St. Andrew's Hall. Grand Kremlin Palace. We apologize for any inconvenience caused

Today, ceremonial state events are held here - awarding orders, presenting prizes, conferring military and civil ranks, signing important state treaties.

Before we talk about the famous halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace, let us briefly recall the history of the latter.

The palace was built between 1838 and 1849. The decree on the start of construction was issued by Emperor Nicholas I. The best architects of the country were involved in the work, and the main leadership was entrusted to the architect Konstantin Andreevich Ton.

The impressive building of the Grand Kremlin Palace faces the Moscow River flowing behind the Kremlin walls, below the slope. The building was built as a temporary residence for the Russian emperors during their visit to the Mother See of the Capital.

Although the building looks like a 3-level building from the outside, it is actually only two floors. The lower level protrudes somewhat beyond the plane of the upper floors, which made it possible to arrange an open terrace for walking above it.

There are a total of 5 main halls in the palace, which will be discussed in this article:

The St. Andrew's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace is also called the throne room. It received its name from the order in honor of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. It was preserved in its original form from 1849 to 1932, after which, during Soviet times, it was combined with the neighboring Aleksandrovsky to create the Conference Hall of the USSR Armed Forces. It was restored between 1994 and 1998 according to the design of S.V. Demidova.

Ten gilded pylons of St. Andrew's Hall, as well as decorated doors, are decorated with chains and crosses from the paraphernalia of the Russian Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. On top of the window openings are the coats of arms of the provincial entities that existed in the Russian Empire.

At the end of the St. Andrew's Hall of the Kremlin there is a throne, equipped with seats for three stylized thrones for the reigning persons - Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna and mother Maria Fedorovna, as well as an improvised entryway with an ermine frame. Real thrones and vestibules can be seen today in the halls of the Kremlin Armory.

On top of the throne is a radiant All-Seeing Eye made of gold.

Photo 1. St. Andrew's Hall of the Kremlin and the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called

The Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace is named after the order in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky, which was established in the Russian Empire in 1725 by decree of Empress Catherine the First.

Its wall planes are decorated with pinkish marble, the dome vault and adjacent sail vaults are decorated with order coats of arms and stars.

The appearance of the latter is repeated on the upholstery of the backs of the chairs, which are made of velvet in the color of the order ribbon.

On the walls of the Alexander Hall of the Kremlin there are paintings depicting episodes from the life of Prince Alexander Nevsky.

As mentioned above, together with St. Andrew's Hall, it was destroyed during the USSR and also restored in the 1990s.

Nowadays, meetings of the State Council of the Russian Federation are periodically held in the Alexander Hall.

Photo 2. Alexander Hall of the Kremlin and the Order of Alexander Nevsky

The Vladimir Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace is unusual in its layout. In principle, it is a square with sides of about 16 meters, but due to the arrangement of the corner niches it looks like an octagon.

The decorative design uses the colors inherent in the Russian order in honor of St. Vladimir.

The hipped vault in the form of a 16-sided structure was made using ceramic pots, which made it possible to both lighten the structure itself and give the room excellent acoustic properties. The Vladimir Hall of the Kremlin is illuminated through a specially constructed opening at the top.

A flight of stairs leads visitors to the premises of the Terem Palace.

Photo 3. Vladimir Hall of the Kremlin and the Order of St. Vladimir

St. George's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace is the main hall. It received its name from the Russian order in honor of St. George the Victorious, which was established by Empress Catherine II in 1769, after which it became the highest military order of the then Russia.

The premises of the St. George's Hall of the Kremlin are made in white, blue and gold tones. The hall is rightfully a kind of temple of military valor.

Gold stars are installed on the wall planes, as well as order armbands with the inscription “For service and bravery.”

The total length of St. George's Hall is about 61 meters, with a width of 20.5 and a height of 17.5 meters. On the walls there are panels with the names of military units and lists of St. George's cavaliers. The top of the columns located near the walls are decorated with sculptural sculptures by Vitali, symbolizing the territories that were part of the Russian territory.

Six gilded bronze chandeliers are installed under the ceiling, and the flooring is made of 20 species of valuable trees, laid out in an original pattern.

During the years of Soviet power, government receptions, awards and meetings of senior leadership with the people were held in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. Today this tradition continues to exist.

It is worth noting that it was in the St. George Hall of the Kremlin that the ceremony of signing the agreement on the admission of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation took place. This happened on March 18, 2014.

Photo 4. St. George's Hall of the Kremlin and the Order of St. George the Victorious

The Catherine Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace is also one of the state halls. At the time of its creation, it was the throne room for Russian empresses.

The hall is named after the Order in the name of St. Catherine, which was established by Peter I back in 1713 and, in fact, was the only women's order in the Russian Empire.

The parquet floor is made with a stylized image of the Order of St. Catherine in the form of a gilded design. An image of the order framed by artificial diamonds and the inscription “For Love and the Fatherland” is also present on the wall planes and front doors of the room.

The total length of the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin is about 21 meters. The main noticeable element of the room are the pilasters, decorated with malachite inserts, and mounted on powerful pillars near the doorways.

The walls and vaults are decorated with moiré of a grayish tint with a frame made of material that matches the pattern of the order ribbon. Also used as decoration is gilded stucco molding made by Russian craftsmen.

The geometric pattern of the parquet flooring of the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin was designed by academician Fyodor Grigorievich Solntsev.

For lighting, gilded chandeliers cast from bronze are used, with candelabra made of the finest crystal, made to special order at one of the imperial glass factories in St. Petersburg.

Photo 5. Catherine Hall of the Kremlin and the Order of St. Catherine

We have completed our brief overview of the halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace. We hope that you liked this information and found something new for yourself in it.

Address: Russia, Moscow, Moscow Kremlin
Start of construction: 1838
Completion of construction: 1849
Architect: K. A. Ton
Halls of the palace: Andreevsky, Alexandrovsky, Vladimirsky, Georgievsky, Ekaterininsky
Coordinates: 55°44"59.4"N 37°36"57.2"E
Object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation

The Grand Kremlin Palace is a building of extraordinary beauty, and the view and decoration of all its premises is literally breathtaking! Unfortunately, this building is a government agency and a sensitive facility, so it is almost impossible to get there on a tour.

