So it is inside. Anyone can enter the Kremlin territory. You just need to purchase entry tickets at the ticket office and walk through the Kutafya Tower along the Trinity Bridge.
This summer we decided not only to take a walk around the Kremlin once again, but also to climb the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, which became open to the public, but it turned out to be not easy...
Firstly, a ticket to the bell tower can only be purchased 40 minutes before the start of the session, for which small groups of up to 10 people are allowed, but there are many more people interested.
Secondly, in the remaining 30 - 40 minutes left, you need to have time to stand in a long line.
And then quickly run through Ivanovskaya and Cathedral Squares, which is also very problematic.
Thirdly, if it suddenly rains, the entrance to the bell tower will be closed until the next day. Personally, we tried to buy tickets several times (on different days), and were always unsuccessful. Either the weather interfered with our plans, and we were unable to fulfill the conditions offered by the organizers, or there were no more tickets at the box office, etc.
On the territory of the Kremlin, to the right of the entrance there is Kremlin Palace congresses (KDS) - “the brainchild of the Khrushchev thaw.” Today it is also a popular concert venue in the capital. The brightest pop stars often perform here. The palace was built in 1961 for meetings of delegates to congresses of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, ceremonial receptions, etc. The team of architects led by M. Posokhin repeatedly coordinated their project with its initiator. Khrushchev was not at all concerned that the KDS would be built on the site of architectural monuments of the 15th-19th centuries. The following were demolished: the Old Armory (1806, architect Egotov), the northern wing of the Patriarchal Palace (late 15th century) and the Service Buildings of the 19th century. Due to the construction of the Palace of Congresses, Moscow was excluded from the list of UNESCO monuments. Although in 2004 the KDS was given the status of a newly identified architectural monument.
To the left of the entrance - Arsenal- an example of Moscow long-term construction, begun under Emperor Peter I (1701-1736, architects M. Choglokov and H. Conrad). It was restored several times after fires and Napoleonic destruction. The Arsenal, as the largest military warehouse, stored domestic military equipment, captured copper and iron cannons. Along the facade of the building there are captured cannons that were captured from the French army during its retreat in 1812.
Tsar Cannon stands on Ivanovskaya Square of the Kremlin, and in the 16th century it stood on Vasilievsky Spusk, protecting the Moskvoretsky Bridge and the Spassky Gate. This is the largest caliber military weapon in the world - about 9 meters. The cannon was made by the master of the Cannon Foundry Yard A. Chokhov under Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Shooting was supposed to be done with buckshot, and not cannonballs (especially not the decorative ones that lie near the gun carriage). The Tsar Cannon itself did not fire a single shot, since no worthy opportunity presented itself.
There is another “royal person” on Ivanovskaya Square - The Tsar Bell. In 1836, the architect and engineer O. Montferrand built a structure that made it possible to remove a bell weighing two hundred tons from the ground. The bell stood in an earthen casting pit for 101 years from the moment it was made in 1735. 2 years after its casting, a fire occurred in the Kremlin. During the extinguishing process, water got onto the hot bell walls, and due to the temperature difference, a piece weighing 11.5 tons broke off! For this reason, the Tsar Bell never rang.
Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles and Patriarchal Chambers built for the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Nikon in the mid-17th century. There: living rooms, cells, public halls... There is a special main hall– Krestovaya, in which from 1763 to 1917 myrrh was brewed for all Russian churches.
Senate(Senate Palace) was built under Empress Catherine II by architect Matvey Kazakov for two departments of the Governing Senate, which moved from the capital of the Russian Empire to Moscow in the 18th century. Now the Senate is the residence of the President of Russia (offices, library, meeting room), and the presidential standard develops above the dome.
Bell tower "Ivan the Great"(early 16th century, architect Bon Fryazin) erected in the center of the Kremlin as a watchtower and signal tower of medieval Moscow. After the third tier was erected on it from 1600 to 1707, it became the tallest building in the city - 81 meters. In the first tier of the bell tower is the Church of St. John Climacus, which gave the name to the entire building. “Ivan the Great” is a symbol of the spiritual ladder (ladder), along which a person ascends to heaven following Jesus. Stairway to Heaven. Next to the bell tower, a Belfry was built in the 30s of the 16th century, and in the 17th century. also the Filaretovskaya extension. Now there are 34 bells in the bell towers.
