The first white stone Kremlin in Rus' was erected. What was the White Stone Moscow Kremlin like...

The Moscow Kremlin is the center of Russia and the citadel of power. For more than 5 centuries, these walls have reliably hidden state secrets and protected their main bearers. The Kremlin is shown on Russian and world channels several times a day. This medieval fortress, unlike anything else, has long become a symbol of Russia.

Only the footage we are provided with is basically the same. The Kremlin is the strictly guarded active residence of the president of our country. There are no trifles in security, which is why all Kremlin filming is so strictly regulated. By the way, don’t forget to take a tour of the Kremlin.

To see a different Kremlin, try to imagine its towers without tents, limit the height to only the wide, non-tapering part and you will immediately see a completely different Moscow Kremlin - a powerful, squat, medieval, European fortress.

This is how it was built at the end of the 15th century on the site of the old white-stone Kremlin by the Italians Pietro Fryazin, Anton Fryazin and Alois Fryazin. They all received the same surname, although they were not relatives. “Fryazin” means foreigner in Old Church Slavonic.

They built the fortress in accordance with all the latest achievements of fortification and military science of that time. Along the battlements of the walls there is a battle platform with a width of 2 to 4.5 meters.

Each tooth has a loophole, which can only be reached by standing on something else. The view from here is limited. The height of each battlement is 2-2.5 meters; the distance between them was covered with wooden shields during the battle. There are a total of 1145 battlements on the walls of the Moscow Kremlin.

The Moscow Kremlin is a great fortress located near the Moscow River, in the heart of Russia - in Moscow. The citadel is equipped with 20 towers, each with its own unique appearance and 5 passage gates. The Kremlin is like a ray of light carried through the rich history of the formation of Russia.

These ancient walls are witnesses to all the numerous events that happened to the state, starting from the moment of its construction. The fortress began its journey in 1331, although the word “Kremlin” was mentioned earlier.

Moscow Kremlin, infographics. Source: www.culture.rf. For a detailed view, open the image in a new browser tab.

Moscow Kremlin under different rulers

Moscow Kremlin under Ivan Kalita

In 1339-1340 Moscow Prince Ivan Danilovich, nicknamed Kalita (“money bag”), built an impressive oak citadel on Borovitsky Hill, with walls ranging from 2 to 6 m thick and no less than 7 m high. Ivan Kalita built a powerful fortress with a formidable appearance, but it stood less three decades and burned down during a terrible fire in the summer of 1365.

Moscow Kremlin under Dmitry Donskoy

The tasks of defending Moscow urgently required the creation of a more reliable fortress: the Moscow principality was in danger from the Golden Horde, Lithuania and the rival Russian principalities of Tver and Ryazan. The then reigning 16-year-old grandson of Ivan Kalita, Dmitry (aka Dmitry Donskoy), decided to build a fortress of stone - the Kremlin.

Construction of the stone fortress began in 1367, and the stone was mined nearby, in the village of Myachkovo. The construction was completed in a short time - in just one year. Dmitry Donskoy made the Kremlin a white-stone fortress, which enemies tried to storm more than once, but were never able to.

What does the word "Kremlin" mean?

One of the first mentions of the word “Kremlin” appears in the Resurrection Chronicle in a report about a fire in 1331. According to historians, it could have arisen from the ancient Russian word “kremnik,” which meant a fortress built of oak. According to another point of view, it is based on the word “krom” or “krom”, which means boundary, border.

The first victory of the Moscow Kremlin

Almost immediately after the construction of the Moscow Kremlin, Moscow was besieged by the Lithuanian prince Olgerd in 1368, and then in 1370. The Lithuanians stood at the white stone walls for three days and three nights, but the fortifications turned out to be impregnable. This instilled confidence in the young Moscow ruler and allowed him to later challenge the powerful Golden Horde Khan Mamai.

In 1380, feeling reliable rears behind them, the Russian army under the leadership of Prince Dmitry ventured on a decisive operation. Having left their hometown far to the south, to the upper reaches of the Don, they met Mamai’s army and defeated it on the Kulikovo field.

Thus, for the first time, Krom became a stronghold not only of the Moscow principality, but of all of Rus'. And Dmitry received the nickname Donskoy. For 100 years after the Battle of Kulikovo, the white-stone citadel united the Russian lands, becoming the main center of Rus'.