The story about the Grand Kremlin Palace should begin with the history of its construction, which dates back several decades and many events.

However, the next empress, Catherine II, did not like the new palace - in her opinion, it was too modest and did not fully correspond to the greatness of the Russian Empire. Therefore, once again the decision was made to rebuild the Moscow imperial residence. Architect V.I. Bazhenov a project for a new palace was developed.

View of the southern façade of the Palace

The scale of the construction was supposed to be considerable - the palace was supposed to occupy the entire territory of the Kremlin near the river, starting from Borovitsky Hill and to the very bank of the Moscow River. To implement this project, several objects were destroyed on the territory of the Kremlin. For example, orders located east of the Archangel Cathedral were demolished. Part of the Kremlin wall between the First, Second and Petrovskaya Nameless Towers and the Tainitsky Gate was also destroyed. The official foundation of the new palace was carried out in 1773. But, what is most interesting, already in 1774, a year after the solemn ceremony, the project was recognized as too large-scale and inappropriate for the tasks that it was supposed to meet. As a result, almost all the destroyed objects were restored, and one building was erected on the prepared site - the Moscow branch of the Senate. At the same time, they did not forget about the old palace - they decided to update it and rebuild it a little.

The story of the construction of the large Kremlin Palace does not end there. When construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior began in Moscow, the idea of ​​renovating it once again came up. The basis was the idea that the new Kremlin Palace should symbolize the renewal of the city.

The initiator of the creation of a new palace on the site of the old Senate office was the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. Architect Konstantin Ton began developing a new project in 1837. It should be noted that the same Konstantin Ton designed and built the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

The Grand Kremlin Palace and new construction technologies

To build a large Moscow palace, Konstantin Ton decided to apply a number of revolutionary innovations for that time. Lightweight, long-span brick vaults and metal roof rafter structures were truly a new word in construction technologies of that time. In addition, cement was used for the first time in the construction of the large Moscow Palace.

About the decoration and halls of the Kremlin Palace

The mixture of styles used in the interior decoration of the large Kremlin Palace is executed with impeccable taste and includes both Renaissance elements and fragments of Russian-Byzantine styles. The palace includes several halls, each of which is worth telling about separately.

The Meeting Hall is the largest hall of the Kremlin Palace

Next to the St. George Hall is the largest hall of the Kremlin Palace - the Meeting Hall. The fact is that the hall turned out to be the largest as a result of the combination in 1933-1934 by the architect Ivanov of two halls at once - Aleksandrovsky and Andreevsky.

During Soviet times, the Meeting Hall had a longer name: the Meeting Hall of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In the period from 1994 to 1998, reconstruction work was carried out to restore the interiors of the combined halls, which were damaged during the redevelopment. The Meeting Hall has an area of ​​1615 square meters. m, with 18-meter ceilings, and the maximum capacity of the hall is 3000 people.

St. George's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace

Perhaps the most beautiful of all. The hall was named in honor of the Order of St. George the Victorious. For those who don’t know, this is the highest award for officers of the Russian army, which was established in 1769. The hall is dedicated to the heroes of Russia's military glory. In the halls there are several marble boards on which the names of regiments, batteries and naval crews are imprinted. The names of more than 10 thousand holders of the Order of St. George the Victorious are also carved. By the way, among those who proudly wore this order are such famous personalities as Alexander Suvorov, Fyodor Ushakov, Mikhail Kutuzov, Pavel Nakhimov and Pyotr Bagration.

The dimensions of the St. George's Hall are as follows: length - 61 m, width 20.5 m, and height 17.5 m. The main colors are white and gold. The 18 pylons that support the ceiling are made in the form of marble statues by I. Vitali.

Fragment of the Palace facade

The lighting elements of the hall also look impressive - see 6 gilded openwork bronze chandeliers (each weighing 1.3 tons) and 40 stylish lamps located on the walls around the perimeter of the hall.

Significant events that took place within the walls of the St. George's Hall include the reception of participants in the Victory Parade in 1945 and the meeting of the first cosmonaut on Earth - Yuri Gagarin.

Vladimir Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace

The Order of St. Vladimir is the award in honor of which the Vladimir Hall is named. The hall is designed in a very interesting way - in the form of an octagon, the lighting of the hall is natural, through the glass dome on the ceiling. In fact, this hall is a key architectural element of the Grand Kremlin Palace. From it you can get to the St. George's Hall, the Faceted Chamber, the Terem Palace and many other rooms. For illumination at night, the hall has a chandelier, also made of gilded bronze. What also attracts attention is the beautiful floor, the parquet of which is made from several noble types of wood. The hall is designed in pink tones, mainly due to the wall cladding made of pink marble.

The Grand Kremlin Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings of the historical and architectural complex of the Moscow Kremlin. The structure was erected on the initiative of Emperor Nicholas I at the end of the 19th century on the site of the ancient grand-ducal palace of Ivan III and the palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, built on its foundation in the 18th century.

Beginning of the reign of NicholasIwas overshadowed by the Decembrist uprising in December 1825 and therefore he, more than his predecessors, needed the external attributes of power. The ruler wanted to build new spacious state halls for holding palace ceremonies, and in addition, the Great Kremlin Palace had to, firstly, demonstrate the historical continuity of power, and, secondly, show its splendor and strength.

That is why elements of the Byzantine-Russian style are used in the design of the building (to show the dynastic connection with the Byzantine emperors), and the five main halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace are dedicated to the highest awards of the Russian army.

In accordance with its ceremonial function, the Grand Kremlin Palace is not so much a building as a monument, telling Russian history and glorifying the Russian army.

Grand Kremlin Palace - brief description

The main task of the architects was to solve the problem of unity of the architectural ensemble of the ancient Kremlin and the new palace. Construction was carried out according to the design of Konstantin Ton. The palace complex included ancient buildings - the Faceted Chamber and the Golden Tsarina Chamber, the Terem Palace and palace churches.

