Entrance of the big Kremlin Palace. The Grand Kremlin Palace - all the splendor of the presidential residence

The building was erected at the initiative of Emperor Nicholas I at the end of the 19th century on the site of the ancient grand ducal palace of Ivan III and the palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna built on its basis in the 18th century.

The beginning of the reign of NicholasIwas overshadowed by the Decembrist uprising in December 1825, and therefore, more than his predecessors, he needed external attributes of power. The ruler wanted to build new spacious ceremonial halls for holding palace ceremonies, and in addition, the Grand Kremlin Palace had, firstly, to demonstrate historical continuity power, and, secondly, to show its brilliance and strength.

That is why elements of the Byzantine-Russian style are used in the design of the building (to show the dynastic connection with the Byzantine emperors), and five main halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace are dedicated to the highest awards of the Russian army.

In accordance with its ceremonial function, the Grand Kremlin Palace is not so much a building as a monument that tells Russian history and glorifying the Russian army.

Grand Kremlin Palace - brief description

The main task of the architects was to solve the problem of the unity of the architectural ensemble ancient Kremlin and a new palace. The construction was carried out according to the project of Konstantin Ton. IN palace complex ancient buildings were included - the Faceted Chamber and the Golden Tsaritsyna Chamber, the Terem Palace and palace churches.

At the same time, the tendency towards gigantism, characteristic of Ton and his time, was clearly manifested in the architecture of the building. A large-scale two-story yellow building with high arched windows stretches along the Moskva River for 125 meters, and its height is 37 meters and it looks like a three-story building, although the building has two floors.

Entering the palace from the main entrance, you will find yourself in the front lobby, the vault of which is supported by four gray columns made of granite brought from Karelia, from the city of Serdobol (now the city of Sortavala). The lobby is illuminated by four bronze floor lamps, each with 13 Carcel lamps (invented by the Swiss craftsman Carcel).

The guests climbed the main staircase to the second floor, its steps (there are 66 in total) are low and wide, so that it would be convenient for ladies in elegant evening dresses to climb and the procession would take on a particularly solemn look. The walls of the lobby are decorated with yellow marble brought from Kolomna near Moscow.

St George's Hall

This is one of the most monumental and beautiful halls dedicated to the highest order Russian Empire- Order of George the Victorious. The badge of the order is a gold cross covered with white enamel depicting George slaying a snake.

The order has four degrees of distinction. They were awarded to officers and military units for courage and courage shown in battle, as well as for long service. In total, this honorary military title was awarded to about 11 thousand gentlemen and regular military formations. You will see their names on the wall boards of the hall.

Each of the pylons of the hall ends with a twisted column and a sculpture by Ivan Vitali, symbolizing the region or kingdom of the Russian Empire.

The flooring is an authentic parquet made in 1845, made of 20 precious woods brought from South-East Asia and South America. One of the decorations of the hall is a copy of the monument to the great Novgorod heroes Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, installed on Red Square.

The main colors of the hall are white and gold: the vault trimmed with stucco and the sculptures of the hall are white, the names of the Cavaliers of St. George and military formations are gold on the boards. Six chandeliers cast in bronze are also gilded.

St George's Hall surprises with its rigor and scale. This is a temple of Russian valor, a monument to the feats of arms of Russian weapons. As before, government receptions and meetings are held here, awards are presented.

Alexander Hall

The Alexander Hall is dedicated to the Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky. Prince Alexander was known for his piety and courage. The order in his honor was established by Catherine I in 1725, and the motto of the award is "For Labor and Fatherland".

The Alexander Hall is also huge, 31 meters long, 21 meters wide and 20 meters high. Konstantin Ton used elements of the Byzantine-Russian style in its design. The intricate floral parquet, created in 1843, looks like a fabric carpet that glistens under a layer of lacquer.

Under the dome are the signs of the order - a cross and a star with the monogram of St. Alexander, in the corners - images of a double-headed eagle.

Historical canvases, created by Fyodor Moller, professor of historical painting at the Academy of Arts, tell about the life of St. Alexander Nevsky. The paintings on the western side of the hall tell about the military exploits of the prince, and on the eastern side we see scenes from his peaceful life.

The light from the high windows, reflected in numerous mirrors, fills the entire space. The walls are decorated with white and pink marble, and the red velvet in the furniture upholstery matches the color of the sash. Between the twisted gilded columns are the coats of arms of the lands of the Russian Empire.

Andrew's Hall

Andreevsky Hall (Throne) was the main hall of the Kremlin Palace. It is dedicated to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, established by Peter in 1698. The motto of the order is "For Faith and Loyalty".

The tetrahedral columns of St. Andrew's Hall form three naves. In the eastern side of the room there is a throne, consisting of three thrones, one of them was intended for Nicholas II, the second - for his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, and the third - for the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the emperor's mother. Above the throne place is a canopy made of ermine fur. The vault depicts the all-seeing eye in radiance - the Orthodox symbol of the Trinity.

During the days of the coronation, guests from all the lands of the Russian Empire gathered in the Andreevsky Hall to congratulate the emperor.

St. Andrew's Hall impresses with its luxury - vaults, columns and pylons are covered with gilded stucco, and the capitals (the upper parts of the columns and pylons) are decorated with signs of the order - the image of a double-headed eagle, against which is St. Andrew crucified on the cross.

Vladimir Hall

The Vladimir Hall is dedicated to another high military award - the Order of St. Vladimir, established in honor of Prince Vladimir of Kyiv, under whom Rus' was baptized.

The motto of the order is "Benefit, honor and glory", and its sign is a golden cross covered with red enamel. The creator of the Grand Kremlin Palace, Konstantin Ton, was also awarded this order.

In its form, this is an unusual hall. In plan, it is a square with a side of 16 meters, but niches are made at its corners, and as a result, the Vladimir Hall looks more like an octagon.

The vault of the hall resembles an ancient tent, daylight into which penetrates through a round lantern, and in the evening the hall is illuminated by a magnificent bronze chandelier. One of the decorations of the hall is the arches decorating the side galleries.

Vladimir Hall connects the main halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace with the Palace of Facets and the Terem Palace.

Ceremonial order halls can be viewed during the tour. Only the Catherine Hall, where the President of Russia holds official meetings and negotiations, is not accessible.

Catherine's Hall

The Catherine Hall is dedicated to the Order of St. Catherine, established by Peter the Great. The motto of the order is "For love and fatherland". The award had two degrees. The Order of Catherine of the first degree was awarded to princesses by birthright, and the second degree to court ladies. The first lady to be awarded this order was Peter's wife, Catherine I.

