Presentation of the Kremlin cities of Russia. ​12 Kremlins of modern Russia The most ancient Kremlin

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.

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.

Komsomolskaya Pravda has prepared for readers a list of ten Russian Kremlins that are definitely worth visiting

Photo: Roman IGNATIEV

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Many foreigners - what are they, foreigners, even a considerable part of our compatriots! – we firmly believe that there is only one Kremlin in Russia – the one located in the center of Moscow. But in fact, in Rus', all fortifications that protected citizens from attacks by enemy troops were called kremlins - and only those settlements that had such a fortress had the right to be considered cities. Komsomolskaya Pravda has prepared for you a list of Russian Kremlins that are definitely worth visiting!

Pskov Kremlin (Krom)

Year of construction: end of the 11th – beginning of the 12th centuries. Area: 3 hectares Number of towers: reached 39, currently - 7 Wall thickness: 2.5 – 6 m Wall height: 6 – 8 m Tower height: up to 35 m Wall length: 9 km

The Pskov Kremlin, or Krom, is the historical and architectural center of Pskov, located on a narrow and high cape at the confluence of the Pskova River and the Velikaya River. It was the largest fortress in Europe. Now the Kremlin territory unites two different parts of the city: Detinets with the Trinity Cathedral, bell tower, veche square and Dovmontov city.

In the 13th century, Pskov (then called Pleskov) was still the outskirts of Russian lands. Rich and free, he stood on the most important trade routes - at that time these were primarily rivers, not roads. Therefore, for many centuries in a row, the threat of enemy attack constantly hung over the city - from the Livonian Order, Great Lithuania, even Novgorod - and this forced the Pskovites to improve their defensive structures again and again. The reconstruction and strengthening of the Pskov walls continued until the end of the 17th century, which made Pskov one of the most powerful medieval fortresses in Europe. During its history, the Pskov Kremlin has withstood 26 sieges, but the fortress, which was in active military use for almost 1000 years, has still reached us - and in almost its original form.

Zaraisky Kremlin

Year of construction: 1528 – 1531 Area: 25,460 sq. m Number of towers: 7 Length of walls: 648 m

The Zaraysk Kremlin is located in the city of the same name on the banks of the Osetr River, the right tributary of the Oka. Over its almost 500-year history, the Kremlin played a significant role in the fate of the Moscow state, remaining one of the few cities loyal to the sovereign during the Time of Troubles. The first chronicle mention of the city on Osetra dates back to 1146. But the origin of the very name of the city - Zaraysk - still remains a mystery to scientists. For example, in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu” the name is associated with the bringing of the icon of the Wonderworker Nicholas of Korsun to Ryazan land and the death of Eupraxia, the wife of Prince Fyodor, who chose death over Tatar captivity. Not wanting to become the khan’s concubine, she threw herself and her son from a high tower and “got infected” - that is, she crashed immediately, immediately, to death. Since then, the city began to be called Nikola-Zarazsk i-on Osetra, Zarazsky city, Zaraska, Zarazsk. Actually, the city of Zaraiskoye became a city only in the 18th century. By the way, the first attack on the new fortress occurred two years after its construction - in 1533. The Crimean Tatars tried to capture the city. But, despite the considerable number of attackers - 40 thousand people - the Kremlin survived.

Kolomna Kremlin

Year of construction: 1525 – 1531 Area: 24 hectares Number of towers: 17, currently – 7 Wall thickness: 3 – 4.5 m Wall height: 18 – 21 m Tower height: 30 – 35 m Wall length: 1940 m

The Kolomna Kremlin is one of the most powerful fortresses of the Moscow state, built during the reign of Vasily III. It is located in the city of Kolomna at the confluence of the Moscow and Kolomenka rivers. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the Kremlin - only a few towers and a couple of fragments of the fortress walls remained from the fortress, and the remaining parts were destroyed and dismantled for the construction of houses in the city back in the 18th–19th centuries. But, even despite this, the Kremlin still amazes us with its grandeur and power.

