What the Kremlin got in the 15th century. Features of the national excursion to the Kremlin. Entrance to the Kremlin with luggage - bags and backpacks

The Moscow Kremlin is the main attraction of the city. It is quite easy to reach it. There are several metro stations, leaving from which you can walk to the Kremlin. The Alexandrovsky Sad station will take you, as you might easily guess, straight to the Alexandrovsky Garden. There you will already see the Kutafya Tower, where they sell tickets to the Kremlin and the Armory. 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 Ploshchad Revolyutsii and Kitay-Gorod stations will take you to Red Square, only from different sides. The first is from the side of the State Historical Museum, the second is from the outside. You can also go out on Okhotny Ryad - if you want to take a walk along the shopping row of the same name. Just be prepared for unusual prices)).

About prices in the museums of the Kremlin. Visiting the Kremlin is not a cheap pleasure. An hour and a half visit to - will cost 700 rubles, - 500 rubles, a walk around with an inspection - 500 rubles. For more information about museums and some of the nuances you should know about visiting them, see the links.

The Kremlin is called not only the walls with towers, as some think, but 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, the Kremlin Regiment shows its skills on Cathedral Square every Saturday at 12:00. If I manage to break into the Kremlin, I will write about it.

History of the Moscow Kremlin.

The word "Kremlin" is very ancient. The fortified part in the center of the city, in other words, a fortress, was called the Kremlin or Detinets in Russia. In the old days, there were different times. It happened that innumerable enemy forces attacked Russian cities. It was then that the inhabitants of the city gathered under the protection of their Kremlin. The old and the little ones took refuge behind its powerful walls, and those who could hold weapons in their hands defended themselves from the enemies from the walls of the Kremlin.

The first settlement on the site of the Kremlin appeared about 4000 years ago. This was established by archaeologists. Here were found fragments of clay pots, stone axes and flint arrowheads. These things were once used by ancient settlers.

The site for the construction of the Kremlin was not chosen by chance. The Kremlin is 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 notice enemies from a greater distance, and the rivers served as a natural barrier in their path.

The original Kremlin was made of wood. An earthen rampart was poured around its walls for greater reliability. The remains of these fortifications were discovered during construction work already 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. These data have been preserved in ancient annals. At the beginning of the 14th century, Ivan Kalita began to rule the city. Kalita in ancient Russia was called a bag for money. The prince was so nicknamed because he accumulated great wealth and always carried with him a small bag of money. Prince Kalita decided to decorate and strengthen his city. He ordered the Kremlin to build new walls. They were cut down from sturdy oak trunks, so thick that you can't even grab them with your hands.

Under the next ruler of Moscow, Dmitry Donskoy, other walls were built - stone ones. Stone masters were gathered from all over the area to Moscow. And in 1367. they set 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 amazed its contemporaries with the beauty of its white walls that since then Moscow has been 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 defeated the army of Khan Mamai on the head on the Kulikovo field, which is 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 over 100 years. Much has changed during this time. Russian lands united into one strong state. Moscow became its capital. It happened under the Moscow prince Ivan III. From that time on, he began to be called the Grand Duke of All Russia, and historians call him "the gatherer 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 so, 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 in its place they quickly built a new one - made of bricks. There were quite a lot of clay suitable for making it in the vicinity of Moscow. However, clay is a soft material. To make the brick hard, it was fired in special ovens.

Over the years of construction, Russian craftsmen stopped treating Italian architects as strangers, and even their names were remade 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 Fryazhskie, and those who came from there called them Fryazin.

It took 10 years to build a 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 from all sides by water barriers. were erected one after another, equipped with diverting arrows for greater defensive capability. Along with the renovation of the fortress walls, the construction of such famous ones as Assumption, Arkhangelsk and Annunciation took place.

After the wedding to the kingdom of the Romanovs, the construction of the Kremlin proceeded at an accelerated pace. The Filaret Belfry was built next to the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Teremnaya, the Amusement Palaces, the Patriarchal Chambers and the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles. Under Peter I, the building of the Arsenal was erected. But after the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg, no new buildings were erected.