Unusually beautiful candelabra appeared here in 1856, when the coronation of Alexander II took place. Two crystal candlesticks were brought from the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg, and four others were taken from the Museum of the Imperial Glass Factory.

own half

The residential part of the building is located in the southern part of the Kremlin Palace. Here, in the so-called own half”, were the chambers of the emperor and empress. The enfilade consists of six main rooms:

• The bedchamber of the Empress with luxurious furniture and exquisite decoration. In the design, mainly two colors are used - blue and gold. An atmosphere of peace and piety prevails here.
• In the boudoir of the Empress (lady's morning room) there is one of the most beautiful fireplaces of the palace, decorated with polished malachite plates. Overhead gilded details in the form of beads, garlands and rosettes give it a special sophistication
• The Empress's study was decorated at the request of its first mistress, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, in the Boule style (named after a furniture maker of the 17th century). Here, in the decoration of furniture and doors, a special type of inlay was used, when plates of tortoise shell and copper were superimposed on a wooden base. Also gorgeous upholstery fabric with gold thread
• The living room of the Empress is snow-white with gold trim. Eight plaster bas-reliefs are symbols of the arts, four more depict the seasons. The main decoration of the room is a unique pineapple chandelier, a symbol of hospitality and cordiality.
• The dining room is decorated in a traditional classic style. Stucco ornamentation on the vault, white and yellow marble in the decoration of the walls, in the niches - marble vases with antique scenes, sculptures of Leda, the beloved of Zeus and the god of marriage Hymineus.

Excursions to the Grand Kremlin Palace

The Grand Kremlin Palace and the Palace of Facets can only be visited as part of an excursion by appointment. The cost of the tour is from 4 thousand rubles (2019), duration is about 1.5 hours. You must be prepared for the fact that the date and time of the tour may be postponed due to official events. It is recommended to take as few personal items as possible on the tour. Before visiting, several inspections are carried out as at the airport. Photography is only allowed in a few front rooms.

Big Kremlin Palace It was erected by Konstantin Ton at the direction of Nicholas I for more than ten years - from 1838 to 1849. As the great creators intended, the grandiose building became reliable and corresponding to the status of the capital.

• In past residence of emperors, today it is the main residence of the President of Russia.
• huge palace, the construction of which lasted 10 years, appeared in the Kremlin in the 19th century under Nicholas I.
• The building includes the remains of earlier buildings: the Terem Palace, nine churches and the Palace of Facets.
• The Grand Kremlin Palace is 125 meters long and 47 meters high, and total area building is 25,000 sq.m..
• The residence has a huge lobby, about 700 rooms and five halls, which are used for high-level meetings and state ceremonies.
• The Malachite Foyer is open to visitors, where you can see portraits of all Russian sovereigns.

The Grand Kremlin Palace is a unique architectural ensemble and a landmark museum for Moscow. Once it housed the chambers of the imperial family, and now it is the main residence of the President of Russia. The palace is open to the public only with organized excursions which are held according to a schedule agreed in advance with the Federal Security Service. The private quarters of the emperors with authentic furnishings, the throne and order halls, luxurious interiors and murals - the Palace impresses with its beauty and grandeur.

Palace construction

Back in the reign of Empress Catherine II, the architect Vasily Bazhenov proposed to build a giant new palace in the Kremlin, but due to the complexity and high cost, his project was not implemented. The new residence in the Kremlin appeared by decree of the Empress' grandson, Nicholas I. The palace was built for almost ten years, from 1838 to 1849. Work on it brought together outstanding Russian artists and architects - N. Chichagov, V. Bakaryov, N. Shokhin, P. Gerasimov, F. Solntseva.

The author of the project is a recognized master Konstantin Ton. Emperor Nicholas I was directly involved in the search architectural style for the palace. It was decided to build a new residence in the tradition of "Byzantine-Russian architecture". It is believed that the image with its monumental forms, created by Andrei Stackenschneider, was taken as the basis for the project. On the site of old buildings of the XV - XVIII centuries. erected a building striking in its size and harmony of lines. The length of the Grand Kremlin Palace is 125 meters, the height is 47 meters, the total area is 25,000 square meters. From the outside it looks like it has three floors, but it actually has two floors.

During a detailed study of the project, the experts found many similarities with palace buildings of the 15th-18th centuries that stood on this site earlier. Lower tier windows modern palace correspond to the arches of the basement of the palace of the 15th century, the outer gallery corresponds to the outer passages, and the terrace looks like an old promenade. The palace also had a Winter Garden - a kind of repetition of the hanging gardens of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Particularly valuable parts of previous buildings were included in the Grand Kremlin Palace: the Terem Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, nine temples (the oldest of which dates back to the 14th century), the Faceted Chamber of the 15th century. The residence has about 700 rooms, a huge lobby and five stately halls.

In 1849 the palace was consecrated in the presence of Emperor Nicholas I. At the same time, construction began in the same style of the building. With its construction, the ensemble of the Grand Kremlin Palace was finally formed. The buildings are connected by an overpass. After the socialist revolution of 1917 and the relocation of the Soviet government to Moscow, many of the premises of the palace began to be used as residential. Today, the Palace hosts the inauguration ceremony of the President of Russia, high-level meetings are held, orders are awarded - high state awards of the Russian Federation.

Visitors can enter the Kremlin Palace from the side Cathedral Square. Nearby is the front porch of the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin, it is decorated with figures of lions and closed with a gilded lattice.

Style decision of the ensemble

The appearance of the Palace is emphatically strict: it is decorated with a large number of stucco elements, which partially copy the decorative decorations of the 17th century. So that the building does not stand out from the general ensemble of the Kremlin, its external design uses "elements of the Russian style", characteristic of earlier buildings. From the upper vantage point, it can be seen that the ground floor of the palace protrudes forward and forms an open terrace. The arched windows of the first tier are separated by thin walls and outwardly resemble a closed gallery lined with natural stone. The second floor with two tiers of windows is divided by pilasters and decorated with decorative architraves in the "Russian style" with double arches and a weight in the middle. The palace ends with a "tribune" - an architectural elevation, which is crowned with a golden balustrade. It is decorated with "kokoshniks" - semicircular decorative elements and historical coats of arms of the kingdoms that were part of the Russian Empire: Moscow, Kazan, Astrakhan, Taurida, Finland and Poland.

Halls of the Palace

The lobby of the palace is a suite of marble-trimmed halls with polished granite columns. A huge front staircase leads to the second floor. The vault covered with arches, the red carpet, the main entrance of the palace facing the Moscow River - this part of the palace is easily recognizable from the memorable footage of the inauguration ceremonies of Russian presidents. It was on this ladder that B. Yeltsin, V. Putin and D. Medvedev climbed before taking the oath. Going upstairs, each visitor sees a huge painting “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword”, created by the artist S. Prisekin in 1983.