Moscow Kremlin under Ivan 3

The current dark red appearance of the Moscow Kremlin owes its birth to Prince Ivan III Vasilyevich. Started by him in 1485-1495. the grandiose construction was not a simple reconstruction of the dilapidated defensive fortifications of Dmitry Donskoy. The white stone fortress is being replaced by a red brick fortress.

The towers are pushed outward in order to fire along the walls. To quickly move the defenders, a system of secret underground passages was created. Completing the system of impregnable defense, the Kremlin was made into an island. On both sides it already had natural barriers - the Moscow and Neglinnaya rivers.

They also dug a ditch on the third side, where Red Square is now, approximately 30-35 meters wide and 12 m deep. Contemporaries called the Moscow Kremlin an outstanding military engineering structure. Moreover, the Kremlin is the only European fortress that has never been taken by storm.

The special role of the Moscow Kremlin as a new grand-ducal residence and the main fortress of the state determined the nature of its engineering and technical appearance. Built from red brick, it retained the layout features of the ancient Russian detinets, and in its outlines the already established shape of an irregular triangle.

At the same time, the Italians made it extremely functional and very similar to many fortresses in Europe. What Muscovites came up with in the 17th century turned the Kremlin into a unique architectural monument. The Russians just built on stone tents, which turned the fortress into a light, skyward structure, which has no equal in the world, and the corner towers took on the appearance as if our ancestors knew that it was Russia that would send the first man into space.

Architects of the Moscow Kremlin

The construction was supervised by Italian architects. Memorial plaques installed on the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin indicate that it was built in the “30th summer” of the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich. The Grand Duke celebrated the anniversary of his state activities with the construction of the most powerful entrance front tower. In particular, Spasskaya and Borovitskaya were designed by Pietro Solari.

In 1485, under the leadership of Antonio Gilardi, the powerful Taynitskaya Tower was built. In 1487, another Italian architect, Marco Ruffo, began to build Beklemishevskaya, and later Sviblova (Vodovzvodnaya) appeared on the opposite side. These three structures set the direction and rhythm for all subsequent construction.

The Italian origin of the main architects of the Moscow Kremlin is not accidental. At that time, it was Italy that came to the fore in the theory and practice of fortification construction. Design features indicate that its creators were familiar with the engineering ideas of such outstanding representatives of the Italian Renaissance as Leonardo da Vinci, Leon Battista Alberti, and Filippo Brunelleschi. In addition, it was the Italian architectural school that “gave” Stalin’s skyscrapers in Moscow.

By the beginning of the 1490s, four more blind towers appeared (Blagoveshchenskaya, 1st and 2nd Nameless and Petrovskaya). All of them, as a rule, repeated the line of the old fortifications. The work was carried out gradually, in such a way that there were no open areas in the fortress through which the enemy could suddenly attack.

In the 1490s, the construction was curated by the Italian Pietro Solari (aka Peter Fryazin), with whom his compatriots Antonio Gilardi (aka Anton Fryazin) and Aloisio da Carcano (Aleviz Fryazin) worked. 1490-1495 The Moscow Kremlin was replenished with the following towers: Konstantino-Eleninskaya, Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Senate, Corner Arsenalnaya and Nabatnaya.

Secret passages in the Moscow Kremlin

In case of danger, the Kremlin defenders had the opportunity to quickly move through secret underground passages. In addition, internal passages were built in the walls, connecting all the towers. The Kremlin defenders could thus concentrate as necessary on a dangerous section of the front or retreat if the enemy forces outnumbered them.

Long underground tunnels were also dug, thanks to which it was possible to observe the enemy in the event of a siege, as well as to make surprise attacks on the enemy. Several underground tunnels went beyond the Kremlin.

Some towers had more than just a defensive function. For example, Tainitskaya hid a secret passage from the fortress to the Moscow River. Wells were made in Beklemishevskaya, Vodovzvodnaya and Arsenalnaya, with the help of which water could be delivered if the city was under siege. The well in Arsenalnaya has survived to this day.

Within two years, Kolymazhnaya (Komendantskaya) and Granenaya (Srednyaya Arsenalnaya) fortresses rose in orderly ranks, and in 1495 the construction of Trinity began. The construction was led by Aleviz Fryazin.

