Moscow Kremlin Tour - Private Guide and Cathedral Route

The Kremlin is the true heart of Moscow and Russia as a whole. History and modernity, different cultures and traditions, spiritual and secular lives have intertwined here. Each stone of the magnificent ensemble of cathedrals and chambers keeps a history of greatness from different eras of Russia. The walls and towers of the Kremlin survived through many fires, raids and wars.

Gradually, a small village called "Moscow", located within the walls of the Kremlin, became the capital of mighty Russia, and the monumental Kremlin was included into the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. Massive walls, majestic chambers, golden-domed cathedrals and ancient towers form a unique operating museum, administrative and political complex that bears many legends and secrets. No visitor will remain indifferent to the beauty of the gorgeous Kremlin.

During the tour of the Moscow Kremlin you will visit the Cathedral square and the churches: the Assumption Cathedral, where the coronation of the Russian emperors took place, the Archangel Cathedral – the burial vault of the Grand Princes, the Annunciation Cathedral, Ivan the Great Bell tower and the Patriarch's Chambers.

You will definitely appreciate the grandeur of the Tsar bell and the Tsar cannon, admire the unique treasures of the Armory, enjoy the beauty of the famous Kremlin's towers (including Kutafya and Troitskaya towers, which are especially popular among tourists). The tour will introduce you to various pages of Russian history and will help to understand the cultural, historical and architectural values of monuments, located in the Kremlin.

The strict, monumental silhouette of the golden-domed Assumption Cathedral reigns over the surrounding palaces and churches in the Cathedral square of the Kremlin – the ancient citadel of Moscow. The cathedral was built in 1479 by order of Grand Prince of Moscow Ivan III by specially invited Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti. For six centuries the Assumption Cathedral remained the state and religious center of Russia: the great princes were proclaimed and later tsars and emperors were crowned here.

Bishops, metropolitans and patriarchs were raised to their dignity, state acts were announced and prayers before military campaigns and in honor of the victories were held in the Assumption Cathedral. The murals of the cathedral, its icons and various utensils are considered to be the works of art of world importance. Your attention will be attracted by magnificent frescoes, a unique iconostasis, the portrait gallery of princes and kings that were buried here and other works of ancient Russian art. r

In the southern part of the Cathedral square stands the Annunciation Cathedral, one of the oldest and richest in works of art monuments of the Moscow Kremlin. The temple is famous for its magnificent murals that were already mentioned as long ago as in the early 15th century. You will see drawings by famous such artists as Theophanes the Greek, Andrei Rublev and Prokhor of Gorodets.

These outstanding masters did not only painted walls, but also created icons for the local iconostasis, which can rightly be called a masterpiece of Russian art. r

The magnificent white-stone Archangel Cathedral was built in 1333. Great princes used to come here for prayers before they went to war, hoping to gain spiritual strength for a military exploit. Later tsars visited the temple to worship the graves of the ancestors right after the ceremony of coronation. Currently, the Archangel Cathedral is famous for being a royal tomb. Ivan Kalita, Dmitry Donskoy, Ivan III are all buried here.

Behind the iconostasis lies the dust of Ivan the Terrible and near the South-Eastern pillar stands a wrought-iron fence of the tomb of his son Dmitry. In total there are 46 princely tombs of the Moscow princes and tsars on the territory of the Archangel Cathedral.

The Tsar Cannon is probably the most outstanding masterpiece of the Russian arms makers. It is made by order of Tsar Feodor in 1586 at the Moscow Cannon Yard. The cannon has the biggest caliber in the world (890mm), hence the name, and weighs about 40 tons. Bronze cannon barrel is decorated with cast figured friezes, ornamental belts, commemorative inscriptions and equestrian figure of Tsar Fyodor.

To the East of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower stands the Tsar Bell, which is an outstanding monument of Russian foundry art of the 18th century. To date it is the largest bell in the world. It has the weight of almost 202 tons, the height of 6.14 meters and diameter of 6.6 meters.

In addition to its unique size, the bell is also remarkable for the beauty of its form and finely drawn sculptural decorations: bas-relief portraits of Tsar Alexey and Empress Anna, as well as belts and cartouches with Baroque floral ornament, images of saints, angels and inscriptions related the history of bells all decorate this grandiose piece of art.

Ivan the Great Bell Tower is the architectural center of the Moscow Kremlin, since it unities all its buildings into a single ensemble. The Bell Tower is a very ancient architectural monument - like the Cathedral of the Assumption, its history goes back more than 500 years. Ivan the Great Bell Tower is a model of traditional Italian building of separately standing bell towers, which are called Campaniles.

Interestingly, after the superstructure to a height of 81 meters in 1600, the Bell Tower remained the tallest building of Moscow until the early 18th century.

Senate Palace of the Moscow Kremlin was built in the 18th century under the project of the renowned Russian architect Matvey Kazakov. The Kazakov’s idea consisted in the building that would personify law and justice. The shape of the palace – the triangle - was supposed to fit perfectly into the framework of the Kremlin walls, Chudovoy Monastery and the Arsenal building. The palace was originally built exclusively as a place for the meetings of the governing Senate, hence its name.

In the twentieth century the Senate housed the personal office of Vladimir Lenin and today the rooms of the Senate Palace host the residence of the President of Russia.

The two-story building on the Borovitsky hill inside the Kremlin walls is itself one of the architectural masterpieces of the Russian Imperial classicism. It houses a unique collection of one of the oldest Russian museums — the Armory Chamber. The Armory Chamber is a Museum-Treasury, which contains precious objects that are closely connected with the history of the Russian state and for centuries formed the Treasury of the Royal dynasty of Russia.

This is one of the world's leading museums of its kind and is considered as a national pride. Its rich collection includes state regalia, coronation dresses, carriages, Russian works of art made of gold and silver, arms and armor, Faberge eggs and ambassadorial gifts from the ambassadors of different countries of the world. No tour of the Moscow Kremlin is complete without a visit to the Armory. *optional visitr