Kremlin high resolution. Sights of the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square

The Moscow Kremlin is the main attraction of the capital of Russia, which has great historical, architectural, socio-political value.

The Kremlin is located in the very center of the city on the high Borovitsky Hill near the Moscow River. On one side of it is Red Square, on the other - Alexander Garden.

How to get to the Moscow Kremlin, which Kremlin sights to see first, how to buy entry tickets, about working hours, excursions and much more read in this article.

History of the Moscow Kremlin

The Finno-Ugric tribes were the first to settle on the territory of the modern Kremlin in the Bronze Age. In the 10th century, Borovitsky Hill, located at the intersection of important trade routes, was occupied by the Vyatichi, and in 1156, by the will of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, a typical Russian fortress was built here with defensive fortifications - earthen ramparts with palisades, surrounded by a deep moat.

Until the middle of the 14th century, the Moscow Kremlin was wooden. Under the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, its walls and towers were replaced with white stone ones, which served until the end of the 15th century.

Under the guidance of Italian masters in 1485-1516, new powerful fortifications made of burnt bricks were erected - towers and battlements with a thickness of three to six and a half meters, which we have the opportunity to admire even today.

Architectural ensemble

The architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin is made up of the golden-domed Annunciation, Archangel and Assumption Cathedrals, the Patriarch's Chambers, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the Chamber of Facets, and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. In the 17th century, the Terem Palace was erected, around the same time the Kremlin towers acquired a modern look. In the 18th century, the Arsenal, the Senate, the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Armory appeared.

Unfortunately, the oldest Cathedral of the Savior on Bor, built in 1330 and destroyed in 1933, the Chudov Monastery, founded in 1365 and demolished in 1929, the Ascension Monastery, the Small Nicholas Palace and many other buildings have not survived. In total, during the years of Soviet power, out of 54 Kremlin buildings, only 26 remained “alive”.

However, in 1990 the Kremlin was included in the list world heritage UNESCO.

Photo - tour of the territory

The entrance to the territory is through the Kutafya tower topped with a beautiful openwork "crown".

Before you get to the Kremlin, you need to buy tickets in the dark glass pavilion, which is located nearby in the Alexander Garden, go through the "frame" of the metal detector and the procedure for screening personal belongings. Large bags, suitcases and backpacks will have to be left in the luggage room.

The Kutafya Tower, previously surrounded by a river and a moat, protected the approaches to the Trinity Tower.

Having passed along the Trinity Bridge, we will look at the multi-tiered Trinity Tower from the other side. Its height is 80 meters, it is the most high tower Kremlin.

On the right in the photo is the Arsenal, built by order of Peter the Great. It was assumed that the building would be used as a military warehouse and trophy storage. Nowadays, the administrative services of the Kremlin Commandant's Office and the barracks of the Presidential Regiment are stationed here.

On the left is the State Kremlin Palace (formerly the Palace of Congresses), built in 1961. Here is the main Christmas tree countries, concerts and ballet performances are held.

Near the walls of the Arsenal there are historical weapons - collections of old Russian and foreign cannons, military trophies Patriotic War 1812.

Now let's go to the Senate Square.

The Senate building, designed by architect M.F. Kazakov, has the shape of a triangle. In the Soviet years, V.I. Lenin, working rooms of I.V. Stalin, L.I. Brezhnev, M.S. Gorbachev. Today, the Senate is the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

View from about the same point in the opposite direction - to Trinity Square and the Kremlin cathedrals.

The Tsar Cannon, which is a must-see, stands near Trinity Square and the Patriarch's Chambers with the Church of the Twelve Apostles.

A powerful tool was made in 1586. This is the largest cannon in the world, an outstanding example of Russian weapons art. Its caliber is 890 mm, weight is 40 tons.

At the foot of the bell tower there is another giant - the Tsar Bell, cast in the 18th century. Its weight is 202 tons, diameter is 6.6 meters. The Tsar Bell was cast right there, on the territory of Ivanovskaya Square. A piece of the bell broke off during a big fire in the Kremlin.

On the south side, Ivanovskaya Square adjoins the Big Kremlin Square and the Tainitsky Garden.