Chronology of events

Of the year	Event
1156	The first wooden citadel was erected on Borovitsky Hill
1238	The troops of Khan Batu marched through Moscow, as a result, most of the buildings were burned. In 1293, the city was once again ravaged by the Mongol-Tatar troops of Duden
1339-1340	Ivan Kalita built mighty oak walls around the Kremlin. From 2 to 6 m in thickness and up to 7 m in height
1367-1368	Dmitry Donskoy built a white stone fortress. The white stone Kremlin shone for more than 100 years. Since then, Moscow began to be called “white stone”
1485-1495	Ivan III the Great built a red brick citadel. The Moscow Kremlin is equipped with 17 towers, the height of the walls is 5-19 m, and the thickness is 3.5-6.5 m
1534-1538	A new ring of fortress defensive walls was built, called Kitay-Gorod. From the south, the walls of Kitai-Gorod adjoined the walls of the Kremlin at the Beklemishevskaya Tower, from the north – to the Corner Arsenalnaya
1586-1587	Boris Godunov surrounded Moscow with two more rows of fortress walls, called the Tsar City, and later the White City. They covered the area between modern central squares and the Boulevard Ring
1591	Another ring of fortifications, 14 miles long, was built around Moscow, covering the territory between the Boulevard and Garden Rings. Construction was completed within one year. The new fortress was named Skorodoma. So Moscow was enclosed in four rings of walls, which had a total of 120 towers

All towers of the Moscow Kremlin

Visual reconstruction of the Moscow Kremlin in 1800 based on drawings by artists of that time.

Currently, the meaning of the phrase “White Stone Moscow” has been lost to the modern generation. Let's figure out how it came about.

In 1366, Prince Dmitry Donskoy and his cousin decided to replace the wooden walls of the Kremlin with walls and towers of white stone to protect the city from invasions by rival princes, the Principality of Lithuania and the Golden Horde.

The fortress wall was built on a strong and deep foundation, laid out of unhewn stone, and the towers were lined with processed blocks. The total length of the white-stone Kremlin reached 2,000 meters and had 4 watchtowers and 5 passageways with locked gates. The new Kremlin had the most modern weapons for those times - the towers were equipped with cannons.Over two thousand people were involved in construction every day throughout the year.

Already at the end of the 14th century, Moscow began to be called White Stone Moscow. The streets of the city were paved with stone, and Moscow craftsmen performed a lot of delicate work in pottery, jewelry, and leather. Many scribes appeared, as well as large production facilities for casting bells and cannons, organized by the state. Under Dmitry Donskoy, the minting of silver coins was introduced in Moscow earlier than in other Russian principalities. And most importantly, the prince’s move was justified - during his lifetime, no one was ever able to take the white-stone city.

In the second half of the 15th century, the reconstruction of the Moscow Kremlin began. The new Assumption Cathedral was the first to be built. In 1484–1486, a new Church of the Deposition of the Robe was erected, and in 1484–1489, a new Annunciation Cathedral was built on the basement of the former church.

In 1485, construction began on the new Grand Duke's Palace, which continued with long interruptions until 1514. Simultaneously with the construction of the Grand Ducal Palace and the reconstruction of churches, over the course of a whole decade, under the leadership of Italian architects, the white stone walls and towers were dismantled, and new ones made of baked bricks were erected in their place. The area of ​​the fortress was increased by annexing significant territories in the north-west and reached 27.5 hectares, and the Kremlin received the modern contours of an irregular triangle.

At first, the Kremlin remained red brick, but in the 18th century it was whitewashed in the spirit of all other similar buildings.

It was in the white Kremlin that Napoleon entered in 1812. And after the Moscow fire, the Kremlin, cleared of soot and dirt, was again painted in shining white.
Almost until the end of the 19th century, Moscow remained white-stone. Following the established tradition, the Kremlin red-brick walls were whitewashed for almost four centuries. They were worried not only about the memory of the white stone Kremlin of Dmitry Donskoy, but also about the safety of the brick.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in 1941, the Kremlin began to be camouflaged: all the ancient buildings were stylized as ordinary houses, the green roofs were painted over, dark paint was applied to the gilded domes, the crosses were removed, and the stars on the towers were covered up. Windows and doors were painted on the Kremlin walls, and the battlements were covered with plywood, simulating the roofs of houses.

There is a fairly common misconception that the Kremlin was repainted red after the Bolshevik government moved in. In fact, he remained white until 1948. In 1947, in preparation for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Moscow, restoration work began in the Kremlin. During the restoration, it was decided to repaint the Kremlin red, which was done during 1947-1948.

