The Moscow Kremlin is an ancient fortified structure on the territory of modern Moscow, which previously served as a military facility, and today is used as the official residence of the President Russian Federation, architectural monument.

The Kremlin is located on Borovitsky Hill on the left bank of the Moscow River and is an irregular triangle with a total area of ​​about 27 hectares. The construction of the first fortifications on this territory began in the 12th century, but historians date the construction of the Kremlin in its modern sense to the 15th century. (1482-1495), since it was at this time that he received stone walls.

Main stages of construction of the Moscow Kremlin

The first stage of the construction of this structure is associated with the beginning of the strengthening of Moscow’s power in Rus', with the unification of previously disparate principalities around the new capital, which now required better protection than before. In addition, the struggle of Rus' with the Tatar-Mongol yoke and constant raids also became the reason that Moscow began to urgently need a good system of fortifications that would protect the prince and other important statesmen. The Kremlin became a kind of symbol of a new type of state, it was from its gates that roads and industrial routes diverged in all directions of the world, it was from here that Russian troops set out to fight the Mongols attacking them, the prince and other important government officials took refuge here.

In the history of the construction of the Moscow Kremlin, several main stages can be distinguished, associated with major political and economic changes in the country.

Although the creation of the modern Kremlin is officially considered to be the 15th century, the first buildings on this territory began to appear much earlier. The construction of the first wooden-earth structures, which served mainly for household needs and housing, dates back to the 12th century. - by 1156. To date, not a single part of this ancient structure has survived.

The second period of construction - the second half of the 14th - the second half of the 15th century. In place of the old earthen structures, new, white stone ones, known to us from numerous illustrations, are beginning to be erected. These structures were built under Prince Dmitry Donskoy in 1366-1368, when the walls and towers were rebuilt from local white stone. During this period, the Kremlin expanded significantly and was no longer used only for economic needs, but also for military warehouses and army housing.

The third period of construction of the Moscow Kremlin can be dated back to the end of the 15th century, and it continued until the 17th century. It was during this period that the building was actively “living in”, and masterpieces of art and architecture appeared, which we still admire to this day.

In the 18th century. the fourth period begins, which lasts until the October Revolution. At this time, the Kremlin is gradually being updated, many buildings are being rebuilt, restored, a new layout is being created, and the territory is expanding again. During this period, the Senate, the New Palace, the Armory and the Arsenal appeared.

After the October Revolution died down, some changes were made to the layout of the Kremlin, new buildings were built - the Palace of Congresses, the building of the Supreme Council. Gardens and parks were laid out on the territory of the Kremlin. As a result, this led to the fact that by the end of the 20th century. All that remained of the old Kremlin were walls and some buildings; everything else was rebuilt during last years 20th century

History of the construction of the Moscow Kremlin. Architectural features

Like any other architectural monuments, the Kremlin has always been an example of achievements in construction in one period or another and has radically changed its appearance several times. In ancient times, only wooden and earthen fortifications were erected, which could accommodate a limited number of people and were not used for military purposes due to their fragility. Later, wood began to change to stone, the Kremlin acquired important military significance, since now it could not completely burn down, and high and strong walls could provide all residents with sufficient protection.

As for the location, the first buildings were in the 12th century. occupied a fairly insignificant territory and were built on a cape, which today has settled and lost its outline. There was a moat around the cape (as was always done during the construction of fortresses), and a palisade wall stood on earthen ramparts, encircling the erected fortress. Its length was no more than 700 m. In 1156, the city’s borders were expanded, and at the same time the boundaries of the Kremlin expanded, which now reached a length of 1200 m. The Kremlin acquired the shape of a triangle, new ramparts were poured in place of previously cleared forests and fields. The territory expanded.

The earliest reliable images of the Moscow Kremlin can be dated back to the 16th century, but in written sources this building is very often mentioned with the name of Ivan the 3rd, who was one of the first to begin a major restoration, restructuring and expansion of the Kremlin. New buildings were erected, including several cathedrals.

