The Kremlin, Moscow

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This is the heart of the city and the site of unimaginable beauty and harmony. Built on top of prior fortifications. The Kremlin you can see was built in the 1490s in collaboration by Russian and Italian architects. The green spires hail from the XVII century, and the ruby stars were added in the 1930s by the Communists. It borders on Moscow river, Red Square, Alexandrovsky park (where a river Neglinka was drained in the XIX century).

The tourist entry is at the Troitzkaya tower. You can get there by Arbatskaya, Biblioteka, Borovitzkaya, Alexandrovskiy park stations. Entry costs 300R, more for Armoury and Diamond fund. There are guids available inside as well. Be aware that half of the castle is closed off and used by the government. Security is very strict throughout. It is always closed on Thursdays, and can be closed due to foreign guests inside, security concerns, etc. So if you are in Moscow several days, go there the first day (or call in advance) to see if it is open. This way if it is closed on that day, you will have a chance to come back and not miss its sites.

See my detailed tips on Kremlin's sites below.

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We used a private guide and once again, it was worth every penny. She was wonderful and led us through the entire area we were allowed to tour.

We learnt a lot and one thing of interest is that the word Kremlin means Fortress. To the Russians there are many Kremlins, this one is the Moscow Kremlin. Inside the walls are many buildings and the church inside has a mausoleum where every member of the Romanov dynsaty is bured save Nicholas II. Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, Ivan the Great, Catherine the Great, etc ar all there. Poor dumb Nicholas II is not as he let his nutty German wife give him a boatload of bad advice which led to the downfall of the oldest dynstay in Europe.

Of particular interest to us was this big cannon. One of the Tsars had it made to show off. At the time it was the world's biggest. He wanted foreigners to think that the Russian Army had a bunch of these.

From a far , the Terem Churches looks very unique...with colourful minarets standing out from the rest of the white and gold onion looking domes....perhaps one mistake that I have made was not going inside this place and only realise how beautiful it was when i returned. From the picture of the "Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, you cannot but gasp at the intricacy and level of adornments inside this place that hard a inch of it is left undecorated ...its iconostasis is a testimony of the outstanding Russian decorative art made by woodcarver Klim Mikhailov while the The Upper Cathedral of the Saviour showcased the splendour leading masters of the royal workshops under the supervision of Fjodor Zubov.

If you are in Moscow , one place that you should visit despite the long queue is the Kremlin much worth it than the long hour stand for the 30 seconds of Lenin ..lol. But if you are intending to visit this place , a word of advice do read up about the various history of the buildings inside because there are a few Cathedral and churches with Golden Dome - equally magnificent - that might confuse you from one to another ....

So what is this cathedral of Assumption ...??

The Cathedral of the Assumption is the Kremlin's oldest and most significant church and has been the protector of Russian Orthodoxy since the seat of the Church was transferred here from Vladimir in 1326. Its massive limestone walls and perfectly proportioned five gilt domes endow the cathedral with a certain stern serenity and the half-faded painting high up near the domes cast further aura of mystery to this cathedral ....its high up as if you are looking at a fragment of diary in heaven.

Did you know that ...

The cathedral is illuminated by twelve gilt bronze chandeliers and several multi-tiered candelabra, dating mostly from the 17th century. Most impressive is the 46-branch Harvest Chandelier, made from the 5,330 kilos of silver that was plundered from the cathedral in 1812 by Napoleon and his French troops, and presented by the Cossacks who recaptured the stolen booty.

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At the foot of the Ivan the Great Bell-Tower,on a granite base (designed by the Neo - classical French architect Auguste- Richard Montferrand), is the world's largest bell, the 210 ton Tsar Bell.It was cast in the Kremlin by the foundry man Ivan Motorin and his sonMikhail in 1733-35. Russian masters Vasily Kobelev, Piotr Kokhtev, PiotrSerebriakov and others skillfully adorned the surface of the bell withrelief representations of the second Romanov tsar Alexei Mikhailovich andEmpress Anna Ioannovna, five icons and two inscriptions. A fire that sweptMoscow in 1737 also engulfed the Kremlin, and when water was poured onthe hot bell it cracked and an 11.5 ton piece broke off. The bell stands6.14 m (20 ft) high and has a diameter at the base of 6.60 m (22 ft). Itconsists of just under 80 per cent copper.

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I guess most tourists coming to Moscow will pay these places a visit within their first couple of days, for obvious reasons. This is the image people have of Russia. If you plan to visit Kremlin on the inside, you should be there early on, because the lines can be quite long in the early afternoon.

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The Spasskaya (Savior) Tower is the main tower with a through-passage between the Kremlin and Red Squre. It stands on the eastern wall of the Kremlin from which it overlooks the Red Square.

This Tower was built in 1491 and originally called the Frolovskaya Tower after the Church of Frol and Lavr in the Kremlin (which is no longer there). The tower's modern name comes from the icon of Spas Nerukotvorny (Divine Savior), which was placed above its gates in 1658 (no longer there).

Spasskaya tower is indeed the symbol of the Kremlin. The Spasskaya Tower is crowned with a stone spire for the main clock in Russia – a chiming clock. According to a number of historical accounts, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower appeared between 1491 and 1585. It is usually referred to as the Kremlin clock

The Chimes on the Savior Tower ring every half an hour. They play the Russian anthem at 12 a.m. Every year on the 31st of December as New Year is already on the doorstep about to knock on the door every Russian waits with his heart pounding for the Chimes to strike 12 – making a wish with every strike. Broadcast on TV the main Clock strikes for everyone in Russia from Kaliningrad in the West to Vladivostok in the East letting people hope that their dreams will come true.

The Kremlin is an odd place. Historically, it was the centre for a number of cities that went back in time close to a thousand years. Current history has cast a huge shadow on the place. It is on Red Square. Its worth its weight in gold. You need a tour to take you through. You need someone to tell you the story of the place. You will never get in because of the lineups. Its a really worth your time and money - regardless of the cost.