The Kremlin is the oldest part of the city of Ryazan. Just at this place in 1095 Pereyaslavl Ryazansky was founded, which in 1778 was renamed to its current name. The place for the construction was perfect. The Ryazan Kremlin is located on a high platform with an area of 26 hectares and the shape of an irregular quadrangle surrounded on three sides by rivers. And the traces of the ancient settlement discovered here date back generally to one thousand years BC.
A bit of history
Pereyaslavl, according to archaeologists, was laid on the shores of Lake Bystry, in the northern part of the hill. This has been confirmed with the latest technology. Then it began to develop rapidly and by the 14th century it was already occupying the entire Kremlin hill. The reason is very simple: by the end of the 13th century, the city changed its status, became the capital city of the principality, since Ryazan, which had such a rank earlier, was repeatedly destroyed during the Mongol-Tatar raids. Pereyaslavl, as the history of the Ryazan Kremlin says, very quickly went beyond the hill and grew noticeably to the west and south.
And the Kremlin itself remained the most fortified, central part of the city and was a very powerful fortress with a system of traditional
defensive structures for Russia
. On the only side, the south-west, not protected by rivers, a moat was dug, and a shaft was poured along the entire perimeter. It built erected wooden walls with 12 towers. The gates of the Glebovsky tower were the main ones and looked towards Moscow. In the 18th century, Pereyaslavl lost its significance as an outpost of the south of Russia, and most of the military structures were demolished. Only a fragment of a shaft 300 meters long and a moat in the southwestern part remained to our time.
Further development of the Kremlin
For a relatively long time, the Ryazan Kremlin was built of wood. And only at the beginning of the 15th century a cathedral city-wide Assumption Cathedral was erected from white stone, not far from the princely court. And in the second half of the 17th century in Pereyaslavl came the heyday of stone architecture.
In the place where the princely palace complex was previously located, the builders erected an entire ensemble consisting of many civil buildings: a number of outbuildings and administrative buildings, including a barrel, forge, Consistory and Singing corps, residential chambers, which were later called “ Palace of Oleg. ” In the next, 18th century, these estates were surrounded by a stone fence, and several gates were erected. Currently, a fragment of one of them can be observed at the Consistory Corps.
Monasteries of Pereyaslavl and Cathedral Square
In ancient times, two monasteries were located on this territory - both male ones. In the south - Spassky, the oldest, in the northeast - Dukhovsky. On the territory of the first for a long time there was an urban, very rich, cemetery. In the 40s of the last century it was liquidated, leaving two burial places in memory for the heirs:
- Engraver, Professor I.P. Pozhalostin from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, who lived from 1837 to 1909.
- The artists and writers S. D. Khvoshchinskaya, who lived from 1828 to 1865.
And in 1959, the grave of J.P. Polonsky, a major Russian poet who lived in the 19th century, was transferred there from Ryazan. The most important place of Pereyaslavl was Cathedral Square, on the territory of which there were: order houses - the main institutions of the city administration, powder chambers and a prison yard.
Ryazan Kremlin in the late 19th - early 20th century
By the 19th century, this object gradually lost its central significance. The secularization of the land of the church was carried out, and after that the economy of the bishop was significantly reduced. By the end of the 18th century, the city center was taken away from the Kremlin, and since then revival has been observed only on days of various religious holidays.
The rest of the time is a quiet and calm outskirts. But at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the activities of the scientific and cultural urban community, as well as local researchers, the Ryazan Kremlin began to acquire the status of one of the main and important historical places of the region. By the 800th anniversary of the city, in 1895, this place has become a center for grandiose celebrations. In the Palace of Oleg in 1914, the Museum of Church Antiquities - the Treasury, was opened, and in 1923, already in Soviet times, the provincial art and history museum.
These historic sites are now
The Ryazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve began a new phase in 1968, when local authorities formed an architectural and historical complex here. In addition to the territory of ancient Pereyaslavl, it includes all the architectural and defensive structures of past centuries, preserved to those days.
