The main staircase of the large Kremlin palace. Grand Kremlin Palace. St. Andrew's Hall of the Kremlin before the revolution and after

The Grand Kremlin Palace today is the residence of the head of our state. This building remembers thousands of fateful decisions and hundreds of summit meetings. To visit the capital and not see the Kremlin Palace is something that even a traveler who is staying in a mini-hotel far from the center of the metropolis cannot forgive himself.

Origin and location of the palace

The palace complex is located on Borovitsky Hill on the site of the once demolished palaces of Ivan the Third and the daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth. The idea to erect this building came to Nicholas I in 1838. Construction lasted 11 years, and it met the hopes of His Serene Highness.

Attempts to improve the empty space have been made for a century. In the second half of the 18th century, according to the design of the architect Bazhenov, construction of the residence began, but a year later the construction was frozen due to the inexpediency of the pompous project. The Senate building took the place of the unfinished palace.

The foundation of the temple in 1812, dedicated to Christ the Savior, again prompted the rulers to the idea that the construction of a palace building in honor of the renewal of the capital was necessary. A whole “quartet” of eminent architects of that time worked on the development of the layout - Chicherev, Bakarev, Rikhnet, Gerasimov, whose work was supervised by Konstantin Andreevich Ton. This master of his craft was the author of the project of the Temple of Christ the Savior. He also became the founder of the Byzantine-Russian style in architecture.

The palace was not just rebuilt, but also became the central part of the ensemble. It was to be joined by the house churches preserved from the previous rulers, the Golden Tsaritsyna and the Pomegranate Chamber, as well as the Terem Palace.

Construction success K.A. The tone was a foregone conclusion. The foundation of the structure fits perfectly into the Moscow layout. However, the construction itself was carried out innovatively. Thus, for the first time during construction in the capital, lightweight brick vaults, cement mortar, updated types of roofs and much more appeared.

The complex acquired a completed appearance by the middle of the 19th century, when the Armory Chamber and Apartments were reunited with the BKD by an air passage. It became worthy of the royal family and delighted residents and guests of the throne with its monumentality and beauty.

BKD: a view from the outside

The front side of the palace faces the river. And this angle represents an optical illusion. The two-story building appears to be one floor higher.

Natural stone in the cladding of the plinth and carved frames on the windows is designed to inspire respect for what is happening behind these walls.

The central part of the palace was a tribune with a gilded balustrade. On one side of it there is a clock that has not stopped since the opening of the building, on the contrary - the bells of the clock. The main entrance welcomes guests with a front door with marble columns.

The total area of ​​the palace is 125 m., 25 t. sq. m. m., and its height is 47 meters.

Museum of Russian Palace Interior

The complex has 700 premises for various purposes. There are five halls for presenting orders, and there are countless reception rooms in the Front Half, as well as service rooms. The front hall with its festive staircase reflects the luxury of the best ceremonial decorations. There is also one's own half.

The interiors of the halls are made in an eclectic style. Here, details of the Renaissance era are organically woven into elements of Byzantine and Russian stylistics. The ceremonial interiors are luxurious, made with high quality and taste.

Walk through the Grand Kremlin Palace

All the halls of the complex are unique creations of architecture and art. Among the brilliant enfilades you can get lost. But where would everyone like to look?

The 60-meter-long state room, recognized as regal, is awe-inspiring in white and gold decoration. The hall is crowned with marble memory boards of the names of the country's defenders who received the Order of St. George the Victorious.

Here are statues and bas-reliefs reflecting the battle of St. George and the serpent. The authorship of the works belongs to I. Vitali and P. Kladsch.

The hall dedicated to the heroic saint is a historical witness to the most important celebrations in our history. He greeted the participants of the 1945 Victory Parade and the first man in space.

Another chamber of the palace complex, dedicated to the order - the Order of St. Vladimir. An octagonal room made of pink marble with a bronze chandelier under the ceiling and additional dome lighting. This hall opens passages to other palace chambers, among them the Garnet Chamber and the Terem Palace.

Conference hall

The most spacious hall of the building appeared only in 1933, when the Alexander and St. Andrew's chambers were combined. The total area is 1615 sq.m., and up to three thousand people gather here. So at one time they solved the problem of where to meet the Supreme Council of the Republic.

A nice and cozy place in the front half of the palace complex is dedicated to the only Russian order with a female name. At one time, this chamber served as the throne room for the imperial spouses.

