The Arsenal
The Kremlin Arsenal was commissioned by Peter
the Great to serve as a weapons depot and
manufactory. After Napoleon's disastrous retreat
from Moscow this building became a museum
commemorating the Russian victory. Most of the
cannons arrayed along its side were captured from
the fleeing, tattered remains of Bonaparte's
Grande Armee. The Arsenal is now the
headquarters of the Kremlin Guard.
Assumption Cathedral
Assumption Cathedral is the oldest, largest, and most
important of the Kremlin's many churches. It stands on
the site of a small cathedral erected by Ivan I around
1330 to mark Moscow's new status as the seat of
Russian orthodoxy. A century and a half later, Ivan III
(the Great) decided that his predecessor's modest and
by then time-worn work was insufficient as a symbol of
the city's grandeur. After a brief and unsuccessful
flirtation with local builders, he decided to go all out
and hire an Italian (after all, it was the Renaissance).
Thus, in 1475, Alberti (a.k.a. Aristotle) Fioravanti
arrived from Bologna. After conducting a tour of
Vladimir, Pskov, and Novgorod in order to gain a sense
of the traditions of Russian ecclesiatical architecture,
Fioravanti returned to Moscow and set to work. A mere
four years later, he had finished a veritable tour de
force, a cathedral so satisfying to his patron that
Fioravanti's request to return to Italy prompted Ivan to
imprison him. Fioravanti died in captivity a few years
later.
The Cathedral of the Annunciation
The golden-domed Cathedral of the Annunciation served as the private chapel of the Tsars. It was
raised by Ivan III in the late 1440s on the foundations of a much earlier and more modest church and
has been damaged, repaired, enlarged, and altered on numerous occasions since then. One addition
deserving of special appreciation is the Grosnenskiy Porch, found at the Cathedral's southeast corner.
The porch was built by Ivan the Terrible in 1572 after he contravened church doctrine by marrying
for a fourth time (the Orthodox Church allowed only three marriages). While the Church Council
appreciated Ivan's occasionally excessive reactions to opposition and thus accepted the marriage, it
was able to express its dismay by asking the Tsar to refrain thereafter from entering the Cathedral to
attend services. The porch was the resultant compromise, and from it Ivan would carry out his
religious devotions from behind a specially-constructed grille.
The Cathedral of the Archangel Michael
This most Italianate of the Kremlin's churches, the last of Ivan the Great's contributions to Cathedral
Square, is the burial place of the early Tsars and their predecessors, the princes of Moscow.
Commissioned in 1505 and built by the Venetian architect Alevisio, its notably foreign features
include the scallop-shell decoration of its gables and the ornate Corinthian capitals of its columns.
With the notable exception of Boris Godunov (buried at the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergei), the
Cathedral houses the remains of everyone from Grand Prince Ivan Kalita (1325-41) to Tsar Ivan V
(1682-96). Unfortunately, the tombs themselves do little to convey the passage of history, as all of
the stone sarcophagi date from the 17th century and their bronze covers from the beginning of the
twentieth.
Cathedral Square
If one thinks of Russia as a traditional matryoska doll, with
Moscow contained within the country and the Kremlin
similarly nested inside Moscow, then Cathedral Square is
the final solid figure contained within the Kremlin. Laid out
as the city's first great public space during the ascension of
Muscovite power in the early 14th century, Cathedral
Square was for centuries the symbolic heart of Tsarist rule.
The square is centered on the impressive Cathedral of the
Assumption, built in the 1470s by Ivan the Great as the seat
of the Russian Orthodox Church. Until Peter the Great
moved his capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg in 1710,
Cathedral Square was the focal point of political power in
the country--coronations, assemblies of the nobility, and all
of the associated ceremonial rituals of state took place here.
If one ignores the statue of Lenin that still looks out across
the square from its eastern edge, Cathedral Square provides
an unparalleled atmosphere of old tsarist Russia. Clustered
around the square are a series of cathedrals, towers, and
palaces that together constitute almost the entire history of
that period.