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 whitewashing it, and when did they stop? On this issue, statements in all articles diverge, as do the thoughts in people’s heads. Some write that whitewashing began in the 18th century, others that at the beginning of the 17th century, and still others are trying to provide evidence that the Kremlin walls were not whitewashed at all. The phrase is widely circulated that the Kremlin was white until 1947, and then suddenly Stalin ordered it to be repainted red. Was it so? Let's finally dot the i's, fortunately there are enough sources, both picturesque and photographic.

Let's understand the colors 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. 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 quickly destroy the wall.

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. Tree of the Russian State. It was written in 1668, and the Kremlin is red.

The whitewashing of the Kremlin was first mentioned in written sources in 1680.
The historian Bartenev, in the book “The Moscow Kremlin in the Old Time and Now” writes: “In a memorandum submitted on July 7, 1680 to the Tsar, it is said that the Kremlin fortifications “were not whitewashed”, and the Spassky Gate “were painted in ink and white in brick". The note asked: should the Kremlin walls be whitewashed, left as is, or painted “in brick” like the Spassky Gate? 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 based on an engraving by M. Makhaev. The Kremlin here is clearly white.

1797, Gerard Delabarte.

1819, artist Maxim Vorobyov.

In 1826, the French writer and playwright Francois Anselot came to Moscow; in his memoirs he described the white Kremlin: “With this we will leave the Kremlin, my dear Xavier; but, looking back at this ancient citadel again, we will regret that, while correcting the destruction caused by the explosion, the builders removed from the walls the centuries-old patina that gave them so much grandeur. The white paint that hides the cracks gives the Kremlin an appearance of youth that belies its shape and obliterates its past.”

1830s, artist Rauch.

1842, daguerreotype of Lerebourg, the first documentary image 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 whitewash was renewed in some places, and the structures on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower were given a frame for illumination.

The same year, 1856, view in the opposite direction, the one closest to us is the Taynitskaya tower with the archery facing the embankment.

Photo from 1860.

Photo from 1866.

1866-67.

1879, artist Pyotr Vereshchagin.

1880, painting from the English school of painting. The Kremlin is still white. Based on all the previous images, we conclude that the Kremlin wall along the river was whitewashed 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, revealing the red brick walls.

1884, wall along the Alexander Garden. The whitewash was very crumbling, 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 year, 1909, the whitewash on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower is still holding up well. Most likely it was whitewashed for the last time later than the rest of the walls. From several previous photographs it is clear 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, a dirtier shade, the whitewash stains more obvious than in the picture, but the overall color scheme was already red.

1914, Konstantin Korovin.

The colorful and shabby Kremlin in a photograph from the 1920s.

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

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

And two more color photographs from the 1950s. Somewhere they touched up the paint, 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 turned out to be not so simple. Some towers stand out from the general chronology of whitewashing.

1778, Red Square in a painting 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 color red was returned again. This is a painting by English masters, 1823. The walls are invariably 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 whitewashed again, most likely for the celebrations of the coronation of Alexander II in 1856.

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

Another photograph from the early to mid 1860s. The whitewash of the tower is crumbling in some places.

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

1870s. The tower is red.

1880s. The red paint is peeling off, and here and there you can see newly painted areas and patches. After 1856, the Spasskaya Tower was never whitewashed again.

Nikolskaya Tower

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

1823, fresh Nikolskaya Tower after restoration, red.

1883, white tower. Perhaps they whitewashed it together with Spasskaya for the coronation of Alexander II. And the whitewash was renewed 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 restoration in 1918, after revolutionary damage.

Trinity Tower

1860s. The tower is white.

In the watercolor of the English school of painting from 1880, the tower is gray, the color given by 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 whitewash was updated only on the Nikolskaya Tower, and possibly also on Vodovzvodnaya. Since then, the whitewash gradually crumbled and was washed away, and by 1947 the Kremlin naturally took on 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 light tinting. These are bricks from the 19th century, the result of another restoration.

Wall from the river side. 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.

