Tone is a large Kremlin palace. Grand Kremlin Palace

Not everyone has been there. Virtual tour of the Russian "Forbidden City".

Andreevsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace of the Moscow Kremlin. Imperial throne. via

On the site President of Russia kremlin.ru, signed "Administration of the President of the Russian Federation", where the first three sections are called: Russia. State. Putin(interestingly, is this a hint that Putin is president forever?), on the page Kremlin it says like this:

"The Kremlin is open! Welcome!
Getting into the Moscow Kremlin is not difficult. No one is forbidden.[...]" It seems to me that it is brilliantly said.

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Andreevsky front hall on a watercolor by Konstantin Andreevich Ukhtomsky, 1849. The decoration in the Russian-Byzantine style was designed by Fyodor Grigoryevich Solntsev. via

"But, no matter how many times you visit the Kremlin, no matter how well you get to know its sights, some places in the Kremlin will probably remain inaccessible to you. These are buildings and territories that are reserved for state institutions and services that ensure the activities of the President of Russia .

A virtual tour will help fill this gap. It opens hitherto, unfortunately, objects closed to tourists, which are part of the Kremlin complex of the President's residence. Moreover, it opens - in a unique pictorial detail.

The Senate Palace and the Grand Kremlin Palace will appear before you in every detail - up to the inscriptions on the spines of books standing in the cabinets Presidential Library, and barely noticeable details of the ancient murals of the Faceted Chamber. You will examine every stone, every piece of furniture, every monogram on high ceilings, every leaf in the Kremlin gardens as if you were in close proximity to them.

And according to the good old tradition: article from AD Russia magazine unchanged about the interior of the Grand Kremlin Palace:

We usually see the interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace only on TV - as a background of political events. We brought them to the fore.

Grand Kremlin Palace

The Grand Kremlin Palace has about seven hundred rooms. The main staircase made of Revel stone leads to the second floor to the five main order halls. Its walls are made of artificial marble (the columns are made of real marble), the interior is designed in the spirit of the Renaissance and allows you to appreciate the innovative construction solutions of Konstantin Ton, who blocked a large span with metal structures. Figured castings on the ceiling are made of cement - an innovative technique at the time of the construction of the palace.

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Vladimir Hall

The Vladimir Hall is one of the most unusual in the palace. In plan, it is a square with a side of sixteen meters, but niches arranged at the corners give it the appearance of an octahedron. The decor reproduces the colors of the Order of St. Vladimir. The hipped sixteen-sided vault is made up of hollow ceramic pots - to facilitate construction and improve acoustics. The hall is illuminated by overhead light through a special opening. The stairs lead to the old part of the complex - the Terem Palace.

4.

Andrew's Hall

Andreevsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, built in 1849 by Konstantin Ton, in the 19th century was considered the main one in the suite of ceremonial rooms dedicated to the main orders of the Russian Empire. Andreevsky Hall, as its name implies, glorifies the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the very first Russian order established by Peter I in 1699. Ten gilded pylons of the hall and gilded doors are decorated with chains and crosses from the symbols of the order. At the end of the hall there are three throne places with an ermine canopy above them, above the windows are the coats of arms of the Russian provinces.

5.

Alexander Hall

The Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, founded in 1725 by Catherine II, is dedicated to the Alexander Hall in the Grand Kremlin Palace. Its walls are lined with pink marble, the domed ceiling and the sailing vaults bearing it are covered with images of the order's emblems and stars.

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The same stars are woven on the backs of the chairs: the velvet of their upholstery is the same color as the sash. On the walls of the hall there are paintings from the life of Alexander Nevsky. This hall, like Andreevsky, was rebuilt in Soviet times and restored in the 1990s. Sometimes the hall is used for meetings of the State Council.

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St George's Hall

St. George's Hall - the first in the front suite of the Grand Palace. Its theme is the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, established by Catherine II in 1769. On the walls of the hall there are marble panels with the names of the knights of the order (golden chests with lists once stood along the southern wall of the room).

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The main motif of the decor is the order cross, on top of the columns there are statues - allegories of the lands and kingdoms that became part of Russia from the 15th to the 19th centuries. They were created by Ivan Vitali. In the photo below - carved doors leading from St. George's Hall to Alexander's.