The round entrance hall, located in the center of the palace, is called Vladimirsky. It is dedicated to the Order of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir. Ruled at the end of X - beginning of XI centuries. the prince of Kiev was able to rally the tribes of the Eastern Slavs and adopted the Orthodox religion as the state religion. The hall is shaped like the Roman Pantheon, it is also illuminated from above by a round window.

The oldest building in the palace (and the whole of Moscow) is built in 1487‒1491. Marco Ruffo and Antonio Solari. Outside, it is decorated with rustication and resembles the buildings of the Italian Renaissance. In front of its entrance is the Red Porch, where complaints were usually made to the tsar in the 15th-17th centuries. The chamber has unique frescoes on biblical scenes, parquet of rare beauty and interiors shining with gold.

- This is the hall of the most honorary military order of the Russian Empire - the Order of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. The order was approved by Empress Catherine II in 1769 for military merit and bravery on the battlefield. Meetings of the Knights of St. George were held here. The names of 545 army formations and more than 10,000 names of officers and generals are carved on the walls. Among them are the great Russian commanders of the 18th-19th centuries: A. Suvorov, M. Kutuzov, P. Bagration, F. Ushakov, P. Nakhimov.

Alexander Hall named in honor of the Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, which was established in 1725 by Empress Catherine I in honor of the patron saint of St. Petersburg.

Andrew's Hall dedicated to the highest order of the Russian Empire and modern Russia - the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Andrew's Hall was originally considered the main imperial hall Moscow Kremlin, the throne of the emperor was installed in it. The restored throne under a canopy decorated with velvet and ermine fur can still be seen today. In Soviet times, a monument to V. Lenin was erected on the site of the throne, and congresses of the Communist Party and sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR were held in the hall itself. Nowadays, the inauguration ceremonies of the President of Russia are held here. Above the throne to see the image of the Radiant Delta - the All-seeing eye of the Lord in the rays of glory. This is the personification of God's patronage of power.

Dedicated to the female order of St. Catherine. It is located away from the main premises of the Palace and was also the throne room of the emperors. It is closed to visitors.

Here you can also see the unique Terem Palace- the residence of the Moscow tsars of the XVII century. It was built in 1635‒1636. on the foundation of a palace of the 15th century, has an enfilade structure. In his last room there is a bedroom, next to it - the personal chambers of the king. The interiors amaze with wealth and luxury, the beauty of tiled stoves and wall paintings. Walk into it

Halls of BKD

The territory of the Grand Kremlin Palace is controlled by the FSO, so you can get inside only with an expensive and rare excursion, and even then only if the security service considers you trustworthy. So please give Special attention virtual panoramas of the interior, because it is difficult to see with your own eyes. It is useless to watch this link from mobile. On the other hand, there are rich photo posts by LJ users il-ducess and kukmor, where you can see a lot of details. And in addition to our descriptions, you can see the BKD drawings.

The main entrance is from Borovitskaya street. Looks more than modest. The door can not even be seen in a series of identical arches. Behind the door are the entrance hall of the Main Entrance and the Main Staircase. We will not go up the stairs yet, but we will walk along the first floor.

If we go to the right of the passage, then we will get into a large room for the courtiers. It is called Tafeldecker, Cafeshen, Mundschen, Swiss. Here are the storerooms. Tafeldeker is a table setting of the royal table, that is, an analogue of the pre-Petrine stolnik. Cafeshenk - coffee maker, mouthshank - cupbearer. By the way, the basements of the Middle Golden Chamber have been preserved under these premises.

We go to the north - we get into the canopy of the Annunciation entrance. There is also a staircase going up from here, but we will go further north and get into the Service Room.

To the left of the Service - Kitchen. There is a suspicion that this is where the Special Kitchen is located, where they cook for the President. If you go forward from the service, then there will be a basement of the Holy entrance. Theoretically, from here you can get to the basement and the southern corridor of the Terem Palace.

But let's get back to the Front Hall. To their left is a corridor. By right hand immediately there will be the Front Front and the Big Buffet, on the left - the Dining Room. Further to the right are the rooms of the court officials on duty, and to the left are the Living Room, the Entrance, the Empress's Study and the Chamber Junker Room. Then the corridor rests on the canopy of the Own entrance. At the same time, the elevator remains on the right, and the Boudoir on the left.

Let us enter into the aforementioned canopy. To the left of them is the Bedchamber, to the right is the staircase of the Courier Entrance. If you go straight and to the right, then there will be the Reception and Courier Rooms, and if you go straight and to the left - the Duty Office and the Emperor's Study (in the very corner of the building).

In addition, there is a Soviet guest annex in the courtyard on the site of the Church of the Savior on Bor, and on the ground floor of the wing opposite the Armory, there are servants' rooms. This wing itself is Their Majesties' Apartments.

Well, let's go back to the front staircase and go up to the second floor. We are met by the Anteroom (interesting details on link). To the right of it is the St. George Hall, dedicated to the Order of St. George the Victorious (the highest military award in Russia). The hall glorifies the victories of Russian weapons. It is better to read about the decoration of the main halls, and we will not clutter up our article with descriptive details.

If, upon exiting the Anteroom, turn left, there will be the Vladimir Hall, dedicated to the Order of St. Vladimir. If you take it to the left again, then there will be the Winter Garden, and if you take it to the right - the Holy Vestibule and. If you go ahead, you will find yourself in the White Corridor of the Terem Palace.

Let's go back to St. George's Hall and go through it from north to south. Now let's turn right, into the Alexander Hall, dedicated to the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

If you turn right from the throne, then there will be the Cavalier Guard (Picket) Hall. From it you can go to the gallery of the Catherine's half along the courtyard. The Alexander and Andreevsky halls also had a gallery, but now there is the Anteroom of the guest annex.

So, let's continue moving to the Terem Palace from the Cavalier Guard Hall. The enfilade is as follows: the Catherine's Hall, the Front Drawing Room, the Front Bedchamber, the Walnut Outhouse. And then the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. The Catherine Hall is dedicated to the only female order in Russia - the Order of St. Catherine. This is also a throne room, like Andreevsky.

And on the third floor there is only this: a cache above the Holy entrance, the choirs of the Vladimir Hall and the Meeting Room in the Guest Annex. The ceremonial halls are double-height, that's the point.

ancient layout

And now let's fast forward to the dashing 1690s and look at the old royal palace (follow the drawing!). From all of the following, only the basements of the Middle Golden Chamber, the Holy Vestibule and.

The palace consists of a picturesque heap of extremely diverse buildings, it does not have a common facade. Roofs - of all conceivable types: with gilded domes, patterned tiled chimneys, with all sorts of turrets, with unicorns and lions instead of weathercocks. Most roofs and domes on royal palace covered with gold.