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 the official version due to lack of funding, according to the unofficial one - because of negative public opinion. In 1776-87. the Senate building was built

During Napoleon's invasion, the Kremlin suffered enormous damage. Churches were desecrated, plundered, during the retreat they blew up part of the walls, towers and buildings. 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 is 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 put on pedestals, the walls and structures of the Kremlin are repeatedly restored.

Back in 1147, the prince of Kiev and Rostov-Suzdal Yuri Dolgoruky founded Moscow. The city was surrounded by wooden walls - this is how the construction of the Kremlin, the future main attraction of Moscow, began. A shaft 8 meters high was also built around the wall.

Unfortunately, the Moscow Kremlin, together with the city itself, did not last long - already in the winter of 1237 Khan Batu plundered and burned all the wooden buildings.

But Moscow is being rebuilt, and along with it - and its fortress. In 1339-1340, Ivan Kalita erected powerful defensive fortifications, and in the Kremlin itself he built white-stone cathedrals, chambers of princes and his own mansions. Moscow becomes the main city among other Russian cities.

After 20 years, Prince Dmitry Donskoy encloses the fortress with white stone walls. This is where the famous expression “Moscow white-stone” came from.

By the beginning of the 16th century, the Kremlin is not directly recognizable - Prince Ivan III laid the foundations of the new Kremlin - he built the famous towers, erected the Assumption, Annunciation and Archangel Cathedrals. Finally, he built himself magnificent new chambers. Thanks to the efforts of the Russian and Italian workers in Europe, the most formidable and powerful fortress appeared - the Moscow Kremlin. In addition, it was not white stone - Ivan IV the Terrible built brick walls, making the Kremlin the famous red.

During the Time of Troubles, the history of Moscow, and with it the history of the Kremlin, could have ended. The Poles seized the city and barricaded themselves in the Kremlin. The royal treasury was ravaged, buildings were burned, and churches were desecrated.

But the enemy was driven out, and the Kremlin began to rebuild again. By the 17th century, it had become the seat of tsars and future emperors, and by the 18th century, European ideas were added to it. In the Kremlin, the Winter Palace, the Armory, the building of the Apartments were erected, which formed the new Palace Square. And although the capital of Russia was moved to St. Petersburg, the Moscow Kremlin still remained almost the main attraction of the country.

In 1917, thunder struck - the Great October Revolution took over Russia. The first Soviet government sat in the Kremlin, and it was closed for free visits. The monasteries were demolished and a new building, the Military School, was erected in their place.

With the beginning of World War II, the Kremlin disappeared from all enemy maps and radars - the main fortress of the country was hidden with the help of huge shields, the stars were turned off, and the entire structure was covered with dark paint. Only after 4 years will it shine with its lights again.

Ten years later, in 1955, the Kremlin will be reopened for visits. In another 6 years, the State Kremlin Palace will be built there. And in 1991 - the Moscow Kremlin Museum-Reserve.

Today the Kremlin together with the Red Square are the main places for tourists to visit. In addition, the President of the Russian Federation works and lives in it.

The Kremlin is not a unique structure, almost every city has its own Kremlin, because this word means “fortress, city”. Novgorodsky, Pskov, Kazansky and many others. But it was the Moscow Kremlin that became the symbol of Russia and one of the most picturesque and colorful buildings in its history.

How to get to the Kremlin
Dear Readers! This article was written in 2012. We constantly monitor changes in the situation in the Kremlin and, if necessary, edit the text. The last update was made in March 2019. The algorithm for purchasing tickets and entering the Kremlin remains the same.
In order to be guaranteed to buy tickets to the Armory Chamber, we advise you to purchase them online at the Moscow Kremlin website.

For those who need to save themselves from reading a boring 1700 word article and quickly buy tickets and a tour to the Kremlin, I propose an alternative.

How to get to the Kremlin

Be careful! Many sites are misleading and give incorrect information about the prices of tickets to the Kremlin. Tickets have risen in price since February 2019.
Summary of the article

• How to get to the Kremlin.
• Where to buy tickets to the Kremlin
• Where are the Kremlin ticket offices
• Tickets to the Kremlin. How much are?
• Excursions to the Kremlin

All the aspirations of those wishing to get acquainted with the cultural heritage of the capital are directed towards the Kremlin. What you need to know in order to view all three Kremlin components (,;;) with the least loss?