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Anteroom

Anteroom - a small room leading from the main staircase to St. George's Hall. The central place on its light green walls is occupied by a painting by the famous French battle painter Adolphe Yvon, depicting the Battle of the Kulikovo Field (1850).

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Terem Palace

The holy vestibule is located in the oldest part of the Grand Kremlin Palace complex - the Terem Palace. It was built in 1635 by a team of Russian craftsmen - Bazhen Ogurtsov, Trefil Shaturin, Antip Konstantinov and Larion Ushakov. From the Red Porch overlooking the Cathedral Square, through the Holy Vestibule you can get to the Faceted Chamber and the Vladimir Hall.

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Faceted Chamber

The Faceted Chamber of the Terem Palace is the oldest room palace complex. It was built in 1491 by Italian architects Marco Ruffo and Piero Antonio Solari and served as the throne room for Tsar Ivan III. Zemsky Sobors and meetings of the Boyar Duma were held here, and foreign ambassadors were received. The walls of the chamber are decorated with paintings of the 16th century with religious subjects. In 1668 they were renovated by the painter Simon Ushakov with a team craftsmen from Palekh.

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Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

main building Cathedral Square Kremlin. It was built in 1479 by the Italian Aristotle Fioravanti. In 1547, it was here that the first Russian tsar, Ivan IV the Terrible, was crowned.

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Original article.

Address: Russia, Moscow, Moscow Kremlin
Start of construction: 1838
Completion of construction: 1849
Architect: K. A. Ton
Palace halls: Andreevsky, Alexandrovsky, Vladimirsky, Georgievsky, Ekaterininsky
Coordinates: 55°44"59.4"N 37°36"57.2"E
Object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation

The Grand Kremlin Palace is a building of extraordinary beauty, and the look and decoration of all its premises is literally breathtaking! Unfortunately this building is government agency and a sensitive object, so it is almost impossible to get there on an excursion.

The story about the Grand Kremlin Palace should begin with the history of its construction, which has more than a dozen years and many events.

However, the next empress, Catherine II, did not like the new palace - in her opinion, it was too modest and did not fully correspond to the greatness of the Russian Empire. Therefore, once again it was decided to rebuild the Moscow imperial residence. Architect Bazhenov V.I. a project for a new palace was developed.

View of the southern facade of the Palace

The scale of the construction was assumed to be considerable - the palace was supposed to occupy the entire near-river territory of the Kremlin, starting from Borovitsky Hill and to the very bank of the Moscow River. To implement this project, several objects were destroyed on the territory of the Kremlin. For example, orders were demolished, located east of the Archangel Cathedral. A part of the Kremlin wall between the First, Second and Petrovsky Nameless Towers and the Tainitsky Gates was also destroyed. The official laying of the new palace was carried out in 1773. But, what is most interesting, already in 1774, a year after the solemn ceremony, the project was recognized as too large-scale and inappropriate for the tasks that it was supposed to meet. As a result, almost all the destroyed objects were restored, and one building was erected on the prepared site - the Moscow branch of the Senate. At the same time, they did not forget about the old palace - they decided to renovate it and rebuild it a bit.

The history of the construction of the large Kremlin Palace does not end there. When the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior began in Moscow, the idea to renovate it once again came up. The reason was the idea that the new Kremlin Palace should have symbolized the renewal of the city.

The initiator of the creation of a new palace on the site of the old branch of the Senate was the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. The architect Konstantin Ton began developing a new project in 1837. It should be noted that the same Konstantin Ton designed and built the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Grand Kremlin Palace and new building technologies

Konstantin Ton for the construction of the large Moscow Palace decided to apply a number of innovations that were revolutionary for that time. Lightweight large-span vaults made of bricks and truss structures of metal roofs were truly a new word in the building technologies of that time. In addition, cement was used for the first time in the construction of the large Moscow Palace.

About decoration and halls of the Kremlin Palace

Mix of styles used in interior decoration large Kremlin Palace, made with impeccable taste and includes both Renaissance elements and fragments of Russian-Byzantine styles. The palace includes several halls, each of which is worth talking about separately.

Meeting Hall - the largest hall of the Kremlin Palace

Next door to St. George's Hall is the most Big hall Kremlin Palace- conference hall. The fact is that the hall turned out to be the largest as a result of the unification in 1933-1934 by architect Ivanov of two halls at once - Alexander and Andreevsky.