The decoration used gilded chandeliers, moire decor on the walls, inclusions of malachite pieces and thin crystal in the manufacture of candelabra. All this has no historical or artistic value.

From this hall, visitors enter the Guest Room and the Bedchamber. Then they are greeted by the Walnut dressing room, after which their own half opens up to their eyes.

Imperial Chambers

The once residential part of the palace consists of seven chambers, which have retained the spirit of sophisticated chic and brevity. In the Own Half, the workrooms of the sovereigns and empresses are adjacent to the bedchamber, boudoir, dining room, reception room and guest room.

In this part of the palace, the Baroque style is in harmony with Rococo and Classicism, which gives integrity and comfort to the family half of the building.

In the Grand Kremlin Palace, the interweaving of the past, present and future is palpable. History was and is being made here.

The Grand Kremlin Palace is the largest and most beautiful palace in the Kremlin

This beautiful palace was built from 1838 to 1849 by order of Nicholas I

Previously, there was a palace on this site, built at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries.

Catherine II decided to build a new palace on the southern slope of the Kremlin hill, instead of part of the fortress wall, but it was never built

The Grand Kremlin Palace complex also includes the Pomegranate Chamber, the Terem Palace, the Golden Tsarina Chamber and several palace churches.

The interior space of the palace complex was once occupied by one of the most ancient churches in Moscow - the Cathedral of the Savior on Bor, which was subsequently destroyed in 1933 by the Soviet regime. This is what the main facade looks like Grand Kremlin Palace

The main facade of the palace faces the Kremlin embankment. The Great Kremlin Palace is decorated in the style of the Terem Palace, that is, the windows, made in the tradition of Russian architecture, are decorated with carved frames with double arches and a small weight in the middle. Nicholas I wanted the palace to become a monument to the glory of the Russian army, so its five state halls are named after the orders of the Russian Empire - St. George, St. Andrew, Alexander, Vladimir and Catherine - and decorated accordingly. This is what St. George's Hall looks like

St. Andrew's throne room

Alexander Hall of the Kremlin

Vladimir Hall of the Kremlin

Malachite foyer of the Kremlin

Initially Grand Kremlin Palace was the imperial residence, but later sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR were held there, for which the St. Andrew's and Alexander Halls were rebuilt. These halls were restored to their former appearance only in 1994 - 1998. Today, the Grand Kremlin Palace is an integral part of the residence of the President of Russia, and important national ceremonies are held in its halls

Grand Kremlin Palace

Located on Borovitsky Hill, the Grand Kremlin Palace served as a temporary imperial residence during the court's stay in Moscow. The main facade of this largest ensemble on the Kremlin territory faces the river. The new imperial palace was built on the initiative of Nicholas I in 1838-1849. under the general direction of the architect Konstantin Ton. This complex was called the "Grand Kremlin Palace".

Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire

Catherine II next to the Great Imperial Crown, the Orb and the Scepter to her right. (From a painting by Alexei Antropov, 1765-66)

The length of the palace is 125 meters, height - 47 meters; the total area is approximately 25,000 m². In addition to the new building, he included part of the surviving buildings of the late 15th-17th centuries that were part of the ancient grand ducal and then royal residence, including the Faceted and Golden Tsarina Chambers, the Terem Palace, and palace churches. After the construction of the Armory Chamber in 1851 and the Apartment building adjacent to it from the north, connected by an air passage to the palace complex, a single ensemble of the BKD was formed, numbering about seven hundred rooms.

Grand Kremlin Palace

In the early 1930s, a gigantic meeting hall of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was built inside the BKD. For this purpose, the two best state halls of the royal palace were destroyed: Andreevsky and Aleksandrovsky. During the reconstruction of 1993-1999. they were restored. Today, the entire BKD complex, except for the Armory Chamber, is the main residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

Grand Kremlin Palace. Throne of the Russian Empire

The internal layout of the imperial palace, numbering about seven hundred rooms, includes a main vestibule with a staircase; five ceremonial order halls; reception rooms of the empress; residential quarters of the imperial family, the so-called “Own Half” and service premises located on the ground floor. Luxurious interior decoration in the spirit of the times is made in different styles - from “Renaissance” to “Byzantine-Russian” and is distinguished by elegance, subtle taste and high quality work. The palace is rightly called the museum of Russian palace interior.

By personal order of Nicholas I, even during the construction of the palace, the hall was dedicated to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. St. Andrew's Hall became the throne room of the large palace and the main imperial hall of the Moscow Kremlin. In 1932 it was turned into a conference hall where party congresses were held. The last reconstruction (restoration) of the hall was carried out in 1994-1998. Today St. Andrew's Hall has been restored in the same form in which it was originally built.