At the same time, the architecture of the building clearly showed the tendency towards gigantism characteristic of Ton and his time. A large-scale two-story yellow building with high arched windows stretches along the Moscow River for 125 meters, its height is 37 meters and it looks like three floors, although the building has two floors.

Entering the palace from the main entrance, you will find yourself in the front lobby, the arch of which is supported by four gray columns made of granite brought from Karelia, from the city of Serdobol (now the city of Sortavala). The lobby is illuminated by four bronze floor lamps, each containing 13 Carcel lamps (invented by the Swiss master Carcel).

Guests climbed to the second floor along the main staircase, its steps (66 in total) were low and wide, so that it was comfortable for ladies in elegant evening dresses to climb and the procession took on a particularly solemn appearance. The walls of the lobby are decorated with yellow marble brought from Kolomna near Moscow.

St. George's Hall

This is one of the most monumental and beautiful halls, dedicated to the highest order of the Russian Empire - the Order of St. George the Victorious. The badge of the order is a gold cross covered in white enamel with the image of George slaying the serpent.

The Order has four degrees of distinction. They were awarded to officers and military units for courage and bravery demonstrated in battle, as well as for length of service. In total, about 11 thousand cavaliers and regular military units were awarded this honorary military title. You will see their names on the wall boards of the hall.

Each of the pylons of the hall ends with a twisted column and a sculpture by Ivan Vitali, symbolizing the region or kingdom of the Russian Empire.

The flooring is original parquet made in 1845, made from 20 valuable types of wood brought from Southeast Asia and South America. One of the decorations of the hall is a copy of the monument to the great Novgorod heroes Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, erected on Red Square.

The main colors of the hall are white and gold: the vault, decorated with stucco, and the sculptures of the hall are white, the names of the St. George cavaliers and military formations on the boards are gold. Six chandeliers cast from bronze are also gilded.

St. George's Hall surprises with its severity and scale. This is a temple of Russian valor, a monument to the military exploits of Russian weapons. As before, government receptions and meetings are held here, and awards are presented.

Alexander Hall

The Alexander Hall is dedicated to the Order of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky. Prince Alexander was known for his piety and courage. The order in his honor was established by Catherine I in 1725, and the motto of the award is “For Labor and Fatherland.”

The Alexander Hall is also huge, its length is 31 meters, width - 21 and height - 20 meters. Konstantin Ton used elements of the Byzantine-Russian style in its design. Designed in 1843, the parquet flooring, with its intricate floral designs, looks like a fabric carpet that shines under a layer of varnish.

Under the dome there are signs of the order - a cross and a star with the monogram of St. Alexander, in the corners there are images of a double-headed eagle.

Historical paintings created by Fyodor Moller, a professor of historical painting at the Academy of Arts, tell the story of the life of St. Alexander Nevsky. The paintings on the western side of the hall tell about the military exploits of the prince, and on the eastern side we see scenes from his peaceful life.

Light from high windows, reflected in numerous mirrors, fills the entire space. White and pink marble are used to decorate the walls, and red velvet in the furniture upholstery matches the color of the order ribbon. Between the twisted gilded columns are the coats of arms of the lands of the Russian Empire.

St. Andrew's Hall

St. Andrew's Hall (Throne) was the main hall of the Kremlin Palace. It is dedicated to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, established by Peter in 1698. The motto of the order is “For faith and fidelity.”

The tetrahedral columns of St. Andrew's Hall form three naves. On the eastern side of the room there is a throne consisting of three thrones, one of them was intended for Nicholas II, the second for his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, and the third for the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the emperor’s mother. Above the throne seat there is a canopy of ermine fur. The vault depicts the all-seeing eye in radiance - the Orthodox symbol of the Trinity.

On the days of the coronation, guests from all lands of the Russian Empire gathered in St. Andrew's Hall to congratulate the emperor.

St. Andrew's Hall amazes with its luxury - the vaults, columns and pylons are covered with gilded stucco, and the capitals (the upper parts of the columns and pylons) are decorated with the insignia of the order - the image of a double-headed eagle, against which is St. Andrew crucified on the cross.

Vladimirsky Hall

The Vladimir Hall is dedicated to another high military award - the Order of St. Vladimir, established in honor of the Kyiv prince Vladimir, under whom the baptism of Rus' took place.

The motto of the order is “Benefit, honor and glory”, and its sign is a gold cross covered with red enamel. The creator of the Grand Kremlin Palace, Konstantin Ton, was also awarded this order.

This is an unusual hall in its shape. In plan, it is a square with a side of 16 meters, but there are niches in the corners, and as a result, the Vladimir Hall looks more like an octagon.

The vault of the hall resembles an ancient tent, into which daylight penetrates through a round lantern, and in the evening the hall is illuminated by a magnificent bronze chandelier. One of the decorations of the hall is the arches decorating the side galleries.

The Vladimir Hall connects the state rooms of the Grand Kremlin Palace with the Faceted Chamber and the Terem Palace.

The ceremonial order halls can be viewed during the tour. Only the Catherine Hall, in which the President of Russia holds official meetings and negotiations, is inaccessible.

Catherine Hall

The Catherine Hall is dedicated to the Order of St. Catherine, established by Peter the Great. The motto of the order is “For love and the fatherland.” The award had two degrees. The Order of Catherine of the first degree was awarded to princesses by birthright, and the second degree to court ladies. The first lady awarded this order was Peter's wife, Catherine I.

Extraordinarily beautiful candelabra appeared here in 1856, when the coronation of Alexander II took place. Two crystal candlesticks were brought from the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg, and four others were taken from the Museum of the Imperial Glass Factory.

