The Kremlin is the symbol of first Russian and later Soviet power andauthority. Its crenellated red brick walls and 20 towers were built atthe end of the 15th century, when a host of Italian builders arrived inMoscow at the invitation of Ivan III the Great. Of the most importanttowers, the Saviour (Spasskaya) Tower leading to Red Square was built in1491 by Pietro Solario, who designed most of the main towers; itsbelfry was added in 1624-25. The chimes of its clock are broadcast byradio as a time signal to the whole nation. Also on the Red Square frontis the St. Nicholas (Nikolskaya) Tower, built originally in 1491 andrebuilt in 1806. The two other principal gate towers — the Trinity (Troitskaya) Tower, with a bridge and outer barbican (the KutafyaTower) , and the Borovitskaya Tower — lie on the western wall.Within the Kremlin walls is one of the most striking and beautifularchitectural ensembles in the world: a combination of churches andpalaces, which are open to the public and are among the city's mostpopular tourist attractions, and the highest offices of the state, whichare surrounded by strict security. Around the central Cathedral Square (Sobornaya Ploshchad) are grouped three magnificent cathedrals, superbexamples of Russian church architecture at its height in the late 15thand early 16th centuries. These and the other churches in the Kremlinceased functioning as places of worship after the Revolution and are nowmuseums. The white stone Cathedral of the Assumption (Uspensky Sobor) is the oldest, built in 1475-79 in the Italianate-Byzantine style. Itspure, simple, and beautifully proportioned lines and elegant arches arecrowned by five golden domes. The Orthodox metropolitans and patriarchsof the 14th to the 18th century are buried there. Across the square isthe Cathedral of the Annunciation (Blagoveshchensky Sobor) , built in1484-89 by craftsmen from Pskov; though burned in 1547, it was rebuiltin 1562-64. Its cluster of chapels is topped by golden roofs and domes.Inside are a number of early 15th-century icons attributed to Theophanesthe Greek and to Andrey Rublyov, considered by many to be the greatestof all Russian icon painters. The third cathedral, the Archangel (Arkhangelsky) , was rebuilt in 1505-08; in it are buried the princes ofMoscow and tsars of Russia (except Boris Godunov) up to the founding ofSt. Petersburg.Just off the square stands the splendid, soaring white bell tower ofIvan the Great; built in the 16th century and damaged in 1812, it wasrestored a few years later. At its foot is the enormous Tsar Bell (Tsar-Kolokol) , cast in 1733-35 but never rung. Nearby is the TsarCannon (Tsar-Pushka) , cast in 1586. Beside the gun are located themid-17th-century Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles (Sobor DvenadtsatiApostolov) and the adjoining Patriarchal Palace.On the west of Cathedral Square is a group of palaces of variousperiods; the Palace of Facets (Granovitaya Palata) -so called from theexterior finish of faceted, white stone squares-was built in 1487-91.Behind it is the Terem Palace of 1635-36, which incorporates severalolder churches, including the Resurrection of Lazarus (VoskreseniyeLazarya) , dating from 1393. Both became part of the Kremlin GreatPalace, built as a royal residence in 1838-49 and formerly used forsessions of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R.; its long, yellow-washedfacade dominates the riverfront. It is connected to the Armoury Palace (Oruzheynaya Palata) , built in 1844-51 and now the Armoury Museum,housing a large collection of treasures of the tsars. Along thenortheast wall of the Kremlin are the Arsenal (1702-36) , the formerSenate building (1776-88) , and the School for Red Commanders (1932-34).The only other Soviet-period building within the Kremlin is the Palaceof Congresses (1960-61) , with a vast auditorium used for politicalgatherings and as a theatre.