The Red Porch of the Tsar's Palace and the Chamber of Facets. The main entrance to royal palace was with Cathedral Square Kremlin through the Red Porch (i.e. beautiful). In addition, this was the only place in the state where the king bowed to the people. The Red Porch connects to the Faceted Chamber. This chamber is the first civil stone building of the city (1491, architects M. Fryazin and P. Solari). Its facades are lined with cut stone – hence the name. The chamber itself is a ceremonial throne room, in which the Boyar Duma, the Zemsky Sobor met, ceremonial dinners and receptions of foreign ambassadors, and festivities in honor of military victories were held.
To the right of the Faceted Chamber are fragments of the facade of the Golden Tsarina Chamber - the main hall of the women's half of the palace. Above the chamber are visible the heads of the Verkhospassky Cathedral and a single-domed Church of the Deposition of the Robe(XV century)
Assumption Cathedral – main cathedral Moscow and the state (1475 by architect Aristotle Fioravanti), in which the coronation of great princes, kings and emperors took place. Moscow metropolitans and patriarchs also rest in the cathedral. In its altar is the tomb of Metropolitan Peter, who transferred the metropolitan see from Vladimir to Moscow in 1325.
Cathedral of the Archangel(XV century, architect Aleviz Novy) - until the 18th century it served as the tomb of the Moscow Grand Dukes and Tsars of the Rurik and Romanov dynasties. The first to be buried there was Grand Duke Ivan the First. In the altar are the burial places of Ivan the Terrible and his son Fyodor.
Blagoveshchensky cathedral(XV century, Pskov architects) – the house temple of the princely palace. The basement of the cathedral is the oldest building in the Kremlin (1360-1390). Fresco mural painting was partially done by icon painters of the school of Dionysius (early 16th century)
Grand Kremlin Palace(1850, architect K. Ton) – ceremonial imperial residence. The building has more than 700 rooms, and the southern facade stretches along the Moscow River for 125 meters. Currently, the inauguration ceremony of the President of Russia is taking place in the palace.
Adjacent to the palace Armory building(1851, architect K. Thon). The chamber itself has existed since the 40s of the 16th century. It was both a repository and craft workshops for the production of bladed weapons and firearms, armor, objects made of gold and silver, and sewing. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Armory has become a public museum for storing historical and artistic treasures.
Since 1967, there has been a monument to V.I. in the Tainitsky Garden. Lenin. In 1995, the monument was dismantled and transported to Leninskie Gorki. Now in this place there is a flower bed with labrador benches left over from the monument, and a beautiful view of the front facade of the Senate.
Now you can leave the Kremlin through the Spasskaya Tower. Previously this passage was closed.
A guard of honor was placed at the tower.
Moscow Kremlin– this is the place where the history of Moscow began. A fortress that gives us a lot unforgettable impressions, the center of political and social life in Russia.
When coming to the capital, you should definitely visit the Kremlin!
article dated July 15, 2016
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 get off at Okhotny Ryad - if you want to stroll along the shopping row of the same name. 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.
IN historical center The capital is home to the most recognizable architectural structure of Russia - the Moscow Kremlin. Main feature architectural ensemble is its fortifying complex, consisting of walls in the form of a triangle with twenty towers.
The complex was built between 1485 and 1499 and is well preserved to this day. It served several times as a model for similar fortresses that appeared in other Russian cities - Kazan, Tula, Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod etc. Within the walls of the Kremlin there are numerous religious and secular buildings - cathedrals, palaces and administrative buildings from different eras. The Kremlin was included in the list World Heritage UNESCO in 1990. Together with the adjacent Red Square, which is included in this list, the Kremlin is generally considered the main attraction of Moscow. 
Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin
The architectural ensemble is formed by three temples, in the center is located. The history of the cathedral began in 1475. It is the oldest fully preserved building among all the Kremlin buildings. 
Initially, construction took place in 1326-1327 under the leadership of Ivan I. After completion of construction, the cathedral served as the home church of the Metropolitan of Moscow, who settled in the predecessor of the current Patriarchal Palace. 
By 1472, the now ruined cathedral was destroyed, and then a new building was built in its place. However, it collapsed in May 1474, possibly due to an earthquake or due to errors in construction. A new attempt at revival was made by Grand Duke Ivan III. It was in this cathedral that prayer services were held before important campaigns, kings were crowned and patriarchs were elevated to the rank of patriarchs. 
Dedicated to Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Russian rulers, it was built in 1505 on the site of the church of the same name built in 1333. It was built by the Italian architect Aloisio Lamberti da Montignana. Architectural style combines traditional ancient Russian religious architecture and elements of the Italian Renaissance. 
Located on the southwest corner of the square. A wooden church was built here in 1291, but a century later it burned down and was replaced by a stone church. The white stone cathedral has nine onion domes on its facades and is intended for family ceremonies. 