Thus, the original Kremlin, built back in the 12th century, was very different from what we see today. Unfortunately, there is no information left except for rare descriptions, and today we can only imagine its outlines. During its existence, the Kremlin was rebuilt several times, sometimes quite radically.

The significance of the Moscow Kremlin

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of any such structure. During its existence, the Moscow Kremlin managed to serve as an important military facility, a complex of residential buildings, and the residence of the country's administration (which it remains to this day). We must not forget that the Kremlin, which was rebuilt many times, remains an important historical, cultural and architectural monument.

The Moscow Kremlin is the center of Russia and the citadel of power. For more than 5 centuries, these walls have reliably hidden state secrets and protected their main bearers. The Kremlin is shown on Russian and world channels several times a day. This medieval fortress, unlike anything else, has long become a symbol of Russia.

Only the footage we are provided with is basically the same. The Kremlin is the strictly guarded active residence of the president of our country. There are no trifles in security, which is why all Kremlin filming is so strictly regulated. By the way, don’t forget to take a tour of the Kremlin.

To see a different Kremlin, try to imagine its towers without tents, limit the height to only the wide, non-tapering part and you will immediately see a completely different Moscow Kremlin - a powerful, squat, medieval, European fortress.

This is how it was built at the end of the 15th century on the site of the old white-stone Kremlin by the Italians Pietro Fryazin, Anton Fryazin and Alois Fryazin. They all received the same surname, although they were not relatives. “Fryazin” means foreigner in Old Church Slavonic.

They built the fortress in accordance with all the latest achievements of fortification and military science that time. Along the battlements of the walls there is a battle platform with a width of 2 to 4.5 meters.

Each tooth has a loophole, which can only be reached by standing on something else. The view from here is limited. The height of each battlement is 2-2.5 meters; the distance between them was covered with wooden shields during the battle. There are a total of 1145 battlements on the walls of the Moscow Kremlin.

The Moscow Kremlin is a great fortress located near the Moscow River, in the heart of Russia - in Moscow. The citadel is equipped with 20 towers, each with its own unique appearance and 5 passage gates. The Kremlin is like a ray of light carried through the rich history of the formation of Russia.

These ancient walls are witnesses to all the numerous events that happened to the state, starting from the moment of its construction. The fortress began its journey in 1331, although the word “Kremlin” was mentioned earlier.

Moscow Kremlin, infographics. Source: www.culture.rf. For a detailed view, open the image in a new browser tab.

Moscow Kremlin under different rulers

Moscow Kremlin under Ivan Kalita

In 1339-1340 Moscow Prince Ivan Danilovich, nicknamed Kalita (“money bag”), built an impressive oak citadel on Borovitsky Hill, with walls ranging from 2 to 6 m thick and no less than 7 m high. Ivan Kalita built a powerful fortress with a formidable appearance, but it stood less three decades and burned down during a terrible fire in the summer of 1365.

Moscow Kremlin under Dmitry Donskoy

The tasks of defending Moscow urgently required the creation of a more reliable fortress: the Moscow principality was in danger from the Golden Horde, Lithuania and the rival Russian principalities of Tver and Ryazan. The then reigning 16-year-old grandson of Ivan Kalita, Dmitry (aka Dmitry Donskoy), decided to build a fortress of stone - the Kremlin.

Construction of the stone fortress began in 1367, and the stone was mined nearby, in the village of Myachkovo. The construction was completed in a short time - in just one year. Dmitry Donskoy made the Kremlin a white-stone fortress, which enemies tried to storm more than once, but were never able to.

What does the word "Kremlin" mean?

One of the first mentions of the word “Kremlin” appears in the Resurrection Chronicle in a report about a fire in 1331. According to historians, it could have arisen from the ancient Russian word “kremnik,” which meant a fortress built of oak. According to another point of view, it is based on the word “krom” or “krom”, which means boundary, border.

