The Moscow Kremlin Museum-Reserve was founded in 1991 on the basis of the existing Kremlin state museums. The need to unite disparate cultural entities arose long ago, however, the scale of the new project did not allow the usual integration scheme to be applied - it took several years to prepare for the convergence of the subjects of architecture. As a result, a new unique museum was created in the Kremlin. Moscow, the capital city of a world-wide metropolis, has acquired yet another grandiose exhibition complex.
Residence
After a number of scientific studies, the largest architectural ensemble in Russia received the status of a museum reserve. In 2001, Elena Gagarina, daughter of the legendary cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, became the general director of the united museums. The Moscow Kremlin Museum-Reserve has historically always been the residence of Russian tsars, and later presidents. Currently, it houses the rate and apartment of Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
The history of the Kremlin
The towers and walls of the Moscow Kremlin were built at the end of the 15th century, during the reign of Tsar John the Terrible. Then a number of architectural structures were erected located inside the perimeter of the Kremlin. Today, the Kremlin’s unique museum reserve includes three cathedrals: the Assumption, the Annunciation and the Arkhangelsk. All of them have significant historical value. The ensemble also includes other Kremlin museums: the Armory, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the Church of the Twelve Apostles. In the lower tier of the Annunciation Cathedral is an exposition detailing the theme of Kremlin archeology. In museums, almost all art genres are widely represented, to one degree or another reflecting the traditions of the royal court and the higher clergy. Each building is a unique architectural structure, reflecting the era of past times. The interiors of the masterpieces of ancient architecture amaze with their splendor, conveying to visitors the charm of the style of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as the mid-19th century.
Popularity
The Moscow Kremlin, whose museums are not only represented by the location of the rarest exhibits, but are themselves cultural monuments, is under the guardianship of the highest security institution of UNESCO. Attendance at the main museum complex in Moscow breaks all records, during the year more than two million tourists from all over the world pass through the Borovitsky Gate and the Spasskaya Tower on Red Square. People’s interest in ancient Russian culture is not weakening; visitors are welcomed by well-trained guides who willingly talk about the history of the Moscow Kremlin, as well as about the life of the imperial family and its environment.
Royal carriages
The main treasury of the Kremlin expositions is considered The Armory, with which all excursions begin at the entrance to the Kremlin from the Borovitskaya Tower. The Moscow Kremlin, whose museums are distinguished by a variety of exhibits, has a unique collection of carriages, which were visited by members of the royal family, representatives of the highest nobility close to the emperor, advisers and nobles. The exposition is presented in a wide range, from simple carts to multi-seat carriages. Empress Catherine’s personal convertible is adjacent to the long-haul phaeton, and the treasurer’s stroller stands next to the double carriages for evening walks.
A separate room is reserved for clothes that were in fashion at that time, a special place is occupied by royal hats, studded with precious stones, trimmed with sable fur. The main exhibit is a Monomakh hat with a rich rim trimmed with emeralds and rubies. In the next room is the Faberge Easter Eggs collection. The court of gold affairs, master Carl Faberge, together with his assistants, created a series of masterpieces of jewelry art that made up an extensive exhibition. The main exhibit in the Faberge collection is the Easter egg "Moscow Kremlin". This is a stylized image of the two most famous Kremlin towers - Spasskaya and Vodovzvodnaya.
The towers are cast in bronze alloy, gold and silver. Between them is located directly the "Easter egg", inside which the jeweler placed the interior of the Assumption Cathedral. You can see miniature icons on the fishing iconostasis by looking through the lancet windows. This masterpiece of jewelry is also famous for the fact that he never left Russia, although foreign exhibition companies would consider it an honor to include it in their expositions at least for a while. The unique product of the famous jeweler rests on a heavy foundation from a single piece of onyx.
Bombard
In the open air stands one of the most famous exhibits of the Moscow Kremlin, Tsar Cannon, a unique artillery gun cast in bronze by master Andrei Chokhov in 1586. The gun belongs to the category of “bombardment,” and according to the new classification it is a mortar. Each core weighs about 2 tons, the diameter of the gun barrel is 890 mm, and the Tsar Cannon weighs 42 tons. A mortar can only shoot theoretically, because in order to charge it, you need to make incredible efforts.