During the Soviet era, the Conference Hall had a longer name: the Conference Hall of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In the period from 1994 to 1998, reconstruction work was carried out to restore the interiors of the combined halls, which were damaged during the redevelopment. The Meeting Room has an area of ​​1615 sq. m, with 18-meter ceilings, and the maximum capacity of the hall is 3000 people.

Georgievsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace

Perhaps the most beautiful of all. The hall was given the name in honor of the Order of St. George the Victorious. For those who do not know, this is the highest award for officers Russian army, which was established in 1769. The hall is dedicated to the heroes of Russia's military glory. In the halls there are several marble boards on which the names of regiments, batteries and naval crews are imprinted. The names of more than 10 thousand holders of the Order of St. George the Victorious are also carved. By the way, among those proudly wearing this order are famous people like Alexander Suvorov, Fedor Ushakov, Mikhail Kutuzov, Pavel Nakhimov and Pyotr Bagration.

The dimensions of the St. George's Hall are as follows: length - 61 m, width 20.5 m, and height 17.5 m. The main colors are white and gold. The 18 pylons that support the ceiling are made in the form of marble statues by I. Vitali.

Fragment of the facade of the Palace

The lighting elements of the hall also look impressive - which are 6 gilded openwork bronze chandeliers (each weighing 1.3 tons) and 40 stylish lamps located on the walls along the perimeter of the hall.

Significant events that took place within the walls of the St. George Hall include the reception of participants in the Victory Parade in 1945 and the meeting of the first cosmonaut on Earth - Yuri Gagarin.

Vladimir Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace

The Order of St. Vladimir is the award after which the Vladimir Hall is named. The hall is made very interestingly - in the form of an octahedron, the lighting of the hall is natural, through a glass dome on the ceiling. In fact, this hall is the key architectural element Big Kremlin Palace. From it you can get to the St. George's Hall, the Faceted Chamber, the Terem Palace and many other rooms. For lighting at night, the hall has a chandelier, also made of gilded bronze. The most beautiful floor, the parquet of which is made of several noble types of wood, also attracts attention. The hall is made in pink tones, mainly due to the lining of the walls of pink marble.

The museum-apartment of Nikolai Semenovich Golovanov (1891–1953), the great conductor, composer and pianist, traces its history back to 1969, when, after the death of the musician’s sister, this apartment became part of the Russian national museum music.

The basis of the funds was the rich heritage of the musician: his
collections of paintings, sculptures, applied arts, a library, an archive and a music library. Over the years, the value of this legacy has steadily grown.

The very status of Golovanov as a conductor and composer has changed: now this master is recognized as a great one. The amazing concentration of spirituality, creative energy, the true scope of his work is striking. His personality also attracts, first of all, loyalty to the high moral principles laid down since childhood and uncompromising, selfless service to art.

The memorial apartment of the conductor with its various rarities is also amazing in terms of the concentration of spiritual values. The house itself in Bryusov Lane, in which it is located, is a cultural monument. It belonged to the Bolshoi Theatre. Since 1935, such luminaries of Moscow vocal art as A. V. Nezhdanova, N. A. Obukhova, I. S. Kozlovsky, A. S. Pirogov, M. P. Maksakova lived here. Golovanov lived here for about twenty years (1935–1953). It was during these years, heading the orchestra of the All-Union Radio and later the Bolshoi Theater, that he became a leading figure in the musical life of Moscow. Three rooms of this apartment (study, living room, dining room) are memorial. Almost every subject here remembers Golovanov. And in the former bedroom, archive materials are concentrated, allowing you to trace the path of the musician.

The initial stage was the study at the Synodal School of Church Singing (1900–1909), which took place under the guidance of such masters as choirmasters V. S. Orlov, N. M. Danilin, composers P. G. Chesnokov, A. D. Kastalsky, Vikt. S. Kalinnikov. Golovanov wrote in his declining years: “The Synodal School gave me everything: moral principles, life principles, iron discipline, the ability to work hard and systematically, instilled in me a sacred love for work.”