The Alexander Hall adjacent to Andreevsky received its name in honor of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, established by Catherine I in 1725. Just like Andreevsky, in the 1930s it was destroyed and turned into a meeting hall of the Supreme Council of the USSR. Restored in 1994-1998.

The hall is named after Saint Prince Vladimir. The Vladimir Hall was located in a kind of center of the palace and leads to the Faceted Chamber, St. George's Hall, Terem Palace and other premises of the Kremlin Palace. It so happened that this hall seems to connect the buildings of the 15th and 19th centuries. And the hall itself is small, with a single window on the ceiling, and is illuminated by overhead light through the dome. The walls and pilasters of the Vladimir Hall are lined with pink marble.

One of the most ceremonial halls of the palace is St. George's. It was named in honor of the Order of St. George the Victorious, approved by Catherine II in 1769 and becoming the highest military award of the Russian Empire. On the walls of the St. George's Hall are depicted gold stars and order armbands with the motto “For Service and Bravery.”

The Catherine Hall, located in the Front half of the palace, was in the past the throne room of Russian empresses. It received its name in honor of the only women's order (see CATHERINE ORDER) in Russia - St. Catherine, established in 1714. The hall's attraction is the pilasters on massive pillars standing on the sides of the entrances, with patterns made from the smallest pieces of malachite made by talented craftsmen. Stucco decorations are widely used in the decoration of the Catherine Hall. The parquet ornament was developed by academician F. G. Solntsev.

panorama of the halls in the Kremlin
Everything else is from the network

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

Since the time of Ivan Kalita, the princely palace has occupied the most beautiful place - on Borovitsky Hill overlooking the river. It was traditionally wooden and small.
Ivan III expanded his holdings in the Kremlin and in 1492 ordered the Italian architects, who had earned praise for the Palace of Facets, to build stone palaces.

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

Boris Godunov built his wooden palace on the roof of a stone building, so that the 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 to the royal home and repair it after the Napoleonic fire. In 1817, wooden walls were quickly erected on the old basement, lined with bricks on both sides. Even at that time it was not serious.

Architect Konstantin Ton, author of the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Armory Chamber, as well as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (1794-1881)

Nicholas I, who loved Moscow and the Kremlin more than his predecessors, undertook to rectify the situation.
To build a new palace, he hired the architect Konstantin Ton, who pleased the emperor with his design for 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, took a whole decade to build and became a worthy neighbor to ancient monuments.

The facade of the palace is familiar to us: it is one of the iconic symbols of Moscow and all of Russia.

The palace was built in 1838-1849 and opened on April 3, 1849, 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 the dome and flagpole is about 50 m. From the north, the Palace is connected to the Terem Palace, from the east it is adjacent to the Faceted Chamber, 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 ancient Russian. This was consistent with 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 a way out was found. 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 mansion with small windows. Because of this, the two-story palace looks like a three-story one from the outside. The interior of the palace is a riot of imperial luxury. Eclectic style, magnificent decoration, abundance of the most valuable materials in decoration - a real architectural feast.

1. Boyarskaya site.
2. Vladimirsky Hall.
3. St. George's Hall.
4. Alexander Hall.
5. St. Andrew's Hall.
6. Cavalry Hall.
7. Catherine 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 Laying of the Robe.
14. Holy canopy.
15. Faceted Chamber.
16. Blagoveshchensky cathedral

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

In the 1990s, the facade and two halls of the palace were returned to the appearance they had before the revolution. In the kokoshniks under the roof above the central entrance, five double-headed eagles were again installed instead of the Soviet coat of arms and four letters “USSR”, and above them were the coats of arms of the former kingdoms and regions of the 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 our imagination) only through the most remarkable ones. Including the famous ceremonial halls, named after the main Russian orders: Vladimir, St. George, Alexander, St. Andrew and Catherine.

Materials from all over the Russian Empire were used in the decoration of the palace. A wide main 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 into the so-called Own Half - the imperial apartments. The emperor and his family stayed here when he came to Moscow from the northern capital, St. Petersburg, but most of the time these seven rooms were empty. The inlaid furniture, crystal chandeliers, porcelain floor lamps, malachite pilasters and bronze mantel clocks are striking. Much of this decoration was created by the labor of Russian craftsmen.