The first victory of the Moscow Kremlin

Almost immediately after the construction of the Moscow Kremlin, Moscow was besieged by the Lithuanian prince Olgerd in 1368, and then in 1370. The Lithuanians stood at the white stone walls for three days and three nights, but the fortifications turned out to be impregnable. This instilled confidence in the young Moscow ruler and allowed him to later challenge the powerful Golden Horde Khan Mamai.

In 1380, feeling reliable rears behind him, Russian army under the leadership of Prince Dmitry they ventured into a decisive operation. Leaving from hometown far to the south, in the upper reaches of the Don, they met with the army of Mamai and defeated it on the Kulikovo field.

Thus, for the first time, Krom became a stronghold not only of the Moscow principality, but of all of Rus'. And Dmitry received the nickname Donskoy. For 100 years after the Battle of Kulikovo, the white-stone citadel united the Russian lands, becoming the main center of Rus'.

Moscow Kremlin under Ivan 3

The current dark red appearance of the Moscow Kremlin owes its birth to Prince Ivan III Vasilyevich. Started by him in 1485-1495. the grandiose construction was not a simple reconstruction of the dilapidated defensive fortifications of Dmitry Donskoy. The white stone fortress is being replaced by a red brick fortress.

The towers are pushed outward in order to fire along the walls. To quickly move the defenders, a system of secret underground passages was created. Completing the system of impregnable defense, the Kremlin was made into an island. On both sides it already had natural barriers - the Moscow and Neglinnaya rivers.

They also dug a ditch on the third side, where Red Square is now, approximately 30-35 meters wide and 12 m deep. Contemporaries called the Moscow Kremlin an outstanding military engineering structure. Moreover, the Kremlin is the only European fortress that has never been taken by storm.

The special role of the Moscow Kremlin as a new grand-ducal residence and the main fortress of the state determined the nature of its engineering and technical appearance. Built from red brick, it retained the layout features of the ancient Russian detinets, and in its outlines the already established shape of an irregular triangle.

At the same time, the Italians made it extremely functional and very similar to many fortresses in Europe. What Muscovites came up with in the 17th century turned the Kremlin into a unique architectural monument. The Russians just built on stone tents, which turned the fortress into a light, skyward structure, which has no equal in the world, and the corner towers took on the appearance as if our ancestors knew that it was Russia that would send the first man into space.

Architects of the Moscow Kremlin

The construction was supervised by Italian architects. Memorial plaques installed on the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin indicate that it was built in the “30th summer” of the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich. He celebrated the construction of the most powerful entrance front tower Grand Duke his anniversary government activities. In particular, Spasskaya and Borovitskaya were designed by Pietro Solari.

In 1485, under the leadership of Antonio Gilardi, the powerful Taynitskaya Tower was built. In 1487, another Italian architect, Marco Ruffo, began to build Beklemishevskaya, and later Sviblova (Vodovzvodnaya) appeared on the opposite side. These three structures set the direction and rhythm for all subsequent construction.

The Italian origin of the main architects of the Moscow Kremlin is not accidental. At that time, it was Italy that came to the fore in the theory and practice of fortification construction. Design features indicate that its creators were familiar with the engineering ideas of such outstanding representatives of the Italian Renaissance as Leonardo da Vinci, Leon Battista Alberti, and Filippo Brunelleschi. In addition, it was the Italian architectural school that “gave” Stalin’s skyscrapers in Moscow.

By the beginning of the 1490s, four more blind towers appeared (Blagoveshchenskaya, 1st and 2nd Nameless and Petrovskaya). All of them, as a rule, repeated the line of the old fortifications. The work was carried out gradually, in such a way that there were no open areas in the fortress through which the enemy could suddenly attack.