There is one scout. During the operation "Trap" in the zone of the Afghan-Iranian border, he participated in the liquidation of Ismail Khan's detachments. Carried out under fire three soldiers from a mined area, but then was seriously wounded. Subsequently, he became one of the initiators of the creation of organizations of veterans of Afghanistan in Russia. And the name of this scout is Ilyas Daudi.

2008

2006

Anniversary of Boris Yeltsin in St. George's Hall (75 years). An event notable for its scope and diversity. The evening is hosted by Mikhail Shvydkoy. Concert first classical music: Bashmet , Matsuev , Spivakov . Then Bregvadze and Pelageya sing, Butman saxophones.

They say they sat sincerely, at home. The feast ended under the Kuban Cossack choir and Yeltsin's colorful speech, full of signature phrases like: “Those who know him well can talk about Lukashenka. And he knows… me!”

2004

Second inauguration of Vladimir Putin.

2000

First inauguration of Vladimir Putin.

In addition, nine people received the Star of the Hero in St. George's Hall.

The first, a tanker, fought in Afghanistan, then in Dushanbe with his division held back civil war, defended the Russian population, eliminated the most aggressive gangs, fought drug trafficking across the Afghan border. Then he fought in Chechnya, repulsed the invasion of militants in Dagestan. And then he conducted a surprise landing operation on the Georgian border and took the Argun Gorge, repelling four major attacks by militants. So Mukhridin Ashurov became the Hero of Russia.

The second, an artilleryman, being the head of the missile troops and artillery of the North Caucasian Military District, personally led the artillery in the defense of Dagestan from militants and in the further attack on Chechnya. The hero's name is Vladimir Bokovikov.

The third, an operative, got his hand in detaining dangerous criminals in Voronezh, and then, during one of his combat missions to Chechnya, he personally carried out a brilliant operation to free a captured Russian pilot. The SOBR detachment suffered no losses, but the militants died. The hero's name is Yuri Anokhin.

The fourth, a radio operator, went on a business trip to Chechnya with a reconnaissance group in the rear of militants. Near the village of Sernovodskaya, the group discovered Chechen fortifications, but the enemy spotted Russian soldiers. Enemy reinforcements surrounded the reconnaissance group. For 7 hours of the battle, half of the detachment died, and the radio operator lost his hearing due to shell shock, but covered the scouts when they went into the breakthrough. In total, up to 60 militants were destroyed in that battle, and at least a dozen were on the hero’s account. And the hero's name is Ivan Anureev.

The fifth, a doctor, participated in the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Abkhazia, North Ossetia and Ingushetia. During the first Chechen war, he was seriously wounded during the storming of Grozny. Then there was Yugoslavia and the second Chechen war, in which the hero took out a total of 23 wounded soldiers from under fire. Several times with his people he broke through to military units surrounded by militants and took out the wounded from there. The hero of this name is Igor Milyutin.

The sixth, a military pilot, flew more than 300 sorties in the second Chechen war, and more than 100 in the first, of which one is the most notable. Once, Dudaev’s men shot down a Russian plane, and the hero suppressed the anti-aircraft weapons of the militants, and then with fire from the sky drove them away from the place where the pilot of the downed plane landed until a rescue helicopter arrived. Viktor Bondarev is the name of the hero.

The rest are test pilots Gennady Ireikin, Sergey Borisov and Andrey Soldatenkov.

1999

The first reception in the restored Andreevsky and Alexander halls (on the occasion of Independence Day).

1994—1998

The Andreevsky and Alexander Halls were restored under the guidance of the Presidential Administration Pavel Borodin and Professor Podyapolsky. At the same time, they approached the matter with all possible care: they followed the original in all its luxury (for example, 50 kilograms of gold went into gilding). The Malachite Foyer appeared in the lobby in front of the Guest Annex in place of the Ivanov-Shitz interiors. But malachite is not real, but just painted.

Financial side project is a separate song.

1997

In St. George's Hall awards are presented to two Heroes of Russia.

The first commanded the tank battalion "Black Wing" and during the first Chechen war thoroughly patted the militants almost throughout Chechnya, while doing without his own losses. The name of the hero is Vadim Makarov.

The second was a test pilot and an aviation major general. Created aerobatic team"Berkuts". He made a significant contribution to the development of the capabilities of the Black Shark helicopter. True, in the end he died in it, but after he became the Hero of Russia. And his name was Boris Vorobyov.

Pictures are signed and clickable.

Late USSR

1990

First Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR. This is a transitional form of higher state power between the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR and the Federal Assembly. The Congress of People's Deputies resolved any issues related to the jurisdiction of the RSFSR, and also formed the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR as its permanent parliamentary body.

So, the first congress elects Boris Yeltsin as Chairman of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, Ivan Silaev as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and also adopts the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the RSFSR. This Declaration started the constitutional reform. Main provisions: priority of Russian legislation over the Soviet one; equality of political parties and associations; separation of legislative, judicial and executive powers; expansion of the rights of subjects of the RSFSR. All this was an attempt to equip a democratic Russia within the USSR.

Pictures are signed and clickable.

1970

Everything, the era of independence is over, we are plunging into the era of dependence. Sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR are moving from the Conference Hall of the BKD to the main hall of the Kremlin Presidium.

1962

Congresses of the CPSU are transferred from the Grand Kremlin Palace to the Palace of Congresses.

1959

Twenty-first Congress of the CPSU in the Conference Room. The main result is the adoption of a seven-year development plan National economy. This plan provides for the active construction of communism as such, because socialism, in the opinion of those present, has already been achieved.

Khrushchev at the congress treats the Yugoslav revisionists, excludes the revival of capitalism in the USSR, convinces of the inevitable victory of the USSR over the West in the peaceful economic competition between growing socialism and decaying capitalism ...

1958

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopts the law "On criminal liability for state crimes." It contains the following article: "Propaganda for war, in whatever form it is carried out, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to eight years and with exile for a term of two to five years or without exile." How is war propaganda defined in the law? No way.

1957

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR indicates the restoration of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the RSFSR. Chechens and Ingush are starting to return home from deportation. The Kalmyk and Karachai peoples are also being rehabilitated with the restoration of their territorial formations.

1956

Twentieth Congress of the CPSU. The peaceful coexistence of capitalist and socialist countries and the diversity of paths to socialism were discussed. A decision was made to stop steam locomotive building, and instead introduce diesel locomotives and electric locomotives.

A few days later, on June 30, a reception in honor of the anniversary of the Academy of Sciences is held in the same scenery.

