Religion inside the Kremlin walls Gibbs Cadiz Inquirer
October 12, 2006
A FEW GROUND RULES before you are permitted to enter the Kremlin: No bulky bags allowed. No picture-taking of police or military men. Stay within designated areas marked by white stripes on the pavement. Be prepared for any unannounced changes in tour coverage or schedule. Kremlin officials don’t explain; you just follow.
The Kremlin (literally, “fort” in Russian) is the heart of Russia. Historic records date the founding of this magnificent red-brick citadel to the 12th century, when Moscow’s first settlers erected a wooden fortress at an elevated point by the Moskva and Neglinnaya Rivers. By the 13th century, work on a more durable walled city was in progress, and thereafter, the Kremlin was the undisputed seat of power of both the spiritual and temporal leaders of Russia.
Inside the fort, the patriarchs and metropolitans of the Orthodox Church, and the czars, boyars and assorted nobility of Russia governed their respective realms side by side. This arrangement, the bedrock of the country’s autocratic divine-right government for centuries, can still be glimpsed from the towering edifices that define the Kremlin skyline today.
Within the irregular triangle that gives shape to the Kremlin’s impregnable walls are seven splendid cathedrals huddled in a concentrated space with six grand palaces. Around them are other imposing buildings and apartments, plus 20 sturdy towers, the oldest of which date back to the 15th century.
The main place of worship is the golden-domed Assumption Cathedral, also known by its old name, the Dormition Cathedral. Built in 1475-1479 on the base of the original church commissioned by Ivan the Terrible, the Assumption Cathedral was the site of the country’s most important state ceremonies, such as the ordination of ecclesiastics and coronation of czars. Even after Peter the Great transferred the capital to St. Petersburg, Russia’s royals traveled to Moscow to have their investiture in this church.
The cathedral is a now a museum of incomparable religious art from the 12th to the 17th centuries. Every inch of pillar, ceiling, wall and altar is decorated with frescoes and ancient icons, including the famous The Fiery Eye of the Saviour icon from the 1340s. This supreme example of Russian art occupies pride of place in the church’s glittering iconostasis. Ivan the Terrible’s Throne is also found inside the cathedral.
The Kremlin’s guidelines on picture-taking inside the Assumption Cathedral are hazy. An earlier media group that toured the place in March this year was allowed to take photos. Our group this month was not, forcing us to take pictures surreptitiously. The richness and majesty of the church’s treasures simply could not be entrusted to fickle memory.
Burial place
Adjoining the Assumption Cathedral is the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, erected in 1505-1508. As with other Kremlin structures, this five-domed edifice was the handiwork of a number of Italian architects invited to Russia by the czar, and decorated by the finest local artists and craftsmen of the day.
The Archangel Michael cathedral served as the lavish necropolis, or burial place, of grand princes and czars prior to Peter the Great. The brass sarcophagi of interred nobility are arranged by two’s inside, but the remains are kept in underground cellars.
The smaller Cathedral of the Annunciation, now undergoing upkeep and restoration, and the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, which has a more austere architectural style, are both closed to tourists at this time. These structures sit cheek by jowl with other bastions of Slavic faith such as the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles, the Upper Cathedral of the Savior (which hosts 11 dazzling domes on its rooftop, representing the 11 foundational churches that have disappeared from the Kremlin since its beginnings), and the Church of St. Lazarus.
Lending a unifying element to these centers of worship is the mighty bell-tower named after St. John (Ivan) Climacus. Rising to 81 m, this whitewashed structure capped by a golden cupola was, until the mid-20th century, the tallest point in all of Moscow. At its base stands the 18th-century Czar Bell, a monumental piece of metal casting that weighs over 200 tons and is the world’s largest bell - that has never been rung.
Modern buildings
Not all the buildings inside the Kremlin are ancient. The white-marbled State Kremlin Palace, the first edifice one sees upon entering the fortress via the Kutafya and Troitskaya (Trinity) towers, was built only in the 1950s. Fronting this streamlined modern building is the 1770s-era Senate Building, now the Presidential Palace. President Putin works in the Palace, but lives outside the Kremlin, in one of Moscow’s tony new developments.
The accumulated wealth and material opulence of Russia’s czars and patriarchs were first aggregated in the Armour Palace, the building of which dates to 1844-1851. However, a State Armoury already existed in the 14th and 15th centuries, when the royals began the task of collecting the valuable art objects that came under their reign.
Today, the Armoury has the distinction of being the oldest museum in Russia, as well as the most treasure-laden. Within its vast hallways are displayed centuries of royal regalia filled with gold, diamonds, and other precious stones. The incredible collection, spanning the 4th to the early 20th centuries of Russia’s imperial history, includes such objects as Peter the Great’s actual vestments and boots, Catherine the Great’s coronation gown and carriage, Czarina Alexandra’s wedding finery, 10 Faberge eggs (out of some 50 made, now scattered worldwide), and thousands of pieces of decorative and applied art.
Separate fees
A tour of the Kremlin costs 450 rubles. That amount is separate from the entrance fees to the Armoury (400 rubles) and the Diamond Fund (350 rubles), which holds the bulk of the royal jewels.
You may opt to forego the last two museums and just focus on the churches. Otherwise, the total cost would set you back by 1,200 rubles (P2,400, at 1 ruble=P2).
Take our word for it: P2400 and a few restrictions along the way are a small price to pay for the unforgettable immersion in Russian history and culture that a day inside the Kremlin walls can give you.
E-mail the author at gcadiz@inquirer.com.ph visit www.gibbscadiz.com
