Kremlin

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The Kremlin
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The history of the Moscow Kremlin
The history of th? Moscow Kremlin goes back to
olden times. The first written record of Moscow
dates back to 1147, to the reign of Great
PrinceYuri of Kiev, Vladimir Monomakh's son. He
was nicknamed "Dolgoruky" (Long-armed), iof .e.,
one reaching out for other principalities, for
his unification policy. Yuri Dolgoruky is
considered to be the founder of Moscow and in
commemoration of this an equestrian statue by the
sculptor S.V. Orlov was erected in Tverskaya
Street in 1954. One of the most remarkable
exhibits of the Kremlin museums linked to the
genealogy of Russian princes is the Cap of
Monomakh, the Russian Tsars' inherited crown. It
even became proverbial. There is a saying "How
heavy you are, the Cap of Monomakh!" meaning the
heavy burden of responsibility. Since time
immemorial the Moscow Kremlin has been the centre
of Russian statehood, the residence of Russian
tsars and hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox
Church.
Under Dmitry Donskoy in 1367-1368, the
white-stone walls and towers of the Kremlin were
erected and Moscow began to be called
"white-stone". In 1485-1495, the Kremlin was
totally rebuilt. It was then that the first
brickbuildings appeared there and it largely
acquired its present appearance and dimensions.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Peter I
transferred the capital of Russian to
St.Petersburg, however, according to tradition,
the Russian tsars were coronated in Moscow.
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• In 1917 the Soviet government transferred
  the Russian capital back to Moscow. The Kremlin
  became the seat of the highest state bodies, a
  sort of preserve, where only those who lived or
  worked there were admitted. It was only in 1955
  that its unique museums have again become
  accessible to everyone. Church services have
  recently been resumed in the old cathedrals and
  the Kremlin bells which have been silent for over
  70 years have come to life. The Kremlin has been
  the residence of the President of the Russian
  Federation and his Administration since 1992.
  The Kremlin has been and remains a unique
  monument of Russian culture and a symbol of
  Russian statehood.

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Sights of the Kremlin
The Armoury Chamber
A world-wide known treasure-house presents
ancient Russian regalia, ceremonial tsar's dress,
church hierarchs' vestments, gold and silverware
by Russian, European and Eastern masters, arms
and armouries, royal carriages and horse
ceremonial harness.The famous museum's exhibits
are of special interest because of precious
materials, high artistic level and their
particular value for the history and culture of
the Russian State.
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The Assumption Cathedral
For six centuries the Assumption Cathedral had
been the state and cultural center of Russia
Great Princes were set for reigning and local
princes swore fealty, inaugurations of Tsars and
coronations of Emperors took place here. Bishops,
Metropolitans and Patriarchs were inaugurated,
statements and ceremonial documents were publicly
read, church services before military campaigns
and in case of a victory were held at the
Assumption Cathedral.
The first stone cathedrals foundation was laid
in 1326 by the first Moscow Metropolitan Peter
and Prince Ivan Kalita (Money-bag). In late XV
century, Great Prince Ivan III who had
consolidated all Russian princedoms under the
power of Moscow, began the construction of the
new residence from rebuilding of the Assumption
Cathedral. It was erected by a specially invited
Italian architect in 1479.
Because of ceremonial functions, particular
attention was paid to the cathedrals interior.
Its wall-paintings, icons and various secular
utensils are artworks of international artistic
value.
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The murals of 1642-1943 and the grand iconostasis
of 1653 create the present-day look of the
cathedral. In front of the iconostasis you can
see Tsars, Tsarinas and Patriarchs
praying-seats. The Tsars one is of special
interest. At the south-western corner higher its
bronze marquee. In XIV-XVII centuries, the
Assumption Cathedral was the burial place of the
Russian Orthodox Church heads - Metropolitans and
Patriarchs. After the Revolution of 1917, the
Assumption Cathedral became a museum. Making the
exposition, the staff tried to preserve the
interior. Thanks to permanent restoration works
practically all the icons and murals were open
up. Since 1990, church services have been
recommenced.