And the Supreme Council establishes a new military rank - Generalissimo of the Soviet Union. The next day, this title was awarded to Stalin. And the State Defense Committee is also abolished, its functions are transferred to the Council of People's Commissars. And there was also an amnesty on the occasion of the victory over Germany.

1944

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopts laws that give the Union republics powers in the field of foreign relations and are ordered to create their own military formations.

And the Supreme Council indicates that the Tuva People's Republic should be accepted into the USSR at the request of the local workers.

And they tell you to evict all Balkars from Kabardino-Balkaria for cooperation many Balkars with the Germans, and in their place to settle the Kabardian collective farmers.

And they also indicate to evict all Chechens and Ingush, liquidate the Chechen-Ingush Republic, and divide the land between Stavropol Territory, Dagestan, North Ossetia and Georgia.

1943

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR orders the deportation of Karachays and Kalmyks. Karachaevskaya Autonomous Okrug is divided between Georgia, Stavropol and Krasnodar region. Kalmykia has become Astrakhan region, and some of its parts went to the Stalingrad and Rostov regions and the Stavropol Territory.

1942

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR establishes a commission to investigate German atrocities, as well as a decree "On the establishment of complete unity of command and the abolition of the institution of military commissars in the Red Army."

In August, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived at the Grand Kremlin Palace. He brought sandwiches from London, believing that during the war they live from hand to mouth, but the luxurious reception stunned him. It was not possible to agree on the opening of a second front, but Churchill used it well, he was taken out under the arms.

1941

Reception for participants of the decade of Tajik art.

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopts a decree prohibiting enterprises from selling equipment and materials to third parties.

And then the war began, and a bomb fell on the BKD, breaking through the ceiling of the St. George Hall. The Supreme Council, on the other hand, adopts decrees on mobilization and martial law, establishes the State Defense Committee, awards awards, grants amnesty to Polish citizens languishing in Soviet camps, and also deports Volga Germans with the destruction of their Republic along the way.

In October, the Supreme Council was evacuated to Kuibyshev (Samara) and already there adopted an interesting decree "On the tax on bachelors, single and childless citizens of the USSR."

1940

Receptions for participants of the decades of Belarusian and Buryat-Mongolian art, as well as for participants of the decade of Leningrad art.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopts an interesting decree, popularly known as the "Truancy Law". An eight-hour working day is established (it used to be less) and a seven-day working week (one day off - Sunday). Unauthorized leaving the enterprise and unauthorized transfer from one enterprise to another are prohibited (for this they are imprisoned for 2-4 months). For absenteeism without a good reason, six months of corrective labor are prescribed (and before they were simply fired). The heads of enterprises who did not bring the truant to court or accepted the "defector" themselves go to trial.

And the Supreme Council adopts decrees on the annexation of Bessarabia and Bukovina, as well as the creation of the Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Karelian-Finnish and Moldavian SSRs. Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians consider this an occupation.

1939

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopts laws on the inclusion Western Ukraine and Belarus into the Ukrainian and Byelorussian SSRs, respectively. The opinion of modern residents of Western Ukraine on this matter is known.

And a detailed, of 8 chapters, law "On universal military duty" was also adopted. And two more decrees cancel parole for prisoners of camps, colonies and prisons. And only miners, pensioners, disabled people and families of military personnel are allowed to live in mining settlements.

A big reception in honor of the pilots Vladimir Kokkinaki and Mikhail Gordienko - they successfully completed a non-stop flight from Moscow to North America. And then the reception of military pilots from Khalkhin Gol (there was an undeclared local war of the Japanese Empire and Manchukuo against the USSR and Mongolia). And then a reception for the participants of the decades of Armenian and Kyrgyz art.

And also this year the Eighteenth Congress of the CPSU (b) took place. The congress approves the third five-year plan, sums up the results of the transitional period from capitalism to socialism, and sets the course for the transition to a communist society. The task was set to catch up and overtake the West.

1938

Meeting Papanin in the Grand Kremlin Palace. Papanintsy are employees of the world's first polar drifting station "North Pole" (Ivan Papanin, Evgeny Fedorov, Ernst Krenkel, Pyotr Shirshov). The station was on a drifting ice floe, but it began to crack and melt, so there was a whole epic to rescue the expedition, followed by the whole country.

There was also a reception in honor of the participants of the decade of Azerbaijani art.

1937

The second solemn reception in honor of Chkalov, Baidukov and Belyakov. They made their second ultra-long flight. Then the same reception in honor of the pilots Mikhail Gromov, Andrei Yumashev and Sergei Danilin. And also a reception for the first polar expedition.
And also a reception for participants of decades of republican art: from Georgia and Uzbekistan.

1936

Solemn reception in honor of pilots Valery Chkalov, Georgy Baidukov and Alexander Belyakov. They made an ultra-long flight and became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Baydukov, by the way, lived until 1994 and during this time managed to create an air defense system of the USSR and receive 22 orders.

1935

The first "big Kremlin reception" in honor of graduates of military academies. And also a reception in honor of the railroad workers who solved the problems of the rational movement of freight trains.

1934

The 17th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, also known as the "Congress of the Winners" and the "Congress of the Executed". The congress adopts the second five-year plan: to finally eliminate the capitalist elements and classes, to complete collectivization and the technical reconstruction of the national economy, etc. More than half of the delegates to the congress after a few years went to the camps or went straight to the wall.

In the same year - breakfast for the participants of the May Day parade (mainly pilots). And then - a gala dinner in honor of the Chelyuskinites. The Chelyuskinites are not the associates of Semyon Chelyuskin, but the crew of the ship named after him. These polar explorers drifted in the North Arctic Ocean until the ship was crushed by ice. They were evacuated from the ice floe by aircraft, but before that they lived on the ice floe for two months in the conditions of the polar winter. The pilots became the first Heroes of the Soviet Union. The very first Gold Star was received by Anatoly Lyapidevsky.

In the same year, a cinema hall was set up for Stalin on the site of the Winter Garden in the transition from the Greater Kremlin Palace to the Poteshny building.

1933—1934

Andreevsky and Alexander halls are connected into a meeting room. First of all, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR met. The appearance of the hall is official, the shape is very elongated.

Pictures are signed and clickable.

Revolution

1927

Fifteenth Congress of the CPSU (b). The delegates approve the Directives for drawing up the first five-year plan and adopt the collectivization plan. Summing up the struggle against Trotskyism. Leo Trotsky, Grigory Zinoviev, 75 active members of their bloc and about 10,000 rank and file supporters are expelled from the party. Also expelled from the party were representatives of the left opposition of Timofei Sapronov.

1925

Fourteenth Congress of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks in the Andreevsky Hall (“Congress of Industrialization”). Rename the RCP(b) to the CPSU(b). They are smashing the "Leningrad Opposition" led by Grigory Zinoviev and Lev Kamenev. In terms of the economy, a course has been adopted towards industrialization, the predominance of socialist elements over capitalist ones, etc. An interesting quote:

By the way, two words about one of the sources of the reserve - about vodka. There are people who think that it is possible to build socialism with white gloves. This is a gross mistake, comrades. If we have no loans, if we are poor in capital, and if, in addition, we cannot go into bondage to the Western European capitalists, if we cannot accept the enslaving conditions that they offer us and which we have rejected, then there is only one thing left: to look for sources in other areas. It's still better than swearing. Here it is necessary to choose between bondage and vodka, and people who think that it is possible to build socialism in white gloves are cruelly mistaken.

From the report of IV Stalin.

1924

Thirteenth Congress of the CPSU (b). It was decided that the New Economic Policy had justified itself, the economy was being restored, and now it was necessary to develop metallurgy and light industry. And also, at the insistence of Nadezhda Krupskaya, two days before the congress, at a meeting of the Council of Elders, Lenin’s “Letter to the Congress” is read out. Presumably, Lenin wrote this document in 1922 during his illness, but this is a debatable issue: there is an opinion that the author is Krupskaya. Be that as it may, in the letter Lenin calls for Stalin to be removed from the post of general secretary for his rudeness, intolerance and capriciousness. The question was put to the vote of the elders, as a result, everyone voted for Stalin, except for Trotsky's supporters. The document was announced at closed meetings of individual delegations of the congress, but it was strictly forbidden to refer to it.

And in the same year, the Fifth Congress of the Communist International is held in the Andreevsky Hall. The main question: what to do after the suppression of communist uprisings in Germany, Bulgaria and Greece and after the Nazis came to power in Italy? We decided in the end to strengthen discipline.

1921

Third Congress of the Communist International in St. Andrew's Hall. The Profintern was established, which in European countries was supposed to become an alternative to social democratic trade unions and a transition to the tactics of a “united workers' front”.

1917

During the October events, the Grand Kremlin Palace was practically not damaged. Take a breath from the red march, we are going to Tsarist Russia.

silver Age

1904

A collection of aid for participants in the Russo-Japanese War was organized in the Grand Kremlin Palace.

1896

Coronation celebrations in honor of Nicholas II.

Pictures are signed and clickable.

Great Reforms

1883

1870

On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Don Cossacks, the Cossacks bring to their August Ataman Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich a silver sculptural group with figures of Count Platov and Yermak. This exhibit still stands in a showcase in the St. George's Hall.

Pictures are signed and clickable.

Nicholas I

1855

1849

Consecration of the finished Grand Kremlin Palace at Easter in the presence of Nicholas I. The emperor personally inspects the ensemble of the palace and the Armory and is very pleased. He instructs to decorate the walls of the St. George's Hall with marble plaques with the names of all the regiments that have St. George's banners.

The ceremony with the boards was like this. Metropolitan Filaret leads a prayer service in St. George's Hall. The Tsar gives a sign, and the gray-haired grenadiers raise a board with the name of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. As soon as they begin to nail her to the wall, the tsar shouts “Hurrah!”, and the Preobrazhenians loudly pick up. After the ceremony, the emperor personally showed the soldiers the premises of the palace.

1847

Renewal of the Holy Canopy.

1842—1845

Alteration of the Red Staircase.

1839

Rebuilding of the Holy Canopy.

1838

Bookmark BKD. Construction began simultaneously with the Cathedral of Christ the Savior by the same architect Ton. Konstantin Ton is the chief architect, Fedor Solntsev is the chief artist, Petr Gerasimov and Nikolai Shokhin are "architectural assistants", Fedor Richter and Nikolai Chichagov are interior designers.

1837

Konstantin Ton begins to develop a project for the Grand Kremlin Palace. In this pre-revolutionary time, the architect applied revolutionary building technologies: lightweight large-span vaults made of bricks, metal roof truss structures, the first use of cement.

By official version, the palace harmoniously fits into the ancient ensemble and develops the composition of the Terem Palace in monumental Russian-Byzantine forms. However, there is also a critical opinion: a bulky monotonous facade of the barracks style, unreasonably expensive construction, etc. The dinosaur of local lore Sergey Romanyuk bonfires Nicholas I and Ton on the pages of his book as best he can.

1830s

Liquidation of basements of the Golden Chamber.

1826

Pictures are signed and clickable.

Alexander I

1817

Peter the Great

1699

The Chamber of Burmese (Town Hall, Zemsky Office) is mentioned in the second embankment chambers.

1696

The tents and the roof of the Golden Red Stairs are burning. The Semyonovsky amusing yard (the center of the royal falconry) is removed from the jurisdiction of the Order of the Grand Palace, which is transferred to the newly formed Preobrazhensky Order.

1691

The Upper and Lower Gardens are surrounded by new railings. Range chambers (greenhouses) appear.

Pictures are signed and clickable.

Early Romanovs

1687

Construction of a special water tower with a clock near the Upper Garden, which transferred water from the Kremlin Water Tower.

1686

Lions and eagles on the Golden Red Stairs.

1685

Copper gilded roof over the Golden Red Stairs.

1683

Decoration of the Lower Garden with perspective writing. Peter Engles paints walls, arbors, poles, bars and everything else.

1681

The dining hut and the garden attached to it were dismantled, and a square was arranged in their place. The Naugolnaya and Panikhidnaya Embankment Chambers are being restored, where the Dining Room is transferred, which is why the Panikhida Chamber of the Dining Room has been called since then.

The second embankments of the chamber (more precisely, basements) are given over to a pharmacy. Previously, there were carved and carpentry chambers.

Foundation of the Lower Red Garden Embankment on a special stone building, to which a buttress is brought from the side of the Tainitsky Gate. Garden buildings are being transferred here from the abolished garden in the Forecourt.

In the Upper Embankment Garden, a pond lined with lead is being built. Water was supplied to it through a lead water pipe from the Vodovzvodnaya tower. It was here that Tsarevich Peter began to sail on amusing boats, komyags, shnyagas, carbuses, oshnyaks, ships and shavings.

1680

A temporary wooden flooring is being built for the royal procession from the Armory to the Poteshny Palace.

1672

Above the order of the Apothecary Chamber, a theater is arranged in which master Yagan Godfrid “corrects comedy, or comedy action”, with a troupe of 26 philistine comedians.

1667

1666

The Armory Chamber is painted in the building of the Palace Orders.

1663

Sretensky Cathedral loses the status of a palace church after the construction of the Verkhospassky Cathedral.

1662

The Poles perform carving, gilding and painting in the Dining Hut.