Gorky House Museum
One of Moscow's finest examples of the art nouveau architecture of Fyodor Shekhtel, also
known as the Ryabushinsky Mansion. The building served as the residence of the great
writer Maxim Gorky from 1931 to 1936. Built just after the turn of this century, the mansion
is appealing for its remarkable design and decoration, both inside and out. Shekhtel's
design is an almost hallucinatory masterpiece of wave forms, floral mosiac and stucco
decorations, and vibrant hues--the uncontested highlight is the sinuous main stair. All of
this contrasts strongly with the building's significance as the home of one of Russia's
greatest "proletarian" writers, but the irony merely adds interest to a visit
Christ the Savior Cathedral
Symbolizing Moscow's awakening is the newly
reconstructed Christ the Savior Cathedral, which
Stalin’s regime demolished in 1931 along with
countless other churches and monuments.
Construction began on the new cathedral over two
years ago, and crews have been working around
the clock to complete it. Rising 103 meters above
the city and glittering with gilded domes and
crosses, the massive cathedral is a magnificent
symbol of the largest construction boom in
Moscow’s recent history. All over the city crews
are renovating historical buildings, erecting new
monuments and museums, and enriching the
cityscape.
Ivan the Great Belltower
Dominating not only Cathedral Square but the entire
Kremlin is the gleaming gilt dome of the Ivan the Great
Belltower, long the tallest structure in all of Russia.
Constructed of bright white stone and soaring to a height
of over eighty meters, the bell tower was begun in the
early 16th century and completed in 1600, during the
reign of Boris Godunov. In the adjacent belfrey hangs
the massive 64-ton Resurrection Bell, dating from the
nineteenth century.
Russia's mythic refuge, the Kremlin is a selfcontained city with a multitude of palaces, armories,
and churches. Though its name instantly sparks
images of formidable walls, glistening onion domes,
and cloistered rulers of eras past, the word "kremlin"
simply means "fortified town."
The Kremlin dates back to 1147 and the very
beginnings of Moscow. The original towered walls
were completed in 1157, ten years after Moscow's
founding, and by the late 14th century, Moscow had
risen enough in power and prestige to become the
seat of the Russian Orthodox Church. This change
brought with it the construction of some of the
Kremlin's most impressive structures, including the
Cathedral of the Assumption, where Ivan defiantly
tore up the charter binding Moscow to Mongol rule.
Over the centuries, almost every ruler added their
own, monumental touches to the ensemble, leaving
us with the dazzling citadel we see today.
Lenin's Mausoleum
Lenin's mausoleum was designed by Alexei
Shchusev in 1924, during a period in which the
strength of the Russian Avant-Garde had not yet
been decimated by Stalin's enforced return to heroic
realism and conservative classicism. As a result, the
founder of the Soviet state is blessed with a resting
place that is a rare masterpiece of modern
architectural simplicity. Faced with red granite (for
Communism) and black labradorite (for mourning),
the mausoleum is essentially a pyramid composed of
cubes. Although the mausoleum has been stripped of
the honor guard that once flanked its entrance,
announced plans to remove Lenin's body seem to
have lost their impetus in the last couple of years.
The once lengthy line for admission has dropped off
considerably, and a visit today is accompanied by a
rather bizarre sense of having entered a place that
has been forgotten by time. Lenin (or at the least the
alleged wax copy of his body) lies still in his crystal
casket, seemingly unaffected by the vast changes
that have swept over Russia.
Lubyanka
The Lubyanka has only recently shed some of its historically sinister character. The building was
taken over by the Bolsheviks in 1918, and soon afterward began its long role as the headquarters of
the notorious Soviet secret police. First known as the NKVD and later as the KGB, the secret police
for decades used this building not only as an administrative headquarters but also as an interrogation
center and temporary prison. Today it is home to the FSK, the Russian domestic intelligence service.
Maly Theater
Though much less well-known today than
either the Bolshoi or the MKhAT, the Maly
gained renown during the nineteenth-century
as a venue for social and political satires. The
plays of Alexander Griboyedov (1795-1829),
Nikolai Gogol (1809-52), and Alexander
Ostrovskiy (1823-86) gained their first
performances here, making the Maly an early
center for a culture of intellectual opposition to
the Tsarist state.