Cathedral opening hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (closed on Thursday). Single ticket for visits it will cost 500 rubles for adults and 250 rubles for children.
Palaces and squares of the Moscow Kremlin
- - These are several representative secular buildings created in different centuries and served as a home for Russian grand dukes and tsars, and in our time for presidents.
- - a five-story building, decorated with richly carved decorative frames, as well as a tiled roof.
- - a building of the 17th century, has preserved rare architectural features of civil architecture of that time. The museum displays jewelry, exquisite tableware, paintings, and royal hunting items. The magnificent iconostasis of the Ascension Monastery, destroyed in 1929, has been preserved.
- - a three-story building made in the early neoclassical style. Initially, the palace was supposed to serve as the residence of the Senate, but in our time it exists as the central working representation of the President of Russia.
Among popular places In the Moscow Kremlin, the following squares should be noted:
Towers of the Moscow Kremlin
The length of the walls is 2235 meters, their maximum height– 19 meters, and the thickness reaches 6.5 meters. 
There are 20 similar in architectural style defensive towers. Three corner towers have a cylindrical base, the remaining 17 are quadrangular. 
Trinity Tower is the highest, rising 80 meters high. 
Lowest - Kutafya Tower(13.5 meters), located outside the wall. 
Four towers have travel gates:
The tops of these 4 towers, which are considered especially beautiful, are decorated with symbolic red ruby stars from the Soviet era. 
The clock on the Spasskaya Tower first appeared in the 15th century, but burned down in 1656. On December 9, 1706, the capital first heard the chimes, which announced a new hour. Since then, many events have happened: wars have been fought, cities have been renamed, capitals have changed, but the famous chimes of the Moscow Kremlin remain the main chronometer of Russia. 
The bell tower (height 81 meters) is the most tall building in the Kremlin ensemble. It was built between 1505 and 1508 and still serves its function for three cathedrals that do not have their own bell towers - Arkhangelsk, Assumption and Annunciation.
Nearby is the small church of St. John, hence the name of the bell tower and the square. It existed until the beginning of the 16th century, then it collapsed and has since become significantly dilapidated. 
The Chamber of Facets is the main banquet hall of the Moscow princes; it is the oldest surviving secular building in the city. Currently, this is the official ceremonial hall for the President of Russia, so it is not open to tours. 
Armory Chamber and Diamond Fund
The chamber was built by order of Peter I to store weapons obtained in wars. Construction was delayed, starting in 1702 and ending only in 1736 due to financial difficulties. In 1812, the chamber was blown up in the war against Napoleon and was reconstructed only in 1828. Now the Armory Chamber is a museum, which can be visited any day of the week from 10:00 to 18:00, except Thursday. Ticket price for adults is 700 rubles, for children – free. 
Here are not only exhibits of the weapons industry, but also the Diamond Fund. The permanent exhibition of the State Diamond Fund first opened in the Moscow Kremlin in 1967. Unique jewelry and precious stones are especially valuable here; most of them were confiscated after the October Revolution. Opening hours are from 10:00 to 17:20 on any day except Thursday. For a ticket for adults you will have to pay 500 rubles, for children it costs 100 rubles. 
The two diamonds on display deserve special attention, as they belong to the most famous examples of this gemstone in the world:
- It is not only the largest medieval fortress in Russia, but also the largest active fortress in all of Europe. Of course, there were more such structures, but the Moscow Kremlin is the only one that is still in use.
- The Kremlin walls were white. The walls “acquired” their red brick at the end of the 19th century. To see the White Kremlin, look for works by 18th or 19th century artists such as Pyotr Vereshchagin or Alexey Savrasov.
- Red Square has nothing to do with the color red. The name comes from the Old Russian word "red", meaning beautiful, and is in no way related to the color of the buildings, which we now know were white until the end of the 19th century.
- The stars of the Moscow Kremlin were eagles. During Tsarist Russia, the four Kremlin towers were topped with double-headed eagles, which have been the Russian coat of arms since the 15th century. In 1935, the Soviet government replaced the eagles, which were melted down and replaced with the five-pointed stars we see today. The fifth star on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower was added later.
- The Kremlin towers have names. Of the 20 Kremlin towers, only two do not have their own names.
- The Kremlin is densely built up. Behind the 2235-meter Kremlin walls there are 5 squares and 18 buildings, among which the most popular are the Spasskaya Tower, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Assumption Cathedral, the Trinity Tower and the Terem Palace.
