The Moscow Kremlin is a fortified citadel located in the geographical and historical centre of the city of Moscow, on the left bank of the Moskva River, on Borovicky Hill. It is the oldest part of the city and is the seat of the parliament and government of Russia and the home of the head of state, as well as one of the nation's most important artistic and historical complexes.
Since 1990, the Moscow Kremlin has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historical and cultural importance, including the Alexander Gardens, one of Moscow's first urban parks.
Despite these years of conflict, one cannot ignore the cultural power of Russia, Moscow and its architecture. Indeed, there are many curiosities and secrets in the Kremlin, and some are truly worth discovering.
The Moscow Kremlin is a fortified citadel located in the geographical and historical centre of the city of Moscow, on the left bank of the Moskva River, on Borovicky Hill. It is the oldest part of the city and is the seat of the parliament and government of Russia and the home of the head of state, as well as one of the nation's most important artistic and historical complexes. Since 1990, the Moscow Kremlin has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historical and cultural importance, including the Alexander Gardens, one of Moscow's first urban parks. Despite these years of conflict, one cannot ignore the cultural power of Russia, Moscow and its architecture. Indeed, there are many curiosities and secrets in the Kremlin, and some are truly worth discovering.
In fact, many are not aware that in itself, the Russian word for Kremlin means fortress. Although the one in Moscow is the largest and most famous in the whole of Russia (and by extension the whole world) and is therefore usually identified with it, there are many cities in Russia where there is a Kremlin. Throughout history, as Western European cities have developed around the concept of a 'square', Russian cities have each developed around their own Kremlin.
On the territory of the Kremlin is the Tsar Kolokol bell, which is the largest bell in the world. It weighs about 200 tons and is more than 6 meters high. Due to a crack, however, it has never been rung.
Di Alekhichev - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6252378
The Kremlin is also home to what is commonly referred to as the 'cannon tsar', the world's largest cannon. Its name is Tsar Pushka, and it stands right next to the bell. In terms of size, it is over 5 metres long and weighs about 40 tonnes.
In 1990, UNESCO declared the Kremlin a World Heritage Site. However, in 2012, the Kremlin was threatened with removal from the World Heritage list by the agency's World Heritage Committee, as the president of the federation Vladimir Putin had demanded the building of new service facilities for presidential offices, without taking into account that building on protected sites is strictly forbidden.
Inside the Kremlin is the Russian State Archive, which holds important historical documents, including the records of tsars and Soviet leaders. The archive is one of the largest in the world and contains a vast amount of historical material.