Unfortunately, you can’t walk around the entire garden - this is a secure facility. But you can still see something interesting: for example, an aviary for peregrine falcons, goshawks and an eagle owl, which are kept specifically to chase crows and doves. Or here - a helipad for the president and prime minister, equipped not so long ago.

View from the square on the ensemble of the bell tower Ivan the Great. The Kremlin bell tower became the tallest building in Moscow under Boris Godunov, who ordered it to be built up to a height of 81 m in 1600. You can climb up in the summer by purchasing a separate ticket.

From April to October on Saturdays at 12-00 on Cathedral Square the ceremonial equestrian and foot divorce of the Presidential Regiment is taking place. Viewing the ceremonial is included in the price of a single ticket to visit the territory of the Kremlin and the cathedral-museums of Cathedral Square.

The Assumption Cathedral, designed by the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti, was the main temple of Russia for four centuries - Ivan the Terrible and other tsars were crowned here, emperors were crowned. Many patriarchs and metropolitans are buried in the Assumption Cathedral.

In the photo - the Archangel Cathedral, erected in 1505-1508 in honor of the Archangel Michael by the Venetian Aleviz Novy.

Entrance to the Archangel Cathedral. In the temple-royal tomb there are 54 burials of saints, princes, tsars and their wives, including the holy prince Dmitry Uglichsky, Moscow princes Vasily the Dark, Dmitry Donskoy, Ivan Kalita, tsars Ivan the Terrible and Alexei Mikhailovich.

The Cathedral of the Annunciation, one of the oldest on the Kremlin territory, was built by Pskov craftsmen in 1484-1489. The temple, small in size, was used as a home church of Russian sovereigns.

In the basement of the Annunciation Cathedral there is an interesting exhibition "Treasures and Antiquities of the Moscow Kremlin".

The Faceted Chamber, one of the oldest civil buildings in Moscow, in tsarist times served as the main front reception hall, a place for meetings of the Boyar Duma, meetings of the Zemsky Sobors. Now it is the representative hall of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

The chamber is called the Faceted Chamber because it is lined with blocks having 4 faces.

In the corner of Cathedral Square are the Verkhospassky Cathedral - part of the ancient Terem Palace, the eastern facade of the Golden Tsarina's Chamber and the Church of the Deposition of the Robe - the home church of Moscow metropolitans and patriarchs.

From Cathedral Square we move to the Grand Kremlin Palace, built in the 19th century. The ensemble of the palace includes about 700 rooms, including St. George's, Vladimir, Andreevsky, Alexander and Catherine's halls, the Golden Tsaritsyna Chamber, the Malachite Foyer, the Study and Bedroom of Emperors, nine churches and the Terem Palace.

Since the Grand Kremlin Palace is the main residence of the President of the Russian Federation, you can get there only as part of a group from an organization on a preliminary application submitted a month in advance.

Next to the BKD is the Armory - a museum with innumerable riches: ancient gold and silver jewelry and other items, weapons, armor, state regalia, a collection of carriages. Here you can see Monomakh's cap, scepters, orbs, thrones, coronation dresses and ceremonial royal clothes.

The same building houses the Diamond Fund - the national treasury of Russia, a repository of precious stones and nuggets, ceremonial jewelry of Russian tsars and emperors. It is here that the Great Imperial Crown, made on the occasion of the coronation of Catherine II, is located. The crown is adorned with 5000 diamonds, 75 large pearls and a very large rare dark red spinel gemstone.

View from the Armory to the Vodovzvodnaya, Borovitskaya towers and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Amusing Palace - the chambers of the boyar Miloslavsky are best seen from the Alexander Garden, it is located near the Kremlin wall between Troitskaya and Commandant towers. In 1672, fun was organized here - performances for the amusement of the kings, which gave the name to the palace. Under Peter the Great, the Poteshny Palace housed the Police Order, and today the services of the Commandant's Office.

How to get to the Kremlin

On public transport: the nearest metro stations are the Lenin Library, Aleksandrovsky Sad, Borovitskaya and Arbatskaya on the blue Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line. It is also easy to walk to the Kremlin on foot from many central stations: Okhotny Ryad, Revolution Square, Teatralnaya and others.