Moscow Arts Theater
(MKhAT)
The foundation of the Moscow Arts Theater in
1898 marked the birth of modern drama. By
bringing together the radically new plays of
Anton Chekhov and the method-acting
techniques of Konstantin Stanislavsky, the
MKhAT broke radically with the classical
tradition of European drama and invented a
fresh, realistic theater that continues to
influence theatrical production all over the
world. Although the advent of the Soviet state
rapidly constrained the artistic inventiveness
of the MKhAT, it maintained its commitment to
the finely-modulated dramatic style first
developed by Stanislavsky and his co-founder
Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. A century
later, the MKhAT is no longer on the cutting
edge of Russian theater, but it maintains its
position as the premier method-acting
company in the world.
Route #1
One of Moscow’s greatest ideas is the Golden Ring which will combine Moscow’s famous tourist
attractions with some new sights. It will be similar to a highlight tour of Moscow. It includes the
Kremlin, Red Square, Poklonnaya Hill, Arbat, Borovitskaya Square, and the Tretiakov Gallery and
more. There are some sights presently being restored and reconstructed like Gostiny Dvor, Manezh
Square and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which will all be part of this route called the Golden
Circle. Once all renovations are complete throughout the sites of the Golden Circle, visitors will be
able to see them with more comfort and ease. The project will also include a massive reconstruction
around the Christ the Savior Church. A walking bridge will be constructed from the church to the
other side of the Moscow river where a new recreation area will be developed. Mr. Joseph
Ordzhonikidze, the Vice-Premier of the Moscow Government wants to see more tourists as well as
Muscovites visiting the most beautiful sites of Moscow. The Golden Circle project, although still on
the drawing table, is being supported by Mr. Luzhkov, the Mayor of Moscow and will most likely be
approved by the Moscow Government shortly.
Novodevichiy Convent & Cemetery
At the same time that Moscow's Kremlin was reinforced
as a protective citadel for the city center, a series of
fortified monasteries were constructed as an outlying
defensive chain to the south. The most famous of these
is the beautiful Novodevichy Convent, founded in 1524
and situated along a prominent bend in the Moskva
River. The convent's fame, however, has less to do with
its role as a protective fortress than with its aristocratic
and political history, for Novodevichy was the favored
destination for high-ranking women banished from
court. The most famous such inmate was Peter the
Great's elder sister Sofia, who had ruled as Regent
during his minority. After Peter came of age and--with
some difficulty--claimed his throne, it was to
Novodevichy that he banished his Machiavellian sibling
in 1689. Nine years later, as Peter was returning to
Russia after his travels in Europe, Sofia engineered an
attempted coup from the convent. The coup failed, and
Peter reached home in time to participate in the mass
execution of the rebels. Although Sofia was not to be
harmed, she was apparently driven mad when the bodies
of her supporters were strung up outside her window.
Novodevichy is also famous for the cemetery that lies
beyond its south wall. Here lie many famous writers,
artists, and politicians including Gogol, Checkov,
Bulgakov, Mayakovsky, Stanislavsky, Shostokovich,
Eisenstein, and Nikita Khrushchev, the only Soviet
leader not buried behind Lenin's Mausoleum.
For centuries the palaces and churches of the
Kremlin were the only buildings made of
stone. The rest of the city was constructed of
wood and was destroyed with each great fire
(of which ancient Moscow had plenty). As a
result, surviving artifacts of old Moscow are
rare. They consist of major structures around
the city and just a few wooden buildings hearty
enough to survive the conflagrations.
The Pushkin Fine Arts Museum
Opened in 1912, the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum possesses a collection of European art
second in Russia to only St. Petersburg's Hermitage. Much of the strength of the collection
is in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting, a result of the oft-forgotten fact that
such works gained an appreciative audience in Russia long before they captured the
imagination of collectors further west. Manet's Dejeuner sur l'herbe resides here, as do
Renoir's Bathing in the Seine, a host of fine works by Van Gogh and Matisse, and an entire
gallery of Gauguins. Perhaps most exciting, however, is the long-anticipated "Gold of Troy"
exhibition, slated for April 1996.