In the 1490s, the construction was curated by the Italian Pietro Solari (aka Pyotr Fryazin), with whom his compatriots Antonio Gilardi (aka Anton Fryazin) and Aloisio da Carcano (Aleviz Fryazin) worked. 1490-1495 The Moscow Kremlin was replenished with the following towers: Konstantino-Eleninskaya, Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Senate, Corner Arsenalnaya and Nabatnaya.

Secret passages in the Moscow Kremlin

In case of danger, the Kremlin defenders had the opportunity to quickly move through secret underground passages. In addition, internal passages were built in the walls, connecting all the towers. The Kremlin defenders could thus concentrate, if necessary, on a dangerous section of the front or retreat in the event of a superiority of enemy forces.

Long underground tunnels were also dug, thanks to which it was possible to observe the enemy in the event of a siege, as well as to make surprise attacks on the enemy. Several underground tunnels went beyond the Kremlin.

Some towers had more than just a defensive function. For example, Tainitskaya hid a secret passage from the fortress to the Moscow River. Wells were made in Beklemishevskaya, Vodovzvodnaya and Arsenalnaya, with the help of which water could be delivered if the city was under siege. The well in Arsenalnaya has survived to this day.

Within two years, Kolymazhnaya (Komendantskaya) and Granenaya (Srednyaya Arsenalnaya) fortresses rose in orderly ranks, and in 1495 the construction of Trinity began. The construction was led by Aleviz Fryazin.

Chronology of events

All towers of the Moscow Kremlin

Also in kindergarten children hear about white-stone Moscow. This name is a traditional epithet of the capital. But then the children get older and in history lessons learn that the city received its name because of its main fortress - the Kremlin. And they have natural questions about where this strange color blindness came from? The Kremlin is red, not white!

In reality there is no error. It’s just a beautiful epithet that appeared a long time ago, when the Kremlin was truly bright.

What is the Kremlin?

In medieval Rus', this word was used to describe the central fortress of the city, the last and main stronghold of defense. The main (or only) city temple was usually located on its territory, and the city ruler (prince or governor) lived.

In the event of an attack (and they happened very often in those days), not only the population of an unprotected or poorly protected urban settlement, but also the peasants of nearby villages were hiding behind the walls of the Kremlin. Strong walls gave hope of repelling an attack or waiting for help while withstanding a siege.

Not first

For a very long time, fortifications from stone were not built in Rus'. They built it from wood - it was faster and easier. Therefore, the white stone Kremlin in Moscow was not really the first - before it there was a wooden fortress. There is chronicle evidence of the construction of a wooden fortress in the city by the founder of Moscow, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky (by the way, a lover of war). This fact dates back 9 years after the first mention of Moscow in a written source.

Later, the wooden Kremlin was repeatedly restored and rebuilt. The reason is clear - wooden walls provided good protection from direct attack by enemies, but were powerless against fire. And Rus' had just entered turbulent times - it all started with princely strife, and then the Tatars came. The last time a wooden fortress was rebuilt famous Ivan Kalita. He built it from oak and significantly increased the area. But it still didn't help.

All Saints Fire

Even a Tatar attack was not required - Ivan Kalita's Kremlin was destroyed by a domestic fire. This was a terrible scourge of wooden medieval cities - with any fire they could burn out completely. This time, the Church of All Saints was the first to catch fire (hence the name of the fire). This happened in 1365.

At this time, young Dmitry Ivanovich (not yet Donskoy then) reigned in Moscow. He sought to pursue an independent policy, but understood that with a “naked” capital it would be a hopeless matter. Therefore, he hastened to begin construction of a new fortress and at the same time made sure that it burned worse.

White stone

Rus' already knew stone construction. But in many regions, strictly speaking, it was not stone, but brick - clay plinth was used. But in the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, even before the Mongol invasion, a tradition of building from limestone arose. Because of its light color it was called “white stone”. You had to know how to work with it, but in principle limestone was easy to work with. It was possible to cut blocks of the required size from it.