A masterpiece of iron casting
Another grand exhibit is the Tsar Bell. In 1730, by order of Empress Anna Ioannovna, work began on the casting of the largest bell in the history of foundry. The father and son of Matorina contracted to complete the work. During the preparatory work, the elder Matorin died, and the son had to do all the work. In 1735, everything was ready for the casting process, bronze was boiling in six smelters, the molding pit was ready to receive molten metal. The finished bell weighed 200 tons, its height was 6.3 meters. However, the bell was damaged during the fire, due to the temperature difference, the metal cracked, and a huge piece broke off from the mass. Thus, the grandiose design ceased to exist as a church bell for the belfry and became a museum exhibit. The Moscow Kremlin, whose museums are regularly updated with new rarities, has become a haven for the unique Tsar Bell.
Assumption Cathedral
One of the first white-stone temples in Moscow, the Assumption Cathedral, was built in the late 15th century by the architect Aristotle Fioravanti. Seven years after the construction, the famous icon painter Dionysius laid the foundation for the painting of the walls of the temple. Work continued until 1515. In the middle of the 17th century, the Assumption Cathedral was re-painted, however, the old frescoes are partially preserved and are by far the most ancient icon-painting samples throughout the Kremlin.
The Assumption Cathedral has an extensive necropolis, in which lies the remains of the metropolitans of Kiev and Moscow, as well as nine Moscow patriarchs who died in the 17th century.
Blagoveshchensky cathedral
The temple is located on the cathedral square of the Moscow Kremlin. It was built in 1489 on an ancient white stone basement left from the former cathedral. In 1547, the temple was seriously damaged by fire and was restored only in 1564, while architects built two chapters on the side of the altar aisles. In 1572, the so-called Grozny porch was added to the cathedral. The iconostasis bears two rows of icons, the "deesis" and the "festive" works of Andrei Rublev and Theophanes the Greek. On the porch are images of Greek philosophers: Aristotle, Homer, Anaxagoras, Plutarch, Ptolemy. The northern gate is decorated with bas-reliefs of the ancient Roman prophets of the Sibyls. The floor of the cathedral is made of jasper plates.
Until the 18th century, the temple was used as the house church of Moscow tsars. And during the period of St. Petersburg domination, the Annunciation Church was a representation of Protopresbyterianism.
Cathedral of the Archangel
The five-domed temple with eight chapels was built at the very beginning of the 16th century. The interior of the cathedral was completely completed only after 150 years through the efforts of icon painters Fyodor Zubov, Stepan Ryazanets, Joseph Vladimirov. Later, a wooden fishing iconostasis painted with gold appeared in the interior. Its height was 13 meters.
The Archangel Cathedral is famous for its vast necropolis, which includes 54 burials, among which are the crayfish of Tsarevich Saint Dmitry Ivanovich and Chernigov Mikhail. The necropolis also contains 46 tombstones with ornaments and funeral cases made of bronze. In 1928, the remains of women from the Romanov and Rurikovich families, who had previously rested in the church of the Ascension Monastery, were transferred to the cellar of the church.
Kremlin museums, opening hours
One of the most important exhibition complexes in Russia operates throughout the calendar year. The following is a daily schedule of exhibitions included in the Kremlin Museum. The opening hours of the museum sectors are as follows:
All museum halls are open from 10 to 17 hours daily. In the summer period - from 10 to 18 hours.
Thursday is a day off.
Ticket offices are open daily (except Thursday) from 9.30 to 16.30, in the summer - until 17 hours. Tickets can be bought in the Alexander Garden, Lenin Library metro station.
The Armory Museum is open according to the rules of the sessions: 10.00, 12.00, 14.30, 16.30. Tickets are sold at the box office 45 minutes before the show.
The Kremlin Antiquities exhibition, located in the Annunciation Cathedral, is open daily (except Thursday): excursions at 10.15, 11.15, 12.15, 13.15, 14.15, 15.15, 16.15.
The price of a ticket to enter Cathedral Square is 350 rubles for adults, 150 rubles for students.
On holidays and weekends, family tickets are offered for two adults and two children. The price of one ticket is 100 rubles.
The price of a ticket to the Armory is 700 rubles for adults and 200 rubles for pensioners, students and schoolchildren.
Souvenirs and postcards
Kremlin museums, exhibitions, vernissages, thematic displays and other events are subject to a system developed over the years. Each visitor to the Moscow Kremlin is greeted as a dear guest, providing him with everything necessary at the entrance. Booklets, layouts, souvenirs, postcards - all this is available in any quantity. The Moscow Kremlin, whose museums are of interest to people around the world, continues to receive guests.