Are there Kremlins in other cities? Moscow Kremlin, past and present. Most likely, until the 18th century, all the towers and walls of the Kremlin were literally “pierced” with numerous secret passages and tunnels

Today the Moscow Kremlin is the official residence of the President of Russia and a symbol of the country. Built to defend an ancient urban settlement, the Kremlin is of great historical value not only for Moscow, but for the entire country. But the Moscow Kremlin is far from the only such structure on the territory of our country.

Moscow Kremlin

In the ancient cities of Rus', since the 9th century, wooden and then stone walls with watchtowers were erected to protect settlements. Later, the central part of the city, surrounded by a defensive wall, began to be called the “Kremlin.” Temples and cathedrals, as well as other objects significant for the city, were located in the area of ​​the city surrounded by a protective wall. Several cities in Russia still have ancient defensive walls, some of which can be compared in beauty to those of the Moscow Kremlin and are even included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. We will tell you about the most historically important and well-preserved ancient fortresses in our review.

Novgorod Kremlin

The Novgorod Fortress, or Novgorod Detinets, is located on the left bank of the Volkhov River and is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The first mention of a fortress in this place dates back to the 11th century. The modern walls of the fortress, which tourists can admire, were built of brick and stone in the 15th century. The Spasskaya and Pokrovskaya towers were erected at the turn of the 13th-14th centuries.

Kazan Kremlin

One of the towers of the Kazan Kremlin

Another Kremlin from the UNESCO list in our country. Various parts of the Kazan Kremlin date back to the 10th-11th centuries. The first fortifications were built by the Bulgars, and then during the Golden Horde. The stone walls and towers that have survived to this day were erected after the capture of the city by Ivan the Terrible in the second half of the 16th century. Today the Kazan Kremlin is a landmark of the city, and it houses the residence of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Astrakhan Kremlin

The Astrakhan Kremlin is one of the well-preserved ancient defensive structures, built in the 16th century. Seven of the eight towers of the Astrakhan Kremlin have been preserved in their original form. The defensive walls of the Kremlin with loopholes and towers are almost 1.5 kilometers long.

Tula Kremlin

The age of the Tula Kremlin is also more than 400 years. This well-preserved architectural monument includes 9 towers and more than 1 kilometer long walls, which are decorated with two-horned battlements. These battlements make the walls similar to those that rise in the Moscow Kremlin.

Pskov Kremlin

Pskov Kremlin

The Pskov Kremlin is one of the oldest in Russia. Some parts of it, such as Dovmontov Town, were built back in the 13th century. 7 towers of the Pskov Kremlin, the Trinity Cathedral and several city buildings have survived to this day.

Smolensk Kremlin

The Smolensk Fortress, or Smolensk Kremlin, was built at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries. Despite the fact that the fortress was badly damaged during the Patriotic War of 1812 (Napoleon's troops destroyed part of the structure during their retreat), there is something to see here. The Kremlin's 17 towers and more than 3 kilometers of brick walls are well preserved.

Zaraisk Fortress

Zaraisk Fortress

The Zaraisky Kremlin was built in the 16th century, when the city was still called Novogorodok-on-Osetra. The Kremlin walls more than once saved this city, located in the Moscow region, from attacks by invaders and withstood a long siege.

Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

The most beautiful historical and architectural monument of Nizhny Novgorod is located on a high bank at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers. The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin was built at the beginning of the 16th century. The 13 towers, brick walls stretching over 2 kilometers and the St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral, also dating from the 16th century, are perfectly preserved.

Kolomna Kremlin

The Kolomna Kremlin was built at the beginning of the 16th century to protect the city from the raids of nomads during the time of Tsar Vasily III. 7 towers, almost 2 kilometers of walls, the Assumption Cathedral on the territory of the Kremlin, two monasteries and several other buildings have survived to this day.

Tobolsk Kremlin

The only Kremlin is located on the territory of Siberia, in the former capital of the Tobolsk province - the city of Tobolsk. The Kremlin was built to protect the city from attacks by nomads in the 17th-18th centuries. 7 towers of the Kremlin have been preserved, and inside it are the Sophia, Intercession and Sophia-Uspensky Cathedrals, as well as other historical buildings.

The Moscow Kremlin is the main attraction of the city. Getting there is quite easy. There are several metro stations, from which you can walk to the Kremlin. The Alexandrovsky Sad station will take you, as you can easily guess, straight to the Alexandrovsky Garden. The Kutafya Tower will already be visible there, where they sell tickets to the Kremlin and to the Armory Chamber. 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 stations Ploshchad Revolyutsii and Kitai-Gorod will take you to Red Square, but from different sides. The first is from the side of the State Historical Museum, the second is from the side. You can also get off at Okhotny Ryad - if you want to stroll along the shopping row of the same name. Just be prepared for unusual prices)).

