is closed to visitors. The Armory is operating as usual. Visitors pass through the Borovitsky Gate of the Moscow Kremlin.
December 31 from 16:00, January 1 to 12:00
The territory of the Moscow Kremlin and the Armory Chamber are closed to the public.
From October 1 to May 14
The Moscow Kremlin museums are switching to winter operating hours. The architectural ensemble is open to the public from 10:00 to 17:00, the Armory is open from 10:00 to 18:00. Tickets are sold at the box office from 9:30 to 16:30. Closed on Thursday. Exchange electronic tickets is carried out in accordance with the terms of the User Agreement.
From October 1 to May 14
The exhibition of the Ivan the Great bell tower is closed to the public.
In order to ensure the safety of monuments during unfavorable weather conditions Access to some cathedral museums may be temporarily limited.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
