Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
135
1
THE KREMLIN
This 28-hectare (69-acre) fortress, called
kreml
in Russian, emerged in the 12th century
as a wooden encampment, and survived many an invader to become synonymous with
modern totalitarianism in the 20th century. Physically it's still a citadel, surrounded by
unscalable red-brick walls and tightly guarded gates, though the river and moat that once
protected its north and east sides were filled in nearly 200 years ago. These defenses make
it all the more magical once you get inside, a world away from the din and modernity
beyond. Its oak and birch walls were replaced with white stone ones in the 1360s, which
were replaced again by 2.2km (1
1
⁄
3
miles) of red-brick ramparts in the 1490s. Much of
that brick remains standing today. Most of the buildings inside were wooden, however,
and suffered several devastating fires. Despite its forbidding location and reputation,
Mongol Tatars sacked the fortress in 1382, and revolt and bloodshed were familiar
plagues throughout the centuries. Ivan the Terrible, Ivan the Great, Boris Godunov, and
the first century of Romanov czars ruled from the Kremlin palaces. The Kremlin suffered
some neglect after Peter the Great moved his capital to the swampland of what would
become St. Petersburg, but it flourished again in a very different way when the Soviets
made it the seat of Communist power.
Architecturally, the complex centers around its churches, as did Russian life and poli-
tics until the 20th century. The administrative and residential buildings and the tranquil,
car-free plazas complement the cathedrals and reflect centuries of development and
design. The Russian president no longer lives here, but his motorcade whisks him to
work here every morning. Several buildings used for state functions are off-limits to tour-
ists, with violators strictly reprimanded.
The ticket desk is a confusing affair, with different fees for different buildings and lower
fees for Russians. The ideal itinerary would include everything: entrance to the Kremlin
itself, Cathedral Square, the Armory, and the Diamond Fund. However, the latter two are
open at limited times, not always on the same day. You can purchase tickets separately for
each attraction. At the very least, choose the entrance-plus-Cathedral Square ticket, which
allows you access to the chief buildings and will fill up a good hour or two. Visiting the
cathedrals plus the Armory Museum will take you an entire afternoon.
Cathedral Square (Sobornaya Ploshchad)
forms a monument to Russian
architecture of the 15th and 16th centuries, and its cathedrals deserve a thorough tour
inside and out. It's easiest to start at
Ivan the Great Bell Tower,
which shows selected
pieces from the Armory Museum. The tower was built in three stages over 3 centuries,
starting in 1505, giving it a rather inconsistent appearance. Its heaviest and lowest bell is
a staggering 64 tons (compared to Big Ben's 13.5 tons), but it is still dwarfed by the Czar
7
Impressions
Fortress, sanctuary, seraglio, harem, necropolis, and prison . . . this violent contrast of
the crudest materialism and the most lofty spirituality—are they not the whole his-
tory of Russia, the whole epic of the Russian nation, the whole inward drama of the
Russian soul?
-Maurice Paléologue,
An Ambassador's Memoirs,
1925