For most visitors, Red Square is indelibly associated
with images of stonefaced Soviet leaders standing in the
bitter cold as a panoply of military might rumbles past
their review stand atop Lenin's Mausoleum. Although
the Square is no longer witness to the imposing parades
of May Day, it remains a profoundly impressive space.
Delimited by the stark severity of the mausoleum, the
expansive facade of the world-famous GUM
department store, and the exuberant colors of St. Basil's
Cathedral, Red Square is, and deserves to be, the
requisite first stop for any visitor to Moscow.
Senate
The graceful neoclassical Senate building, commissioned by Catherine the Great, is one of several
fine works in Moscow by the architect Matvey Kazakov. The building was intended by Catherine to
serve as a meeting place for an advisory council, but it is better known for having been the location
of Lenin's office after the Revolution. In a recent modernization, however, his preserved offices were
delivered into posterity. Today, the Senate serves as the official Presidential residence.
Gifts And
Souvenirs
GEPOS/CONVERS--Wide selection of Canon photo
equipment. Open Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-7
p.m. 5 Stoleshnikov Pereulok, 229-0100. M. Teatralnaya.
GZHEL--Author's and serial works. Porcelain, ceramics,
majolica. China, souvenirs, interior articles, fountains, fireplaces. Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m., closed on Sun. Visa, Master, STB
accepted. 2/12 Ulitsa Sadovaya-Samotyochnaya, 2992953/1892. M. Tsvetnoy Boulevard.
ROSTOV FINIFT--Specializes in selling works of the artists
from Rostov where enamel earrings, bracelets, rings and
brooches are manufactured. There are also other works of folk
art in the store. Open Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-4
p.m. 5 Ulitsa Vozdvizhenka, 291-1376. M. Biblioteka imeni
Lenina.
RUSSKIE UZORY--Offers jewelry and works of folk art:
matryoshkas, Gzhel porcelain, carved wooden toys,
Khokhloma paintings, embroidery. Open Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-7
p.m., lunch break 2 p.m.-3 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 16 Ulitsa
Petrovka, 923-1883/3963. M. Teatralnaya.
VERNISAZH V IZMAYLOVO--A large outdoor market
with a big selection of all kinds of folk art, paintings, jewelry,
toys, and antiques. Open Fri.-Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. 166-7875.
M. Izmaylovskiy Park.
Supermarkets
ARBAT IRISH HOUSE--Food, beverages, electronic
equipment, clothing and even a pub. Open daily: food
department 9 a.m.-10 p.m., other departments 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
13 Ulitsa Novyy Arbat, 291-7641. M. Arbatskaya.
PROGRESS TRADE HOUSE--Wide variety of food, drinks
and household goods. New deliveries from France. Electronics,
stationery, toys, gifts, cosmetics and foreign languages books
department. Open daily 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Master, Visa, AmEx, Diners Club, JCB, Union accepted.
Exchange office. Parking. 17 Zubovskiy Boulevar, 246-8125.
M. Park Kultury.
St. Basil's Cathedral
St. Basil's rises from Red Square in an irresistible
profusion of colors and shapes. Its montage of
domes, cupolas, arches, towers, and spires, each
bearing a distinctive pattern and hue, have
fascinated the eyes of visitors since its
construction in the 1550s. Although St. Basil's
was built to commemorate Ivan the Terrible's
capture of the Mongol stronghold of Kazan and is
properly named Cathedral of the Intercession, its
popular name has long associated it with a ragged
prophet who foretold the Moscow fire of 1547.
The appeal of St. Basil's is best appreciated by a
leisurely stroll around its perimeter, as its
wondrous exterior decoration belies a remarkably
plain and cramped interior.
The State Kremlin Palace
This modern glass and concrete structure, completed in 1961, is the Kremlin's most recent edifice. It
was built during the halcyon days of the Khruschev administration to host Communist Party
congresses and was executed in appropriately magnificent style. The palace's most prominent feature
was its huge auditorium (6000 seats), the stage of which was surmounted by a monumental bas-relief
head of Lenin surrounded by gilded rays. Today the palace is used for performances by the Kremlin
Ballet Company, and the once familiar relief of Lenin is gone.