Opening hours

The territory of the Kremlin and cathedral-museums of Cathedral Square:

from May 16 to September 30 - daily, except Thursday, from 9-30 to 18-00 (the box office is open from 9-00 to 16-30)
from October 1 to May 15 - daily, except Thursday, from 10-00 to 17-00 (the box office is open from 9-30 to 16-00)

The Armory is open from 10:00 to 18:00 every day except Thursday. The beginning of the sessions - 10-00, 12-00, 14-30, 16-30

Diamond Fund - daily, except Thursday, from 10-00 to 17-20 for sessions. Break - from 13-00 to 14-00. The duration of the session is 40 minutes. Sale of tickets for the morning sessions starts at 9-00, for the evening - at 13-00. Morning sessions: 10-00, 10-20, 10-40, 11-00, 11-20, 12-00, 12-20. Evening sessions: 14-00, 15-00, 15-20, 16-00, 16-20, 16-40, 17-00, 17-20.

The Diamond Fund is closed on holidays. More details about the working hours - on the official website: gokhran.ru/ru/diamond-fund/contacts.phtml

Rarely, but it happens that access to the Kremlin is closed in connection with solemn events, meetings of heads of foreign states, receptions on the occasion public holidays and other events.

Ticket price

Single ticket (territory, cathedrals, exhibitions)– visiting the territory of the Kremlin, cathedral-museums of the Cathedral Square, exhibition halls Patriarch's Chambers, exposition "Treasures and Antiquities of the Moscow Kremlin" in the basement of the Annunciation Cathedral, exhibitions of wooden sculpture in the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, expositions in the annex of the Archangel Cathedral:

adults - 500 rubles
Russian students and pensioners - 250 rubles, without the possibility of visiting museums (territory only) - free of charge
children under 16, members of large families, disabled people of the 1st and 2nd groups and other privileged categories of citizens - free of charge
for persons under the age of 18, the second Tuesday of each month - free of charge
in days cultural heritage single ticket free for everyone

Single tickets are sold online on the official website of the Moscow Kremlin kreml.ru (except for free and reduced tickets) and at the box office in the Alexander Garden on the day of the visit.

- the visit is carried out on a separate ticket, the price includes an audio guide:

adults — 700 rubles
Russian students and pensioners - 350 rubles
children under 16, members of large families, disabled people of the 1st and 2nd groups and other privileged categories of citizens - free of charge

Entrance tickets to the Armory are sold on the day of the visit if tickets are available at the box office in the Alexander Garden and via the Internet on the official website of the Moscow Kremlin kreml.ru (except for free and discounted tickets).

Attention! Purchasing tickets Online for a particular session does not guarantee additional free or reduced-price tickets for the same session on the day of your visit to the museum. Free and discount tickets are issued only if they are available at the box office, in the order of the general queue. The museum's capacity does not allow allocating an unlimited number of tickets for each session.

Diamond fund- you can buy tickets at the box office No. 4 and No. 5 in the Alexander Garden on the day of your visit for a certain session. The ticket price includes an excursion.

adults - 500 rubles
schoolchildren, students, pensioners, members of large families - 100 rubles
disabled children, non-working disabled people of groups 1 and 2 and other preferential categories of citizens - free of charge

The number of tickets for each session is limited.

If you want to visit only the Armory and / or the Diamond Fund, the entrance is possible through the Borovitskaya Tower.

The line at the box office and at the entrance is least in the cold season on weekdays, most of all - in the warm season in good weather on weekends, especially on Saturday in the first half of the day - because of the opportunity to watch the ceremonial setting of the guard on the Cathedral Square.

Excursions

The Kremlin excursion center offers sightseeing and thematic tours of the Kremlin, the Armory, cathedral-museums and museum expositions for organized groups and individual visitors as part of a combined group.

Prices for excursions around the Moscow Kremlin, the order of registration and payment for excursions, see the official website: kreml.ru

Free mobile guide around the Kremlin - izi.travel/ru/7cce-moskva-kreml/ru

Photography

Amateur photography and video filming in cathedral-museums, the Armory and Diamond Fund prohibited.