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

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

History of the Moscow Kremlin.

The word “Kremlin” is very ancient. The Kremlin or Detinets in Rus' was the name given to the fortified part in the center of the city, in other words, a fortress. In the old days, times were different. It happened that Russian cities were attacked by countless enemy forces. That’s when the city’s residents gathered under the protection of their Kremlin. The old and young took refuge behind its powerful walls, and those who could hold weapons in their hands defended themselves from enemies from the walls of the Kremlin.

The first settlement on the site of the Kremlin arose approximately 4,000 years ago. Archaeologists have established this. Shards of clay pots, stone axes and flint arrowheads were found here. These things were once used by ancient settlers.

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

Initially the Kremlin was wooden. An earthen rampart was built around its walls for greater reliability. The remains of these fortifications were discovered during construction work 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. This data was preserved in ancient chronicles. At the beginning of the 14th century, Ivan Kalita began to rule the city. In ancient Rus', a kalyta was a money bag. The prince was so nicknamed because he accumulated great wealth and always carried a small bag of money with him. Prince Kalita decided to decorate and strengthen his city. He ordered the construction of new walls for the Kremlin. They were cut down from strong oak trunks, so thick that you couldn’t wrap your arms around them.

Under the next ruler of Moscow, Dmitry Donskoy, the Kremlin had other walls built - stone ones. Stone craftsmen from all over the area were gathered to Moscow. And in 1367 they got 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 impressed its contemporaries with the beauty of its white walls that from then on Moscow began to be 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 completely defeated the army of Khan Mamai on the Kulikovo field, 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 more than 100 years. During this time, a lot has changed. Russian lands united into one strong state. Moscow became its capital. This happened under the Moscow Prince Ivan III. From that time on, he began to be called the Grand Duke of All Rus', and historians call him “the collector 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 now, 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 quickly built a new one in its place - out of brick. There was quite a lot of clay suitable for its production in the vicinity of Moscow. However, clay is a soft material. To make the brick hard, it was fired in special kilns.

Over the years of construction, Russian masters stopped treating Italian architects as strangers, and even changed their names to the Russian style. So Antonio became Anton, and the complex Italian surname was replaced by the nickname Fryazin. Our ancestors called the overseas lands Fryazhsky, and those who came from there were called Fryazin.

It took 10 years to build the 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 on all sides by water barriers. They were erected one after another, equipped with diversion archers for greater defensive capability. Along with the renovation of the fortress walls, the construction of such famous ones as Uspensky, Arkhangelsky and Blagoveshchensky took place.

After the crowning of the Romanov kingdom, the construction of the Kremlin began at an accelerated pace. The Filaret belfry was built next to the bell tower of Ivan the Great, Teremnaya, Poteshny palaces, Patriarchal chambers and the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles. Under Peter I, the Arsenal building was erected. But after the capital was moved to St. Petersburg, they stopped building new buildings.

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, and unofficially due to negative public opinion. In 1776-87 the Senate building was built

During Napoleon's invasion, the Kremlin suffered enormous damage. Churches were desecrated and looted, and part of the walls, towers and buildings were blown up during the retreat. 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 was 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 placed on pedestals, and the walls and structures of the Kremlin were repeatedly restored.

Varganova Inna Sergeevna

One of the oldest fortresses in Rus', which still retains the name “Detinets”, is located on the left bank of the Volkhov River. The first chronicle mention of the Novgorod Detinets dates back to 1044. A radical restructuring of Detinets took place in 1478 under Ivan III, when Novgorod entered the Moscow state. The Novgorod Detinets, as part of the historical center of Veliky Novgorod, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

One of the main symbols of Russia stands on the high left bank of the Moscow River - Borovitsky Hill, at the confluence of the Neglinnaya River. On an irregular triangle with an area of ​​27.7 hectares, there are four palaces and four cathedrals, surrounded by a wall with towers. The first stone Kremlin, white-walled, was built in the 14th century under Dmitry Donskoy. And under Ivan III in the 15th century, the fortifications were rebuilt by Italian architects and lined with red brick.

Under Ivan III, Nizhny Novgorod played the role of a guard city, so the fortifications were of particular importance. The construction of the huge stone Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin began in 1500 with the construction of the Ivanovo Tower in the coastal part of the city, but the main work began in 1508 and by 1515 the grandiose construction was completed. The main work on the construction of the Kremlin was carried out under the leadership of the Italian architect Pietro Francesco (Peter Fryazin) sent from Moscow.

