Kremlin – Living Example of Russian Culture and History

In the Russian language, the word kreml means citadel where several Russian cities have kremlins of their own. The Kremlin is located on Borovitsky Hill, which rises above the Moscow River in the centre of the city.

During early decades of the Soviet period, Kremlin was an exclusive enclave of the state’s governing elite’s workplace and residence. The site was the official residence of the president of the Russian Federation though access to other areas within the walls was admitted considerably.With almost a dozen churches and palaces, Kremlin is a living example of eight centuries of Russian culture and history together with its power.

The walls which run almost a mile and half, stands as high as 62 feet and 21 feet thick and has 20 towers and gates. The Kremlins or fortresses were built by several medieval Russians for protection from invaders.The original Kremlin in Moscow started in 1156 as a wooden structure towards the north of the Moskva River.

As the power and wealth of Muscovite increased by 1400, Prince Ivan III had the area presently known as Red Square, cleared, which at that time was a shantytown housing poor peasants and criminals and converted the Kremlin into its splendid form bringing in Italian architect to enhance it by building new fortified stone walls and structures like the Cathedral of the Assumption which is also known as the Cathedral of the Dormition.

Red Square – Interior Rich & Iconic

This was built directly east of the Kremlin, Moscow’s historic fortress and the centre of the Russian government, Red Square is now home to some of the most distinctive and important landmarks of the country which dates back to the 15th century and the Muscovite prince Ivan III – Ivan the Great expanded the Kremlin reflecting Moscow’s influence and growing power.

Red Square has the ornate of 16th century, St. Basil’s Cathedral, which are the State Historical Museum and the enormous GUM Department Store together with a modernist mausoleum for the revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin.

Red Square’s interior is rich with painted walls and icons from a different period of the church’s long history though its exterior domed spires and tents each capping one of the nine separate chapel are very iconic.

Kremlin – Private/Red Square - Public

Towards the 20th century the square was famous as a site of large scale military parades as well as other demonstrations which were designed to showcase the strength of Soviet.

Kremlin stands towards west side of the huge bricked Red Square separating the fortified citadel from the city where the square, for centuries was a marketplace, gathering place, festival ground and during the Soviet period, it was used as a parade ground.

Moreover, the tomb of Lenin lies along the Kremlin side of Red Square and since 1924, the former leader’s body which is embalmed has also been on view inside. Kremlin represented the private hidden side of the power of Russia while Red Square which is at the east of Kremlin is the public side of Russia where the square was created shortly after the completion of the Kremlin wall where the two since then have been interlined in popular imagination.