There was a limestone deposit not far from Moscow in the village of Myachkovo, 30 km from the capital. This variety is now called Myachkovsky limestone. The historian and writer I.E. Zabelin assumed that it was this stone that the builders of Dmitry Ivanovich’s Kremlin should have used.

The big problem was the delivery of stone, and the prince did not want to start construction until all the necessary material was at hand. Transportation was carried out along the Moscow River, partly by water, but mostly by ice in winter.

Unprecedented Kremlin

The construction of the white stone Kremlin in Moscow took two years (1367-68). He is often mentioned in sources, but our contemporaries do not know exactly what he looked like. There are no accurate images, and one has to rely on descriptions and archaeological data.

Under Prince Dmitry, the Kremlin area was approaching the current one - he ordered the construction of new walls at a decent distance from the old ones. The walls were theoretically up to 3 m thick and had numerous loopholes, which were closed during an attack with wooden shields to better protect the soldiers. A significant part of the walls stretched along the Moscow River and Neglinnaya (they served as additional protection). Where such protection was lacking, a ditch was dug (its traces were discovered by archaeologists). A stone bridge was thrown across Neglinnaya - the first in Moscow (now the Trinity Bridge stands there).

Historian M.I. Tikhomirov believes that initially the walls were thick, but rather low. They were built up gradually. This was a common practice in medieval towns and castles. There is a version that initially not the entire Kremlin was made of stone - those less dangerous from the point of view of a possible assault remained wooden. Over time, this omission was also eliminated.

The white stone Kremlin in Moscow (the year of construction began - 1367) stood for 150 years. Prince Ivan III, famous for putting an end to the Mongol yoke, planned to build a new fortress. The white walls were gradually dismantled, and others were built in their place. The material this time is red brick. This is how the modern Kremlin appeared.

Some lime blocks were left in the new wall as rubble. They were later discovered by scientists and were thus convinced that the first stone Kremlin in Moscow was indeed white.

Miracles of Belokamennaya

Striving to unite and strengthen Rus', Dmitry Ivanovich sought to make the Kremlin not only a fortress, but also a kind of center of gravity, which would symbolize Russian greatness. Therefore, the prince built not only walls, but also stone churches in the Kremlin monasteries. As a result, Moscow became one of the most “stony” Russian cities, and the Kremlin itself became the most powerful European fortress.

Dmitry's heirs sought to continue his endeavor and increase the number of Kremlin miracles. Thus, at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, the first tower clock in Rus' appeared in the Kremlin. White stone began to be used not only for construction, but also for decoration. In the middle of the 15th century, a Russian sculptor made two bas-reliefs from limestone. One of them depicted the coat of arms of Moscow (with St. George the Victorious), the second - St. Dmitry of Thessalonica (heavenly patron of Dmitry Ivanovich). They were fixed on the Frolovskaya (today Spasskaya) tower: the first in 1446 on the outside above the gate, the second in 1466 in the same way, but on the inside.

Adventures of the Fortress

Despite its relatively short life, the first white-stone Kremlin in Moscow managed to serve the Motherland well. Its construction was barely completed when in 1368 the army of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd appeared under the walls of Moscow. The Lithuanians left without a sip - the fortress stood. In 1370, Olgerd tried again - with the same result.

But the white Kremlin was unexpectedly sidelined by the very event that glorified its builder for centuries. In 1380, Dmitry Ivanovich led the army of the united Russian principalities against the Golden Horde, and on the Kulikovo field near the Don for the first time inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy. For this victory, the prince was awarded the honorary nickname Donskoy. But the angry Mongols were not yet defeated at all. In 1382, Khan Tokhtamysh, who replaced the Temnik Mamai defeated by Dmitry, took advantage of Dmitry’s absence and attacked Moscow. The city fell and was completely burned.

This is where Dmitry’s foresight showed itself - the white stone Kremlin in Moscow (completion date - 1368) survived! It only had to be repaired, but not rebuilt.