Part one. For Russian and Russian speaking tourists.

How to get to the Kremlin. Visitors

Attention! With the onset of the warm season (from mid-April), the queues for tickets to the Kremlin have increased! On weekends, be prepared to spend at the checkout 30 minutes or more! In summer, on Saturdays, in connection with the queue at the cashier is lined up long before its opening, by 9 o'clock in the morning, a solid tail may already be standing.

- Day off on Thursday. On holidays, the Kremlin is usually open. But there are solemn events, meetings of heads of foreign states, inaugurations again. In such exceptional cases, it is closed.

- works by sessions. There are four of them - at 10, 12, 14.30 and 16.30

- Opening hours of the Moscow Kremlin Museum-Reserve from 10 to 17 in the winter, from 9.30 to 18 in the summer (from mid-May to mid-September). closes at 18 o'clock. works from 10 to 18, lunch break: from 13 to 14 hours.

To get to the Borovitsky Gate, you need to go from the ticket office along the road, it is shown in the photo. If you face the cash desks, then to the right. Borovitsky gates of the Kremlin are NOT visible from the ticket office

In the top photo, the Borovitskaya Tower is barely visible in the distance to the left. On the way to the Borovitskaya Tower, you will pass by the recently erected monument to Emperor Alexander I.

When entering the Borovitsky Gate, you need to present an entrance ticket to the Kremlin or the Armory and go through security check.

You will be asked to show your ticket either in the building (ticket to visit the Armory), or at the very end of the long building of the Armory. There you need to show a ticket to the territory of the Kremlin.

You can enter the Kremlin through the Trinity Gate

The Trinity Gate is located in the Alexander Garden, in the Trinity Tower, which is connected by a bridge with the Kutafya Tower. Ticket control and inspection is carried out at the Kutafya Tower.

Downstairs, by the stairs, you need to show a ticket to the territory of the Kremlin or the Armory.

Here are the diagrams for clarity.

- You cannot enter the Kremlin with large bags and backpacks, suitcases. These things are left in the storage room at the Kremlin's Kutafya tower. (They won't take water to the storage room, take the bottles with you to the Kremlin). Ladies' bags, which sometimes come in rather large sizes, can be carried. It is forbidden to bring ANY weapon into the Kremlin, including gas canisters and pocket knives. Professional photo and video filming on the territory of the Kremlin is prohibited.

Entrance to the Kremlin with luggage - bags and backpacks

ENTRANCE TO THE KREMLIN WITH BACKPACKS is either allowed or prohibited. It is better to take a bulky backpack to the storage room under the Kutafya tower. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm. Lunch breaks are from 11:00 am to 11:30 am and from 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm.

You can find out more about the work of the luggage room on the official website of the Kremlin. http://www.kreml.ru/visit-to-kremlin/ticket-prices/kamera-khraneniya1/

When is the best time to visit the Kremlin

If you want to see the Kremlin in the morning and buy tickets for a 10-hour session (museum ticket offices open half an hour before the opening of the Kremlin), it’s better to come early in the summer. On weekday mornings, at 9.30 am, the queue is usually small. Sometimes it's not there at all. On weekends, people gather early in the morning. In the summer hours at 11, a decent crowd is observed at the Kremlin ticket offices. I remind you once again that in summer on Saturdays, when the ceremony of divorcing the guard of honor is held, the queue at the checkout is very long even in the morning .

At the entrance to the museum, you will face a serious inspection, which is carried out by the Commandant's Office of the Kremlin, and passage through very sensitive metal detectors. The queue to the Borovitsky Gate takes place in the morning: from 10 to 11 and about 12 and 14 hours - people gather to get to the Armory at 12 or 14.30 and at

Best time to explore the Kremlin on your own

General advice. In the warm season of the weekend and on public holidays, it is better to come to the Kremlin ticket offices early. But if possible, go to the Kremlin in WEEKEND day. The best time to visit the Kremlin is in the afternoon. About 2 pm. School excursion groups visit the Kremlin in the morning. Plan your visit to the Armory at 16.30. In the second half weekday chances are high that you will end up in the Diamond Fund.

