|
Brooding and glittering in the heart of Moscow, the Kremlin (daily except Thurs 10am-5pm) thrills and tantalizes whenever you see its towers stabbing the skyline, or its cathedrals and palaces arrayed above the Moskva River. Its name is synonymous with Russia's government, and in modern times assumed connotations of a Mecca for believers, and the seat of the Antichrist for foes of communism. The founding of the Kremlin is attributed to Prince Yuriy Dolgorukiy, who erected a wooden fort above the confluence of the Moskva and Neglina rivers in about 1147 - although the site may have been inhabited as long ago as 500 BC. Despite raids by the Mongols and Tatars over the years, the Kremlin, under the building programme of Grand Duke Ivan III (1462-1505), grew to confirm Moscow's stature as the centre of Muscovy. However, as with Red Square, the Kremlin was also largely neglected during the reign of Peter the Great (1682-1725), when he spurned Moscow for St Petersburg - a situation that remained unchanged until 1918, when Lenin moved the seat of government back to Moscow. One ticket , for a dollar or so, admits you to the Kremlin, while separate tickets for about $5 each are required to enter its cathedrals and the Patriarch's Palace. A ticket valid for all sights is available for around $20. While it's possible to see almost everything in one visit, a couple of visits are better if you have the time: one to see the inside and outside of the cathedrals, and another for touring the Armoury Palace, which can only be entered at set times. Visitors' movements within the Kremlin are strictly controlled, with white lines and whistle-tooting policemen marking the limits beyond which you can stroll (or even cross the road) - the following descriptions are structured to take account of these restrictions. Roughly two-thirds of the Kremlin is off-limits to tourists - namely the trio of buildings in the northern half of the citadel, and the wooded Secret Garden sloping down towards the river. The accessible part begins around the corner from the Great Kremlin Palace (closed to the public, except for occasional ballet performances), from where the Patriarch's Palace heaves into view. The latter now houses a Museum of Seventeenth-Century Life and Applied Art , displaying ecclesiastical regalia, period furniture and domestic utensils. The exhibition concludes in the former Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles , which forms part of the same structure, also painted flesh-pink. Moving further along, the Tsar Cannon (Tsar-pushka), cast by Andrey Chokhov in 1586, is one of the largest cannons ever made and was intended to defend the Saviour Gate, but it has never been fired. Close by looms the earthbound Tsar Bell (Tsar-kolokol), the largest bell in the world, cast in 1655. Beyond the Patriarch's Palace lies Cathedral Square (Sobornaya ploshchad), the historic heart of the Kremlin, surrounded by a superb array of buildings that give the square its name. Soaring above the square, the magnificent white Ivan the Great Bell Tower (Kolokolnya Ivana Velikovo) provides a focal point for the entire Kremlin, being the tallest structure within its walls. Opposite stands the oldest and most important of the Kremlin churches, the Cathedral of the Assumption (Uspenskiy sobor), which has symbolized Moscow's claim to be the protector of the seat of Russian Orthodoxy ever since the seat of the Church was transferred here from Vladimir in 1326. The cathedral was rebuilt in 1479 by the Bolognese architect Alberti Fioravanti, and its subsequent history reflects its role as Russia's premier church, used throughout tsarist times for coronations and solemn acts of state. Given the cathedral's exalted status, its exterior is remarkably plain, while the interior is spacious, light and echoing, its walls, roof and pillars entirely covered by icons, and frescoes applied onto a gilt undercoating. Tucked away beside the Cathedral of the Assumption is the lowly white Church of the Deposition of the Robe (tserkov Rizpolozheniya). The last of the great churches to be erected on Cathedral Square, the Cathedral of the Archangel (Arkhangelskiy sobor), was built in 1505-08 as the burial place for the rulers of Muscovy. Unlike the vernacular Cathedral of the Assumption, its debt to the Italian Renaissance is obvious: four heavy square pillars take up much of the dimly lit interior, which is covered in frescoes. Around the walls and pillars cluster the tombs of Russia's rulers from Grand Duke Ivan I to Tsar Ivan V. Across from here glints the golden-domed Cathedral of the Annunciation (Blagoveshchenskiy sobor), which served as the private church of the grand dukes and tsars. Restored in 1562-64, the cathedral is lofty and narrow, with an interior that seems far more "Russian" than the other Kremlin cathedrals. It also houses some of the finest icons in Russia, with works by Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev. Situated between the Great Kremlin Palace and the Borovitskiy Gate, the Armoury Palace (Oruzheynaya palata; by ticket purchased in advance; $12, $6 for students) conceals a staggering array of treasures behind its Russo-Byzantine facade - among them the tsars' coronation robes, carriages, jewellery, dinner services and armour - whose splendour and curiosity value outweigh the trouble and expense involved in seeing them. The exhibits are labelled in Russian only. The palace also houses the State Diamond Fund (Almazniy Fond; 20min guided tours; tickets can occasionally be purchased at the Armoury counter for around $15), which contains the most valuable gems in Russia. Those with the energy should also try viewing the Kremlin from different vantage points . The view from across the Moskva River is the finest in Moscow, with a glorious panorama of palaces and cathedrals arrayed above the wall that stretches from the Vodovzodnaya (Water-Drawing) Tower to the Moskva River Tower below Red Square. From high up on the Bolshoy Kamenniy bridge, you can even glimpse the Terem Palace, which is inaccessible to visitors. Lastly, you might consider walking right around the outside of the Kremlin walls, which total 2,235 metres in length.
Your Tip for Kremlin
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Kremlin - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Kremlin - visit the main Kremlin forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Kremlin webguide section below! Thanks.
|