Irina Viktorovna Pasynkova

Dear colleagues. During the thematic week dedicated to Moscow, the guys and I listened to songs about our beloved capital, recited poems, read literary works, carefully examined illustrations and albums with image sights of the main city of the country. Moscow Kremlin- one of the main attractions of the capital, greatest monument history of our Motherland, a brilliant creation of Russian national culture, beautiful and complex architectural ensemble. In class on fine arts children learned to draw Kremlin. I offer you Master Class not difficult in my opinion images of the Kremlin.

On the landscape sheet, we mark two horizontal lines with a simple pencil. Bottom line-ground, top-wall Kremlin. It is located below the middle of the sheet (we consolidate knowledge of spatial representations)

In the middle we draw the central tower and columns (reinforcing knowledge of geometric shapes)

Now we perform the composition in color

That's it the image of the Kremlin turned out

Related publications:

Developed by: Bedristova Alexandra Alexandrovna Position: Teacher of additional education Educational institution: MBOU DOD Center.

Synopsis of a creative lesson in fine arts "Friends for Cheburashka" Synopsis of a creative lesson in fine arts "Friends for Cheburashka". Purpose: To create conditions for the formation of creative initiative.

Summary of the fine arts class "Wonderful Summer" Abstract of the lesson in fine arts "Wonderful Summer" Prepared by the teacher of additional education Chumova Evgenia Vladimirovna.

Summary of the lesson on fine arts "Easter still life" using ESM (with presentation) The purpose of the lesson: To organize the activities of students to consolidate knowledge about the technology of phased drawing and work with a sketch, acquaintance.

Abstract of the lesson in senior group on fine arts "Autumn Trees" Program content: - educational tasks: continue.

An open combined lesson on folk art and fine arts at school of the 8th type "Miracles from the box" Theme: Miracles from the box Form: Lesson - journey Equipment: 1. Exhibition of Easter eggs, drawings 2. Tape recorder 3. Musical instruments.

Outline of a lesson in fine arts: “Ornament in a strip” Outline of a lesson in fine arts Type of activity: image on a plane. Educational problem: composition. Lesson topic:.

Author: The list of desirable points was severely cut - they were not allowed to shoot from the roofs of buildings, they were not allowed to climb some towers, but most importantly, the Kremlin wall was left. Walking along the Kremlin walls, climbing inaccessible towers, was my old dream and now it has come true! In the first part, I will post a walk along the walls of the Kremlin.

01. Here is a staircase leading to the Spasskaya Tower. There are two platforms on the tower, one under the clock, the other above.

02. Dawn.

03.

04.

05. Let's get a little closer...

06. View of Red Square from the Spasskaya Tower.

07. Historical Museum and mausoleum.

08. There is a path along the perimeter of the Kremlin wall. Pipes with some kind of communications are laid along it, as well as lighting elements and security systems.

09. Wall. View from the Konstantin-Eleninskaya tower.

10. Behind the wall, everything is not as beautiful as in tourist areas. For example, behind the Beklemishevskaya Tower some rubbish is piled up. On the left you can see the mount for the Kremlin Christmas tree.

11.

12.

13. Symbol of Moscow on the building of the Senate

14. As I said, there are spotlights on the wall. It's hard to walk freely.

15. Staircase in one of the towers. Most of the towers are empty inside, there is electrical equipment and communications.

16.

17.

18. Platform on the Taynitskaya tower.

19.

20. Despite a large number of sensors and cameras, city lunatics sometimes try to take the wall by storm.

21. Annunciation tower

22.

23.

24. Near the Kremlin wall between the Komendatskaya and Trinity towers there is an interesting civil structure of the middle of the 17th century. - the so-called Amusing Palace.

25. In the XIX century. the commandant of Moscow lived in the Poteshny Palace, in the 20th century - here was the first Kremlin apartment of I.V. Stalin (until 1932). The Poteshny Palace is the only surviving palace in the Kremlin architectural monument boyar housing.

26. Cameras.

27. Commandant's Tower

28. Borovitskaya tower. Interestingly, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1658, the Borovitskaya Tower was renamed the Baptist Tower after the nearby Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist near Bor. However, the old name of the tower still survived and has come down to our days.