The next stage is studying at the Moscow Conservatory in the class of composition and theory with S. N. Vasilenko and A. A. Ilyinsky. At the same time, Golovanov did not lose touch with the Synodal School, becoming its teacher and assistant regent of the famous Synodal Choir. Since 1915 and almost until the last days - work at the Bolshoi Theater (though with three forced breaks). These were the culminating years in the life of the theatre. Under the direction of Golovanov and his eminent "team" (artist F. F. Fedorovsky, directors L. V. Baratov, B. A. Pokrovsky and other outstanding masters), such masterpieces as the productions of "Boris Godunov", "Sadko", " Khovanshchina" 1948-1950.

No less effective is Golovanov's leadership of the Big Radio Symphony Orchestra. Especially important is his activity in Moscow during the Great Patriotic War. Live broadcasts of the orchestra's performances lifted the spirits of even people far from music. In the photograph of 1943, we see the conductor during the first performance in the USSR of the Third Symphony by S. V. Rachmaninov. The exposition also reflects Golovanov's composing work. different years, starting with piano variations of childhood, ending with spiritual chants of the 1940s.

A special section is devoted to Golovanov's long-term union with A. V. Nezhdanova: the musician was an accompanist and husband of the great singer. Entering the memorial rooms of the Museum, visitors are immediately immersed in the world of art. Pictures of first-class artists (I. I. Levitan, M. V. Nesterov, K. A. Korovin and many others), sculptural portraits, antique furniture in the Empire style, stucco on the ceilings - everything creates a unique atmosphere. At the same time, Golovanov's "handwriting" is felt. Already in the layout of the apartment, theatrical features are visible: the living room corresponds to the study, like a theater hall and stage. The doors with bronze mythological figures are also remarkable. Although the genres, themes of paintings and sculptures presented in the memorial rooms are diverse, each room has its own dominants. The office is the most “musical” room. There are many portraits of composers, conductors, as well as figures of art and literature. In the living room, a significant place is occupied by images related to religious themes, and images embodying the ideals of female beauty. In the dining room, the thematic dominant is travel in time and space: Russia and England, Italy and Egypt, India and the fabulous Berendey kingdom, deep antiquity and the 20th century. On picturesque canvases come to life architectural masterpieces world - the Taj Mahal mausoleum by V. V. Vereshchagin, the Pskov Kremlin by V. V. Meshkov, the Venetian Doge's Palace in the painting by I. K. Aivazovsky.

And one more attraction of the Museum is its visitors in the past and in the present. After all, Golovanov was visited by many outstanding musicians and artists. The owner of the apartment liked to arrange a feast on holidays and memorable days. The regulars were singers of the Bolshoi Theater who lived in the same house - Obukhova, Maksakova, Pirogov, Kozlovsky ... And after the opening of the Museum (1974), conductors B. E. Khaikin, K. P. Kondrashin, G. N. Rozhdestvensky, F. Sh. Mansurov, Yu. I. Simonov. Among the concert visitors are the composer V. A. Gavrilin, the ballerina E. S. Maksimova, the singer Z. A. Dolukhanova. And at the present time, the Museum has a lot of things that attract both conductors, professional musicians, and connoisseurs of painting, and music lovers, and a wide range of people who seek to touch the world of beauty.

Throughout its history, the Moscow Kremlin has been a citadel of power; flowed in the grand ducal and royal palaces everyday life rulers of Rus'. This life is so closely connected with the history of the state, it is such an important part of the concept of the "Kremlin" that it is impossible to bypass the local palaces in silence. Despite the fact that access to them is closed to the general public, let's at least briefly look into their past and present.

Since the time of Ivan Kalita, the princely palace has occupied the most a nice place- on Borovitsky hill overlooking the river. It was traditionally wooden and small.
Ivan III expanded his possessions in the Kremlin and ordered in 1492 the Italian architects, who deserved praise for the Faceted Chamber, to build stone halls.

Ivan the Terrible continued to expand the mansions with wooden buildings. The main attraction of the then palace was the throne Golden Chamber on the site of the current St. George's Hall.

Boris Godunov erected his wooden palace on the roof stone structure, So royal family lived at a dizzying height for those times. The sudden death of the sovereign interrupted his even larger projects.

Empress Elizabeth ordered the dilapidated Godunov chambers to be rebuilt. The new palace turned out to be pretentious and uncomfortable, so Catherine II preferred to stay in the houses of nobles in Moscow. Under Alexander I, they tried to restore order in the royal dwelling and fix it after the Napoleonic fire. In 1817, wooden walls were quickly erected on the old basement, overlaid with bricks on both sides. Even at that time it was not serious.

