Kremlin

Of all the places to see in Russia, I had my heart set on the Kremlin. The excursion started with a tour of the State Armory. The building was constructed in 1844-51 and houses the stunning imperial collections of decorative and applied art. The most interesting items I saw were carriages, dating back before Catherine the Great.

Below is the Trinity Tower. Napoleon marched in triumph through this gate when he entered the Kremlin in 1812. Of course, he left soon after- defeated.

This building is the headquarters for the Russian presidential administration.

Trinity Tower used to be the entrance for patriarchs and tsars' wives and daughters. Today, it is one of two entrance gates to the Kremlin. And the only one which cars may drive into the Kremlin through. It is 7 stories high and the tallest building in the Kremlin. It was built in 1495-9.

The Cathedral of the Annunciation. Frescos cover the walls and ceilings of this cathedral. In the dome above the iconostasis is a painting of Christ Pantocrator (Christ as ruler of the universe). Unlike the other Kremlin cathedrals which were created by Italians, this cathedral was created strictly by Russians. It was commission by Ivan III in 1484 as a royal chapel.

Here is the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, built in 1505-8. It holds 21 bells and the largest is the 64-ton Assumption Bell, which was rung 3 times when the tsar died.

This is the Cathedral of the Assumption. From the early 14th century, this cathedral was the most important church in Moscow. In 1642-4 artist were summoned to pain the frescoes of the interior. The iconostasis dates back to 1652 and also houses the famous Icon of the Savior Not Made With Hands.

This is the Faceted Palace which was incorporated into the Kremlin in the 19th century. Named after its distinctive stonework facade, it is all that is left of the larger 15th century royal palace. It is the work of 2 Italian architects.

The Church of the Disposition of the robe is crowned by a single golden dome and built in 1484-6. It is named after a Byzantine feast day, which celebrates the arrival, in the city of

Constantinople, of a robe supposed to have belonged to the Virgin Mary.

Below is a photo of the Great Kremlin Palace. It contains several vast ceremonial halls for state receptions.

Pictured below is the Tsar Bell, which is the largest in the world.

Here you can see the 11.5-ton section that was broken off, laying neatly beside it.

Views from the outer edge of the Kremlin, still within the Kremlin walls though.

Below is the Savior's Tower, named after an icon of Christ and installed over its gate in 1648. It was once the main entrance to the Kremlin.

After a tour of the marvelous cathedrals, we decided to go to the Alexander Gardens. The gardens were designed in 1821 and named after Tsar Alexander I.

Here we decided to have ice cream, once again. Ice cream is much more tasty in Russia. I think all of the milk products are.