Address: Russia Moscow
Start of construction: 1482
Completion of construction: 1495
Number of towers: 20
Wall length: 2500 m.
Main attractions: Spasskaya Tower, Assumption Cathedral, Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Annunciation Cathedral, Archangel Cathedral, Faceted Chamber, Terem Palace, Arsenal, Armory Chamber, Tsar Cannon, Tsar Bell
Coordinates: 55°45"03.0"N 37°36"59.3"E
Object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation

In the very heart of Moscow, on Borovitsky Hill, the majestic Kremlin ensemble rises. It has long become a symbol not only of the capital, but of all of Russia. History itself decreed that an ordinary Krivichi village, located in the middle of the forest, eventually turned into the capital of a mighty Russian state.

The Kremlin from a bird's eye view

The Kremlin or Detinets in ancient Rus' was the name given to the central, fortified part of the city with a fortress wall, loopholes and towers. The first Moscow Kremlin, built in 1156 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, was a wooden fortress surrounded by a moat and rampart. During the reign of Ivan I, nicknamed Kalita (money bag), oak walls and towers were erected in Moscow and the first stone building was laid - the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady.

View of the Kremlin walls from the Kremlin embankment

In 1367, Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy surrounded the Kremlin with a powerful fortress wall made of white limestone. Since then, the capital has received the nickname “White Stone Moscow”. Large-scale construction began under Ivan III, who united a significant part of the Russian lands around Moscow and built a residence worthy of the “Sovereign of All Rus'” in the Kremlin.

Ivan III invited architects from Milan to build fortifications. It was in 1485 - 1495 that the existing walls and towers of the Kremlin were built. The top of the walls is crowned with 1045 battlements in the shape of a “swallowtail” - they have the same appearance as the battlements of Italian castles. At the turn of the 15th - 16th centuries, the Moscow Kremlin turned into an impregnable massive fortress, lined with red brick.

View of the Kremlin from the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge

In 1516, a moat was dug along the fortifications overlooking Red Square. After the Time of Troubles, the towers were decorated with tents, giving the Kremlin a modern look.

The miraculous return of the shrine of the Moscow Kremlin

The main one of the 20 towers of the Moscow Kremlin is rightfully considered Spasskaya, created by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The Spassky Gate has long been the main entrance to the Kremlin, and the chimes placed in the tower's tent are known as the main clock of the country. The top of the tower is crowned with a luminous ruby ​​star, but after the collapse of the USSR there are increasingly calls to remove the star and erect a double-headed eagle in its place. The tower got its name from the icon of the Savior of Smolensk over the gate.

View of the Kremlin from the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge

The icon was revered by saints, so men, passing through the gate, in front of the image of the Savior had to take off their headdress. Legend has it that when Napoleon was passing through the Spassky Gate, a gust of wind tore the cocked hat off his head. But the bad omens did not end there: the French tried to steal the gilded robe that adorned the image of the Savior of Smolensk, but the ladder attached to the gate overturned, and the shrine remained unharmed.

During the years of Soviet power, the icon was removed from the tower. For more than 70 years, the shrine was considered lost, until in 2010, restorers discovered a metal mesh hiding the image of Christ under a layer of plaster. On August 28, 2010, on the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Patriarch Kirill solemnly consecrated the newly found icon above the gates of the Spasskaya Tower.

Beklemishevskaya Tower

Legends and myths of the Kremlin

From time immemorial, the Moscow Kremlin was not only a symbol of the unlimited power of the sovereign, but also a place about which legends were written. Over the long history of the Kremlin churches and towers, so many legends have been created that would be enough for a whole book.

The most famous legends tell about secret dungeons and underground passages. It is believed that they were invented by Italian architects who designed and built the Kremlin walls and towers. Many underground rooms have been preserved under the former Chudov Monastery, which until the 1930s was located in the eastern part of the Kremlin Hill. These are passages, interiors of temples and long galleries. Today, some of them are flooded with groundwater.

Eternal flame at the walls of the Kremlin

There are rumors among Muscovites that previously branched underground passages led outside from each of the Kremlin towers. The same secret passages connected all the royal palaces. When builders began digging a large foundation pit for the State Kremlin Palace in the 1960s, they discovered three underground passages dating back to the 16th century. The dungeons were so wide that you could drive a cart through them.

Underground passages were found during every major reconstruction. Most often, voids, gaps and labyrinths were walled up or simply filled with concrete for safety reasons.

Spasskaya Tower

One of the secrets of the Moscow Kremlin is also connected with its dungeons. For several centuries now, historians and archaeologists have been struggling with the mystery of the disappearance of the library of Ivan IV the Terrible, which is also called Liberia. The Russian sovereign inherited a unique collection of ancient books and manuscripts from his grandmother Sophia Paleologus, who received these books as a dowry.

