For me, it has always been something mysterious that I associated with hiding under my desk during safety drills in school. That is what happens when your childhood is spent under the shadow of the Cold War.
I certainly was not prepared for the grandeur and beauty I saw when I arrived there, even though I had seen pictures in books and movies. The Kremlin is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Here are only a select few of the buildings in the Kremlin:
The tall Poteshny Palace, constructed 1652
The Arsenal on the left (with a view of three of the towers) constructed and reconstructed, twice, 1702 - 1828
A Soviet Era star on a tower
The Soviet Era State Kremlin Palace, where we saw a ballet. Possibly the cleanest building, inside, that I have ever seen.
The Senate Building, built 1776-1778
Gardens, not what I expected to see here, but lovely and understandable in the grand design
The Tsar's Bell, all 200 tons of it. The broken piece is on the other side swamped by children looking at it.
Soldiers marching in front of the Great Kremlin Palace, built 1849
A view across the Moskva River from inside the Kremlin walls
Tolkien Bonus: K is for Khazad-dum, the greatest of the Dwarf-halls and the home of Durin's folk. Its Elvish name was Moria.
Gorgeous pics, especially the first one!
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Thanks. With almost 1,000 pics on this trip, it was really hard to choose.
DeleteI like them all, too, especially the soldiers on horses.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the soldiers was really cool. They were actually part of a marching band that went on to play for us in front of the cathedrals.
Deletethe garden looks lovely and the view of the river is gorgeous :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful area.
DeleteI never realised the Kremlin was a series of buildings, always imagined just one place. and as you say, somewhat dour and dismal.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was quite the surprise. I guess it would be like thinking only the White House and Congress were in D.C.
DeleteI also thought "Cold War" whenever I heard about the Kremlin. The buildings are beautiful and those domes must just glitter with all the gold on them
ReplyDeleteInstead of the Russians coming here (except for my Moscow native neighbors), I went there. Who would have thought it possible?
DeleteI certainly remember the Cold War and bomb shelters... I'm surprised by the Kremlin, I expected something much more grim and austere.
ReplyDeleteI had a friend in school who had a bomb shelter in her front yard. Everyone else was very envious. And to think the Russians had all that glamour in the Kremlin.
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