Nicholas I, who loved Moscow and the Kremlin more than his predecessors, undertook to correct the situation.
To build a new palace, he attracted the architect Konstantin Ton, who pleased the emperor with his project of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Both of these buildings were supposed to confirm the triumph of the Russian national idea. The imperial residence, called the Grand Kremlin Palace, was under construction for a whole decade and became a worthy neighbor of ancient monuments.

The facade of the palace is well known to us: it is one of the specific symbols of Moscow and all of Russia.

The palace was built in 1838-1849 and opened on April 3, 1849, at Easter. The length of the main facade of the building from the side of the Moscow River from west to east is 125 m, the height with a dome and a flagpole is about 50 m. From the north, the Palace is connected to the Terem Palace, from the east it adjoins the Palace of Facets, and from the west - the Armory. The building occupies about 3.5 hectares.

The architect faced a difficult task. The emphatically national tastes of Nicholas I determined the style of the new palace as Old Russian. It also corresponded to the surrounding architectural ensemble. At the same time, the palace, intended for magnificent crowded ceremonies, inevitably had to become a huge structure, incompatible with the traditions of ancient Russian architecture. But there was a way out. Konstantin Ton used national motifs to decorate the facade, surrounding the windows with white stone carvings. The main halls of the second floor received two rows of window openings, which creates the impression of a tower with small windows. Because of this, the two-story palace looks like a three-story palace from the outside. Interior spaces palace - a riot of imperial luxury. Eclectic style, magnificent decoration, an abundance of valuable materials in the decoration - a real architectural feast.

1. Boyar site.
2. Vladimir Hall.
3. George Hall.
4. Alexander Hall.
5. Andrew's Hall.
6. Cavalry Hall.
7. Catherine's Hall.
8. State apartments of the Empress.
9. Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.
10. Terem Palace.
11. Golden Tsarina's Chamber.
12. Palace churches.
13. Church of the Deposition.
14. Holy vestibule.
15. Faceted Chamber.
16. Blagoveshchensky cathedral

The Soviet era spared this building, but still made serious changes here, since some of the palace's premises were used for mass political events.

In the 1990s, the facade and two halls of the palace were returned to the form they had before the revolution. In kokoshniks under the roof above central entrance they again installed five double-headed eagles instead of the Soviet coat of arms and four letters "USSR", and above them - the coats of arms of the former kingdoms and regions of former Russia (St. Petersburg, Kazan, Moscow, Polish and others).

They say that there are about 700 rooms and halls in the palace buildings, but we will walk (at least in imagination) only through the most remarkable ones. Including the famous ceremonial halls named after the main Russian orders: Vladimir, Georgievsky, Alexandrovsky, Andreevsky and Ekaterininsky.

Materials from all over the Russian Empire were used in the decoration of the palace. A wide front staircase with 58 steps and five landings, made of Revel stone (Revel - now Tallinn), leads to the second floor. Before going up, you should turn left from the lobby and go to the so-called Own Half - the imperial apartments. The emperor and his family stayed here when he came to Moscow from northern capital- St. Petersburg, however most time these seven rooms were empty. Inlaid furniture, crystal chandeliers, porcelain floor lamps, malachite pilasters and bronze mantel clocks are striking. Much of this decoration was created by the work of Russian craftsmen.

We pass the dining room, the living room, the Empress's study, the boudoir, the bedchamber, the reception room and find ourselves in the emperor's study, a corner in the building. From here you have a wonderful view of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Moscow River. The walls of the study are partly upholstered in ash, and the rest - in green matter. Six paintings on the walls depict events related to the war of 1812. But no one has been working here for a long time. Let's go back to the lobby and go up the front staircase on the second floor, to the halls. Directly - the entrance to the entrance hall (entrance hall in front of the main hall). Five-meter-high doors, made of solid walnut board without glue or nails, lead into it past two huge crystal vases. Once there was a painting by Ilya Repin depicting Alexander III with a deputation from the peasants - volost elders, and since the 1950s - a canvas with Lenin's speech at the III Congress of the Komsomol. Now visitors in the entrance hall are greeted by a painting by the artist Sergei Prisekin "Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword."

