Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
coronations were held there. When Peter's grandson, Peter III, relieved the nobles of oblig-
atory state service, many returned to Moscow. Moreover, many of the merchants had never
left. After the initial shock of losing the capital, their patronage and wealth became visible
again throughout the city.
The late 18th century also saw the construction of the first embankments along the Mo-
scow River, which were followed by bridges. Russia's first university and first newspaper
were started in Moscow. This new intellectual and literary scene would soon give rise to a
nationalist-inspired cultural movement, which would embrace those features of Russia that
were distinctly different from the West.
In 1682 Peter I was installed as tsar. His half-sister, Sofia Alekseyevna, acted as regent,
advising from her hiding place behind the throne. This two-seated throne - complete with
hidden compartment - is on display at the Kremlin Armoury.
The Kremlin sat abandoned and empty from 1712 until 1773, when Catherine the Great
commissioned a residence there. Construction of the palace did not move forward due to
lack of funding. But several years later, architect Matvey Kazakov did build the handsome
neoclassical Senate building, which stands today.