The Armory
The Armory began in the early 16th century as a purely functional storehouse for the Kremlin's
weaponry. However, within a few decades that original and prosaic structure had gained the added
function of a workshop and repository for all sorts of treasures of the increasingly magnificent
Imperial court. In 1813, following Napoleon's invasion, the Armory building became an exhibition
hall and museum, though the Imperial arms and regalia had long since been removed by Peter the
Great to St. Petersburg. It was only in 1851 that the collection was returned to Moscow, where it was
installed in the current building, then new. Despite the loss of significant items in the collection
during the early nineteenth century, the treasures contained within the Armory are overwhelming.
From the chalice of Yuri Dolgoruky and the helm and armor of Boris Godunov to a stupendous
collection of over fifty Faberge eggs, visitors are presented with an array of objects that is staggering
in its historical interest and spectacular richness. Next door, at the Diamond Treasury, visitors can
catch a glimpse of the infamous 190-carat Orlov Diamond.
The Metro
Moscow's grand metro stations, make those of the great
western capitals look tawdry in comparison. For New
Yorkers in particular, a visit to Moscow's metro induces
severe station envy. The first and still the finest of the
Moscow metro stations were the product of a Stalin's
first Five-Year Plan. The system was begun in 1931,
and the first line opened four years later. Many stations
worth checking out--a few in particular are as worthy of
a visit as any sight in the city. Mayakovskaya Station,
completed in 1938, features a central hall supported by
lovely stainless steel and red marble columns, which
soar up to a ceiling festooned with socialist realist
mosaics. Other notable stations include Ploshchad
Revolyutsii, where the passageway arches are supported
by vivid sculptures of Red Army soldiers, and
Kropotkinskaya Station, with its elegantly-columned
platform and upper galleries.
The Terem, Faceted, and Great
Kremlin Palaces
None of the three great palaces of the Kremlin are
open to visitors--at least not yet. The earliest of the
three is the Terem Palace, which is the oldest
building in the Kremlin. The Palace served as the
Imperial residence until the removal of the capital
to St. Petersburg in 1712. The Faceted Palace, built
by Ivan III, was used primarily for audiences and
feasts, a function revived by Soviet leaders. The
last of the three palaces, the Great Kremlin, was
built in the early 19th-century as a Moscow
residence for Nicholas I. All three of the palaces
possess extraordinary interior decorations belied
by their rather unremarkable exteriors.
The Tretyakov Gallery
The Tretyakov Gallery possesses the finest collection of traditional Russian painting in the
world. The core of the museum's collection was assembled in the middle of the nineteenth
century by Pavel Tretyakov, a wealthy Moscow merchant whose passion for collecting
included violins, birds, and milk cows as well as Russian art. Tretyakov donated his
extensive collection to the city in 1892, and subsequent enlargement has long since
provided the Gallery with far more works than it can possibly exhibit in its limited space.
Although this means that innumerable fine works rarely see the light of day, it also means
that those works that are displayed are without exception masterpieces of their period and
genre. While everything in the Tretyakov deserves and rewards patient attention, its
collection of icons stands as the definitive presentation of this most Russian of art forms.
Tsar Cannon and Bell
These two curiosities form an oddly appropriate pair. Both are among the largest of their kind in the
world, and neither has ever worked. The 40-ton Tsar Cannon, built during the reign of Ivan the
Terrible's imbecilic son Fyodor in 1586, possesses a barrel in excess of five meters long and a
calibre of 890 mm. The gun should in theory have been capable of smiting foolish attackers with
projectiles the size of wine casks. As if the cannon's sheer size were not inspiring enough, the barrel
and carriage are adorned with a relief of the redoubtable Fyodor as well as a scene in which a fierce
Russian lion devastates a snake symbolizing Russia's enemies.
