The Kremlin

My first tour was a big one... the Kremlin. Our guide, Egor, was phenomenal and shared amazing and interesting information about everything we saw. Sorry if this post is boring, but I needed to get it all down so in the future I can remember what I saw.

Here is a link to a map if you have trouble following what I've written. The map has links to tell more about each of the buildings.

Enjoy!! I sure did!

We began by coming in this gate, Borovitskaya (Pine Grove) Tower. This is one of the two working gates. The other is walking only and we exited it, so it is at the end of this post. The building to the right in and in the picture below is the Armoury which now houses one of the oldest museums in Russia, storing the Royal Treasures. Crowns, thrones, coronations dresses, armour and weapons, Faberge eggs and jewelry, and even royal carriages are displayed.

Next, this building below, also part of the Armoury, is the Great Kremlin Palace. It is now the official residence of the Russian president and used for state visits and receptions.

When the president it present the flag is flown.

Then you come upon Cathedral Square. There are five different cathedrals/churches and it

is a significant monument to Russian religious art and architecture.

Right (and below) -Annunciation Cathedral has nine guilded onion domes. The three central ones date back to the 15th century and 6 others were added in the 16th century. This was the Royal Chapel, the private church of tsars where they were christened and married.

Left, is the Archangel Cathedral (1505-15080, blend of Russian and Italian architecture) and is where tsars were buried.

below, left - Annunciation Cathedral again.

below, right- Assumption Cathedral(1475-1479, Italian Architecture)

was used for coronationsof Russian rulers.

Just a cool shot from behind the Bell and of the gold dome on the Archangel Cathedral.

The small white cathedral below is the

Church of the Deposition of the Robe,

and behind the cluster of golden cupolas the Terem Palace.

Ivan the Great's Bell Tower is 265 ft high. The largest of its 21 bells is in the shorter tower and weighs 64 tons. London's Big Ben is a mere 13.5 tons. But neither compare to the

indisputably largest bell in the world, the massive Tsar Bell.

A 200 ton giant, had an 11 ton chunk crack when it was cooling

and being removed from its casting pit.

The Tsar Cannon was one of the biggest cannons ever produced and

was probably never fired in anger.

Behind it stands Patriarch's Palace and Church of the 12 Apostles.

This building is the Supreme Soviet,

now the seat of the Russian government,

with the Saviour Tower leading to Red Square.

On our way out was the Poteshny (Pleasance) Palace,

built to entertain the young people at the Kremlin.

Walking out the Trinity Tower straight ahead (built in 1495 and the tallest tower of the Kremlin Towers). the contrast in the State Kremlin Palace architecture on the left, built in 1961, is very striking. It's 6,000 seat auditorium once hosted Communist Party Meetings, but is now the gathering place of the Congress of the People's Deputies.

The yellow building on the right is the Arsenal.

Here we are looking back at the Trinity Tower from outside the Kremlin and the Kutafya Tower crossing the bridge. What an amazing tour!!