29. My shadow.

30. View from observation deck Borovitskaya tower to the Armory and BKD.

31.

32.

33. "House on the embankment"

34.

35. Wall, view from the tower.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40. Surprisingly, there is a gate on the wall. Here they are needed so that the musicians of the Presidential Orchestra, located in the Trinity Tower, cannot escape;)

41.

42. And this is a greenhouse that grows plants in it, which decorate the interiors of the Kremlin premises.

43. And here is the musician.

44. Arsenal.

45. There are a lot of inscriptions on the pipes, they were left by the soldiers who served here.

46.

47. Eternal Flame of Glory at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

48.

49.

50. Grotto "Ruins" in the Alexander Garden

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.

57. The doors in the tower are old)

58.

59.

60.

61.

62. And this is the royal tower. A small turret was placed right on the wall in the 80s of the 17th century between the Spasskaya and Nabatnaya towers of the Kremlin. Its octagonal tent on pitcher-shaped pillars resembles the lockers of the porches of stone residential choirs common at that time.

63. The name of the tower is associated with a legend according to which it served as a kind of canopy over the royal throne, from where the sovereign of all Rus' could observe the events taking place on Red Square from the walls of the Kremlin. The view from it is bad.

64.

65.

66. Staircase in one of the towers.

67.

68.

69.

70. And this is the sunset from the Spasskaya Tower.

71.

72.

73.

74.

75.

76.

77.

78.

79.

80.

81.

82.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Everyone has already heard that the Kremlin was white. Many articles have already been written about this, but people still manage to argue. But when did they start whitening it, and when did they stop? On this issue, statements in all articles diverge, as well as thoughts in people's heads. Some write that they began to whitewash in the 18th century, others that as early as the beginning of the 17th century, others are trying to provide evidence that the Kremlin walls were not whitewashed at all. Everywhere the phrase is replicated that the Kremlin was white until 1947, and then suddenly Stalin ordered it to be repainted red. Was it so? Let's finally dot all the and, since there are enough sources, both picturesque and photographic.

Dealing with the color of the Kremlin: red, white, when and why —>

So, the current Kremlin was built by the Italians at the end of the 15th century, and, of course, they did not whitewash it. The fortress retained the natural color of red brick, there are several similar ones in Italy, the closest analogue is the Sforza Castle in Milan. Yes, and whitewashing fortifications in those days was dangerous: when a cannonball hits a wall, the brick is damaged, the whitewash crumbles, and a vulnerable spot is clearly visible where you should aim again to destroy the wall as soon as possible.

So, one of the first images of the Kremlin, where its color is clearly visible, is the icon of Simon Ushakov “Praise to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. The tree of the Russian state. It was written in 1668, and the Kremlin is red here.

For the first time, in written sources, the whitewashing of the Kremlin was mentioned in 1680.
The historian Bartenev, in the book “The Moscow Kremlin in Antiquity and Now” writes: “In a memorandum filed on July 7, 1680 in the name of the tsar, it is said that the Kremlin’s fortifications were “not whitewashed”, and the Spassky Gates “were registered in black and white in brick". The note asked: whitewash the walls of the Kremlin, leave them as they are, or paint them “in brick” like the Spassky Gates? The Tsar ordered the Kremlin to be whitewashed with lime…”
So, at least since the 1680s, our main fortress has been whitewashed.

1766. Painting by P. Balabin after the engraving by M. Makhaev. The Kremlin is clearly white here.

1797, Gerard Delabart.

1819, artist Maxim Vorobyov.

In 1826, the French writer and playwright François Anselot came to Moscow, he described the white Kremlin in his memoirs: “On this we will leave the Kremlin, my dear Xavier; but, looking again at this ancient citadel, we will regret that, while repairing the destruction caused by the explosion, the builders removed from the walls the age-old patina that gave them so much grandeur. The white paint that hides the cracks gives the Kremlin an air of youth that does not match its shape and erases its past.”

1830s, artist Rauch.

1842, Lerebour's daguerreotype, the first documentary depiction of the Kremlin.

1850, Joseph Andreas Weiss.

1852, one of the very first photographs of Moscow, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is under construction, and the walls of the Kremlin are whitewashed.

