History The year of 1147… Prince Yuri Dolgoruky of Suzdal – the son of Vladimir Monomach – sent an invitation to his ally and relative Prince Svyatoslav Olgovich of Novgorod Seversky to come to Moscow to feast. Hier they met and took counsel on the 4th of April. So the age of Moscow is counted from that event. Moscow is the heart of Russia and the Kremlin is the heart of Moscow. It is placed on the high left bank of the Moskva River in the city center. According to the Tver chronicles the first wooden walls of the Kremlin were built on the Borovitsky Hill in 1156 by Yuri Dolgoriky. There were a lot of settlements round the Kremlin, and their population sought shelter behind the walls of the stronghold in case of danger. Great construction work took place in the Kremlin in the XIV century. As a result many cathedrals, metropolitan court and other erections appeared. In 1339-1340 oak walls were raised in 5 months during the reign of Ivan Kalita, the total length of which was about 1700 m. On the eastern side there was a deep ditch. White-stone walls and towers appeared in the Kremlin in 1367 in the reign of Dmitry Ivanovich (later on nicknamed Donskoi) – the grandson of Ivan Kalita. The stone for building was extracted in Myachkov, 50 km far from Moscow. The first-rate fortress was constructed in one year only! Since then Moscow is called white-stoned. During one century the white-stone Kremlin of Dmitry Donskoi was in use. It managed to stand numerous sieges and fires which happened quite often. With years to come the walls and towers of the Kremlin fell into decay. During the reign of Ivan III (a second part of the XV – the beginning of the XVI centuries) Moscow became the capital of Russian centralized state. Vast construction took place in the Kremlin. In 1485 the best architects and builders from aincient Russian towns, foreign architects from Italy began to construct new brick walls and towers. The territory was also expanded considerably. And by the year of 1495 the Kremlin walls with 18 towers rose above the Moskva River and the Neglinnaya River. Walls and Towers of the Kremlin The total length of the Kremlin walls is 2235 meters; its area, triangular in shape, is 28 hectares. Twenty towers crown the wall, the shape (round or square0 depending on their purpose. The strongest, round-shaped towers, designed for all-round defense, are in corners of the Kremlin triangle. They are Uglovaya Arsenalnaya (Corner Arsenal), Vodovzvodnaya (Water Drawing), and Beklemishevskaya (after the nobleman Beklemishev). At the spots where important roads entered the Kremlin, mighty rectangular gate towers were built: Spasskaya (Savior), Nikolskaya (St. Nicolas), Troitskaya (Trinity), Borovitskaya, Tainitskaya (Secret), and Konstantino-Eleninskaya. The rest of the towers were typical defensive ones. Until the 17th century all of them were crowned with merlons and loopholes for a close range battle. Later they were covered with decorative tent-shaped roofs. In 1935, ruby illuminated stars were installed on top of five of them: Spasskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya, Nikolskaya, and Vodovzvodnaya. Each of the Kremlin towers has its own personality and history. The Beklemishevskaya Tower was the first one to confront the enemies. The Nabatnaya (Alarm-Bell) Tower had a resonant alarm bell, whose distinctive toll in emergency was heard from afar. The Arsenalnaya Tower was respected as a Tower-Giant, that served also as an important source of water. Being the mightiest of all the Kremlin towers, it has walls up to 4 meters thick that reach deep underground. The oldest one, Tainitskaya, was built in 1485. The latest one, Tzarskaya, was built in 1680. According to a legend, from this tower Tsar Ivan the Terrible used to reveal himself to Muscovites during celebrations held on Red Square. The highest tower, Troitskaya, measures 80 meters high. The smallest one is Kutafya (13.5 m). The Kremlin’s Central Cathedral Square (Sobornaya Ploshchad) is formed by cathedrals, each of which is a masterpiece and a treasury of ancient painting and national decorative and applied art. The Cathedral of Dormination (Uspensky Sobor) was the most important church in Russia where tsars and later emperors were crowned. The Cathedral was also the burial place for Moscow metropolitans and Russian patriarchs. In the south-west part of Cathedral Square stands the Cathedral of Annunciation (Blagoveshchensky Sobor), the domestic church of the tsars. Opposite the Cathedral of Annunciation is the Archangel Cathedral with its five silver domes. Until the first half of the 18th century, the Archangel Cathedral served as a burial place for Russian grand princes and tsars. The latest structure completing the Sobornaya Square ensemble, the Bell-Tower of Ivan the Great, built in 1508-1600, raises its golden dome 81 meters high. At the time it was built its octagonal column was the highest structure in Russia, and it served as a watch-tower. Despite its size, the tower looks delicately and gracefully. Two belfries were appended to it later. The powerful bells added a beautiful sound to the ceremonies held in the Uspensky Cathedral, filling the air with festive chimes. The Tsar-Bell was cast in the Kremlin in 1733-1735 by the family of russian smelters, Motorins, for the Bell-Tower of Ivan the Great. It is the world’s largest bell, weighing 300 tons and measuring over 6 meters in height and 6.6 meters in diameter. The Tsar-Cannon, the world’s largest caliber cannon, was cast in bronze in 1586 by the Russian craftsman Andrei Chokhov. Designed to shoot shrapnel, it was built to defend the Spasskie Gates of the Kremlin; however, it has never been used. The cannon weighs 40 tons; the barrel is 5.34 meters long, and its caliber is 89 cm. The carriage and cannon-balls, made in the 19th century, serve as a decoration. The State Armoury of the Moscow Kremlin is the oldest museum in the country and a depository of unique cultural relicts. The Armoury was transformed into a museum at the start of the last century. The building where the Armoury is situated today was constructed in 1844-1851 by K.Thon. There is a large exhibition of royal staffs, ceremonial decorative axes, golden chains, crosses, armlets and other items used during regal ceremonies. There is also an extensive collection of pre-revolutionary decorations. The museum’s final hall contains a major collection of 16th-18th century carriages made by famous Russian, English, Viennese and French masters. |
