Kremlin, Moscow (must see)

The Kremlin is a fortified historic complex that has served for centuries as a center of Russian political and religious authority. A fortified settlement existed on the site by the twelfth century, while the present red-brick walls and towers were constructed largely between 1485 and 1495 during the reign of Grand Prince Ivan III.

Italian architects and craftsmen played a major role in this rebuilding, which transformed the older fortress into the core of the architectural ensemble seen today. Since 1991, the Kremlin has also served as the residence of the President of the Russian Federation. Within the walls are palaces, government buildings, churches, museums, and monuments from different periods of Russian history. Cathedral Square includes the Assumption Cathedral, long the principal state cathedral and the setting for coronations of Russian rulers; the Archangel Cathedral, burial place of Moscow grand princes, appanage princes, and the first Russian tsars; and the Annunciation Cathedral, formerly the private church of the grand princes and tsars. Nearby are the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the Tsar Cannon of 1586, and the eighteenth-century Tsar Bell, which weighs almost 202 tons. The Armoury Chamber preserves treasures accumulated by the Russian court and state, including regalia, ceremonial clothing, diplomatic gifts, precious metalwork, weapons, and historic carriages. Its collections also include important works by Fabergé, among them several Imperial Easter eggs.

Together with Red Square, the Kremlin was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990. Visitors can enter designated museum and cathedral areas, while other parts of the complex remain in governmental use and are not generally open to the public.