The white stone Kremlin, which in Pskov has always been called “Krom”. It includes the city of Dovmont, associated with the name of the holy prince Dovmont-Timothy. During the period of the Pskov Republic (14th - early 16th centuries), the Kremlin with its cathedral, veche square and Krom cells was the spiritual, legal and administrative center of the Pskov land.

“All the houses of this city are wooden, but there is a large and strong fortress with stone walls; it contains a very significant number of warriors who hold posts at night - just like in Spain, Italy and Flanders.” This is how Oruj-bek, secretary of the Persian embassy to Boris Godunov, described the Kazan Kremlin. During the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible in 1552, the oak walls of the Khan's fortress were severely damaged. To build a new white-stone Kremlin, the Tsar called on the Pskov architects Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Shirai (builders of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow). The fortress was significantly expanded, 6 towers (out of 13) were built of stone (five were travel towers), but only at the beginning of the 17th century the wooden defensive structures of the Kazan Kremlin were finally replaced with stone ones.

One of the largest and most powerful fortresses of its time, built under Vasily III in 1525-1531. The destruction of Kolomna by the Crimean Khan Mehmed I Giray in 1521 accelerated the replacement of wooden city fortifications with stone ones. But in the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Kremlin, impregnable to enemies, was slowly dismantled for building material by local residents. Only the decree of Nicholas I in 1826 put an end to this.

In 1514, inside the oak fortress, following the example of the Moscow Kremlin, Vasily III ordered the foundation of a “stone city”, built by 1520 (1521). Perhaps it was built by Italian architects after the completion of the Moscow Kremlin at the end of the 15th century. In 1608, Tsar Vasily Shuisky besieged the rebels Ivan Bolotnikov and Ileika Muromets (“Tsarevich Peter”) in the Tula Kremlin. The Kremlin withstood a very long siege, but the Tsar ordered a dam to be built and water from the river flooded the Kremlin, forcing the besieged to surrender.

In Ancient Rus', any large city had a fortified territory - the Kremlin. Consequently, Kremlin is the name of city fortifications in Ancient Rus'. Currently, there are 12 Kremlins left in Russia, which have been well preserved over the centuries and have not changed their urban status.

The modern walls and towers of the Moscow Kremlin were built in 1482 - 1495 by Italian architects from red brick, in place of white stone ones; they were completed in the 17th century. Number of surviving towers: 20, number of gates - 4, wall height: from 5 to 19 meters, wall thickness - from 3.5 to 6.5 meters. In the Moscow Kremlin there are the Assumption, Archangel, Annunciation Cathedrals, several churches, patriarchal chambers, the Terem Palace, the Garnet Chamber, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and other buildings. The Moscow Kremlin has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

2. Rostov Kremlin

The Kremlin complex was built by Rostov Metropolitan Jona Sysoevich as a bishop's house on the shores of Lake Nero in 1670-1683. The fortress walls have 11 surviving towers, including four entrance towers. The Kremlin houses the 5-domed Assumption Cathedral, built at the end of the 16th century, the cathedral belfry with the famous 13 Rostov bells, as well as several beautiful churches and chambers. The Kremlin is a unique architectural complex of the late 17th century. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

3. Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

The Kremlin walls with 12 surviving towers (originally 13) were built in 1508 - 1515, probably by the Italian architect Pyotr Fryazin. The number of gates is 5, the height of the walls is from 12 to 22 meters, the thickness of the walls is from 3.5 to 4.5 meters. The Kremlin contains the Archangel Michael Cathedral, built in 1631 in honor of the victory of the militia in 1612, where Kuzma Minin is now buried, several civilian buildings, and a monument to Minin and Pozharsky.

4. Tula Kremlin

Brick walls and towers were built in 1514 - 1520 as a defensive fortress on the southern borders of the country. Number of surviving towers: 9, number of gates - 4, height of walls: from 12.7 meters, thickness of walls - from 2.8 to 3.2 meters. The Kremlin withstood the siege of the Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey in 1552, and in 1608 the rebels of I. Bolotnikov withstood the siege of the tsarist troops in the Kremlin for four months. The Kremlin houses the five-domed Assumption Cathedral, built in 1762 - 1764, the Epiphany Cathedral (1855 - 1863), and a monument to Peter 1.

5. Novgorod Kremlin

Modern fortress walls and towers were built in 1484 -1490 on the foundations of old walls from the beginning of the 14th century. (Detinets itself has existed on the territory of the modern Kremlin since the 10th century). Nine of the towers have survived to this day, including the 30-meter Kokuy Tower, built at the end of the 17th century. The number of gates is 3, the height of the walls is from 8 to 15 meters, the thickness of the walls is from 3.6 to 6.55 meters. The Kremlin houses the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral of the mid-11th century, the oldest stone structure in Russia, the Chamber of Facets and other buildings. In 1862, the monument “Millennium of Russia” was inaugurated in the Kremlin. The Novgorod Kremlin has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.