In historical documents there is an inventory of the library, consisting of 800 volumes, but the collection itself disappeared without a trace. Some researchers are convinced that it burned down in a fire or disappeared during the Time of Troubles. But many are sure that the library is intact and hidden in one of the Kremlin dungeons.

View of the Assumption, Annunciation Cathedrals and Cathedral Square

The discovery of books in storage facilities located underground was not an accident. When Sophia Paleologus arrived in the city in 1472, she saw the terrible consequences of the fire that raged in Moscow two years earlier. Realizing that the library she brought could easily perish in a fire, Sophia ordered a spacious basement, which was located under the Kremlin Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, to be equipped for storage. After this, the valuable Liberia was always kept in dungeons.

View of Cathedral Square and Ivan the Great Bell Tower

Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin - “altars of Russia”

Today the Moscow Kremlin is both the place of work of the President of the Russian Federation and a historical and cultural museum. The historical center of the Kremlin is represented by Cathedral Square with three cathedrals— Uspensky, Arkhangelsk and Blagoveshchensky. An old proverb says: “The Kremlin rises above Moscow, and above the Kremlin there is only the sky.” That is why all the people honored the tsar’s decrees, which he proclaimed in the Assumption Cathedral.

This temple can rightfully be called the “altar of Russia.” In the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, kings were crowned kings, the next head of the Russian church was elected, and in the tombs of the temple the relics of Moscow saints found eternal rest. The Archangel Cathedral, from 1340 until the 18th century, served as the tomb of Moscow princes and kings.

Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

Under its arches, tombstones are placed in strict order on white stone slabs. The Annunciation Cathedral was the personal house of prayer for the Moscow princes: here they were baptized, confessed, and got married. According to legend, the grand ducal treasury was kept in the basement of this temple. The Cathedral Square is surrounded by the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Faceted and Patriarchal Chambers. Meetings of the Boyar Duma and Zemsky Sobors were held in the Faceted Chamber, and the office of the Holy Synod was located in the Patriarchal Palace.

Sights of the Moscow Kremlin

The younger buildings of the Kremlin include the Grand Kremlin Palace, built in the mid-19th century by order of Emperor Nicholas I. Today, the ceremonial residence of the President of Russia is located within its walls.

The time when the Moscow Kremlin was built should be known to every person who loves Russia. Because it is not only the heart of Russia, the soul of the great and largest country in the world, but also one of the most beautiful complexes in the world.

Ancient settlements

Excavations have shown that settlements on the territory of the Kremlin existed 5,000 years ago, and in the 6th century AD Slavic tribes already lived here. In the center of Moscow itself, the remains of a settlement belonging to the Dyakovo culture were found.

Dyakovo settlements, as a rule, were located on river capes. In ancient times, for reasons of convenience and safety, the hills on the banks of the river were the first to be settled in the area. It is advisable at the mouth, so that the water fences the settlement on both sides. The waterway served as a route of communication with neighbors and allowed for more intensive trade, and the hills were not so accessible to enemies and provided an overview of a large area.

Birth of Moscow

And when the Moscow Kremlin was built, surrounded on both sides by the Moscow River and the Neglinnaya River flowing into it, as well as the settlement located on its top, they turned into an impregnable fortress. The first mention of the Kremlin dates back to 1147. At that time there were not even walls built in wood. They appeared only 9 years later - in 1156. The heart of Moscow was first mentioned in connection with Yuri Dolgoruky’s invitation to the newly erected mansions of his ally Svyatoslav Olgovich, the prince of Novgorod-Seversk. The arrival of a future relative (their granddaughter and son - the famous Igor and Yaroslavna - will get married) to the feast is considered the date. This is exactly the time when the Moscow Kremlin was built.

Great Builder

After the construction of the walls, the Kremlin becomes the administrative center for the surrounding and nearby villages. Here the inhabitants of these settlements found shelter during the invasion of enemies. Gradually the importance of this fortress increased, and the territory expanded. And now, under Prince Danil Alexandrovich (1261-1303), the ancestor of the Moscow princes, the city that grew up around the Kremlin became the capital of the small Moscow principality.