1856, preparations for the coronation of Alexander II. For this event, the whitewashing was updated in places, the structures on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower were a frame for illumination.

The same 1856, view in the opposite direction, the closest to us is the Taynitskaya tower with an archer overlooking the embankment.

Photo from 1860.

Photo from 1866.

1866-67.

1879, artist Pyotr Vereshchagin.

1880, painting by the English school of painting. The Kremlin is still white. From all the previous images, we conclude that Kremlin wall along the river was whitened in the 18th century, and remained white until the 1880s.

1880s, Konstantin-Eleninskaya tower of the Kremlin from the inside. The whitewash is gradually crumbling, and exposes the red-brick walls.

1884, wall along the Alexander Garden. The whitewash was crumbling badly, only the teeth were renewed.

1897, artist Nesterov. The walls are already closer to red than to white.

1909, peeling walls with remains of whitewash.

The same 1909, whitewash is still holding up well on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower. Most likely it was whitewashed for the last time later than the rest of the walls. It is clear from several previous photographs that the walls and most of the towers were last whitewashed in the 1880s.

1911 Grotto in the Alexander Garden and the Middle Arsenal Tower.

1911, artist Yuon. In reality, the walls were, of course, of a dirtier shade, the stains from whitewashing were more pronounced than in the picture, but the overall gamut was already red.

1914, Konstantin Korovin.

The motley and shabby Kremlin in a photograph of the 1920s.

And on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower, the whitewash was still holding on, mid-1930s.

Late 1940s, the Kremlin after restoration for the 800th anniversary of Moscow. Here the tower is already clearly red, with white details.

And two more color photographs from the 1950s. Somewhere they touched up, somewhere they left peeling walls. There was no total repainting in red.

1950s These two photos are taken from here: http://humus.livejournal.com/4115131.html

Spasskaya Tower

But on the other hand, everything was not so simple. Some towers are out of the general chronology of whitewashing.

1778, Red Square by Friedrich Hilferding. The Spasskaya Tower is red with white details, but the walls of the Kremlin are whitewashed.

1801, watercolor by Fyodor Alekseev. Even with all the diversity of the picturesque range, it is clear that the Spasskaya Tower was still whitewashed at the end of the 18th century.

And after the fire of 1812, the red color was returned again. This is a painting by English masters, 1823. The walls are always white.

1855, artist Shukhvostov. If you look closely, you can see that the colors of the wall and the tower are different, the tower is darker and redder.

View of the Kremlin from Zamoskvorechye, painting by an unknown artist, mid-19th century. Here the Spasskaya Tower is again whitewashed, most likely for the celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of Alexander II in 1856.

Photo from the early 1860s. The tower is white.

Another photo from the early to mid-1860s. The whitewashing of the tower is crumbling here and there.

Late 1860s. And then suddenly the tower was painted red again.

1870s The tower is red.

1880s. The red paint is peeling off, in some places you can see the newly painted places, patches. After 1856, the Spasskaya Tower was never whitewashed again.

Nikolskaya tower

1780s, Friedrich Hilferding. The Nikolskaya tower is still without a Gothic top, it is decorated with early classical decor, red, with white details. In 1806-07, the tower was built on, in 1812 it was blown up by the French, almost half destroyed, and restored already at the end of the 1810s.

1823, brand new Nikolskaya tower after restoration, red.

1883, white tower. Perhaps they whitened it together with Spasskaya, for the coronation of Alexander II. And they updated the whitewash for the coronation of Alexander III in 1883.

1912 The White Tower remained until the revolution.

1925 The tower is already red with white details. It became red as a result of the restoration in 1918, after revolutionary damage.

Trinity Tower

1860s. The tower is white.

On the watercolor of the English school of painting in 1880, the tower is gray, this color is given by the spoiled whitewash.

And in 1883 the tower was already red. Painted or cleaned of whitewash, most likely for the coronation of Alexander III.