From here we get, perhaps, into the most famous hall - Georgievsky which looks now as it did a hundred years ago. It is named after the military order of St. George the Victorious, founded by Catherine II in 1769, and is the largest in the palace (area - 1250 sq. m, height - 17.5 m). Some "progressive" critics at one time stated that the decoration of these halls testifies "to a pretentious, but poorly developed artistic taste and is capable of striking with its splendor only an uncultured layman." Probably, we are among the latter, because what we see is really amazing. On the marble plaques in the niches and on the walls, the names of famous military units and St. George Knights are written in gold, including Emperors Alexander II and Alexander III, great generals Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov. Names appeared on boards until the end of the 19th century. On 18 columns (nine columns on each side) are marble female figures with shields depicting the coats of arms of various lands. They symbolize the victories of Russian weapons and lands that became part of Russia over five centuries (from Perm in 1472 to Armenia in 1828, including Little Russia - Ukraine).

A bronze mantel clock against one of the walls depicts St. George the rider. At the opposite wall there is a clock in the form of a reduced model of the monument to Minin and Pozharsky on Red Square. Giant bronze chandeliers are reflected in the parquet made of different types of wood - a real work of art, made according to the drawings of the academician of painting Fyodor Solntsev in the 19th century.

In the 19th century, each hall had its own meaning during palace ceremonies.
In Georgievsky, the emperor was met by Moscow officials, representatives of the nobility and honorary citizens. In 1945, a solemn reception was held in this hall of Russian military glory for the participants in the Victory Parade.

Followed by Alexander Hall. Its huge wall mirrors reflect the Moscow River and the entire panorama outside the window. This room is dedicated to the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, which was established by Catherine I in 1725. In gold decorations on the ceiling and arches, there are bas-reliefs with the signs of this order and the mysterious letters "S.A.", which actually mean Sanctus Alexander, i.e. "Saint Alexander". Six oblong-shaped paintings, three above the doors on both sides, illustrate legendary episodes from the life of Alexander Nevsky, including the Battle on the Ice in 1242 and the refusal to worship idols in the Horde. In the bas-relief above the doors, on one side, the prince is depicted as a warrior, and on the other, as a monk-scheme, which symbolizes his earthly and heavenly glory. In this hall, the emperor was greeted at solemn exits by city ladies.

In 1933-1934, the Alexander Hall was combined with the neighboring Andreevsky Hall to host the 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. The result was a long, pencil-shaped room, called the Conference Hall, where party congresses and sessions of the Supreme Council were held. In a niche arranged on the site of the imperial throne, a 10-meter marble statue of Lenin was installed. On June 12, 1990, the state sovereignty of the Russian Federation was proclaimed here - an event that became the basis for a new holiday. The restoration of Russian statehood and the revival of national symbols have resulted in changes here as well. Both halls were completely restored in 1995-1999.

Andrew's Hall named after the first Russian order - St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, established by Peter I in 1698. Order chains and stars are depicted on the doors. St. Andrew's crosses - at the top of the columns. This is the throne room, the most important hall of the Kremlin palaces. Here, on the days of celebrations on the occasion of the coronation, the emperor and his wife received congratulations from their subjects. Until the end of the 19th century, the imperial chair, decorated with carvings in the Old Russian style, stood on the throne place. Then, under a canopy with an ermine canopy, three armchairs were installed - the reigning Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the mother of the emperor. Their monograms were depicted on the backs of the thrones. Behind the canopy is a double-headed eagle, and above the canopy - National emblem Russia with archangels on both sides, the inscription "God with us" and the emblems of all kingdoms and lands. Above this place is depicted the "All-seeing eye in radiance" - the Orthodox symbol of the Trinity. One of the palace grenadiers on duty was constantly at the throne.

All the same, with the exception of the grenadier, will be seen by those who are lucky enough to visit the palace today.
By the way, the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was restored in 1998 as the highest award in Russia, and a little later, the Andreevsky Hall again acquired a ceremonial function: President Vladimir Putin was inaugurated here.

