Moscow - The Kremlin

Wednesday, 19 September 2018

For our final morning in Moscow, we had a tour of the Kremlin. "Kremlin" means "fortress", and most towns and cities in Russia have a kremlin, or remnants thereof. But the Kremlin, in Moscow, is the seat of the national government. It is a triangular area of about 68 acres (27.5 hectares) and contains government buildings, palaces, churches, and gardens.

The Clocktower and St. Basil's Cathedral (in Red Square), as seen from inside the Kremlin walls.

The Tsar's residence is in the government area of the Kremlin, and is now the residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

Cathedral Square is the main tourist part of the Kremlin. As the name implies, it is surrounded by several cathedrals and churches, as well as royal palaces and the Kremlin armory, which is now a museum holding treasures of the stars. The Cathedral of the Assumption is in the right half of the photo.

Cathedral of the Annunciation.

The Church of the Laying Our Lady's Holy Robe.

These domes are above four churches inside the Terem Palace.

Spires of Cathedral Square. From left: Ivan the Great Bell Tower, another tower at the other end of Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Church of the Laying Our Lady's Holy Robe.

The largest bell never rung (at the base of Ivan the Great Bell Tower), and the largest cannon never fired (the Tsar Cannon).

Taynitskiy Gardens lie along the southern and southeastern walls of the Kremlin.