Let's summarize. According to documentary sources, the Kremlin was first whitewashed in 1680, in the 18th and 19th centuries it was white, with the exception of the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya and Trinity towers in certain periods. The walls were last whitewashed in the early 1880s, at the beginning of the 20th century the whitewashing was renewed only on the Nikolskaya tower, possibly also on Vodovzvodnaya. Since then, the whitewash has gradually crumbled and washed off, and by 1947 the Kremlin naturally adopted the ideologically correct red color, in some places it was tinted during restoration.

Kremlin walls today

photo: Ilya Varlamov

Today, in some places, the Kremlin retains the natural color of red brick, perhaps with a slight tint. These are bricks of the 19th century, the result of another restoration.

Wall from the river. Here you can clearly see that the bricks are painted red. Photo from Ilya Varlamov's blog

All old photos, unless otherwise noted, are taken from https://pastvu.com/

Alexander Ivanov worked on the publication.

The Moscow Kremlin is the oldest part of Moscow, the main socio-political, historical and artistic complex of the city, the official residence of the President Russian Federation. The first settlements on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin date back to the Bronze Age (II millennium BC). A Finno-Ugric settlement dating back to the early Iron Age (second half of the 1st millennium BC) was found near the modern Archangel Cathedral.

Below you will see a gorgeous reconstruction in the form of excellent photos that show how the Kremlin looked 300 and 200 years ago. Before that, let's take a quick look at history. Well, the most inquisitive is also waiting for the dock. film "Unknown Kremlin".
In ancient times, the first settlement of the future Moscow appeared at the confluence of the Neglinnaya River with the Moscow River on the Borovitsky Cape. In 1147, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky gave his feast here. This chronicle mention went down in history as the year of foundation of our capital.

Already at that time the settlement was surrounded by ramparts and wooden walls. In this place, Yuri Dolgoruky in 1156 equips a fortress that has become the famous Moscow Kremlin.
Fires in Moscow at that time were not uncommon. In 1337, almost the entire city burned down, so by 1340 the Kremlin was surrounded by new oak walls.
Another fire in 1354 again destroys the Kremlin. A repeat event occurs in another 10 years. The rulers of the city were in dire need of solving this problem.
Dmitry Ivanovich decides to surround the Kremlin with stone fortifications. Dense work began on the delivery of limestone, and since 1368 white stone walls have been rising in the city.

The modern view of the Kremlin was formed in 1485-1495 on the initiative of Ivan III. A huge number of the best architects of "all Rus'" were involved in the construction. Also in the construction of the walls and towers of the fortress, Italian masters in the field of construction of defensive structures were involved. The Italians at that time were building Moscow everywhere, but still the original Russian plans were not killed, the foreign influence came to naught.
The first Tainitskaya Tower in the Kremlin was built in 1485 by Anton Fryazin. Secret passages to the river and a well were provided here, providing the defenders of the fortress with water.

In 1487, the southeastern corner was occupied by the Beklemishevskaya round tower by Marco Fryazin. A little later, all the other towers of the Kremlin were built.

Clock of the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin
The people revered the main gate of the Frolovskaya tower. They did not pass through them on horseback and with a covered head. Later, the Frolovskaya tower was renamed Spasskaya because of the icons of the Savior of Smolensk and the Savior Not Made by Hands placed here. According to the documents, the main clock of the state in this tower appeared in 1491.
In 1625, the clock was replaced with new ones. The master was Christopher Golovey, and Kirill Samoilov cast 30 bells for them.
The next update of the clock took place under Peter I. With the transition to a single daily count of time, the Dutch clock with 12 divisions was fixed on the Spasskaya Tower. But after the fire of 1737 they also had to step down from their honorary post.
The clock of our time was installed in 1852 by the Butenope brothers.

February revolution near the walls of the Kremlin

Ruby stars of the Moscow Kremlin
In 1935, stainless steel stars lined with red gilded copper were installed on the tops of the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Borovitskaya and Troitskaya towers. In the center of the stars is a 2-meter hammer and sickle emblem, adorned with precious stones. To install the stars, even the towers had to be slightly rebuilt. One way or another, in two years the stones on the stars faded, and in 1937 a decision was made to install ruby stars.
The Moscow Kremlin is a symbol of the Russian Federation, is revered by its entire population and attracts foreign tourists who want to plunge into the history of our great country.