Moscow Kremlin: Walls and Towers

View of the Kremlin walls which face east, with St Basil's Cathedral at the far right; Kremlin is the Russian word for "fortress", "citadel" or "castle." The earliest development of the Moscow Kremlin by the Slavs, from the 10th century to the 13th, is known only from archaeological excavations. With the formation of a powerful Russian state centred on Moscow in the second half of the 15th century and early 16th, extensive building took place in the Kremlin, and the asymmetrical triangle of high walls and towers with the Cathedral Square at the centre and four roads running to the main gates was constructed. The fine cathedrals in the main square, those of the Dormition, the Archangel Michael and the Annunciation, harmonized well with the bell-tower of Ivan the Great (1505-1508). The Arsenal (1702-1736; rebuilt 1830s), with its regularity of design, introduced new lines into the ensemble. The transfer of the capital to St Petersburg in the early 18th century, however, saved the Kremlin from major reconstruction. Later, the Neo-classical style was introduced into the Kremlin by Matvey Kazakov’s Moscow Senate building (1776-1787). In March 1918 the Kremlin became the residence of the Soviet government, which was transferred to Moscow. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.oxfordartonline.com/ (accessed 6/22/2009)