At the time when the Moscow Kremlin was built, Yuri Dolgoruky founded Pereyaslavl-Zalessky and Yuryev-Polsky. This prince, who ruled the Rostov-Suzdal principality all his life and died there, was engaged in active urban planning. In addition to the above cities, he founded Dubna, Kostroma, Dmitrov, the village of Senyatino, which was flooded during construction, and, according to one legend, Gorodets. In addition, he built many fortresses and fortified areas. So, when the Moscow Kremlin was built (year 1147), other strategic points were also laid out. And nothing said that it was from this fortress that the capital of the largest state in the world would grow.

Improvements to the future capital

And Moscow was built and expanded. Prince Ivan Kalita (1283-1341) built the first white stone cathedrals. And under him, in 1340, the old ones were replaced by powerful oak ones. And his grandson Dmitry Donskoy (1350-1389), son of Moscow Prince Ivan II the Red, replaced the oak walls with white stone ones. This was the reason for calling Moscow “white stone”. It is this beauty that is depicted in the painting painted in 1879, entitled “View of the Moscow Kremlin from the Stone Bridge.” The capital of Russia, a city with an amazing history, cannot but arouse increased interest. Any main city in the country is loved and respected by its residents. But Moscow is something much more for a Russian person. And it is quite natural to want to know the details of the origin of the city, how it began, how and when the Moscow Kremlin was built, the year of its foundation and under which prince this miracle was built.

First literary mentions

One of the first descriptions of the origins of the great city is in the story “The Tale of the Murder of Daniil of Suzdal and the Beginning of Moscow.” The Ipatiev Chronicle is considered the first reliable source that mentions the town of Moskov - the place of a great feast in honor of the meeting of friends and allies of the Rostov-Suzdal and Novgorod-Seversk princes. There are several answers to the question of what year the Moscow Kremlin was built. You can indicate a specific date in connection with which the Kremlin was first mentioned - on the day of “Heel in Praise of the Virgin Mary,” that is, on Saturday, April 4, 1147. And you can talk for a long time about how the Kremlin was built over the centuries. Is it possible to imagine this complex without the Assumption Cathedral or the Bolshoi

The Kremlin was built and rebuilt

The answer to the question of what year the Moscow Kremlin was built will depend entirely on what is meant by this name - a modern hulk, the residence of the President of the Russian Federation, or a small wooden structure from which it all began. There is not enough page to simply list all the chambers, cathedrals, buildings, squares, gardens and monuments of this main socio-political, historical and artistic complex of Russia, which occupies an area of ​​27.5 hectares. The Kremlin territory resembles an irregular triangle.

One of the pearls of the Kremlin

The Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin deserves special words. It was built in 1479. The history of the beginning of its creation dates back to 1326. The Great Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita, together with St. Peter, laid the foundation for the first stone cathedral in Moscow this year. The capital city (namely, Moscow had this status) was obliged to have the main temple of Holy Rus'. It is Saint Peter who plays the key role in Moscow becoming the first throne. Therefore, after his death, the first Metropolitan of Moscow was buried in the still unfinished main cathedral of Rus'. His relics and the copy of the icon “Our Lady of Petrovskaya”, the original of which was made by the Apostle Peter himself, are one of the main shrines of Russia. The cathedral was rebuilt. This happened during the reign of the unifier of Russian lands under the rule of Moscow, Grand Duke Ivan III. Under him, a large construction project was launched in the Kremlin - all buildings were rebuilt in stone. And in this case, answering the question of when the Moscow Kremlin was built, the year can be called completely different - 1485. During the decade (1485-1495), unique battlements were erected, which are the hallmark of the great complex.

A priceless treasure of world architecture

As noted above, Dmitry Donskoy rebuilt the original wooden building in stone (as the Kremlin was also called in Rus'). Actually, he built a new stone “kremnik”, and the year of completion of construction, 1367, can also rightfully be considered the date when the Moscow Kremlin was built. Later, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, who became the first Russian Tsar (he took the title in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin), the complex itself was also intensively completed.

And the decoration of Cathedral Square is the Ivan the Great bell tower, without which it is difficult to imagine the Kremlin, since for many years it was the tallest building in Moscow, and was generally erected during the reign of Boris Godunov. However, the first Moscow Kremlin was built in 1147 by decree of Yuri Dolgoruky. The fortified part of the city was also called “krom”, which is more suitable for a wooden tower surrounded by a wooden fence. The one and only, legendary and impregnable, the Kremlin is the personification of the power and uniqueness of Russia.