Own half

In the southern part of the Kremlin Palace there is a residential part of the building. Here, in the so-called “Own Half,” were the chambers of the emperor and empress. The suite consists of six main rooms:

• The Empress's bedchamber is luxuriously furnished and exquisitely decorated. The design mainly uses two colors - blue and gold. An atmosphere of peace and piety prevails here
• In the Empress's boudoir (the lady's morning room) there is one of the most beautiful fireplaces in the palace, decorated with polished malachite plates. Overlaid gilded details in the form of beads, garlands and rosettes give it a special sophistication
• The Empress's office was decorated at the request of its first owner, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, in the boule style (named after a 17th-century furniture maker). Here, a special type of inlay was used in the decoration of furniture and doors, when plates of tortoiseshell and copper were placed on a wooden base. The upholstery made of fabric with gold thread is also magnificent.
• The Empress's living room is snow-white with gold trim. Eight plaster bas-reliefs are symbols of art, another four depict the seasons. The main decoration of the room is a unique pineapple chandelier, a symbol of hospitality and cordiality.
• The dining room is decorated in a traditional classic style. Stucco ornamentation on the vault, white and yellow marble in the decoration of the walls, in the niches there are marble vases with ancient subjects, sculptures of Leda, the beloved of Zeus and the god of marriage Hyminaeus.

Excursions to the Grand Kremlin Palace

The Grand Kremlin Palace and the Chamber of Facets can only be visited as part of a guided tour by appointment. The cost of the excursion is from 4 thousand rubles (2019), duration is about 1.5 hours. You must be prepared for the fact that the date and time of the excursion may be postponed due to official events. It is recommended to take as little personal belongings as possible on the excursion. Before visiting, several security checks are carried out, just like at the airport. Photography is permitted only in a few state rooms.

The Grand Kremlin Palace was built by Konstantin Ton on the orders of Nicholas I for more than ten years - 1838 to 1849. As the great creators intended, the grandiose structure became reliable and corresponding to the status of the capital.

"The earth begins
as you know, from the Kremlin"
(c) V. Mayakovsky.

How many different palaces have we visited on our travels? But the most important thing in our hometown, the Grand Kremlin Palace, remained completely unattainable for us. In the Kremlin you can officially visit the Armory Chamber, the Diamond Fund, cathedrals, but for some reason the beautiful Grand Kremlin Palace is not on the visit list. Strange. Delegations of all kinds of foreigners and separate excursions for some organizations are taken there, apparently to raise the level of patriotism. We always dreamed of going there and as soon as we had the opportunity to visit the BKD, we gladly took advantage of this opportunity. The object is secure. That’s why you can shoot here, but not here. What this is connected with is again unclear. But those are the rules. As a result, it was possible to film in the state rooms of the Faceted Chamber, but not on the ground floor or in the Terem Palace. But what he saw was still amazing.
1. The Grand Kremlin Palace is one of the most massive buildings inside the Kremlin. Construction of the palace began at the same time as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Its construction was completed in 1849. The palace was supposed to symbolize the new Moscow. However, the old Kremlin buildings were not lost as a result of large construction. And as a result, the Grand Kremlin Palace is connected with the Terem Palace and the Faceted Chamber and forms one whole with them.

2. Let's start with the Chamber of Facets. Here in the distance are the doors that lead to the Red Porch.

3. And this room itself is the Holy Entrance. By the way, the Chamber of Facets was restored in 2012 and now appears before visitors in all its splendor. By the way, does anyone know what that thing is on the right side of the wall? Maybe these are the air ducts of the ventilation or heating system.

4. Beautiful painting and gilding all around - it looks very rich.

By the way, here is an archival photo. Here you can see that the current parquet is much more interesting than in the photo from the beginning of the last century.

5. Paintings in arches on religious themes. It is surprising that in the time of Peter I the paintings were painted over and the vaults were covered with a rag with the image of a double-headed eagle.

6. A little more parquet.

7. There are very beautiful chandeliers here.

8. And door handles.

9. The door portals are also very richly decorated.

10. Chamber of Facets. All the walls are painted here. It can be seen, by the way, that the walls in the room are quite thick.

11. In the middle of the chamber there is a pillar on which the ceiling vaults rest.

12. The vaults themselves are also richly painted.

13. Very beautiful. By the way, the carpet on the floor is also a restored authentic part of the interior.

Here is the reception in honor of the coronation of Alexander III. The royal place attracts attention. A kind of podium with a canopy.

Here's another interesting thing. The interior before restoration of its historical appearance. The walls are draped, the vaults are whitewashed. Around the pillar are shelves with dishes.

And here is the same interior after restoration. Even the royal place looks different.

14. Now there is no royal place in the interior; most likely it was lost in Soviet times, since the chamber was used for receptions in modern times. But the lamps remained authentic.

15. In general, the Chamber of Facets is a special place. For example, the coronation of Alexander III was celebrated here, meetings of the boyar duma were held here, and the capture of Kazan in 1552 was also celebrated here. A place with a lot of history.

16. The painting on the lower part of the walls also looks very cool, as if it were covered with fabric.

17. Very, very beautiful authentic lamps. Fine work.

18. I understand that the paintings on the walls mainly tell about scenes from the life of the king.

19. Another general view of the room. By the way, the hall is not that big. Many people now rent premises or even larger ones to celebrate weddings.

20. However, as I already said, this place is not simple, but with history. By the way, the pattern of the carpet is clearly visible here. In general, the Faceted Chamber looks very authentic... in the old Russian way, so to speak. It was very interesting to visit here.

21. We leave the Faceted Chamber and passing through the Holy Entrance Hall we find ourselves in the Vladimir Hall.

22. The hall is very solemn and beautiful. In fact, it connects the state halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Faceted Chamber and the old Terem Palace.

23. The hall is named after the Order of St. Vladimir. By the way, the upholstery of the banquettes here is exactly the same color as the order’s ribbon.

24. The staircase leads to the Terem Palace.

It is interesting that during the Russo-Japanese War, a sewing workshop was organized in the halls of the Kremlin Palace where they sewed things to be sent to the front. But in the Vladimir Hall the packing of things took place.

25. Ceiling with a translucent lantern that lets light in. The vaults are decorated with gilded ornaments and images of the Order of St. Vladimir. There is also a very beautiful gilded chandelier.