The power of tradition

Although Prince Ivan used a different material for construction, he clearly had respect for the fortress built by his famous grandfather. The Kremlin remained white until the end of the 19th century! Although it was completed and restored several times. Including after the “time of troubles” and Patriotic War In 1812, the walls stubbornly continued to be whitewashed!

That is why the epithet “white stone” is so firmly attached to Moscow - it was formed not over 150 years, but much longer! IN White color the walls were painted primarily to show respect for Dmitry Donskoy, and then out of habit.

You may notice that St. Basil's Cathedral, which is in close proximity to the Kremlin, is mostly red. You can guess that this made a striking contrast. In addition, there was a tradition in the architecture of Rus' - to build temples from plinth, and its color resembles modern red brick. Russian churches began to be whitewashed much later. And not everywhere (having visited the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, you can be convinced that its walls were not originally white - fragments of masonry were deliberately left unpainted on the walls of buildings). Thanks to this, churches were strikingly different from secular buildings (houses then were wooden or resembled Ukrainian huts). In the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, white churches were built (for example, the Intercession on the Nerl), but this was not an immutable rule.

Creations of the masters

Although none of the figures of modern times saw the first Kremlin, it aroused their interest. Some tried to “invent” Dmitry Donskoy’s Kremlin and depict the results of their thoughts on canvas. The most interesting version belongs to the artist A. Vasnetsov. The whitewashed Kremlin of later eras was often drawn and described. One can suspect that not all the witnesses knew that before the fortress was different - really white.

Back to white

Nowadays the red walls of the Kremlin are tinted with red paint for showiness in the same way as they used to be whitewashed. But in recent years, proposals have increasingly been heard to repaint the Kremlin white again. They say this will be more in keeping with the historical spirit of Moscow.

Besides the fact that it doesn’t hurt to think about how much paint it will require and how much the work will cost, you need to remember two more things. Firstly, the current Kremlin was not born white-stone. Repainting will not restore the real fortress of Dmitry Donskoy. And secondly, the Kremlin and Red Square are a monument of world significance and are under the protection of UNESCO.

I accidentally came across stunning renderings of the Kremlin. These are really just hyper-realistic! Like the photos!

Moscow Kremlin 1800 is a project to recreate the structures of the Moscow fortress of 1800. Made on the basis of an analysis of images by artists who captured and reconstructed the architecture of the Kremlin of that time.

At a time when the Alexander Garden did not yet exist, and the main pharmacy still stood on the site of a large historical museum, and the Kremlin itself was still practically an island, surrounded by barriers on four sides, in the 1800s the Moscow Kremlin was white

It is known that the first wooden walls on the site of the Kremlin were built in 1156 by order of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. This data was preserved in ancient chronicles. At the beginning of the 14th century, Ivan Kalita began to rule the city. Kalita in ancient Rus' called a money bag. The prince was so nicknamed because he accumulated great wealth and always carried a small bag of money with him. Prince Kalita decided to decorate and strengthen his city. He ordered the construction of new walls for the Kremlin. They were cut down from strong oak trunks, so thick that you couldn’t wrap your arms around them.

Under the next ruler of Moscow, Dmitry Donskoy, the Kremlin had other walls built - stone ones. Stone craftsmen from all over the area were gathered to Moscow. And in 1367 they got to work. People worked without interruption, and soon Borovitsky Hill was surrounded by a powerful stone wall, 2 or even 3 meters thick. It was built from limestone, which was mined in quarries near Moscow near the village of Myachkovo. The Kremlin so impressed its contemporaries with the beauty of its white walls that from then on Moscow began to be called white-stone.

The white stone Kremlin stood for more than 100 years. During this time, a lot has changed. Russian lands united into one strong state. Moscow became its capital. This happened under the Moscow Prince Ivan III.