It often happens that all tickets in already sold. Then the following sign hangs at the checkout:

The ideal option is to go to the Kremlin ticket offices in the Alexander Garden by 14 o'clock. Buy a ticket to visit the territory of the Kremlin. Maybe they even sell you a ticket to the Armory and the Diamond Fund. Although, until recently, tickets to the Armory were sold only 40 minutes before the start of the session.

We will tell you about it separately.

Dear Sirs, if you still have questions on the topic “How to get to the Kremlin”, please re-read the article again and take a look at the comments. They have answers to many questions!
Let me remind you that some frequently asked questions are answered in a separate publication (comments to it are still open, if you have any questions - ask, we will try to answer). I hope this article will help you get into the Kremlin.

Dear Muscovites and guests of the capital! Before getting to the Kremlin, we strongly recommend that you solve technical issues with the help of, excuse me, the toilet in the Alexander Garden. On the territory of the Kremlin there is a nanotechnological toilet with a perpetual queue. There is a toilet in the building of the Armory, but you cannot get there from the street without a ticket to it. Therefore, we repeat once again - the optimal solution to technical problems is located in the Alexander Garden, opposite the Kremlin ticket offices.

We talked about the rules for passing security checks at the entrance to the Kremlin in the publication.
We recommend you a service where in a couple of minutes you can order any excursion to the Kremlin. Let's offer two of them:

Our articles to help travelers

There are additional publications for this article, where we talked in detail about how
,
and
.

Author's excursions

The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin allows you to get a complete picture of how the center of the Russian capital was originally arranged. includes temples, squares, chambers, buildings. Today, all these are sights that guests and tourists from all over Russia and from abroad come to see.

Kremlin construction

The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin was formed at the end of the 15th century. The main towers and walls were built in the years 1485-1495. Was used red brick and white stone on a lime mortar. It is worth noting that local craftsmen were not qualified for such work. Therefore, foreign specialists were invited. Ivan III hired architects from Italy to build the Moscow Kremlin.

However, some towers were nevertheless erected by Russian masters. The fact is that their shape resembles characteristic wooden structures. As you know, at that time the carpentry art in Russia reached its perfection, which was facilitated by the universal material itself, and work was constantly required, since periodically large fires destroyed all buildings. To avoid this, stone was used in the construction of the Moscow Kremlin.

Assumption Cathedral

One of the main buildings of this architectural ensemble is the Assumption Cathedral. It was erected on the site of the first stone cathedral by Ivan Kalita in the first half of the XIV century. The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin is largely determined by this structure.

The construction of the cathedral began in 1475. A similar religious building in Vladimir of the 12th century was taken as a model. Thus, the continuity of Moscow in relation to Vladimir, who was previously considered one of the main cities of Russia, was once again emphasized.

Over the next 400 years, it was the main temple in Russia. It was here that all the rulers were crowned to the kingdom. The main entrance is located on the side of Cathedral Square. The entrance to this is, as it were, guarded by the Archangel Michael, whose figure is depicted above the arch. Even higher is the Mother of God and the Child.

The iconostasis, which we can see today in the Assumption Cathedral, was made by the icon painters of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the middle of the 17th century.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin were plundered and devastated. This cathedral was no exception. Part of the loot from the French was then recaptured by the Russian Cossacks.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

The architecture of the Moscow Kremlin cannot be imagined without the Annunciation Cathedral. It is located in the southwestern part of Cathedral Square. It was built at the end of the 15th century. The works were carried out by Pskov masters.

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, a porch with a high porch of white stone was added.

This Kremlin was built in the tradition of early Moscow architecture. Today, the murals of the cathedral, which appeared at the beginning of the 16th century, are of great interest. The main merit belongs to the artel of artists, which was led by Theodosius and his son Dionysius. There are many stories about the Apocalypse. You can also find secular motives. For example, Russian princes and Byzantine emperors.

The floor of this cathedral is unique. It was laid with special tiles made of precious agate jasper.

Cathedral of the Archangel

This cathedral within the walls of the Moscow Kremlin appeared at the beginning of the 16th century. It was erected by the invited Italian architect Aleviz Novy. In doing so, he followed the traditions of Russian architecture. The features of the Italian Renaissance are visible only in the rich decoration of the temple.