26. The doors leading to the St. George's Hall repeat their shape as the windows on the facade of the building.

27. On the glass there is an ornament and an image of the Order of St. George.

28. The same goes for door handles.

29. The most pompous, most beautiful of all the halls is St. George's Hall.

30. There is a beautiful and complex pattern on the parquet. Huge gilded chandeliers. High ceilings.

31. The hall is huge. There are windows in two rows on both sides.

Here is an interesting shot from Soviet times. It looks like a Kremlin Christmas tree for Soviet pioneers.

32. In the niches there are tablets with the names of the holders of the order. The upholstery of the banquettes also follows the colors of the St. George ribbon.

33. The decoration of the St. George's Hall does not have as much gilding as in other parts of the BKD. Everything here is done in white colors, with stucco on the vaults and supporting columns. The only gold ones here are the images of the St. George's Stars.

34. Let’s appreciate the amazing parquet flooring again. A large number of types of wood, a complex pattern - this is a very delicate work.

35. Very beautiful. On the left side, the shape of the niches for nameplates follows the shape of the windows, as does the far wall with doors. So St. George's Hall was designed in the spirit of symmetry.

36. The parquet is protected and walking on it is not allowed. No wonder, such beauty.

37. In the ceiling you can see water camouflaged ceiling moldings, I think they are ventilation holes.

38. Another view. Pay attention to the sculptures standing on the columns between the windows.

39. Chic bronze gilded chandelier.

40. The numbers are impressive. The length of the hall is 61 meters, width 20.5, ceiling height - 17.5. The ceiling is supported by 18 pylons. The weight of one of the six chandeliers is 1.3 tons

41. The next hall is Alexandrovsky. It is interesting that in Soviet times, the Alexander and the next St. Andrew’s halls were united, all the beauty was dismantled.

It looked like this. This was the meeting room of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Quite sad.

42. In the mid-90s, a decision was made to reconstruct the Alexander and St. Andrew’s halls in their original form. And from 1994 to 1998 they were restored. In fact, these are replicas of the original interiors.

43. There is much more gilding here, especially after the “modest” St. George’s Hall. On the doors there is an image of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. Even the chairs are decorated with his image.

44. A very elegant hall, and even the curtains match the ribbon.

45. Here again, there is complete symmetry, the openings on the “blank” wall repeat the window openings. Mirrors also give the effect of light pouring from the windows.

Here is another photo from the time of the Russo-Japanese War.

46. ​​There are also luxurious chandeliers and a richly decorated ceiling with images of orders woven into the ornament.

47. Gilded columns.

48. The view is very formal.

49. On the door handle there is again an image of the order.

50. Next is another hall - Andreevsky. It was he who was the throne room of the Kremlin Palace. Accordingly, there is a throne, or rather three, and above them is the sign of the all-seeing eye.

51. Doors between the halls. Each is decorated with a ribbon with its own order.

52. Wall decoration and curtains in the color of the ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called - blue.

Here is a unique photo from the 90s. Restorers at work.

And here's another.

53. This is exactly what the miniatures on the columns at the top are painting.

Restoring parquet. In general, it is very interesting to see how all this was done.

54. Above the first row of windows along the perimeter are the coats of arms of the Russian provinces.

55. The design is again stucco with gilding.

56. Above the three throne seats there is an ermine canopy. They say that.... ermine is not real! The thrones are also not real - they are copies, but the real thrones have been preserved, now they are in the Armory.

57. The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called is the only one that is equipped with a chain. That is, the ceremonial version of the holder of the order should include such a chain, which is depicted on the doors of the hall.

58. Let's take another look at the throne. Very festive.

59. By the way, the side windows of the Andreevsky and Alexander halls overlook the Moscow River, from here there should be a beautiful view of Bolotny Island and Zamoskvorechye.

Other rooms on the second floor are not accessible to the public, as they contain the working premises of the Russian President. And no one is allowed there even in his absence. We also visited the Malachite Hall, which runs parallel to the Andreevsky and Alexander Halls, the Terem Palace - a very beautiful, authentic place, as well as the living quarters of the emperor and his family on the first floor, but it was impossible to film in all these rooms, which is a pity, there is something there look!

P.S.
I usually find all archival photos on

(Russian: Grand Kremlin Palace; English: Grand Kremlin Palace)

Opening hours: The palace is closed to the public. You can visit it only as part of organized excursions, upon prior request, with the submission of passport data and agreement on the date of the visit.

The Grand Kremlin Palace is one of the palaces of the Moscow Kremlin. It stands on the high Borovitsky hill. The palace was built in the period from 1838-1849. Previously, there was a palace on this site, built in the 18th century by the architect B.-F. Rastrelli, and before that - the Grand Duke's Palace of Ivan III. The first stone buildings of the Grand Kremlin Palace were built by the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin in 1499-1508.

Historically, after the capital was moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg, the Kremlin palaces lost their former significance. During the reign of Tsarina Anna Ioannovna, who spent a significant part of her time in Moscow, more attention was paid to the palaces, but the large Kremlin Palace of that time was increasingly dilapidated. Under Anna Ioannovna, new imperial apartments “Winter Annenhof” - a wooden palace in the Baroque style (architect B.-F. Rastrelli) were erected on the basement of the old palace.

Under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the imperial court again lived in St. Petersburg, but in the Kremlin, anyway, it was decided to build a new royal residence. The new building externally resembled the Great Peterhof Palace.

When Catherine II ascended the throne, this palace was recognized as not corresponding to the greatness of the Russian Empire, and it was decided to replace it with a new building. The new palace was to be located throughout the riverine territory of the Kremlin, spreading from the banks of the Moscow River to the entire Borovitsky Hill.

On June 1, 1773, the ceremonial laying of the new palace took place. However, it soon became clear that such large-scale construction was impractical and work was stopped in 1774. The destroyed Kremlin wall and towers were restored, and instead of a grandiose palace, only a building was built for the Moscow branch of the Senate.

Until 1812, there were no new attempts to renovate the palace, but the start of construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior again raised the question of building a new Kremlin palace, which would symbolize the renewal of Moscow.

The new residence was built on the initiative of Nicholas I. The design of the palace was entrusted to the famous architect Konstantin Ton, the author of the design of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. As a model for the stylistic solution of the proposed palace, Thon was instructed to take the design solution of the Kolomna Palace (1836, architect Stackenschneider, the project was not implemented), which developed the composition of the Kremlin Terem Palace in monumental forms.