The two hundred ton Tsar Bell, though the largest in the world, was never successfully completed,
much less rung. A smaller predecessor (weighing in at a mere 130 tons) was built in the middle of
the 17th century but was destroyed in the Moscow fire of 1701. Three decades later the Empress
Anna ordered the fragments to be recast into a much larger bell, but the resultant wonder cracked in
1737 after having fallen into its casting pit. Another century passed before the bell was lifted and set
in its present location. Beside the bell lies a small eleven-ton scrap that fell from the bell during its
excavation.
VDNKh
This former Exhibition of Economic Achievement
was at one time a permanent World Expo of the
great glories of Soviet--and particularly Stalinist-rule. It began in 1939 as the All-Union
Agricultural Exposition, a celebration of the fruits
of Stalinist progress, and many of its most
grandiose elements date from that period. In
ensuing decades the VDNKh was revived and
eventually established on a permanent basis,
becoming an exhibition of the finest achievments
of the Soviet state. While the VDNKh is slowly
restructuring itself to a less idealistic showroom
for consumer goods from all over the world, it
remains a truly outstanding place to visit, a kind
of crazed Soviet visionary's wonderland. VDNKh
encompasses a wide area and is filled with
pavilions for everything from grain and furs to
atomic energy. Many of these exhibition spaces
still offer interesting and informative displays.
However, what many find most fascinating is the
overall dimension and vision of Soviet state
imagination.
Among the most interesting sights at VDNKh are
the monumental Soviet realist sculpture "Worker
and Woman Collective Farmer," the gleaming jetage Space Obelisk, the imposing Stalinist Central
Pavilion, and virtually all of the Stalinist-era trade
pavilions. Between December 25 and January 5
each winter, the VDNKh is the venue for a
Russian Winter Festival, replete with folk music
and dancing as well as troika rides.
OLD MOSCOW CIRCUS
The Old Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard is
one of the oldest circuses in Russia.
The former rider and gymnast Albert Salamonski
established the permanent brick building for the
circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard in Moscow in 1880.
On the 20th of October 1880 the circus was opened
with five rows of seats, box seats, a dress circle,
wooden unnumbered benches and a standing
gallery . In 1884, brick stalles were built and, in
1889 a swimming pool was added. Albert Salamonski, himself a remarkable
rider, found and attracted to the circus the best horse acts as well as other
phenominal acts from all over the world. At that time the circus began to
expand its repertoire with elaborate pantomimes and special performances for
children.
In 1919 the Circus was nationalized in accordance with a decree from Lenin
becoming the first Moscow State Circus.
During World War II (1941-1945) the circus ran uninterrupted. New
performances were produced including special stunts which enacted military
hostilities. The audience was entertained by motor-cyclists, horse fighting and
actobatic clown scenes of two german soldiers. In the finale a real tank drove
into the ring and crushed hostile pill-boxes. The brilliant clown Karandash
mimiced fascist warriors.
Soon after the War ended, the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard formed a
production company. New acts and theme performances were created. The
Chief Artistic Director M. Mestetchkin and the talented Manager A. Assanov
contributed greatly to the Circus. In 1946 the Clown Studio was introduced. The
best clowns of the russian circus, including Yury Nikulin, graduated from there.
Starting in 1960 Yury Nikulin performed for many years as a clown. In 1983,
Yury Nikulin was named the Chief Producer of the Old Moscow Circus. The last
performance in the old building of the Circus took place on the 13th of
September, 1985. It was a very emotional event for everyone.
A new building was built on the old site. The interior of the new building
included modern technical equipment, new offices, dressing rooms and stalles
for the animals. The foyer was remodeled into the elegant and beautiful
structure we see today. The hall, with minor changes, was restored to its
original pre-reconstruction state. Several years later, on the 29th of September,
1989 the program "Hello, Old Circus!" produced by V. Krymko and N.
Makovskaya was the first performance in the new building. Today, the Old
Moscow Circus can accommodate more than 2 000 spectators.
Russia, 103051, Moscow, Tsvetnoy Boulevar 13
Tel. (095)200-0668, Fax (095)200-0276
e-mail: info@circusnikulin.ru