In the 1930s, the bypass gallery adjacent to the Alexander and Andreevsky halls was also dismantled, which was turned into a meeting room.
In its place, a foyer of the Conference Hall was arranged. At the same time, on the site of the demolished Church of the Savior on Bor, a service building was built in the courtyard. In the late 1990s, both the foyer and the office building were completely redesigned according to the project of the artist Ilya Glazunov, who created new small front rooms in the office building (Petrovsky, Shtofny, Fireplace, Red and Green) for receptions and negotiations; the foyer has again become a gallery, even more pompous than in the days of the empire, and portraits of the rulers of Russia for ten centuries are placed on the walls - from the legendary Prince Rurik to Nicholas II (by the son of Ilya Glazunov - Ivan).

Passing further from the Andreevsky Hall and turning to the north, we find ourselves in the Cavalier Guard Hall, where during the emperor's stay in the palace there was a military guard. The bodyguards traditionally consisted of Circassians (as the highlanders of the Caucasus were then called), so the furniture in the hall - a sofa and chairs - was symbolically made from a Caucasian tree - plane trees. The picture corresponding to the place depicted a review of the troops of Alexei Mikhailovich at Novodevichy Convent in the 17th century. In the 1930s, the hall was converted into a room where NKVD workers were located during congresses and various events. The current furniture in the hall is made of Karelian birch.

The cavalry guards, handsome officers in white uniforms, made up the honorary escort of the empress. According to etiquette, the expression “to have an entrance behind the cavalry guards” meant that a given person could enter that half of the palace where the throne room was located. Catherine's Hall and staterooms of the Empress.

In this hall, under a canopy of crimson velvet, stood the throne of the Empress (now its place near the eastern wall is free). Magnificent floor lamps remained in their places in the hall. The hall is dedicated to the Order of St. Catherine, which Peter I established in 1714 in honor of his wife Catherine I. As you know, in 1711, during the Prut campaign, the future empress helped Peter I save the Russian army from captivity by bribing the Turkish commander in chief with her jewels. The order was awarded only to ladies, and only 12 people could have the first degree signs at the same time, not counting those of imperial blood. The honorary duty of the cavalry ladies of the order was to be present in this hall at solemn ceremonies along with the ladies of the court. We can recognize in this interior the place of negotiations at the highest level - it is often shown on TV.

This is followed by apartments in greenish with gold and red tones with gilded furnishings - the front drawing room and the front bedchamber of the Empress. At the end of the suite of rooms, we pass through the front dressing room, lined with dark walnut panels, and find ourselves in the maid of honor corridor of the Terem Palace, into which the windows of the rooms of the ladies of the court looked out. At the end of this corridor, in 1959, they arranged a Winter Garden made of marble and mirrors, which has a pool with a fountain and more than 120 views. tropical plants. From here a small staircase leads to the last front hall - Vladimirsky.

The hall is dedicated to the Order of St. Prince Vladimir, established by Catherine II in 1782. The motto of the order is “Benefit, Honor and Glory”, and among the awarded are the architect Konstantin Ton, the historian and writer Karamzin and many others who have brought great benefit to the Fatherland and gained unfading honor and glory with their labors.

In 1838, on the initiative of Nicholas I, on Borovitsky Hill, they began to build the Grand Kremlin Palace on the site of the dismantled palaces of Ivan III and Elizabeth Petrovna. Construction was completed in 1849. Almost a hundred years before that, attempts were made to create a new palace. So, in 1768, the architect Bazhenov presented his model of the building, located from the banks of the Moscow River along the entire Borovitsky Hill. In 1770 a part of the Kremlin wall was broken and in 1773 a new residence was solemnly laid. But a year later, it was decided that such a grandiose project was inappropriate and the construction was stopped. The destroyed Kremlin wall was restored and instead of a pompous palace, the building of the Moscow Senate was built.

But the beginning of construction in 1812 again showed the need to build a palace in honor of the renewal of Moscow.

A group of specialists was invited to work on the project - Bakarev, Gerasimov, Rikhnet, Chichagov. The project was headed by the architect K.A. Ton, the author of the project of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the founder of the so-called Byzantine-Russian style.

As planned by the authors, the Palace complex, which will later be called the Grand Kremlin Palace, was supposed to include, in addition to the largest building, part of the surviving structures of the royal residence - the Golden Tsaritsyna Chamber, the Pomegranate Chamber, house churches and the Terem Palace.