Initially, the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Armory were considered as a single complex, which was to be built simultaneously. In 1842, construction was divided into two phases.

The palace building forms a rectangle with a courtyard. Externally, the palace is decorated in the style of previous centuries: its facades are decorated with carved white stone pediments, and the windows are decorated with carved frames with double arches and a weight in the middle, as in the towers of the 17th century. From the main façade the building appears to be three stories high, but in reality it has only two floors. Thanks to the arched windows separated by thin partitions, this first floor of the palace looks like an enclosed gallery. In the center of the palace above the roof there is a tribune, completed with a gilded balustrade.

The length of the Kremlin Palace is 125 meters, height is 47 meters, and the total area is 25,000 m². The palace complex, known as the Grand Kremlin Palace, in addition to the building of the palace itself, also includes some buildings from the period of the 15th - 17th centuries, which in the past were part of the grand duke and then the royal residence (the Faceted Chamber, the Golden Tsarina Chamber, the Terem Palace, palace churches) .

The total number of rooms in the palace complex reaches 700. Five halls of the palace (George, Vladimir, Aleksandrovsky, Andreevsky and Catherine), named after the orders of the Russian Empire, are currently used for state and diplomatic receptions and official ceremonies, and the palace itself is the ceremonial residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

When constructing the palace complex, Konstantin Ton to some extent repeated the layout of the previous palace, and the architectural design echoes the legendary architectural structures of antiquity. For example, the arcade of the first tier of the palace is a remake of the Aleviz basement; the terrace on top of the arcade repeats the old walkways and connects the ensemble in space; the winter garden, above the new passage, is reminiscent of the hanging gardens of antiquity; carved figured frame of window openings of the two-story second floor, profiled pilasters between them; the central elevated part with kokoshniks, covered with a dome, echoes the architecture of the Terem Palace. But Ton was not afraid to introduce innovations in the construction of the palace - it was the first structure in Russian architecture with long-span lightweight brick vaults and metal truss roof structures.

P The grand entrance of the Grand Kremlin Palace is inconspicuously located in the southern facade of the building, that is, from the side of the Moscow River, from where the visitor enters a marble vestibule with monolithic columns made of Serdobol granite (Serdobol is a city on the shore of Lake Ladoga). On the left side of the vestibule is the so-called Own Half of Their Imperial Majesties, stretching in a long suite of rooms along the main facade. A remarkable decoration of the main palace entrance were four bronze floor lamps, cast and assembled in Moscow at the Krumbugel factory.

A staircase consisting of sixty-six gentle steps leads to the second floor of the Grand Kremlin Palace, to the state halls. The main staircase is decorated with yellow Kolomna marble, which is used to line the columns along the flights and flights of the stairs. The pointed arches of the main staircase are installed on this marble colonnade. The flights of stairs are illuminated by twelve bronze chandeliers, made in the same style as the floor lamps of the Grand Entrance Hall.

On the second floor, on both sides of the main staircase, ten pylons made of yellow Kolomna marble frame the side platforms - galleries. On the right hangs a painting depicting the battle of Dmitry Donskoy with the Tatars on the Kulikovo Field in 1380. It was painted in 1850 by the French artist A. Yvon, a student of P. Delharosh. The left platform leads to the State Rooms.

The magnificent interior decoration of the palace is made in different styles, from the Renaissance to the Byzantine-Russian style. The most beautiful hall is St. George's, named after the Order of St. George the Victorious - the highest and most revered order in the Russian army, established by Empress Catherine II in 1769 to reward officers and generals. The motto of the order is “For service and courage.” This was the most honorable award for the military, the highest order of the Russian army. The appearance of the St. George's Hall in the Grand Kremlin Palace thus turned the imperial residence into a monument to the military exploits of Russian weapons. This hall does not amaze with its boundless luxury, but rather with its severity and scale.

The longitudinal walls of the hall are cut with deep niches. In the niches and on the walls there are marble plaques on which the names of famous military units and the names of the St. George cavaliers are written in gold letters. Here are the names of 545 regiments, naval crews and batteries and more than 10,000 names of officers and generals awarded this order. Among the holders of the Order of St. George are such people as Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov, Pyotr Bagration, Fyodor Ushakov, Pavel Nakhimov.

St. George's Hall is the largest room of the palace. Its length is 61 meters, width – 20.5 meters, height 17.5 meters. White and gold are the main colors of the St. George's Hall, white are the vaults, walls and sculptures, gold are the names of the St. George's Knights and military formations on the boards and edges of the piols. The hall is decorated with 18 powerful twisted columns, covered with ornaments and crowned with statues of victories with laurel wreaths and memorable dates. The marble statues, on pylons, allegorically symbolize the regions and kingdoms that make up the multinational state. On the southern and northern walls of the room there are bas-reliefs depicting St. George and the serpent, their author is Pavel Kladsh. The insignia of the order decorate the upper part of the walls of the snow-white St. George's Hall.

During ceremonial receptions, officers gathered in the hall, on whose uniforms the same signs that decorated the walls of the hall sparkled. In 1945, in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, a ceremonial reception for participants of the Victory Parade on Red Square was held. Here, the world's first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, was greeted with honors.

To illuminate the hall, there are six openwork gilded bronze chandeliers, weighing 1,300 kilograms each, 40 wall sconces, and gilded furniture upholstered in silk, the colors of the St. George's ribbon. The ceiling is decorated with stucco in the form of floral patterns. The original parquet flooring, made in 1845, has been preserved in the St. George's Hall. To complete it, 20 rare types of wood were required: Indian rosewood, African padauk, beech, ash, plane tree and many others.

The Alexander Hall was built in honor of the Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, established on May 25, 1725 by Empress Catherine I. The motto of the order is “For Labor and the Fatherland.” Six historical paintings were created and mounted in the upper niches of the end sides of the hall. On the western side are the military exploits of the prince, on the eastern are scenes from his peaceful life, a builder of monasteries, an enlightened and just ruler.