1661

Instead of the old Dining Hut, the sovereign builds a new one and splendidly decorates it with carvings, gilding and painting in a new overseas taste, according to the invention of the engineer and colonel Gustav Dekenpin.

1660

The palace chamber is being restored, in which the Pharmaceutical Order and the Pharmacy were located. Apprentice stonework Vavilka Savelyev makes windows, doors and new vaults in it, and the flagman, that is, the draftsman, Ivashka Nightingale paints the walls. This chamber is located near the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.

1643

1606

A few hours later, Tatishchev, at the entrance to the mansions, kills Basmanov himself. Then False Dmitry ran through his mansions, pursued by the crowd, and got out through the window, but he stumbled and fell, again, on Zhitny Dvor, dislocating his leg, breaking his chest and losing consciousness.

In this state, the king was found by a detachment of archers, to whom he promised the property of the rebellious boyars. The conspirators, however, sent their man Ivan Golitsyn to Tsaritsa Martha, so that she would once again confirm that this was her son and the real Dmitry. The messenger, of course, brought denunciations of imposture, and then the beaten and torn to pieces False Dmitry was shot point-blank by Grigory Valuev, the ancestor of the same Peter Valuev, who demolished the Kremlin antiquities 200 years later. Then there was a sophisticated posthumous desecration, but in a different place.

After all this new king Vasily Shuisky builds log mansions for himself and his queen, so as not to settle in the mansions of False Dmitry.

1605

False Dmitry demolishes Godunov's mansions and puts in their place, that is, on the roof of the Reserve Palace, new elegant mansions "in the Polish taste." The façade faces the river. In the sources, these chambers are also called Fornication.

About the construction of these choirs, a contemporary and eyewitness tells the following:

Above the great Kremlin wall, False Dmitry ordered to build a magnificent building, from where all of Moscow could be seen. It was built on high mountainsѣ, under which the Moscow River flowed, and consisted of two buildings, located one below the other and converging at an angle. One was intended for the future queen, and the other for the king. Thus stood the palace at the top of the high triple walls. In this palace, Demetrius ordered that very expensive canopies be gilded, the walls upholstered with expensive brocade and dug velvet; cover all nails, hooks, chains and door hinges with a very thick layer of gilding; inside to make excellent stoves and decorate them with various works of art; curtains at the windows to be made of excellent fabric of alago color. He ordered to build luxurious baths, beautiful towers and a stable next to his palace, although it already had one large stable. In the palace described above, the king ordered to arrange many hidden doors and passages ...

But the music did not play for a long time, Dmitry did not dance for a long time ...

1601—1602

Tsar Boris Godunov is building the Reserve Palace on a cut (low wooden basement) in order to reduce the consequences of crop failure and famine (“to feed people”). There were also wooden residential chambers of Boris Godunov.

1599

Around this time, Godunov was rebuilding the second embankment chambers.

Pictures are signed and clickable.

Ivan groznyj

1560-70s

Construction of economic chambers of the Palace Orders.

1571

Fire from Devlet Giray. During the restoration, all reception wards were decorated with murals.

1561

Renovation of the royal palace.

1560

Ivan the Terrible builds wooden mansions for his sons on the cut, as well as the Sretensky Cathedral.

Maximilian I The Ambassador presents to the Princess "a bird that fell and gray cloth." This takes place in Sofya Fominichna's "embankment sennik and middle trough".

1488

Mention of the embankment of the room of the Grand Duke.

1487

Foundation of the Holy Seni. Marco Ruffo lays the Small (Embankment) Chamber on the site of Dmitry Donskoy's embankment tower.

1479

Ivan III c. the middle room gives a table to Metropolitan Gerontius and the spiritual authorities.

1404

The prince of the great plan chapel and put in his yard behind the church, behind St. Annunciation. This hour of the hour will be called hourly; at every hour he strikes the bell with a hammer, measuring and calculating the hours of the night and day; not more like a human being, but human-like, self-resonating and self-moving, somehow strangely absurd; created by human cunning, exaggerated and outwitted.

chronicle

Another chronicler adds that the clock was “wonderful and with the moon ...”, or with the lunar course, as they used to say about such watches later. Master and artist of these famous watches was a black Lazar, a Serb by birth, who came to Moscow from Mount Athos.

specific principality

1380

According to The Tale of the Battle of Mamaev, the news of the approach of the Mamaev forces catches Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy at a feast in the embankment towers: he drank a cup for his brother Vladimir Andreevich. Further, when the Moscow army set off on a campaign with the prince, the story describes the crying of his wife: “The great princess Evdokia went into the golden-domed tower to the embankment, into her vestibule and sat under the glass window on the bed ... shedding tears ...” According to other lists: “... sit down under the southern windows ... in the embankments of the canopy and sedosha about the runduce (chair) under the glass window ... "

Beginning of Moscow

13th century

The princely court moves from the Borovitsky Gate to the place where the Grand Kremlin Palace is now. Details are unknown.

Dear visitors! We draw your attention to some changes in the opening hours of the Museum

In connection with the repair and restoration work, the entrance of visitors to the territory of the Kremlin is carried out through the Trinity Gate, exit - via Spassky and Borovitsky. Passage of visitors to the Armory and exit is through the Borovitsky Gate.

October 1st to May 15th The Moscow Kremlin Museums are switching to winter mode. The architectural ensemble is open to the public from 10:00 to 17:00. The Armory is open from 10:00 to 18:00. Tickets are sold at the box office from 9:30 to 16:00. Day off - Thursday. The exchange of electronic tickets is made in accordance with the terms of the User Agreement.

October 1st to May 15th the exposition of the bell tower "Ivan the Great" is closed to the public.

In order to ensure the preservation of monuments under adverse weather conditions, access to some museum-cathedrals may be temporarily limited.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

On the high Borovitsky hill is the Grand Kremlin Palace. Its facade faces the Moscow River and stretches from west to east for 125 meters. The palace was built in 1838-1849 by a group of Russian architects - D.N. Chichalov, P.A. Gerasimov, A.N. Bakarev, F. Richter and others - under the leadership of K.A. tone. The palace was the temporary residence of the imperial family during their stay in Moscow. Previously, an 18th-century palace built by the architect V. Rastrelli stood on this site.

Grand Kremlin Palace

Exterior facade of the Grand Kremlin Palace

From the outer facade, the palace looks like a three-story building, but actually consists of two floors. The first floor protrudes forward and forms an open terrace at the top. Arched windows separated by narrow walls give it the appearance of a closed gallery. The plinth is lined with natural stone. The two-tier facade of the second floor is dissected by pilasters and completely decorated with carved white-stone window frames in the style of Russian architecture of the 17th century. The rooms on the second floor are double-height.