The chief architect Ton did not seek to build an innovative complex of buildings, he took as a basis the layout already familiar to Muscovites and architectural elements of familiar historical buildings. But during the construction, the most advanced and modern techniques and technologies were used, for example, lightweight brick vaults, new roof structures, cement and other most innovative building materials for that time.

Only in 1851, after the construction of the Armory and the Apartments, connected by an air passage with the palace complex, did the Grand Kremlin Palace become a single architectural ensemble, worthy of the imperial family and which has become one of the wonders of the city for Muscovites and foreigners.

The main façade of the building faces the river, and from this angle it looks like it has three floors, although in fact it has only two floors. The first floor looks like a closed gallery, the basement is framed with natural stone, the second floor is decorated with carved window frames made of white stone. In the center of the palace there is a platform with a gilded balustrade, on one side of which there is still a working clock, and on the other - hour bells. Near the main entrance is a vestibule with marble columns. The total length of the Kremlin Palace is 125 m, its area is 25,000 sq. m., and the height is 47 m.

The palace complex includes about 700 rooms for various purposes, including 5 order halls, reception rooms of the front half, living quarters own half, service premises on the first floor, lobby with a main staircase.

You can talk endlessly about interiors and interior decoration. It is not for nothing that the palace is called the museum of Russian ceremonial interior. The palace is rightly called a museum of Russian palace interiors. The decoration is eclectic - from Renaissance elements to Byzantine style. At the same time, any of its elements strikes with subtlety, elegance and quality of work, original taste and quality of performance.

Each palace hall is a work of architecture and art in its own way, but true connoisseurs of architecture consider the St. George Hall to be the most majestic. It is in it that marble plaques of memory with the names of the military, awarded the most revered Russian award, the Order of St. George the Victorious. Among the awardees were such historical figures as Mikhail Kutuzov, Alexander Suvorov and Pyotr Bagration. This sixty-meter white and gold hall, with huge bronze chandeliers, with powerful pylons, truly leaves an unforgettable impression. To everything, it is here that marble statues sculptor Ivan Vitali and bas-reliefs depicting St. George and the snake, the authorship of Pavel Kladsh. IN Russian history it is this hall that plays an important role - cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was welcomed here, here in 1945 the reception of participants in the Victory Parade took place.

The Vladimir Hall got its name in honor of the Order of St. Vladimir. The hall is made in the form of an octahedron, lined with pink marble and, in addition to a huge bronze chandelier, has additional lighting through the dome. From this hall you can get to the Terem Palace, the Pomegranate Chamber and many other rooms of the palace.

The Assembly Hall is the largest room in the palace complex. It appeared only in 1933 in connection with the unification of the Alexander and Andreevsky halls. Windows overlooking the Moscow River, 1615 sq. m. of area, with a capacity of up to 3,000 visitors - made this particular hall a meeting place in Soviet times Supreme Council THE USSR.

Catherine's Hall is a very cozy and beautiful room in the front half of the palace, which got its name in honor of the only female Russian order. In the past, it was the throne room of Russian empresses. Gilded chandeliers, gray moire walls, malachite pieces, fine crystal candelabra - everything here is of great historical and artistic value.

After the Catherine's Hall, you can get to the Front Room and the Front Bedchamber, which today are a real museum of the imperial life of the 19th century. A fireplace lined with jasper, columns made of greenish marble, heavy monolithic furniture - all this emphasizes the nobility of the decoration of the premises intended for high-ranking state officials.

The last room of the front half of the palace is the Walnut Wardrobe, which is decorated with walnut panels.

The private half of the palace with the living quarters of the emperor and his family located in it is also an example of sophistication and interior masterpiece. A mixture of baroque, rococo, classicism styles make the seven rooms of the Own Half a conceptual whole. The Emperor's office, the Empress's office, a bedroom, a boudoir, a dining room, a reception room, a living room - each room had its own decoration.

The dining room is decorated with artificial stone and statues of mythological heroes. In the rest of the rooms of this half of the palace, you can see a lot of porcelain items, unique chandeliers, furniture of soft shapes, curved outlines, a lot of huge mirrors, pompous inlay and stucco patterns, parquet and doors made of precious woods with unique designs.

At present, the entire ensemble of the Grand Kremlin Palace, with the exception of the Armory, which is a museum, is the Residence of the President Russian Federation. It is here that important state meetings at the highest level, award ceremonies, and diplomatic receptions are held.