- Type
- Fortress
- Built
- 1485 · 15th century
- Architect
- Aristotile Fioravanti, Pietro Antonio Solari
- Heritage
- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an old town or a valley, for example)
- Coordinates
- 55.7517°, 37.6178°
History
A timber fort stood on the hill above the Moskva River by the 12th century, and in the 14th century Prince Dmitry Donskoy enclosed it with white stone walls. The present brick walls and towers were raised in the late 15th century by Italian architects brought in by Grand Prince Ivan III, who also commissioned new cathedrals. From 1610 to 1612 a Polish garrison held the Kremlin until it surrendered to the uprising led by Minin and Pozharsky. When the capital moved to St Petersburg the Kremlin remained the place where tsars were crowned, and in 1812 Napoleon's retreating troops tried to blow it up. Since 1918 it has been the seat of government, and in 1990 it was listed by UNESCO together with Red Square.
What to see
Cathedral Square is lined by the Dormition, Archangel and Annunciation cathedrals with their icons and royal tombs, overlooked by the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. Nearby stand the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon, colossal symbols of power that were never used as intended. The Armoury displays regalia, carriages, armour and Fabergé eggs, and a walk along the walls on the Red Square side shows off the towers topped with ruby stars.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q133274
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