6. Kazan Kremlin

This Kremlin was built in the 10th-16th centuries by Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Shiray in the Pskov architectural style. Number of surviving towers: 8, number of gates - 2, height of walls - from 8 to 12 meters. The walls and towers were reconstructed in the 17th and 19th centuries. On the territory of the Kremlin there are the Annunciation Cathedral, built in 1562, the Syuyumbeki watchtower (buildings of unknown date), and also built in the 1990s. Kul Sharif Mosque. The Kremlin withstood the siege of Pugachev's troops in 1774. The Kazan Kremlin has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

7. Astrakhan Kremlin.

Located on a high hill on the banks of the Volga. It was built in 1562 - 1589 by Mikhail Velyaminov and Dey Gubasty. Number of surviving towers: 7, number of gates - 2, height of walls - from 3 to 8 meters, thickness of walls - from 5 to 12 meters. The white stone walls of the Kremlin include seven towers - three travel towers and four blind ones. On the territory of the Kremlin there are the Trinity and Assumption Cathedrals, the Cyril Chapel, and the bishop's house. The Prechistensky Gate is crowned with a tower with a bell tower and a clock (height 80 m).

8.Zaraisky Kremlin

Built in 1528 - 1531 by order of Vasily III. Number of surviving towers: 7, number of gates - 4. Being a border city, part of the line of fortifications on the southern border of the Russian state, Zaraysk was subjected to repeated attacks by the Horde, and in 1608 it was captured by Polish troops. In 1610, the governor of Zaraysk was Prince D.M. Pozharsky. The brick Kremlin is lined with white stone on the outside. Of the 7 towers, three are travel. The Kremlin houses St. Nicholas Cathedral and the late Church of John the Baptist.

9. Tobolsk Kremlin

This is the only stone Kremlin in Siberia. Construction time: 1683-1799. Number of surviving towers: 7. Built by G. Sharypin and G. Tyurin: stone walls and towers so-called. Sophia Court and the five-domed Sophia-Assumption Cathedral (1681 - 1686) - the oldest stone structure in Siberia. In 1700 - 1717, Semyon Remezov built the secular part of the Kremlin - the Small or Voznesensky city. The cathedral bell tower (height 75 m) was built at the end of the 18th century, the Intercession Cathedral in the 1740s. Other structures of the Kremlin were built in the 18th - 19th centuries. Under Boris Godunov, the famous Uglich bell was “exiled” to Tobolsk, for which a special stone belfry was built in the Kremlin.

10. Kolomna Kremlin

Built in 1525 - 1531. under Vasily III on the site of a wooden Kremlin destroyed by the Tatars. The walls and towers have been partially preserved. Number of surviving towers: 7, number of gates - 6, height of walls - from 18 to 21 meters, thickness of walls - from 3 to 4.5 meters. Of the towers, the “Marinka Tower” especially stands out, in which, according to legend, Marina Mniszek was imprisoned. The Kremlin houses the Assumption Cathedral (late 17th century), Resurrection Church (rebuilt in the 18th century), Trinity Church (late 17th century) and other buildings.

11. Pskov Kremlin

The time of construction of this Kremlin: the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th centuries. Towers - 7, Gates - 1 (through the zahab), wall height: from 6 to 8 meters, wall thickness - from 2.5 to 6 meters. The Pskov Kremlin is called “Krom”. It is located at the confluence of the Velikaya and Pskov rivers. The walls and towers were built in the 12th century. made of limestone and are the oldest surviving Kremlin fortifications in Russia. The five-domed Trinity Cathedral of the late 17th century is located on the territory of Krom. and a seven-sided bell tower of the same time, built at the beginning of the 19th century.

12. Ryazan Kremlin

This Kremlin was built in the 15th century. And at the end of the 17th century, the walls and towers of the Kremlin were demolished due to dilapidation and the lack of need to defend the borders. Only the rampart and ditch have survived. The Ryazan Kremlin is a complex of historical and architectural monuments located on the territory of the original Pereyaslavl-Ryazan fortress, located between the Trubezh and Lybid rivers. The structures are surrounded by an earthen defensive rampart of the 12th -17th centuries. On the territory of the Kremlin there is the Assumption Cathedral, built at the end of the 17th century. in the style of “Naryshkin Baroque” by Y. Bukhvostov, a four-tiered bell tower (late 18th - early 19th centuries), the Nativity and Archangel (16th centuries) cathedrals, bishops' chambers (17th - 19th centuries) - the so-called. the chambers of Prince Oleg, other churches and civil buildings.