The hall has a rectangular shape and occupies the central part of the second floor, along the southern facade of the Grand Kremlin Palace. In the central part of the hall there is a large elliptical dome resting on four powerful pylons. In the golden bas-reliefs of the dome, the insignia of the order with the monogram S.A. - Sanctus Alexander - St. Alexander stands out clearly. At the corners of the dome and above the massive gilded doors there are double-headed eagles.

The huge, two-tier windows of the Alexander Hall face south and literally flood all the rooms with light reflected in numerous mirrors. The walls are decorated with white and pink artificial marble, red velvet, and the furniture is upholstered in the color of the sash. The luxurious gilded decoration of the hall is in harmony with the unique parquet floor made of 20 types of trees.

According to the project of academician F.G. Solntsev, in the St. Petersburg workshop of Yegor Skvortsov, enfilade swing doors covered with wooden carvings and gilding were made. An important decorative element in the decoration of the hall was the gilded and silver-plated copper coats of arms of the provinces and regions of the Russian Empire made by Vasily Krumbugel, painted with oil paints on gold and silver boards to look like enamel.

St. Andrew's Hall (throne room), which was the main hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in the 19th century, has been recreated in its original splendor. St. Andrew's throne room was erected in honor of the highest order of Russia - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, established by Peter the Great on March 10, 1698. The motto of the order is “For faith and fidelity.” St. Andrew's Hall has gilded doors with order crosses and chains of the Order of St. Andrew, 10 bronze chandeliers and 35 sconces, two unique fireplaces made of gray-violet jasper, as well as three thrones under ermine and a unique parquet mosaic made of many valuable types of wood. The walls of the hall are covered with blue silk fabric the color of St. Andrew's Order Ribbon.

This is one of the five ceremonial order halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace, located along the main ceremonial southern facade of the palace. Its huge space is strictly organized by five pairs of powerful supports. They divide its entire volume into three naves - large, central and smaller side ones. With its gilded pointed arches, two rows of majestic tetrahedral pylons, with the image of the All-Seeing Eye, in golden rays, above the imperial throne, the hall resembles a temple.

Three throne seats rise against its eastern wall, under ermine canopies. During the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II, they were intended for the emperor, empress, and dowager empress - the mother of Nicholas II. The imperial throne is surrounded by a tent, with an entrance of six steps, and covered with gold brocade. The tent is decorated with a magnificent ermine mantle. On the ceiling of the tent is the state emblem of the Russian Empire - a double-headed eagle. The wall above the tent is also decorated with the image of the state coat of arms, and on the sides of the tent there are double-headed eagles with St. Andrew's cross on the chest.

St. Andrew's Hall is illuminated through eighteen windows and two balcony doors to the southoh walls, cut into two tiers, strictly one above the other. On the opposite side there are doors leading to the Cavalry Hall and the Antechamber. The most solemn events of national importance are held in the St. Andrew's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Mirrored doors in the northern wall of the St. George's Hall lead to the Vladimir's Hall. The Vladimir Hall conveys the history of the Order of St. Vladimir - one of the first Russian princes. It was established in honor of the Kyiv prince Vladimir, under whom the baptism of Rus' took place. The motto of the Order of St. Vladimir is “Benefit, honor and glory.” Many honored citizens were awarded the order, including one of the creators of the Kremlin Palace, architect Konstantin Ton.

This tall, octagonal hall from the 19th century ties together palaces from five centuries. The walls and pilasters of the Vladimir Hall are lined with pink marble. The Vladimir Hall amazes with its artistic design: pink marble walls and pilasters, molded gilded ornaments of vaults and cornices give this hall a fabulous beauty. The vault of the Vladimir Hall resembles Russian tents, the arches of the bypass side galleries seem to repeat the outlines of ancient arches.

The wide arches of the first tier give way to the triple, tighter arches of the second tier to go into the vaults of the dome covered with solid, gilded stucco. This molded gilded ornament was made, as on the cornices, by the molders the Dylev brothers.

In this hall during the day, light penetrates the glass lantern on the dome arch, and in the evening it is illuminated by a huge bronze gilded chandelier, the weight of which is about three tons. It is lowered to the height of the galleries of the second tier, and seems to float in the center of the space. The floor, according to a drawing by Academician F. G. Solntsev, is made of numerous valuable types of wood. From the hall you can get to the Faceted Chamber, St. George's Hall, Terem Palace and other rooms of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

On the Front half of the palace there is the Catherine Hall - in the past it was the throne room of Russian empresses. It is located somewhat away from the enfilade of ceremonial order halls on the second floor of the Grand Kremlin Palace. The Order of St. Catherine was established by Peter I in 1714 - this is the only women's order in Russia, its motto was “For love and the fatherland.” In the middle of the 19th century, this is where the throne of Her Imperial Majesty was located.

The Catherine Hall is relatively small - its length is 21 meters. The splendor of this hall is successfully combined with the special sophistication of decoration, comfort and intimacy. Badges of the order with the motto “For Love and the Fatherland”, sprinkled with large artificial diamonds, are located on the walls and doors of the hall. A gilded image of the Order of St. Catherine, placed on a silver field, also decorates the doors of the Empress's throne room.

The hall is illuminated by bronze gilded chandeliers and six crystal candelabra, unusual in design and beauty, made at the Imperial Glass Factory in St. Petersburg. The walls are covered with gray moire and a scarlet border of an order ribbon. On the massive pillars there are pilasters decorated with a pattern made of small pieces of malachite. The vaults and cornices of the hall are decorated with gilded stucco. The parquet of the Catherine Hall is of high artistic value.

Directly adjacent to the Catherine Throne Hall is the Green Living Room. It is intended to receive especially honored guests.

The ceiling of the semicircular hall is painted with floral patterns, and the walls are upholstered in fabric (artist Giuseppe Colombo Artari). The arrangement of furniture here was thought out and coordinated with the architectural features of the living rooms.

The main decoration of the living room is richly inlaid furniture, bronze crystal chandeliers and floor lamps. In the front living room there are three huge candelabra, two of which are made in the Chinese style and one in the Japanese style. The furniture was covered in gold brocade with a green pattern. The same fabric was also used for wall upholstery.

