The Moscow KremlinThe Moscow Kremlin is one of the most famous landmarks of Russia and the symbol of former Soviet authority. It is a long red brick wall with 20 towers, which were built at the end of the 15th century on the order of Ivan the Great. The most renowned and important tower is the Spasskaya Tower, which leads to Red Square. The tower was put up in 1491 by an Italian architect Pietro Solario. It has a belfry, a ruby star and the chimes, which are broadcast by radio as a time signal to the whole nation. Other famous towers are the Nikolskaya, Troitskaya, Kutafya and Borovitskaya. The name Kremlin means “fortress”. This historic fortified complex is situated at the heart of Moscow and overlooks the Moskva River and Red Square. It is the best known kremlin of Russia. Apart from the walls and towers it includes five strikingly beautiful palaces and four cathedrals. All of them are open to public. The heart of the Kremlin is the Cathedral Square with the main church of Moscow – the Cathedral of Dormition, where all the tsars were once crowned. The church has a massive limestone facade and five golden domes. Other notable structures include two domestic churches and the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great. The largest bell in the world is also situated here. It’s called the Tsar Bell. The oldest structure within the Kremlin walls is the Palace of Facets, which holds the imperial thrones. The other old building is the house of the royal family – the Terem Palace. Both these palaces are linked by the Grand Kremlin Palace. There are also several interesting museums inside the Kremlin walls. For example, the Arsenal, which was originally built for Peter the Great, and the Armoury building, which houses Russian state regalia and Diamond fund. At the moment, the complex of Kremlin serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.