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Ivan the Great Bell-Tower complex
The Ivan the Great Bell-Tower complex had been
formed for two centuries. The Bell-Tower was
erected in 1505-1508 by Italian architect Bon
Friazin. A century later another one arcade for
bells was added to the Bell-Tower so that its
total height achieved 81 m. The memorial
inscription under the dome includes this
information, the year of 1600 and the names of
Tsar Boris Godunov and his son Fyodor. In
1532-1552, a new church was built near the
Bell-Tower on the project of Italian architect
Petrok Maliy. In late XVII century it was
dismantled and transformed into a belfry named
Uspenskaya (Assumption). In 1624, Bazhen Ogurtsov
(Cucumber) added to the Uspenskaya another one
belfry with a marquee-top - the Filarets
Annex. In 1812, while retreating from Moscow, the
Napoleons Army blew up the Ivan the Great
Bell-Tower ensemble. However, the pillar of the
bell-tower survived. The Belfry and the Filarets
Annex were completely destroyed and restored in
original dimensions in 1814-1815. At present, 24
bells of XVI-XVII centuries are located on the
bell-tower and belfry.
The ground floor of the Assumption Belfry houses
an exhibition hall of Moscow Kremlin Museums.
Artworks both from the Kremlins collections and
those of other Russian and foreign museums are
exhibited in the hall.
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The Archangels Cathedral
The history of the Archangels Cathedral of the
Moscow Kremlin dates back to the XIV century in
1333, the first Great Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita
(Money-bag) ordered to lay the foundation of a
white-stone church devoted to St. Archangel
Michael respected in Rus as a guardian of
soldiers and Russian princes in their feats of
arms. In 1505-1508, a new majestic cathedral was
erected on the place of the old church. Venetian
architect Aleviz Novy was especially invited by
Great Prince to supervise the construction
project. Up to the XVIII century, the Archangels
Cathedral had been a burial place of Moscow
Princes and Tsars. The white-stone gravestones of
Princes adorned with praying words and epitafhs
stand under the cathedrals vaults in strict
order. The tombs of the Ryurikovich dynasty are
located endlong the cathedrals walls. The tombs
of the Romanov dynasty are situated near the
south-western and north-western pillars. The
first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible and two his
sons are buried in a special tsars shrine set in
the altar part of the cathedral.
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Among the most respected reliquaries of the
Archangels Cathedral are the one with the relics
of St. Prince Michael Chernigovcky murdered in
the Golden Horde in 1254 and the one with the
relics of Tsarevich Dmitry, the younger son of
Ivan the Terrible. The remnants of Saints had
never been covered with sod but placed in special
reliquaries set up for belivers worship. The
reliquary of Tsarevich Dmitry is placed at the
south-western pillar under the stone carved
marquee.
The cathedral was first adorned with
wall-painting in the reign of Ivan the Terrible.
The ancient murals have not survived except small
fragments on pillars and several compositions of
the altar and the tsars shrine. In 1652-1666,
the cathedral was painted anew by a big team of
Russian masters. The works were supervised by
famous tsars isograf (icon-painter) Simon
Ushakov. The program of the new wall-painting had
the same idea of the one of Ivan the Terribles
times. One of the main themes was the
glorification of the Great Princes and Tsars
power through the images of Saint Russian
Princes. Among the Saints, painted on the
cathedrals pillars, there are Princess Olga,
Great Prince Vladimir who had set up the
Orthodoxy in Ancient Rus in 988, his martyred
sons Boris and Gleb, Princes Alexander
Bogolyubsky, Alexander Nevsky, Daniyl Moskovsky
and others. The particular point of the
cathedrals wall-painting is the circle of
tombstone portraits the ideational portraits of
Princes from the Ryurikovich dynasty are painted
over their tombs in the lower tier. The
portrait gallery of historical persons is
opened with the image of Moscow Great Prince Ivan
Kalita and ended with the image of George
Vasilyevich, the younger brother of Ivan the
Terrible.
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The cathedrals iconostasis crowned with the
scene of Crucifixion was created in the reign of
Tsar Feodor Alekseevich Romanov in 1679-1681.
All the icons were painted by masters of the
Tsars Armoury Chamber. Only several ancient
icons in the lower local row there have been
saved. To the right of the Kings Gate there is
the cathedrals icon Archangel Michael in
gests. According to a legend, the icon was
painted on the order of nun Eudokia, the widow of
Great Prince Dmitry Donskoi, to the memory of
Great Prince and his victory in the Battle on the
Kulikovo Field.