Behind the Catherine Hall, in the Front half, there are the former royal State drawing room and the State bedchamber. The interior of the State Drawing Room (now the Red Drawing Room) is exceptionally elegant. It has an alcove with monolithic columns made of gray-green marble, which harmonize well with the bright crimson upholstery of the walls and furniture. For cladding the fireplace, jasper of a green-blue tone with a beautiful wavy pattern is used, well presented by the Russian master stone-cutter, who managed to highlight the advantages of the Ural ornamental stone.

The red living room is decorated in the Renaissance style. Its design uses white, pinkish-gray and green marble. In the 19th century, the walls and “Gambs” furniture were covered with silver brocade with golden flowers. They were fully combined with pilasters, friezes and columns supporting the vaults. Rosewood doors inlaid with gilded bronze and mother-of-pearl in the boule style lead to the adjacent Green Living Room and the Catherine Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Its own half, intended personally for the emperor and his family, is located on the first floor of the palace. The enfilade of residential premises of the Own Half is stretched along the main facade of the palace, and consists of seven main living rooms and four small passage rooms intended for duty and waiting for courtiers. The interiors of the Own Half correspond to the monumental architecture of the palace, and at the same time, they are characterized by intimacy and homeliness. In the design of these premises, decorators used artistic methods of Baroque, Rococo, and Classicism styles.

Its own half consists of seven rooms: Dining Room, Living Room, Empress's Study, Boudoir, Bedroom, Emperor's Study and Reception Room. Despite the fact that each room has its own style, all rooms together represent one whole. Its own half is a museum of Russian residential palace interiors, almost entirely preserved without significant alterations or additions.

The artists who decorated the palace paid great attention not only to architectural details, but also to the selection of furniture, candelabra, fireplaces, and chandeliers. The fireplaces are made of malachite and marble. The Boudoir, Living Room, Study and Bedroom are decorated with a variety of porcelain items - vases, floor lamps, a chandelier that looks like a luxurious bouquet topped with a pineapple fruit. A significant place in the former living rooms of the palace is occupied by bronze objects - clocks, candelabra. On the fireplaces made of malachite and marble there are clocks of French work - they were ordered specifically for the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Lighting was important. It was supposed to add even more splendor to the interiors, which is why each crystal chandelier in the palace is original, each with its own design and shape of pendants. Huge mirrors, as well as gilding, inlay, modeling, carving, give the palace rooms an unusually solemn and pompous look. Interior doors made of valuable wood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell, are made on spikes without a single nail. The door patterns in the palace are never repeated. To cover the walls, as well as for curtains and other things, fabric of a certain color was used in each room. Those that were especially dilapidated were remade by craftsmen from Pavlovsky Posad.

The enfilade of the Own half opens with the huge Dining Hall. Its walls are lined with white and yellow artificial marble. The vaulted ceilings, with stucco decoration, rest on a massive central pillar, which visually connects the appearance of this room with the architectural design of the Chamber of Facets. Decorative principles of classicism are used in the decoration of the Dining Room. There is a calm combination of artificial marble tones, white marble statues of the mythological characters Leda and Hymen, and vases in the Borghese style.

The Empress's boudoir is created in soothing colors, the walls and furniture are upholstered in pink silk. Boudoir furniture includes 24 items of different shapes: sofas, tables and chairs. The furniture is made of walnut wood.

In the boudoir there is also one of the most beautiful fireplaces in the palace; it seems to be hewn from solid stone - the malachite plates are so tightly fitted and polished. The shape, proportions, smoothly curved lines of all its designs only emphasize its beauty, and the applied gilded decorations add special sophistication. Mantel clocks attract attention with their intricate shape and fancy mechanism. The enamel circle is a calendar that shows the months, days of the week and the phase of the moon (the lower part of the watch). Above it is a vase-shaped clock with a fixed lizard-shaped hand and two rotating dials. Arabic numerals showed minutes, and Roman numerals showed hours. All this is in bronze and gilded design.

Behind the Empress's Boudoir is the Bedchamber. Blue-pearl tones, combined with white and gold, create the feeling of a clear night sky. The bedchamber is dominated by two colors – blue and gold. The Empress's bedchamber is luxurious and sophisticated at the same time. An atmosphere of peace and piety reigns here.

The entirely gilded furniture set is created in the Renaissance style. This set contains 31 items. The fireplace, made of white Carrara marble, is decorated with a clock called “Night”.

The “Night” watch has a dial in the form of a dark blue ball with applied numbers, stars and two bronze figures of cupids on the sides, stands on a gilded stand, with cast gilded female figures.

The Empress's office is emphatically decorative and decorated in the "boule" style. The dominant color is dark crimson, in tune with the spirit of the interior of French palaces of the late 17th - early 18th centuries. Huge mirrors, the production of which began in Russia precisely at this time, and the chandelier repeatedly reflected in them increase the feeling of pomp and fabulous luxury.

The elegance of the interior is given by gilded stucco decorations on the walls and vaults, doors superbly made of valuable wood, and inlaid with tortoiseshell, bronze, and mother-of-pearl. Unknown craftsmen made them without nails or glue, on spikes. The furniture here is upholstered in silk and gold fabric. Gilded exquisite clocks and vases complement the decoration of the Cabinet.

The Empress's living room is snow-white and gold, eight plaster bas-reliefs are symbols of art, and four more, depicting the seasons, decorate it. The furniture set, in the Louis XV style, made of turquoise wood, is also gilded and upholstered in patterned damask. The furniture here is of soft curving designs, in the Rocael style, abundantly decorated with whimsical curls and flowers.

The main decoration of the living room are porcelain products - vases and floor lamps. The ceiling is decorated with a large chandelier with stucco flowers, reminiscent of a lush bouquet topped with a pineapple fruit. It was made by ceramists of the St. Petersburg Imperial Porcelain Factory, in a single copy, especially for the interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Currently, the entire complex of the Grand Kremlin Palace, except for the Armory Chamber, is the main Residence of the President of the Russian Federation.