- The Moscow Kremlin was virtually undamaged in World War II. During the war, the Kremlin was carefully camouflaged to look like a residential building block. The church domes and famous green towers were painted gray and brown respectively, fake doors and windows were attached to the Kremlin walls, and Red Square was encumbered with wooden structures.
- The Kremlin is in the Guinness Book of Records. In the Moscow Kremlin you can see the world's largest bell and the world's largest cannon. In 1735, a bell 6.14 meters high was made from metal casting; the Tsar Cannon, weighing 39.312 tons, was lost in 1586 and was never used in war.
- The stars of the Kremlin always shine. Over the 80 years of its existence, the Kremlin's star lighting has only been turned off twice. The first time was during World War II, when the Kremlin was camouflaged to hide it from bombers. The second time they were turned off was for the film. Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov filmed a scene for The Barber of Siberia.
- The Kremlin clock has a deep secret. The secret of the accuracy of the Kremlin watches literally lies under our feet. The clock is connected to the control clock at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute via a cable.
To be honest, I thought that everything there was state-of-the-art, that they wouldn’t spare themselves. But in fact, everything in the shit is worse than behind the fence. Broken steps, cables painted everywhere, doors painted a billion times, veneer with 3 thousand holes from unscrewed screws, rubber tiles thrown in a row, a dump of cabinets that have not been removed since the time of Khrushchev, rotten boxes near the trees, trampled lawn... Let Vova or Dimas don’t go to a restaurant for a day, but you will put the Kremlin in order.
This is what the wall looks like. There is a passage everywhere, although it is not always convenient to walk - there are a lot of pipes, lighting elements and security systems.
Pay attention to the steps - even in the Kremlin there is devastation!
Every mess is hidden from the eyes of tourists behind the wall 
Staircase inside one of the towers 
There are telephones on the towers. If a vigilant FSO (Federal Security Service) officer notices enemies, he will immediately call the duty officer 
There are memorial inscriptions on the pipes that run along the passages on the walls. Oh, young soldiers of the Kremlin regiment leave 
And here's the best one for you big secret Kremlin - there is a door on one of the battlements of the wall. What is written on it?
I read it as “Do not touch” and did not dare open it 
I have already written about the Moscow Kremlin, as well as its famous museums and cathedrals, in the section. But I decided that it would not be right if the section on Moscow museums did not contain a story about the museums of the Moscow Kremlin. Suddenly, someone will come to this section in search of the same Armory Chamber or the Diamond Fund and, not finding them here, will probably be very disappointed. Therefore, I decided to briefly talk on this page about all the cathedrals and museums of the Moscow Kremlin, to collect the most basic information that a person who is going to go to the Kremlin for the first time might need.
If you are planning to visit Moscow Kremlin museums, then you better arrive to the ticket office early. They start selling 45 minutes before the next visiting session. Sessions start at 10:00, 12:00, 14:30, 16:30. A regular ticket costs 700 rubles, preferential categories of citizens – 200 rubles. There is also a special family ticket. It also costs 200 rubles. for each family member (no more than 2 adults and 2 children under the age of 16). Photo and video shooting in the Armory Chamber is prohibited.
– All Russian tsars and princes were buried here until the beginning of the reign of Peter I.
It was the home church of Russian tsars and princes, intended for family ceremonies. By the way, the royal treasury was kept here.
- the most famous of the Kremlin cathedrals. Here Russian tsars were crowned, bishops, metropolitans and patriarchs were elevated to the rank of bishops, royal decrees were announced, and services were held in honor of victories.
– built for Patriarch Nikon. Now here on the second floor there is a museum dedicated to Russian culture of the 17th century. Enough interesting museum, in the sense that various jewelry, precious dishes, antique furniture, etc. are presented here. Photography is not allowed there, so, unfortunately, there are no photographs from the museum.
If the Annunciation Cathedral was the home church of the kings, then the Church of the Deposition of the Robe or the Church of the Laying of the Robe (robe) of the Most Holy Theotokos served as the home church of the Russian metropolitans and patriarchs.
Bell tower Ivan the Great. The bell tower received the name “Ivan” from the name of the Church of St. John the Savior Ladder, which was previously located on this site. The prefix “Great” was added to the bell tower due to its height. Later, the Assumption Belfry and Filaret's extension were built next to the bell tower. On the ground floor of the belfry there is showroom Museums of the Moscow Kremlin, where exhibits are presented both from the Kremlin bins and from other Russian and foreign museums.
Well, and of course, no one forbids you, after you have visited all the museums and cathedrals, to stay and walk around the Kremlin, take pictures with, relax in the local small park.