Its construction was carried out on the site of the ancient Archangel Cathedral, which was erected by Ivan Kalita in the XIV century, in memory of the deliverance of the capital from the general famine. It was dismantled due to the cramped space, making room for a more spacious temple.

The cathedral is crowned with five domes. The central one is gilded, and the side ones are simply painted with silver paint. Carved white stone portals are made in the style of the Italian Renaissance.

During the capture of the capital by Napoleon, a wine warehouse was located here. The French set up a kitchen on the altar, and plundered all the valuables.

Church of the Deposition of the Robe

The small church built by Russian craftsmen at the end of the 15th century is also noteworthy. It appeared on the site of the old wooden Church of the Deposition of the Robe, which was built after the Tatars retreated from Moscow.

In 1451, they came close to the city, but did not storm it, but retreated, leaving everything looted. The Orthodox Church gave this a religious meaning, considering it a miracle. In reality, the Tatars retreated due to political differences between the military leaders.

The new church was severely damaged by fire in 1737. It was restored by the architect Michurin.

Armouries

The chambers of the Moscow Kremlin are of great interest to tourists today. The first mention of the values ​​that are today in the Armory can be found in 1339. Even during the time of Ivan Kalita, the formation of princely treasures began. Among them were jewelry, dishes, church vessels, expensive clothing and weapons.

At the end of the 15th century, one of the centers of Russian artistic crafts was located here. In addition, gifts from foreign embassies were brought here. Pearls, ceremonial horse harness.

By 1485, the treasury had grown so much that it was decided to build a separate two-story stone building between the Annunciation and Archangel Cathedrals. It received the name of the state courtyard.

Faceted Chamber

The Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin is one of the few parts of the palace that have survived from the time of Ivan III. This was his ceremonial throne room. This is the oldest civil stone building in Moscow.

It was built in 4 years rus with the help of invited Italians - Pietro Solari and Marco Ruffo.

The chamber is a square hall in which they lean on a pillar in the center of the room. The 9-meter-high hall is illuminated by 18 well-positioned windows and four massive chandeliers. The total area of ​​the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin is almost 500 square meters.

At the end of the 16th century, its walls were painted with church and biblical subjects. For centuries, it was here that the most important events in the history of the Russian state were celebrated. Foreign embassies and delegations were received here, the Zemsky Sobor sat. The victories of Russian arms were regularly celebrated in the Faceted Chamber. For example, Ivan the Terrible and Peter I celebrated the victory over the Swedes at Poltava.

the Red Square

The Red Square of the Moscow Kremlin appeared in the 15th century. Today it is one of the symbols of not only the capital, but also the country, its visiting card.

It was laid by Ivan III, who ordered to demolish all the wooden buildings around the Kremlin. Since they seriously threatened him with fire. This place, by his order, was taken away for trade. Therefore, initially, Red Square was called Torg. True, this did not last long.

Already in the 16th century it was renamed Troitskaya. Because of the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity. Later, the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed appeared in its place. According to the documents, in the 17th century the square was called Fire. At the same time, one should not forget an interesting toponymic feature of Ancient Russia. At that time, one and the same object could have several official names at the same time.

Red Square officially began to be called that only in the 19th century. Although in some documents this name is found in the 17th century. The meaning of this name, according to the dictionary of Vladimir Dahl, is that our ancestors had the word "red" meant beautiful, excellent.

Throughout the centuries, using the example of Red Square, one can trace how the Moscow Kremlin has changed. In the 15th century, it appeared here with the famous towers - Senate, Spasskaya and Nikolskaya. In the 16th century, the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed and the Execution Ground. In the 19th century - the Historical Museum, the Upper Trading Rows, which are now called GUM, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky. The 20th century brought the Mausoleum and the necropolis at the Kremlin wall to Red Square.

St Basil's Church

This temple was built in the middle of the 16th century. It was erected in honor of the capture of Kazan by the Russian troops. The building is a grandiose structure of 9 pillars that rise above the basement, connected by a gallery. The composition is united by a central pillar, which is crowned with tents with a decorative dome at the top. Many people specially come to Moscow to see this temple with their own eyes.

The central tent is surrounded by eight pillars. All others end with onion-shaped chapters.