The area itself was put in order, some of the buildings were restored and turned into museums. Today this ensemble, together with a picturesque landscape and beautiful Old Russian architecture, adequately represents not only the regional center, the city of Ryazan, but is one of the decorations and pride of all of Russia.
Assumption Cathedral
Every year, many tourists come to these places to get a little acquainted with the past of their country, foreigners to learn a part of Russian history. So, the central monument here is the Assumption Cathedral of the Ryazan Kremlin, which we briefly mentioned. It was built by Yakov Grigorievich Bukhvostov, the largest architect, in 1693-1699. The cathedral was built as a cathedral summer temple, and it turned out a grandiose structure, which, with its dimensions, 1,600 square meters in area and 72 meters in height, surpassed most of the buildings of that time.
The architectural style of the building is the Naryshkin Baroque, which is a magnificent example of the organic synthesis of icon painting, sculpture and architecture. For example, white stone carving of platbands and portals has no analogues. Seven tiers of icons with a total height of 27 meters were made by Nikolai Solomon, a student and follower of
Simon Ushakov . The carving of the iconostasis, made by Sergey Khristoforov, is also distinguished by exceptional artistic merits. The columns are made of one tree trunk each. In the summer, the cathedral is open to the public. It even hosts services. In 2008, it ceased to be a museum and was transferred to the local diocese.
Glebovsky bridge and rampart
Considering the cathedrals of the Ryazan Kremlin, one can not help but mention the Nativity of Christ, which contains the relics of St. Basil Ryazansky, the bishop, as well as the tomb of the local princesses: Sophia - the daughter of Dmitry Donskoy, and the sister of Ivan the Third - Anna. On the territory of the Kremlin there is a stone Glebovsky bridge, which was built to the Belfry in the 18th century. It has an arched construction. Even earlier, there was a wooden oak bridge in its place, with a railing and connecting the main part of the city with Ostrog.
As soon as the threat of external attacks disappeared, he was replaced by a stone. From the southwest of the Kremlin hill is another defensive structure of antiquity - an earthen rampart. Its length is 290 meters, all that remains. Before the 18th century, it had wooden walls and towers. And behind it was a moat filled with water and a depth of seven meters. And although now the rampart is less high and gentle, but still impressive and proudly rises above the surrounding territory.
Oleg's Palace
If you decide to visit the Ryazan Kremlin, excursions will help you to become more comfortable and familiar with all the interesting places. You will certainly be shown, for example, the largest civilian building in area - Oleg's Palace, which was erected on the site where the princely court was originally located. There used to be chambers of local bishops, their household services, fraternal cells and a house church. The area of the building is 2530 square meters.
It has three floors, which were not built all at once, but in stages. In the middle of the 17th century, architect Yu. K. Ershov built the first two, and at the end of the same century, architect G.L. Mazukhin built the third. In 1780, the architect J.I. Schneider extended the length of the building, thanks to the extension to the eastern part. And in the next century, the provincial architect S. A. Shchetkin completely rebuilt it. It turned out to be a very beautiful building with a Baroque pediment, colored platbands and tower windows. Since then it began to be called the Palace of Oleg.
Singing corps
Studying the museums of the Ryazan Kremlin, one can not help but pay attention to the architectural monument of the mid-17th century - the Singing Corps. Built by architect Yu. K. Ershov, it got its name because of the singing training held here. Although, in fact, the main purpose of the building is different. These were living quarters for the treasurer and housekeeper, and bishop ministers. At the end of the case housed the receiving housekeeper, which has its own separate entrance. The building is rectangular, two-story, designed in the architectural style of the time.
Thanks to the porch, made in the style of architecture of ancient Russia, it has a special elegant look. On the arches and walls, including in the reception of the house-keeper, a fine painting was fragmentarily preserved. Now in this building there is a museum exposition called “According to the tradition of grandfather”, which tells about the holidays and everyday life of the Russian people of those times. Many more interesting things are located on the territory of the Ryazan Kremlin. Take the time to inspect, and then there will be something to remember for a long time.