State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Moscow Kremlin"

The State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Moscow Kremlin" was founded in 1991 on the basis of the State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in the center of Moscow, on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin - one of the largest architectural ensembles in the world, including monuments built during the period from the late XV to the XX century. Historically, the Moscow Kremlin was the seat of power and today it houses the residence of the President of Russia. This is a unique museum complex, which includes museums-cathedrals: the Assumption, Arkhangelsk, Annunciation; the Church of the Location, the Patriarchal Chambers of the XVII century with the Church of the Twelve Apostles, the ensemble of the bell tower of Ivan the Great and the State Armory - a museum-treasure. A separate exposition located in the subcelle of the Annunciation Cathedral presents materials on the archaeology of the Kremlin. Museums of the Kremlin store unique works in various genres of art, giving an idea of the ceremonial courtyards of secular and spiritual rulers. The buildings in which the museums are located are unique architectural structures of different schools and eras, built by outstanding architects and masters, which have preserved the magnificent interiors of the XVI-XVII and mid-XIX centuries. Assumption Cathedral (1475-1479, architect Aristotle Fiorovanti), for centuries - the main (cathedral) temple of Russia. It combines traditional forms for Russian churches and the novelty of spatial solutions. In the Assumption Cathedral there is no direct repetition of any architectural details and techniques characteristic of the Italian Renaissance architecture, although its builder was one of the outstanding architects of Quatrocento. Fiorovanti created a work with its compositional clarity, rigor and laconism of architectural forms close to the spirit of the early Renaissance, innovative for its time and outstanding in its artistic and technical qualities, in which the traditional features of ancient Russian cult architecture were further developed in new historical conditions. The Archangel Cathedral was built in 1505-1508 by the Italian architect Aleviz Novyi. The majestic building of the main grand ducal temple - the tomb amazed contemporaries with the unusualness of its appearance. Despite the tradition of the solution of the internal space of the temple, it is the first time used lowered spring arches and applied order decoration of the interior. The Renaissance decoration of the facades and interior of the Archangel Cathedral of the Kremlin had a significant impact on the further development of Russian architecture, became a common source and model. The Annunciation Cathedral, a personal, house temple of the great princes and kings, is an architectural monument of several building epochs. At the same time, the architectural components of the temple of each era have their own face and exceptional value. The cathedral was built in 1484-1489 by the artel of Pskov masters on the subclet of the dismantled white-stone church of the end of the XIV century. The podklet is a solid architectural structure and, together with the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin of the late XIV century. in the Kremlin is the oldest surviving monuments of early Moscow architecture. The Church of the Position of the Robes of the Most Holy Theotokos - a personal, house church of Russian metropolitans, and then patriarchs, was erected in 1484-1485 by the same artel of Pskov masters as the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The architecture of the church is a kind of fusion of traditions of early Moscow and Pskov architecture. Its slenderness and lightness are achieved by the correctly found ratio of height and width of the building, the clear division of the walls, the harmonious completion of the entire volume. The miniature and elegance of the appearance of the temple is emphasized by the contrast with the monumental forms of the Assumption Cathedral standing nearby. The Patriarchal Chamber is a rare and one of the best monuments of civil architecture of Moscow in the middle of the XVII century. The chambers were erected by decree of Patriarch Nikon in 1635-1655 by Russian masters on the site of more ancient buildings of the Metropolitan and later the Patriarchal court in the Moscow Kremlin. The first floor of the palace was used for household needs and placement of orders, on the second - there were state halls and a house church, on the third - the personal chambers of the patriarch. The ensemble of the bell tower of Ivan the Great includes a bell tower, a belfry and the so-called Filaret extension. The bell tower of Ivan the Great was built in 1505-1508 by the Italian architect Bon Fryazin. The bell tower, composed of two octagonal tiers, which had an open arcade for bells, was crowned with a small dome. In the first tier was arranged the Church of John the Ladder. In the Museums of the Moscow Kremlin, a project for the museumification of the bell tower of Ivan the Great is being developed. On the first floor of the Assumption Belfry there is an exhibition hall of the museum, the second floor is occupied by stock premises, the third is a scientific library. The State Armoury Chamber is one of the first and most solemn museum buildings in Russia. It was built in 1844-1851 as part of the new imperial residence in the Kremlin, built by architect Konstantin Ton in the style of historicism. In terms of scale and architectural appearance, the Armory is close to the Grand Kremlin Palace. The halls of the Armoury Chamber correspond to the high status of the palace museum, the treasury museum: high, on the second floor - double-light, they are distinguished by a clear and elegant three-dimensional structure and individual solution of vaults. To the famous collection of Tonovsky vaults here is added another, very rare (if not unique) - a toroidal vault over the semicircular ends of the building.