From the side of the Spasskaya Tower, two porches lead to the terrace of the temple. From there you can get to the bypass gallery. Tourists and residents of the capital are still impressed by the color of the temple, even though it was made several centuries ago. The St. Basil's Cathedral was painted by real masters. They used extremely natural colors combined with white stone and red brick. The smallest details are made of the latter. The bright painting was done in the 17th century. When later annexes appeared, a bell tower and a chapel of the temple in the northeast were placed in them. The names of the architects who erected this iconic religious building have survived to our time. Their names were Posnik and Barma.

The city center has long been located on a high hill at the confluence of the Neglinnaya rivers with the Moscow River. However, the appearance of the fortress wall did not correspond to the power of the state. By the end of the 15th century, the walls of white stone (limestone) were dilapidated, moreover, the appearance of artillery required a fundamentally new system - fortification. New fortifications began to be built by the invited Italians ( Mark Fryazin...). The new Kremlin wall has a length of more than 2 km, 18 towers, in the plan it forms an irregular triangle. At the corners of the walls, 3 round towers were placed in them, hiding places - wells, were erected in places where important roads approached - 6 rectangular pass towers with gates were erected, in front of them were attached towers - arrows with rising lattices, bridges over the moat were lowered from the gates of the arrows on chains. The rest of the towers were deaf, that is, not passable. The towers from above ended with wooden tents with watchtowers, bells or alarms were placed in some of the towers, along the perimeter the wall was decorated with battlements, the height of which reached 2.5 m, the height of the walls was about 19 m, and the thickness of 6.5 m, there were underground passages. The tower was built of red brick, and the base of the walls remained white stone. By its beauty and inaccessibility, the Kremlin is one of the best fortresses of its era.

In the 17th century, the monumental style was replaced by a picturesque decorative style, the forms of buildings became more complicated, the walls were covered with multicolored ornaments, carvings, and brick patterns. After the liberation of Moscow from the Polish invaders in 1612, the Kremlin was restored. Above the Frolovskaya Tower (now the Spasskaya Tower is the main entrance to the Kremlin) a stone tent covered with tiles has risen. The Spasskaya Tower has a lower quadrangle (square in plan), which completes a belt of arches with a white-stone pattern, in the arches there are statues (doodles) above the arcature belt - turrets, pyramids, and sculptures of outlandish animals. At the corners of the four
gilded weather vane, on the lower quadrangle there is another two-tiered smaller clock on it - chimes (English watchmaker Christopher Galovey). The second quadruple turns into an octagon, which ends with a stone arbor with keeled arches (currant drawing). There are chimes in the gazebos. The architecture of this tower combines features of Western European Gothic and Russian Middle Ages. The tower was renamed in 1658, thanks to the inscription above the gate, the image of Christ.

Temples of the Moscow Kremlin

Assumption Cathedral 1472 year. The main temple of the Kremlin, because there were crowned tsars on the throne. The cathedral was supposed to be larger than all existing churches in Russia. 2 years after the start of work, the north wall collapsed. The construction was continued by Alberti Fioravanti, a master from Bologna, (region of Italy), nicknamed Aristotle in Russia. The master connected blocks of white stone (limestone) with iron braces. The construction was completed in 4 years.

Characteristics of the cathedral: smooth walls are dissected by wide blades (flat projections), the belt on the facade was made up of columns and arches, narrow slit-like windows, the entrances are decorated with picturesque portals, 5 altar apses, the walls are crowned with zakomars (to emphasize the national character), five domes. The cathedral was built in the likeness of the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral.

Cathedral of the Annunciation (Golden Domed). It is also called the prince's house church. Artistic techniques of various architectural schools are applied here - Vladimir, Pskov, Novgorod.

Characteristics of the temple: high basement (lower floor), the cathedral has the shape of a cube, 3 apses, keeled zakomaras, 9 chapters, the roof repeats the outlines of gilded zakomars.

Cathedral of the Archangel. The family tomb of the family of the Great Dukes. Master - Aleviz New (Italian). Made the temple in the traditions of Russian architecture in the Italian way.

Characteristics of the cathedral: a six-pillar church crowned with 5 chapters, the facade is divided by a cornice into 2 horizontal parts, and the Russian shoulder blades are replaced by pilasters ending in capitals, the zakomars are separated by another cornice, and shells are placed inside them.

The Faceted Chamber is the throne room. The word “chamber” comes from the Italian palazzo, and the name comes from the decoration of the facade with faceted stone.

In the plan it is a square with one column in the center, on which 4 vaults rest. In ancient times it had a hipped roof.

Ivanovskaya bell tower. The bell tower got its name from the church of St. John located at its foundation. The bell tower is a pillar of two octahedrons placed one on top of the other and a crown crowning them. Each tier ends with arched openings through which the bells are visible. The bell tower unites the entire architectural ensemble of the Kremlin.

At the turn of the 16th - 17th centuries, another tier was added, and the total height of the bell tower was 81 m. Later, a quadrangular belfry was added to the bell tower, with a powerful dome for heavy bells and a Filaret annex with a tent and pyramids.

Hip architecture 16th century

The reign of Vasily 3. The temple became a monument associated with the birth of the heir to John 4 (Ivan the Terrible) Ascension in Kolomenskoye... The symbolism of the temple speaks of two events: 1 - heavenly, the ascension of the son of God to the Father; 2 - earthly, the birth of the heir to the Moscow throne. The powerful foundation of the temple grows out of the intricacies of galleries. The multifaceted lancet base ends with triple pointed kokoshniks. A tent rises above them. The edges of the tent are intertwined with garlands that look like strings of pearls. Its top is covered with a small cupola with a gilded cross.

Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed. (Pokrovsky). 1555 - 1561 By the name of the famous Moscow holy fool, who was buried in 1552 at the walls of the Trinity Church, which originally stood on this place. The idea of ​​building a temple was born in memory of the capture of Kazan in 1552. According to one version, the temple was built by the masters Barma and Postnik. The distinguishing feature of this temple is its versatility. ( Side-altar- this is an extension to the church, where worship can take place). The composition of the temple: around the central, highest, pillar, on the cardinal points, there are 4 large temples, and on the diagonal there are 4 small ones. Tower-like volumes start from the ground itself and are perceived as independent volumes, at the same time they form a complex pyramidal composition, which is distinguished by artistic unity and dynamism. Most researchers see this temple as the embodiment of the symbolic image of Jerusalem. The interiors are like dark labyrinths, and the main attention of the viewer is riveted on his external monumental appearance. In addition to the complexity of the silhouette, the volumes are decorated mashiculi(hinged bains, attributes of fortress architecture). Facades decorated panels(frame, recess), lucarnes(window openings) and multi-tiered kokoshniks. The original color scheme was more subdued. In the 17th century, the cathedral was decorated: some architectural details were painted, a complex pattern and multicolor appeared, the walls of the cathedral (inside and outside) were painted with ornaments. The architecture of the cathedral has acquired the image of a marvelous garden, a fantasy of paradise.

This design of temples with a high silhouette, but a small interior space was very suitable for the construction of temples-monuments. In the 17th century, architecture is becoming more and more elegant. From the main floor, the tent turns into a decorative piece.

Merchant architecture

The 17th century began with a terrible famine, cholera, then robberies and robberies, unrest began: the invasion of the Poles and Swedes, the death of Boris Godunov, the murder of False Dmitry and the emergence of new impostors. Therefore, until the 20s of the 17th century, there were no buildings. The builders have lost their art.

In the 30s of the 17th century, architects set out on a new path. Moscow became an example of new architecture Trinity Church in Nikitki, put in the yard of the merchant Nikitnikov.

The church is small in size, elegant: white stone details (platbands, columns, rows of kokoshniks, etc.) stand out against the red background of brick walls. Compared to ancient temples, the church amazes with liveliness, variegation, the feeling is created that it grows and develops like a tree. The church is not symmetrical, which creates a sense of dynamics. They went there to pray not to the God whom they feared, but to the one who helped a person in his earthly affairs. The architecture is joyful, it does not elevate a person, but it does not frighten either.

Patriarch Nikon saw in the pattern an inappropriate departure from the original samples. Nikon forbade the building of tent-roofed temples. All buildings of this time were distinguished by their severity and severity, reaching the level of asceticism. However, the king was dissatisfied with the claims of the patriarch to the supreme power of the state. The gap between them led to the exile and dethroning of the patriarch. Ornamental architecture continued its march across the country.