Ivan III gathered the best Russian masters and invited Aristotle Fearovanti, Antonio Solario and other famous architects from distant Italy. And now, under the leadership of Italian architects, new construction began on Borovitsky Hill. In order not to leave the city without a fortress, the builders erected a new Kremlin in parts: they dismantled a section of the old white stone wall and quickly built a new one in its place - out of brick. There was quite a lot of clay suitable for its production in the vicinity of Moscow. However, clay is a soft material. To make the brick hard, it was fired in special kilns.

It took 10 years to build the new Kremlin. The fortress was defended on both sides by rivers, and at the beginning of the 16th century. A wide ditch was dug on the third side of the Kremlin. He connected two rivers. Now the Kremlin was protected on all sides by water barriers. The Kremlin towers were erected one after another, equipped with diversion archers for greater defensive capability. Along with the renovation of the fortress walls, the construction of such famous Kremlin cathedrals as the Assumption, Archangel and Annunciation took place.

Visual reconstruction of the Moscow Kremlin in 1800 based on drawings by artists of that time.

Currently, the meaning of the phrase “White Stone Moscow” has been lost to the modern generation. Let's figure out how it came about.

In 1366, Prince Dmitry Donskoy, together with cousin decided to replace the wooden walls of the Kremlin with walls and towers made of white stone to protect the city from invasions by rival princes, the Principality of Lithuania and the Golden Horde.

The fortress wall was built on a strong and deep foundation, laid out of unhewn stone, and the towers were lined with processed blocks. The total length of the white-stone Kremlin reached 2,000 meters and had 4 watchtowers and 5 passageways with locked gates. The new Kremlin had the most modern weapons for those times - the towers were equipped with cannons.Over two thousand people were involved in construction every day throughout the year.

Already at the end of the 14th century, Moscow began to be called White Stone Moscow. The streets of the city were paved with stone, and Moscow craftsmen performed a lot of delicate work in pottery, jewelry, and leather. Many scribes appeared, as well as large production facilities for casting bells and cannons, organized by the state. Under Dmitry Donskoy, the minting of silver coins was introduced in Moscow earlier than in other Russian principalities. And most importantly, the prince’s move was justified - during his lifetime, no one was ever able to take the white-stone city.

In the second half of the 15th century, the reconstruction of the Moscow Kremlin began. The new Assumption Cathedral was the first to be built. In 1484–1486, a new Church of the Deposition of the Robe was erected, and in 1484–1489, a new Annunciation Cathedral was built on the basement of the former church.

In 1485, construction began on the new Grand Ducal Palace, which continued with long interruptions until 1514. Simultaneously with the construction of the Grand Ducal Palace and the reconstruction of churches, over the course of a whole decade, under the leadership of Italian architects, the white stone walls and towers were dismantled, and new ones made of baked bricks were erected in their place. The area of ​​the fortress was increased by annexing significant territories in the north-west and reached 27.5 hectares, and the Kremlin received the modern contours of an irregular triangle.

At first, the Kremlin remained red brick, but in the 18th century it was whitewashed in the spirit of all other similar buildings.

It was in the white Kremlin that Napoleon entered in 1812. And after the Moscow fire, the Kremlin, cleared of soot and dirt, was again painted shining white.
Almost until the end of the 19th century, Moscow remained white-stone. Following the established tradition, the Kremlin red-brick walls were whitewashed for almost four centuries. They were worried not only about the memory of the white stone Kremlin of Dmitry Donskoy, but also about the safety of the brick.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in 1941, the Kremlin began to be camouflaged: all the ancient buildings were stylized as ordinary houses, the green roofs were painted over, dark paint was applied to the gilded domes, the crosses were removed, and the stars on the towers were covered up. Windows and doors were painted on the Kremlin walls, and the battlements were covered with plywood, simulating the roofs of houses.

There is a fairly common misconception that the Kremlin was repainted red after the Bolshevik government moved in. In fact, he remained white until 1948. In 1947, in preparation for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Moscow, restoration work began in the Kremlin. During the restoration, it was decided to repaint the Kremlin red, which was done during 1947-1948.