Grand Kremlin Palace

Center of the building of the Grand Kremlin Palace

In the center of the building, a tribune rises above the roof, which ends with a gilded balustrade. The stands are covered with a figured roof, on the slopes of which clocks are placed on both sides, and hour bells on the other two. Now only hours are running. Then comes open area on which the flagpole is mounted. Until 1917, two-headed eagles hung on the kokoshniks of the tribune, and above them - the coats of arms of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Astrakhan, Poland and Taurida. At the main entrance to the Grand Kremlin Palace there is a large marble vestibule with polished Serdobol granite columns.

George's Hall of the Palace

Among the numerous orders of the stars presented here are marble plaques on which the names of 545 regiments, naval crews and batteries and more than 10 thousand names of officers and generals awarded this highest military award are carved. Among them are the names of Field Marshals Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kutuzov, General Pyotr Bagration, Admiral Fyodor Ushakov and Admiral Pavel Nakhimov.

The largest front hall of the Kremlin Palace - Georgievsky

St. George's Hall is the largest ceremonial hall in the entire palace: length 61 m, width 20.5 m, height 17.5 m. The combination of white and gold creates a feeling of solemnity with its simplicity. Powerful pylons support the vaulted ceiling, decorated with stucco molding in the form of floral ornaments and rosettes. All eighteen pylons are crowned with marble statues (sculptor Ivan Vitali) - allegorically symbolizing the regions and kingdoms that make up the multinational state. Structurally, each pylon consists of a high hollow zinc column, decorated with stucco and crowned with a capital of the Corinthian order. On the southern and northern walls are bas-reliefs depicting St. George and the snake (sculptor Pavel Kladsh). The parquet floor resembles a gigantic patterned carpet. The floor is laid out with a pattern of more than 20 different types of wood - birch, ash, Indian rosewood, plane tree, plane trees, etc. In the evenings, the hall is illuminated by six bronze gilded openwork chandeliers. Each weighing 1300 kg. and 40 wall lamps. This hall has witnessed many historical events. In 1945, a solemn reception was held here for the participants of the Victory Parade on Red Square. The world's first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, was honored in the St. George's Hall. Many international conferences are held in this hall, diplomatic and government receptions and other solemn events are held, as well as ceremonies for awarding orders and medals.

Order of St. Vladimir was named after one of the first Russian princes.

Halls and chambers of the Grand Kremlin Palace

The walls and pilasters are lined with pink marble. The Vladimirsky Hall leads to the Faceted Chamber, St. George's Hall, the Terem Palace and other rooms of the Grand Kremlin Palace. In the evening, the hall is illuminated by a huge gilded bronze chandelier. The pattern of the parquet floor is made up of samples of various tree species. Hall of St. Vladimir is a kind of center of the palace ensemble.

Interiors of the Own Half

To the left along the corridor is a suite of rooms - the so-called Own Half, intended personally for the emperor and his family. The interiors of the Own Half correspond to the monumental architecture of the palace and at the same time they are characterized by intimacy and homeliness. In the decoration of the Own Half, architects and artists used the techniques and decorative elements of the Baroque, Rococo, Classicism styles. There is no historical regularity in the alternation of interior styles. Each of the seven rooms - the Dining Room, the Living Room, the Empress's Study, the Boudoir, the Bedroom, the Emperor's Study, the Reception Room - are designed in their own style and represent an artistic whole. The space on the Own half is divided by pillars into two parts: into a kind of corridor that creates an enfilade, and into the main part of the rooms with furniture and other elements of decoration. The arrangement of rooms in an enfilade creates a change of impressions, highlights the originality of each room.

Dining room of the Grand Kremlin Palace

The decorative principles of classicism are used in the decoration of the Dining Room. Here is a calm combination of tones of artificial marble, white marble statues of the mythological characters of Leda and Hymen, vases in the Borghese style. Much attention was paid to the arrangement of the interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace, so the architects F.F. Richter, N.I. Chichalov and V.A. Bakarev carefully developed drawings not only for architectural decoration of premises, stucco details, paintings, but also for doors, furniture, candelabra, fireplaces, stair bars and chandeliers. Lighting was essential. It was supposed to give even more splendor to the interiors, so each crystal chandelier in the palace is original, each has its own design and shape of pendants. A significant place in the former living rooms of the palace is occupied by bronze items - clocks, candelabra. French clocks stand on malachite and marble fireplaces; they were ordered specifically for the Grand Kremlin Palace.

In the Living Room, Boudoir, Study and Bedroom of the Empress

The main decoration of the living room

The main decoration of the Living Room are porcelain items - vases, floor lamps, a chandelier resembling a lush bouquet topped with a pineapple. The art of sculpting flowers from porcelain was famous for the Russian masters of the imperial porcelain factory in St. Petersburg. In the Cabinet of the Empress, features of deliberate decorativeness are found. The dark crimson color is dominant here; it, like everything in the room, is in tune with the spirit of the interior of French palaces of the late 17th - early 18th centuries. Huge mirrors, the manufacture of which was started in Russia at that time, and the chandelier repeatedly reflected in them increase the feeling of pomposity, fabulous luxury. The elegance of the interior is given by gilded stucco decorations of walls and vaults, doors, excellently made of precious wood and inlaid with tortoise shell, bronze, and mother-of-pearl. Masters unknown to us made them without a nail and glue, on spikes. Not a single door of the Grand Kremlin Palace repeats the chosen pattern, and all together they are genuine works of art. Each room is characterized by the use of fabrics of a certain color and pattern for covering walls, furniture, and curtains. All fabrics for the Grand Kremlin Palace were made in the first half of the 19th century. And in the 60s of our century, some of them were restored, and some were made again, preserving the color and ornament, by the best craftswomen from Pavlovsky Posad.

Main staircase of BKD

From the vestibule to the second floor of the palace, a wide front staircase made of Revel stone leads. It is framed by walls made of fine artificial marble. On the second floor, on both sides of the main staircase, ten pylons made of yellow Kolomna marble frame side platforms - galleries. On the right there is a picture depicting the battle of Dmitry Donskoy with the Tatars on the Kulikovo field in 1380. It was painted in 1850 by the French artist A. Yvon, a student of P. Delyaroche. The left platform leads to the meeting room. In front of the stairs is the entrance to the entrance hall. On the sides of the entrance are two crystal vases in a gilded bronze frame, made by masters of the St. Petersburg factory. Their height is 3 meters. Huge doors 5 meters high are made of walnut without a single nail and without glue. They are a wonderful example of the work of Russian cabinetmakers.

Assembly Hall - the largest hall of the palace

Another hall - Ekaterininsky - is located on the front half of the palace.

In the front half of the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Catherine Hall is followed by former

royal front drawing room and front bedchamber

Completing the front half of the walnut dressing room