We pass the dining room, living room, the empress's office, boudoir, bedchamber, reception room and find ourselves in the emperor's office, 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 office are partially upholstered in ash, and otherwise in green fabric. Six paintings on the walls depict events related to the War of 1812. But no one has worked here for a long time. Let's return to the lobby and go up the main staircase to the second floor, to the halls. Straight ahead is the entrance to the antechamber (the hallway in front of the main hall). Past two huge crystal vases, five-meter-high doors lead into it, made from a single walnut board without glue or nails. Once upon a time there was a painting by Ilya Repin depicting Alexander III with a deputation from peasants - volost elders, and since the 1950s - a canvas with Lenin's speech at the Third Komsomol Congress. Nowadays, visitors in the antechamber are greeted by a painting by artist Sergei Prisekin “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword.”

From here we find ourselves in, perhaps, the most famous hall - Georgievsky, which looks now the same as a hundred years ago. It is named in honor of the military order of St. George the Victorious, established by Catherine II in 1769, 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 pomp only an uncultured man in the street.” We are probably among the latter, because what we saw is truly amazing. On marble boards in niches and on the walls, the names of famous military units and St. George's cavaliers are written in gold, including Emperors Alexander II and Alexander III, great commanders Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov. The names appeared on the boards until the end of the 19th century. On 18 columns (nine columns on each side) there 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 land in 1472 to Armenia in 1828, including Little Russia - Ukraine).

The bronze mantel clock on one of the walls depicts St. George the Horseman. On the opposite wall is a clock in the form of a scaled-down model of the monument to Minin and Pozharsky on Red Square. Giant bronze chandeliers are reflected in the parquet flooring, made from different types of wood - a real work of art, made according to the drawings of academician of painting Fyodor Solntsev in the 19th century.

Decoration of the Alexander Hall. Now members of the State Council gather for meetings there

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

Followed by Alexander Hall. Its huge wall mirrors reflect the Moscow River and the entire panorama outside the window. This hall is dedicated to the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, which was established by Catherine I in 1725. In the 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, that is, "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 of 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 - in the form of a schema monk, which symbolizes his earthly and heavenly glory. In this hall, the city ladies greeted the emperor on his ceremonial exits.

In 1933-1934, the Alexander Hall was combined with the neighboring Andreevsky Hall to host the 17th Congress of the CPSU(b). The result was a long, pencil-shaped room, called the Meeting Hall, where party congresses and sessions of the Supreme Council took place. In a niche built 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 resulted in changes here too. Both halls were completely restored in 1995-1999.

St. 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 are at the top of the columns. This is the throne room, the most important hall of the Kremlin palaces. Here, during the coronation celebrations, the emperor and his wife received congratulations from their subjects. Until the end of the 19th century, on the throne place stood an imperial chair, decorated with carvings in the Old Russian style. Then, under a canopy with an ermine canopy, three chairs were installed - the reigning Emperor Nicholas II, the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the emperor's mother. Their monograms were depicted on the backs of the thrones. On the back of the canopy is a double-headed eagle, and above the canopy is the state emblem of Russia with archangels on both sides, the inscription “God is with us” and the coats of arms 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 always at the throne.

The meeting hall of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the RSFSR, built in the 1930s from the Alexander and St. Andrew's halls. In place of the imperial thrones stood a statue of V.I. Lenin about 10 meters high

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, St. Andrew’s Hall again acquired a ceremonial function: the inauguration of President Vladimir Putin took place here.

In the 1930s, the bypass gallery adjacent to the Alexander and St. Andrew's halls, which was turned into the Meeting Hall, was also dismantled.
In its place, the foyer of the Meeting Hall was built. At the same time, on the site of the demolished Church of the Savior on Bor, a service building was built in the courtyard. At the end of the 1990s, both the foyer and the service building were completely redone according to the design of the artist Ilya Glazunov, who created new small state rooms in the service building (Petrovsky, Shtofny, Kaminny, Red and Green) for receptions and negotiations; the foyer again became a gallery, even more pompous than in the days of the empire, and on the walls are portraits of the rulers of Russia over ten centuries - from the legendary Prince Rurik to Nicholas II (by Ilya Glazunov’s son, Ivan).

Proceeding further from St. Andrew's Hall and turning north, we find ourselves in the Cavalry Guard Hall, where a military guard was located in the palace during the emperor's stay. Personal guards traditionally consisted of Circassians (as the Caucasian mountaineers were then called), so the furniture in the hall - a sofa and chairs - was symbolically made from Caucasian wood - plane trees. The painting corresponding to the place depicted a review of Alexei Mikhailovich’s troops at the 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, formed the empress's honorary escort. According to etiquette, the expression “to have entrance behind the cavalry guards” meant that this person could enter the half of the palace where the throne room was located Catherine Hall and the Empress's state chambers.