One of the surviving towers of the Kolomna Kremlin is often called Marinkina. It is generally accepted that it received this name because it was there that Marina Mniszech was imprisoned in 1614. But what happened to her next - opinions differ. According to official data, she died here. But there is also a much more mystical version - as if the mistress of the False Dmitrievs turned into a magpie in the tower and flew away through the loophole window.

Tula Kremlin

Year of construction: 1514 – 1520 Area: 6 hectares Number of towers: 9 Wall thickness: 2.8 – 3.2 m Wall height: 12.7 m Wall length: 1066 m

The construction of the Tula Kremlin - the main link of the southern defensive line of Muscovite Rus' - took place in an alarming strategic situation. The Crimean Horde, which until that time had been an ally of Moscow, suddenly took a sharply hostile position, which forced them to rush into the construction of defensive structures in Tula. The Kremlin was built in three stages. At first they began to build it from stone, but due to the activity of the Crimean Tatars, city craftsmen soon began to use wood instead of stone - this gave them the opportunity to complete the construction in a shorter time. Later, stone construction was continued again.

Unlike most Russian Kremlins, the Tula Kremlin is located in a lowland - which, however, is protected on all sides by natural barriers: rivers and swamps. In plan, the Kremlin has the shape of a regular rectangle with a wall perimeter of 1 km and an area of ​​about 6 hectares. And although some kremlins of the late 15th century already had geometrically correct plans, it was only in the Tula Kremlin that the principles of symmetry and geometric accuracy found their ideal embodiment.

Astrakhan Kremlin

Year of construction: 1582 – 1620 Area: 11 hectares Number of towers: 8, currently 7 Wall thickness: 5 – 12 m Wall height: 3 – 8 m Tower height: 12.5 – 84.8 m Wall length: 1487 m

The stone Astrakhan Kremlin took about 40 years to build. Bricks from the ruins of the former Golden Horde capital of Saraya-Batu were used for the construction of the Kremlin. However, various buildings were erected on the territory of the Kremlin until the end of the 20th century. The symbol of the Kremlin, and the whole of Astrakhan, has become a bell tower more than 80 meters high, which can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. And this bell tower was built three times. The first, built at the beginning of the 18th century, became covered with cracks after 45 years and had to be dismantled. The second was built already in the 19th century, but the bell tower, having stood for about a hundred years, tilted and it was also dismantled. The third version of the bell tower was built in 1910 - and, I must say, it also stands, slightly deviated from its axis.

Tobolsk Kremlin

Year of construction: 1683 – 1799 Number of towers: 9, currently - 7 Wall height: 4.3 m Tower height: from 11 m Wall length: 620 m

The city of Tobolsk arose on a high coastal plateau, arcing around the floodplain lowland in the bend of the Irtysh at the confluence with the mighty Tobola River. The Tatars called this plateau Alafeyskaya Mountain, which translated means “indigenous Khan’s land.” Since ancient times, relatives, children, and wives of the rulers of Siberia have settled on this mountain. A small Russian fort appeared here only in 1587. And, having arisen in a very favorable place, Tobolsk began to grow quickly. The peculiar topography of the area led to the emergence of two parts of the city - upper and lower. In the upper city, on Cape Trinity, a fortified fortress and the Sophia Court appeared, later united into a single Kremlin - the first in Siberia. From the end of the 17th to the end of the 19th century, the Kremlin was built and rebuilt in stone, constantly changing and updating.

Kazan Kremlin

Year of construction: X – XVI centuries. Area: 15 hectares Number of towers: 13, currently - 8 Wall height: 8 – 12 m Tower height: up to 58 m Wall length: 1.8 km

A hill surrounded by water on three sides is an ideal place for a fortress. The first fortifications of the Bulgar tribes appeared here, on the high bank of the Kazanka River, at the turn of the 10th–11th centuries. However, archaeological finds indicate that these places were inhabited much earlier. The stone Kremlin was erected in the 12th century to defend the northern borders of Volga Bulgaria, and after the collapse of the Golden Horde in 1438, Genghisid Ulug-Muhammad founded the independent Kazan Khanate. Work began to strengthen the capital, and the stone walls of the Kremlin were strengthened so much that, as Russian chroniclers noted, they became “impregnable by military forces.” After the conquest of Kazan, Ivan the Terrible sent Pskov architects to the city, who began building the Kremlin. Initially, its walls consisted of double thick oak frames filled with stone and sand. Such walls reliably protected the city from enemy cannonballs, and it was convenient to repel the attacks of attackers from them. From here the defenders poured stones, sand, stone cannonballs; during the battle, tubs and vats with boiling water, hot oil, pitch, resin, oil were delivered here - all this was poured onto the heads of the enemy. Pskov architects built a wall 300 fathoms long from Volga limestone and built Kremlin towers with round loopholes and battlements.

Novgorod Kremlin

Year of construction: XIV century. Area: 12.1 hectares Number of towers: 12, currently 9 Wall thickness: 3.6 – 6.5 m Wall height: 8 – 15 m Tower height: up to 41 m Wall length: 1487 m

The Novgorod Kremlin, or, as it is otherwise called, Detinets, has always been the administrative, social and religious center of Novgorod. It was here that the veche, the election of the mayor, was held, from here the squads of Alexander Nevsky once set out to battle the Swedes... Chronicles were written in the Kremlin, books were collected and copied.

The walls of the Novgorod Kremlin are made of flagstone and cobblestones, cemented with lime mortar and lined with red brick, which makes it similar to those in Moscow. Inside the walls there were rooms for storing ammunition and hiding places, and under them unique systems of ceramic pipes were discovered, probably used for negotiations by the defenders of the fortress towers. The fortress is surrounded by an artificial ditch, filled with water from the Volkhov River, which could be crossed on collapsible wooden bridges. However, despite the fortification significance, during the construction of the Novgorod Kremlin they were guided mainly by the achievements of architecture of a cult and civil nature. This is indicated by the shape of the towers, the decorative completions of the battlements of the walls, brought from Italy - elements that do not affect the defensive functions of the fortress.

Smolensk Kremlin

Year of construction: 1595 – 1602 Number of towers: 38, currently – 17 Wall thickness: up to 6 m Wall height: 13 – 19 m Wall length: 6.5 km

The Smolensk Fortress (yes, this building is more often called a fortress than a Kremlin) was built during the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov. Since the city of Smolensk occupied an extremely important strategic place for the young Moscow state and for a long time served as the object of claims of either Lithuania or Poland, both kings attached special importance to its strengthening.

During construction, the architects attached not only defensive, but also artistic and aesthetic significance to the Smolensk fortress. The walls were originally whitewashed. They are distinguished by the careful finishing of architectural details, some of which were colored painted. The rectangular towers had decorative blades at the corners, the loopholes of the walls and towers were framed with platbands like windows, and the main passage gates were decorated with pilasters with profiled belts made of white stone.

Currently, the walls of the Smolensk Kremlin have been preserved only partially, but the shape of the bastion has remained almost the same as when it was built. But, despite this, the Smolensk fortress still makes an indelible impression with its grandeur and inaccessibility. And, according to legend, if an alarming time comes, then a horse’s neighing will be heard from the thickness of the wall, which will warn the city’s defenders of danger - the fact is that, according to legend, the skull of the war horse of the city’s patron, Mercury of Smolensk, was walled up somewhere in the thickness of the wall.

Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

Year of construction: 1508 – 1515 Area: 22.7 hectares Number of towers: 13 (previously there was a 14th Strelnitsa) Wall thickness: 4.5 – 5 m Wall height: 9 – 10.5 m Tower height: 18 – 30 m Wall length: 2080 m

From the chronicles it is known that Nizhny Novgorod was founded in 1221 by the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri Vsevolodovich. The city's defensive fortifications - deep ditches and high ramparts - were originally built from wood and earth. The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin became stone only a century and a half after the Moscow one - in 1515, when the need arose to strengthen the city’s defense against the Kazan Khanate. The new Kremlin was surrounded by a two-kilometer wall with thirteen towers and a fourteenth diverter, connected by a passage to the Dmitrov Tower. In the 16th century, the fortress was repeatedly besieged by the enemy, but the enemy was never able to capture it. With the fall of Kazan, the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin lost its military significance and began to play the role of an administrative center.

The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin has no analogues in terms of the difference in height between its two halves and is one of the most advanced engineering and fortification structures of its time. It was built from large red bricks and white stone - calcareous tuff. Brick was produced locally, white stone was mined downstream of the Volga.

By the way, according to legend, somewhere deep in the casemates of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is hidden the famous library of Ivan the Terrible, which was brought by his grandmother - Sophia Paleolog - from Byzantium. But even if this collection of books is really stored somewhere under the fortress, it still cannot be found due to the difficult terrain and the proximity of groundwater.

N. P. Lerebur. View of the Moscow Kremlin. 1842

The Moscow Kremlin is the world's largest medieval fortress - this is an indisputable historically proven fact.

The main symbol of Russia, a building of such status, significance, and outstanding that only such world-famous historical architectural objects as the Egyptian pyramids or the Tower of London can compare with it...

The Moscow Kremlin is the oldest part of the Russian capital, the heart of the city, the official residence of the country's leader, one of the world's largest complexes with unique architecture, a treasury of historical relics and a spiritual center.

The importance the Kremlin has acquired in our country is evidenced by the fact that the very concept of “Kremlin” is associated with the Moscow complex. Meanwhile, Kolomna, Syzran, Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Astrakhan and other cities not only in Russia, but also in Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus have their own kremlins.

Why is the Kremlin called the Kremlin?

According to the definition given in Vladimir Dahl’s “explanatory dictionary”, “krem” is a large and strong timber timber, and “kremlevnik” is a coniferous forest growing in a moss swamp. And the “Kremlin” is a city surrounded by a fortress wall, with towers and loopholes. Thus, the name of these structures comes from the type of wood that was used in their construction. Unfortunately, not a single wooden Kremlin has survived on the territory of Russia, except for the guard towers in the Trans-Urals, but the stone structures, which until the 14th century were called detinets and performed a protective function, remain, and the Moscow Kremlin is, of course, the most famous of them.

Location

The main symbol of Russia is located on Borovitsky Hill, on the higher left bank of the Moscow River, in the place where the Neglinnaya River flows into it. If we consider the complex from above, the Kremlin is an irregular triangle with a total area of ​​27.7 hectares, surrounded by a massive wall with towers.

The architectural complex of the Moscow Kremlin includes 4 palaces and 4 cathedrals, the southern wall faces the Moscow River, the eastern wall faces Red Square, and the northwestern wall faces the Alexander Garden. Currently, the Kremlin is an independent administrative unit within Moscow and is included in the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List.

Legends of the Moscow Kremlin

Like any ancient, historical building, the Moscow Kremlin has its secrets, legends associated with it and often quite dark secrets.

Most of these legends are connected specifically with the Kremlin dungeons. Since their exact map was lost a long time ago (possibly destroyed by the builders themselves), many underground passages, corridors and tunnels of the Moscow Kremlin have not yet been fully studied.

For example, the search for the famous library of Ivan the Terrible has been resumed several times, but the vast repository of books and documents from that time has still not been found. Scientists argue whether the legendary library actually existed, burned down during one of the fires that repeatedly raged on the territory of the complex, or was hidden so well that modern archaeologists are not able to find it in the huge square of the Moscow Kremlin.

Most likely, until the 18th century, all the towers and walls of the Kremlin were literally “pierced” with numerous secret passages and tunnels.

It was during the search for Liberia (as the library of Ivan the Terrible is usually called) that archaeologist Shcherbatov in 1894 stumbled upon a mysterious underground structure located under the first floor of the Alarm Tower. Trying to examine the found tunnel, the archaeologist came to a dead end, but then discovered the same tunnel leading from the Konstantin-Eleninskaya Tower.

Archaeologist Shcherbatov also found a secret passage connecting the Nikolskaya Tower with the Corner Arsenal, but in 1920 all information, photographs taken by the scientist and reports on the passages found were classified by the Bolsheviks and became a state secret. It is quite possible that the new authorities decided to use the Kremlin’s secret passages for their own purposes.

According to scientists, since the Moscow Kremlin was built according to all the rules of fortification of the Middle Ages and was primarily a fortress designed to protect citizens from enemy attacks, the Italian architect Fioravanti also built places for lower battles and “rumors” - secret corners from which one can it was secretly to observe (and eavesdrop) on the enemy. Most likely (it is now quite difficult to collect evidence), until the 18th century all the towers and walls of the Kremlin were literally “pierced” by numerous secret passages and tunnels, but then, as unnecessary, most of them were simply walled up and filled up.

By the way, the very name of the Taynitskaya Tower clearly indicates that there was a hiding place under it; there are references to the construction of secret passages in chronicles that recorded the process of constructing towers in the 15th century.

There were also rumors about the dungeons of the Beklemishevskaya Tower, which, by the way, enjoys the most notorious reputation - it was here that the torture chamber was located, created by order of Ivan the Terrible. In the 19th century, Archpriest Lebedev, who served in the Kremlin for more than 45 years, counted 9 failures that formed on the vaults of various underground structures. It is known about a secret passage leading from Tainitskaya to the Spasskaya Tower, another secret road leads from Troitskaya to the Nikolskaya Tower and further to Kitay-Gorod.

And Ignatius Stelletsky, a famous historian and specialist in “dungeon archeology”, the founder of the digger movement in Moscow, intended to go from the Beklemishevskaya Tower to the Moscow River, and from the Spasskaya Tower through a secret underground passage directly to St. Basil’s Cathedral, and then along the existing one near the temple descent into a large tunnel under Red Square.

The remains of underground passages were found in various parts of the Moscow Kremlin many times, during almost every reconstruction, but most often such dead ends, gaps or vaults were simply walled up or even filled with concrete.

On the eve of his coronation, the ghost of Ivan the Terrible was seen by Emperor Nicholas II himself, which he informed his wife Alexandra Feodorovna .

The Moscow Kremlin, of course, has its own ghosts. Thus, in the Commandant's Tower they saw a disheveled, pale woman with a revolver in her hand, who was allegedly recognized as Fanny Kaplan, who was shot by the then Kremlin commandant.

For several centuries now, the ghost of this Russian tyrant has been seen on the lower tiers of the bell tower of Ivan the Terrible. By the way, the ghost of Ivan the Terrible also has a crowned witness - on the eve of his coronation, Emperor Nicholas II himself saw him, which he told his wife Alexandra Fedorovna.

Sometimes the ghost of the Pretender - the False Dmitry executed here - flashes over the battlements of the Moscow Kremlin. The Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower also enjoys a bad reputation - there was also a torture chamber here in the 17th century and a case was recorded of drops of blood appearing on the stonework, which then disappeared on their own.

Another ghostly inhabitant of the Moscow Kremlin is, of course, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, who was seen both in his office and in his former apartment. Stalin’s famous comrade-in-arms, head of the NKVD Yezhov, also “visited” his former office... But Joseph Vissarionovich himself was never noted for appearing in the Kremlin after March 5, 1953.

It is not surprising that such an ancient structure, replete with burials, secrets and secret rooms, arouses the interest of not only archaeologists, scientists and historians, but also mystics.

Facts about the Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin today is the largest fortress in the entire territory of Russia, as well as the largest surviving and operating fortress in Europe.

The secret of the absolutely accurate time of the Kremlin chimes now lies underground: the chimes are connected by cable to the control clock of the Sternberg Moscow Astronomical Institute.

The appearance of the teeth on the walls of the Kremlin is quite interesting. Their project, delivered from Spain, was ordered by the designer of the Moscow Kremlin, Pietro Antonio Solari. They are dovetail-shaped in appearance and in Italy they were used on the castles of the Italian Guelphs and Ghibellines.

During the Second World War, or more precisely, in 1941, the Kremlin began to be camouflaged: all the ancient buildings were stylized as ordinary houses, the green roofs were painted over, dark paint was applied to the gilded domes, the crosses were removed, and the stars on the towers were covered up. Windows and doors were painted on the Kremlin walls, and the battlements were covered with plywood, simulating the roofs of houses.

The Kremlin stars can withstand the maximum pressure of hurricane winds, each up to approximately 1200 kg. The weight of each star reaches one ton. During windy days, the stars rotate several times a day, changing their position so that their side faces the wind. This greatly reduces the wind pressure on the star.

50 billion US dollars, or 1.5 trillion Russian rubles - this is the amount the Moscow Kremlin was valued at. The Uphill consulting group was involved in its assessment.

Moscow, Novgorod, Kazan, Suzdal, Nizhny Novgorod, Pskov, Smolensk, Kolomna, Astrakhan, Tobolsk, Tula, Rostov, Alexandrovsk, Vlashy; Dimir, Vologda. There are also Volokolamsk, Dmitrov, Ryazan, Yaroslavl without walls.

Ancient fortifications, designed to protect and gather surrounding residents under their protection, called the Kremlin, were the beginning of the transformation of settlements into cities in Rus'. The origin of the word Kremlin is interpreted in different ways, but the fact that it is associated with scaffolding and (or) shelter (chrome) is most correct, in my opinion.

Since Ancient Rus' had quite a large number of cities, there were also enough Kremlins in Rus'. So we can only try to find those that have survived.

I will name among the first the Moscow, Kazan, Pskov and Novgorod (Veliky Novgorod) Kremlins. Completely or partially preserved fortifications are Tula, Tobolsk, Ryazan, Astrakhan, Zaraisky, Kolomensky, Vologda, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov, Gdov, Izborsk, Porkhov, Rostov, Smolensk, Staroladoga. I can’t help but mention the Kiev Kremlin, although all that remains of it is the restored Golden Gate

The photo shows:

1) Pskov Kremlin

2) Novgorod Kremlin



3) Kazan Kremlin



4) Izborsk fortress



Kremlin is a fortress in old Russian cities. Therefore, almost all old Russian cities once had their own kremlins. For example (so far in the Moscow region): Volokolamsk, Kolomensky, Zaraisky, Mozhaisky, Dmitrovsky, Zvenigorod, Ruzsky, Vereisky Kremlins.

We especially note the Izmailovo Kremlin. This is a remake. The Kremlin has never been a defensive fortress. This is a cultural, entertainment and shopping complex, vernissage.

A special feature of Russian Kremlins was the presence on the territory of the Kremlin of an Orthodox church, master's and administrative buildings.

In pre-Mongol Rus' there were about 400 cities and towns. Each of them had a detinets (fortress). The term Kremlin (krom) appeared in the 14th century.

Of the surviving (at least partially) Kremlins in Russia we can highlight: Alexandrov, Astrakhan, Vladimir, Vologda, Vyazma, Gdov, Zaraysk, Izborsk, Kazan, Kolomna, Mozhaisk, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhegorodsky), Novgorod, Porkhov, Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan, Serpukhov, Smolensk, Staraya Ladoga, Tobolsk, Tula.

Cities in which ramparts have been preserved or archaeological excavations have confirmed the presence of kremlins in ancient times (about the Moscow region, see at the beginning of the answer): Aleksin, Belgorod, Belozrsk, Borovsk, Bryansk (Pokrovskaya Mountain), Velikiye Luki, Irkutsk, Kaluga, Kleshchin (a settlement nearby with Pereyaslavl Zalessky), Kostroma, Murom, Mtsensk, Opochka (fortification, Pskov region), Orel, Pustozrsk (fortification on the Pechora River), Radonezh (fortification), Rzhev, Rurik fortification in Veliky Novgorod, Sviyazhsk, Slobodskoy (Kirov region ), Staritsa, ancient settlement Old Ryazan, Starodub, Suzdal, Torzhok, Toropets (the Kremlin was called Red Val), Uglich, Ufa, Kirov (in ancient times Khlynov, Vyatka), Tsivilsk (Chuvashia), Cheboksary, Yuryev-Polsky, Yaroslavl.