In this room, under a canopy of crimson velvet, stood the throne of the empress (now its place against the eastern wall is free). The 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 is known, 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 jewelry. Only ladies were awarded the order, and only 12 people could have the first degree at a time, not counting those of imperial blood. The honorable duty of the cavalry ladies of the order was to be present in this hall at 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, gold and red tones with gilded furniture - the state living room and the state 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 court ladies looked out. At the end of this corridor, in 1959, a Winter Garden of marble and mirrors was built, which has a pool with a fountain and more than 120 species of tropical plants. From here a small staircase leads to the last main 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 recipients are the architect Konstantin Ton, the historian and writer Karamzin and many others who, with their labors, brought great benefit to the Fatherland and gained unfading honor and glory.

In 1838, on Borovitsky Hill, on the initiative of Nicholas I, they began to build the Great 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 bank of the Moscow River along the entire Borovitsky Hill. In 1770, part of the Kremlin wall was broken and in 1773 a new residence was solemnly founded. But a year later it was decided that such a grandiose project was impractical and construction was stopped. The destroyed Kremlin wall was restored and the building of the Moscow Senate was built instead of a pompous palace.

But the start 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, Gerasimova, Rikhnet, Chichagova. The project was headed by 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.

According to the authors' idea, the Palace complex, which would 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 Tsarina Chamber, the Pomegranate Chamber, house churches and the Terem Palace.

Chief architect Ton did not seek to build an innovative complex of structures; he took as a basis the layout and architectural elements of familiar historical buildings that were already familiar to Muscovites. But during 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 Chamber and Apartments, connected by an air passage with the palace complex, the Grand Kremlin Palace became a single architectural ensemble worthy of the imperial family and became 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 appears to have three floors, although in fact it has only two floors. The first floor looks like a closed gallery, the base 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 tribune with a gilded balustrade, on one side of which there is a working clock to this day, and on the other - the hour bells. Near the main entrance there is a lobby 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 premises for various purposes, including 5 order halls, reception rooms in the Front Half, residential premises in the Own Half, service premises on the first floor, and a vestibule with a grand staircase.

We 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 the museum of Russian palace interior. The decoration is eclectic - from Renaissance elements to Byzantine style. At the same time, any of its elements amazes with its subtlety, grace and quality of work, original taste and quality of execution.

Each palace hall is a work of architecture and art in its own way, but true connoisseurs of architecture consider the St. George's Hall to be the most majestic. It is in it that marble plaques of memory are located with the names of military personnel awarded the most revered Russian award - the Order of St. St. George the Victorious. Among the recipients were such historical figures as Mikhail Kutuzov, Alexander Suvorov and Pyotr Bagration. This sixty-meter white and gold hall, with huge bronze chandeliers and powerful pylons, truly leaves an unforgettable impression. In addition, it is here that there are marble statues by the sculptor Ivan Vitali and bas-reliefs depicting St. George and the serpent by Pavel Kladsch. In Russian history, this particular hall plays an important role - cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was welcomed here, and participants in the Victory Parade were received here in 1945.

The Vladimir Hall received its name in honor of the Order of St. Vladimir. The hall is made in the shape of an octagon, 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 Meeting Hall is the largest room in the palace complex. It appeared only in 1933 in connection with the unification of the Alexander and St. Andrew's halls. Windows facing the Moscow River, 1615 sq. m. area, capacity for up to 3,000 visitors - this hall was made into a meeting place of the Supreme Council of the USSR in Soviet times.

The Catherine Hall is a very cozy and beautiful room in the front half of the palace, which received its name in honor of the only Russian women's order. In the past, it was the throne room of Russian empresses. Gilded chandeliers, gray moiré walls, decorations made from pieces of malachite, thin crystal candelabra - everything here is of great historical and artistic value.

After the Catherine Hall, you can get to the State Living Room and the State Bedchamber, which today are a real museum of 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 government officials.

The last room of the Front half of the palace is the Walnut dressing room, the decoration of which uses walnut wood panels.

The own 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, and Classicism styles make the seven rooms of the Own Half a conceptually unified whole. The Emperor's office, the Empress's office, bedroom, boudoir, dining room, reception room, living room - each room had its own decoration.

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

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

Video: