The Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, a beautiful yellow building that proudly towers over the Kremlin next to the golden domes of the cathedrals, is closed to the general public. In the Kremlin, you can visit the Armory, the Cathedrals of the Kremlin. But tickets to visit the Grand Palace cannot be bought at the Kremlin box office. However, whoever seeks will find. About visiting the Grand Kremlin Palace my review.

Interiors of the Grand Kremlin Palace

To be honest, I don't really like visiting Red Square. But you still have to do it out of necessity, when friends from other cities come and drag you here, in the heart of the capital. However, this time, I planned to visit the Kremlin quite consciously, because there are legends about the beauty of the Grand Kremlin Palace. It is its halls that are shown on television during the inauguration of the president, the presentation of awards to prominent figures.

The idea to go on an excursion to the Grand Kremlin Palace came by chance, while browsing topics on a social network. One of the users said that despite the fact that the palace is a secure enterprise, you can get there with a company, and indicated its name. I found the agency's website on the Internet, and lo and behold, there was one free place for the next excursion to the Grand Kremlin Palace. The cost of the tour is quite high - in the agency where I bought the tour, it cost 2900. Wow, you say. But in other agencies, the same tour was offered at a price of over 4 thousand!

For those who want to get on this tour, by scoring "Excursion to the Grand Kremlin Palace" you can find offers from tour companies. Usually a full prepayment for the tour is required. However, the tour is held only on weekdays, at an inconvenient time for working people, in the morning. In addition, the date of the tour may be postponed, because this is not a museum, but the current residence of the President.

What is included in this price? Excursion to the Grand Kremlin Palace lasts 1.5 hours and is carried out in a group of 20-25 people, only accompanied by a guide. During this tour, visitors are given the opportunity to visit those halls where the president of the country and other high-ranking representatives of other countries visit. You can see the Faceted Chamber, Andreevsky and Vladimir Halls, Alexander Hall, the famous Geogievsky Hall, Terem Palace. All these premises are located in the same building.

On the eve of the tour, the organizers of the full participants warned: you can’t be late even for a minute, otherwise they may not let the whole group in, you can take pictures in the palace only at the command of the guide, naturally you can’t bring any piercing and cutting objects with you. In general, intimidated to the fullest.

In the metro Arbatskaya, where we were collected an hour before the tour, everyone was like a bayonet on time. The group consisted mainly of grandparents. Yes, yes, despite the cost. There is some explanation for this, because the tour is held only on weekdays in the morning. In addition, it is held only a few times a month. Moreover, the date of its holding can be postponed. In general, there are many difficulties with it.

Exactly at 10-00 we were at the glass near the Kutafya tower, through which visitors are admitted to the Kremlin. Thus, we were among the first on the territory of the Kremlin, which allowed me to take a few shots of a completely empty Kremlin.

Entrance to the Kremlin

Passing by the most beautiful ancient cathedrals, we went to the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Cathedral Square

The Grand Kremlin Palace and the Tsaritsyna Chamber.

Here we again had to wait a bit until we were invited inside.

The large and beautiful yellow building of the Grand Kremlin Palace was built on the initiative of Nicholas I in 1838-1850. designed by architect Konstantin Ton. The palace was used as an imperial residence during the stay of the emperor and his family in Moscow. The palace includes about 700 rooms. This palace can also be called a matryoshka palace, because the architect combined several buildings built in different centuries into one large palace. Such is the cathedral palace turned out.

Entrance to the Grand Kremlin Palace

Next to the large Kremlin Palace is a 16th-century building with a staircase decorated with lions.

Queen's fee

Grand Kremlin Palace

The staircase is decorated with figures of lions - symbols of royal power.

Lions decorating the stairs

Window decorations of the Queen's Board

Entrance to the palace

At the entrance to the Grand Kremlin Palace, a thorough inspection awaited us - everyone's passports were checked, all the things on the tape were enlightened. When asked if someone had a weapon or piercing and cutting objects, one dandelion granny admitted that she had a gas spray. The guards laughed and asked her to leave the spray can with them, and at the exit they gave her everything.

Let's get back to the tour. We left our things in the cloakroom and waited for the guide. The saddest thing for me was that it was practically impossible to take pictures in the palace, so I won’t be able to show the chic halls of the Faceted Chamber, the Terem Palace, the state chambers of the emperors in my post.

What is included in the Grand Kremlin Palace

Pomegranate Chamber- one of the oldest rooms of the palace. Huge chamber for the 15th century with vaults, which are held on a single pillar in the middle. The walls of the Pomegranate Chamber are painted by Palekh masters. On the ceiling are scenes from the Bible. Today there are receptions for high level. Unfortunately, photography in this room is strictly prohibited.

Terem Palace- ceremonial halls of the 16th century.

Andrew's Hall- the main throne room, named after the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
The Alexander Hall has chic gold decoration and parquet made of 30 types of wood.

Very interesting Vladimir Hall, which unites the buildings of the Grand Palace.

St George's Hall named in part George the Victorious.

Perhaps I will show in the post what I managed to photograph.

Vladimir Hall

Vladimir Hall - its peculiarity is that it connects a number of buildings of the 15th, 17th and 19th centuries. The hall is crowned with a dome with a light window.

Vladimir Hall

The ceiling of the Vladimir Hall is decorated with orders. In the photo you can see the sign of St. Vladimir. The motto of the order is "Benefit, Honor and Glory".

Vladimirskaya Hall

There is also a magnificent staircase, which can often be seen in photographs of high-ranking persons.

The main staircase of the Vladimir Hall

Chandelier in the Vladimir Hall

There were lamps in the corners of the hall.

Lamps in the Vladimir Hall

The walls of the Vladimir Hall are lined with pink marble.

Vladimir Hall

In the next photo you can estimate the height of the Vladimir Hall.

Vladimir Hall

St George's Hall

This hall made the strongest impression on me due to its size and beauty. It is 60 meters long and 17 meters high. The arch of the hall is described by pylons, which are crowned with statues of Victory, the work of the sculptor Vitali.

St George's Hall

St George's Hall

St George's Hall

Georgievskiy Hall

The parquet in the Georgievsky Hall has been preserved for more than 150 years (the sketches of the parquet and the project were created by Academician Solntsev). Therefore, you can walk here strictly along the paths.

St George's Hall

Fragment of parquet

front doors

St George's Hall

Alexander Hall

Alexander Hall

Alexander Hall

Andrew's Hall

Chairs upholstered in red velvet were made in our time at Russian enterprises.

In the Andeevsky Hall

A look into the Georgievsky Hall.

St George's Hall

Andrew's Hall

The throne room, dedicated to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, is the most pompous and solemn of the halls of the front suite.

In the western part of the hall there are three imperial thrones, and above them rises the sign of the all-seeing eye, covered with gold leaf.

Andrew's Hall

Andrew's Hall

Andrew's Hall

It’s a pity that I don’t have the opportunity to show all the interiors, but for those who are interested, you can see a wonderful online publication here and get a complete picture.

After visiting the Grand Kremlin Palace, I walked around Cathedral Square a little more and photographed the Palace from the other side.

View of the Grand Kremlin Palace

Perhaps this is where I will end my story. Let me just say that I was very impressed by the beauty and power of this building. The magnificence of the halls is so striking that it is beyond words. If you ever have a desire to visit such an excursion, I recommend that you definitely take the opportunity and visit it.

Booking hotels in St. Petersburg

Booking hotels in Golden Ring cities

Booking hotels in Crimea - summer is coming!

(the average: 4,67 out of 5)

The Grand Kremlin Palace is one of the palaces of the Moscow Kremlin. Built in 1838-1849 by order of Emperor Nicholas I. At present, the Grand Kremlin Palace is the main residence.

Let's walk through its halls.

Photos by Ilya Varlamov

As a boy, I loved to play in the Kremlin - to ride along the railings of marble stairs, to hide in the labyrinths of endless halls and corridors, to run along the red carpet. What we just didn’t do, and sat on thrones, and painted mustaches on statues ... there were golden times.

Then one regime was replaced by another and the locks were changed in the Kremlin. And then Borodin made a renovation in the Kremlin. Now there is no longer that Grand Kremlin Palace of my childhood, there is no longer St. Andrew's Hall, the imperial throne no longer causes that awe that 20 years ago. What kind of awe can we talk about when even the skins of stoats are now plastic?

Recently I came across an archive from an autumn walk around the palace ...

Alexander Hall got its name in honor of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, established by Catherine I in 1725.

Just like Andreevsky, in the 1930s it was destroyed and turned into a meeting room of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Restored in 1994-1998.

One of the most ceremonial halls of the palace. It was named in honor of the Order of St. George the Victorious, approved by Catherine II in 1769 and became the highest military award of the Russian Empire.

On the walls George Hall gold stars and order armbands with the motto "For Service and Courage" are depicted.

Ventilation grilles:

Views from the balcony...

By personal order of Nicholas I, even during the construction of the palace, the hall was dedicated to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Andrew's Hall became a throne room grand palace and the main imperial hall of the Moscow Kremlin. In 1932, it was turned into a meeting room where party congresses were held.

And I also don’t like that no one is allowed into the Kremlin and they are not allowed to take pictures ... It’s boring to wander here alone ...

Throne... Here I played king:

Plastic stoats... How could they?

The Faceted Chamber is an architectural monument in, one of the oldest civil buildings in Moscow. Built in 1487 - 1491 by decree of Ivan III by Italian architects:

• In past residence of emperors, today it is the main residence of the President of Russia.
• huge palace, the construction of which lasted 10 years, appeared in the Kremlin in the 19th century under Nicholas I.
• The building includes the remains of earlier buildings: the Terem Palace, nine churches and the Palace of Facets.
• The Grand Kremlin Palace is 125 meters long and 47 meters high, and the total area of ​​the building is 25,000 sq.m..
• The residence has a huge lobby, about 700 rooms and five halls, which are used for high-level meetings and state ceremonies.
• The Malachite Foyer is open to visitors, where you can see portraits of all Russian sovereigns.

The Grand Kremlin Palace is a unique architectural ensemble and a landmark museum for Moscow. Once it housed the chambers of the imperial family, and now it is the main residence of the President of Russia. The palace is open to the public only with organized excursions which are held according to a schedule agreed in advance with the Federal Security Service. The private chambers of the emperors with authentic furnishings, the throne and order halls, luxurious interiors and murals - the Palace impresses with its beauty and grandeur.

Palace construction

Back in the reign of Empress Catherine II, the architect Vasily Bazhenov proposed to build a giant new palace in the Kremlin, but due to the complexity and high cost, his project was not implemented. The new residence in the Kremlin appeared by decree of the grandson of the Empress, Nicholas I. The palace was built for almost ten years, from 1838 to 1849. Work on it brought together outstanding Russian artists and architects - N. Chichagov, V. Bakaryov, N. Shokhin, P. Gerasimov, F. Solntseva.

The author of the project is a recognized master Konstantin Ton. Emperor Nicholas I was directly involved in the search architectural style for the palace. It was decided to build a new residence in the tradition of "Byzantine-Russian architecture". It is believed that the image with its monumental forms, created by Andrei Stackenschneider, was taken as the basis for the project. On the site of old buildings of the XV - XVIII centuries. erected a building striking in its size and harmony of lines. The length of the Grand Kremlin Palace is 125 meters, the height is 47 meters, the total area is 25,000 square meters. From the outside it looks like it has three floors, but it actually has two floors.

During a detailed study of the project, the experts found many similarities with the palace buildings of the 15th-18th centuries that stood on this site earlier. The windows of the lower tier in the modern palace correspond to the arches of the basement of the palace of the 15th century, the outer gallery corresponds to the outer passages, and the terrace looks like an old promenade. The palace also had Winter Garden- a kind of repetition of the hanging gardens of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Particularly valuable parts of previous buildings were included in the Grand Kremlin Palace: the Terem Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, nine temples (the oldest of which dates back to the 14th century), the Faceted Chamber of the 15th century. The residence has about 700 rooms, a huge lobby and five stately halls.

In 1849 the palace was consecrated in the presence of Emperor Nicholas I. At the same time, construction began in the same style of the building. With its construction, the ensemble of the Grand Kremlin Palace was finally formed. The buildings are connected by an overpass. After the socialist revolution of 1917 and the relocation of the Soviet government to Moscow, many of the premises of the palace began to be used as residential. Today, the Palace hosts the inauguration ceremony of the President of Russia, high-level meetings are held, orders are awarded - high state awards of the Russian Federation.

Visitors can enter the Kremlin Palace from the Cathedral Square. Nearby is the front porch of the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin, it is decorated with figures of lions and closed with a gilded lattice.

Style decision of the ensemble

The appearance of the Palace is emphatically strict: it is decorated large quantity stucco elements that partially copy decorative decorations of the 17th century. So that the building does not stand out from the general ensemble of the Kremlin, its external design uses "elements of the Russian style" characteristic of earlier buildings. From the upper vantage point, it can be seen that the ground floor of the palace protrudes forward and forms an open terrace. The arched windows of the first tier are separated by thin walls and outwardly resemble a closed gallery lined with natural stone. The second floor with two tiers of windows is divided by pilasters and decorated with decorative architraves in the "Russian style" with double arches and a weight in the middle. The palace ends with a "tribune" - an architectural elevation, which is crowned with a golden balustrade. It is decorated with "kokoshniks" - semicircular decorative elements and historical coats of arms of the kingdoms that were part of the Russian Empire: Moscow, Kazan, Astrakhan, Tauride, Finland and Poland.

Halls of the Palace

The lobby of the palace is a suite of marble-trimmed halls with polished granite columns. A huge front staircase leads to the second floor. The vault covered with arches, the red carpet, the main entrance of the palace facing the Moscow River - this part of the palace is easily recognizable from the memorable footage of the inauguration ceremonies of Russian presidents. It was on this ladder that B. Yeltsin, V. Putin and D. Medvedev climbed before taking the oath. Going upstairs, each visitor sees a huge painting “Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword”, created by the artist S. Prisekin in 1983.

The round entrance hall, located in the center of the palace, is called Vladimirsky. It is dedicated to the Order of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir. Ruled at the end of X - beginning of XI centuries. the prince of Kyiv was able to rally the tribes of the Eastern Slavs and adopted the Orthodox religion as the state religion. The hall is shaped like the Roman Pantheon, it is also illuminated from above by a round window.

The oldest building in the palace (and the whole of Moscow) is built in 1487‒1491. Marco Ruffo and Antonio Solari. Outside, it is decorated with rustication and resembles the buildings of the Italian Renaissance. In front of its entrance is the Red Porch, where complaints were usually made to the tsar in the 15th-17th centuries. The chamber has unique frescoes on biblical scenes, parquet of rare beauty and interiors shining with gold.

- This is the hall of the most honorary military order of the Russian Empire - the Order of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. The order was approved by Empress Catherine II in 1769 for military merit and bravery on the battlefield. Meetings of the Knights of St. George were held here. The names of 545 army formations and more than 10,000 names of officers and generals are carved on the walls. Among them are the great Russian commanders of the 18th-19th centuries: A. Suvorov, M. Kutuzov, P. Bagration, F. Ushakov, P. Nakhimov.

Alexander Hall named in honor of the Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, which was established in 1725 by Empress Catherine I in honor of the patron saint of St. Petersburg.

Andrew's Hall dedicated to the highest order of the Russian Empire and modern Russia- Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Andrew's Hall was originally considered the main imperial hall Moscow Kremlin, the throne of the emperor was installed in it. The restored throne under a canopy decorated with velvet and ermine fur can still be seen today. In Soviet times, a monument to V. Lenin was erected on the site of the throne, and congresses of the Communist Party and sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR were held in the hall itself. Nowadays, the inauguration ceremonies of the President of Russia are held here. Above the throne to see the image of the Radiant Delta - the All-seeing eye of the Lord in the rays of glory. This is the personification of God's patronage of power.

Dedicated to the female order of St. Catherine. It is located away from the main premises of the Palace and was also the throne room of the emperors. It is closed to visitors.

Here you can also see the unique Terem Palace- the residence of the Moscow tsars of the XVII century. It was built in 1635‒1636. on the foundation of a palace of the 15th century, has an enfilade structure. In his last room there is a bedroom, next to it - the personal chambers of the king. The interiors amaze with wealth and luxury, the beauty of tiled stoves and wall paintings. Walk into it

Large Kremlin Palace

Located on Borovitsky Hill, the Grand Kremlin Palace served as a temporary imperial residence during the stay of the court in Moscow. The main facade of this largest ensemble on the territory of the Kremlin faces the river. The new imperial palace was built on the initiative of Nicholas I in 1838-1849. under the general supervision of the architect Konstantin Ton. This complex was called the "Great Kremlin Palace".

Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire

Catherine II next to the Great Imperial Crown, Orb and Scepter to her right. (From a painting by Alexei Antropov, 1765-66)

The palace is 125 meters long and 47 meters high; the total area is about 25,000 m². In addition to the new building, it included part of the surviving structures of the late 15th-17th centuries, which were part of the ancient grand ducal, and then the royal residence, including the Faceted and Golden Tsaritsyna Chambers, the Terem Palace, palace churches. After the construction of the Armory in 1851 and the Apartment building adjacent to it from the north, connected by an air passage to the palace complex, a single ensemble of the BKD was formed, numbering about seven hundred rooms.

Grand Kremlin Palace

In the early 1930s, a gigantic conference hall of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was built inside the BKD. To do this, they destroyed the two best ceremonial halls of the royal palace: Andreevsky and Alexander. During the reconstruction of 1993-1999. they have been restored. Today, the entire BKD complex, except for the Armory, is the main residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

Grand Kremlin Palace. Throne of the Russian Empire

Internal layout imperial palace, numbering about seven hundred rooms, includes the main lobby with a staircase; five ceremonial order halls; reception front rooms of the Empress; living quarters of the imperial family, the so-called "Own half" and office space located on the ground floor. Luxurious interior decoration in the spirit of the time is made in different styles - from the "Renaissance" to "Byzantine-Russian" and is distinguished by elegance, delicate taste and high quality works. The palace is rightly called a museum of Russian palace interiors.

By personal order of Nicholas I, even during the construction of the palace, the hall was dedicated to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Andreevsky Hall became the throne room of a large palace and the main imperial hall of the Moscow Kremlin. In 1932, it was turned into a meeting room where party congresses were held. The last reconstruction (restoration) of the hall was carried out in 1994-1998. Today Andreevsky Hall has been restored in the same form in which it was originally built.

The Alexander Hall adjoining Andreevsky Hall got its name in honor of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, established by Catherine I in 1725. Just like Andreevsky, in the 1930s it was destroyed and turned into a meeting room of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Restored in 1994-1998.

The hall is named after the holy prince Vladimir. The Vladimir Hall was located in the center of the palace and leads to the Palace of Facets, the St. George Hall, the Terem Palace and other premises of the Kremlin Palace. It so happened that this hall, as it were, links the buildings of the 15th and 19th centuries. And the hall itself is small, with a single window on the ceiling, and is illuminated by overhead light through the dome. The walls and pilasters of the Vladimir Hall are lined with pink marble.

One of the most ceremonial halls of the palace is Georgievsky. It was named in honor of the Order of St. George the Victorious, approved by Catherine II in 1769 and became the highest military award of the Russian Empire. On the walls of St. George's Hall there are golden stars and order bands with the motto "For Service and Courage".

Catherine's Hall, located in the front half of the palace, in the past was the throne room of Russian empresses. It got its name in honor of the only female order (see CATHERINE ORDER) in Russia - St. Catherine, established in 1714. The attraction of the hall are pilasters on massive pillars standing on the sides of the entrances, with patterns from the smallest pieces of malachite, made by talented craftsmen. Stucco decorations are widely used in the decoration of the Catherine's Hall. The parquet ornament was designed by Academician F. G. Solntsev.

panorama of the halls in the Kremlin
Everything else is from the web.

The Grand Kremlin Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings of the historical and architectural complex of the Moscow Kremlin. The building was erected on the initiative of Emperor Nicholas I in late XIX century on the site of the ancient grand ducal palace of Ivan III and the palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna built on its basis in the 18th century.

The beginning of the reign of NicholasIwas overshadowed by the Decembrist uprising in December 1825, and therefore, more than his predecessors, he needed external attributes of power. The ruler wanted to build new spacious ceremonial halls for holding palace ceremonies, and in addition, the Grand Kremlin Palace was supposed, firstly, to demonstrate the historical continuity of power, and, secondly, to show its brilliance and strength.

That is why elements of the Byzantine-Russian style are used in the design of the building (to show the dynastic connection with the Byzantine emperors), and five main halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace are dedicated to the highest awards of the Russian army.

In accordance with its ceremonial function, the Grand Kremlin Palace is not so much a building as a monument that tells Russian history and glorifying the Russian army.

Grand Kremlin Palace - brief description

The main task of the architects was to solve the problem of unity architectural ensemble ancient Kremlin and a new palace. The construction was carried out according to the project of Konstantin Ton. The palace complex included ancient buildings - the Faceted Chamber and the Golden Tsaritsyna Chamber, the Terem Palace and palace churches.

At the same time, the tendency towards gigantism, characteristic of Ton and his time, was clearly manifested in the architecture of the building. A large-scale two-story yellow building with high arched windows stretches along the Moskva River for 125 meters, and its height is 37 meters and it looks like a three-story building, although the building has two floors.

Entering the palace from the main entrance, you will find yourself in the front lobby, the vault of which is supported by four gray columns made of granite brought from Karelia, from the city of Serdobol (now the city of Sortavala). The lobby is illuminated by four bronze floor lamps, each with 13 Carcel lamps (invented by the Swiss craftsman Carcel).

The guests climbed the main staircase to the second floor, its steps (there are 66 in total) are low and wide, so that it would be convenient for ladies in elegant evening dresses to climb and the procession would take on a particularly solemn look. The walls of the lobby are decorated with yellow marble brought from Kolomna near Moscow.

St George's Hall

This is one of the most monumental and beautiful halls dedicated to the highest order of the Russian Empire - the Order of St. George the Victorious. The badge of the order is a gold cross covered with white enamel depicting George slaying a snake.

The order has four degrees of distinction. They were awarded to officers and military units for courage and courage shown in battle, as well as for long service. In total, this honorary military title was awarded to about 11 thousand gentlemen and regular military formations. You will see their names on the wall boards of the hall.

Each of the pylons of the hall ends with a twisted column and a sculpture by Ivan Vitali, symbolizing the region or kingdom of the Russian Empire.

The flooring is an authentic parquet made in 1845, made of 20 precious woods brought from South-East Asia and South America. One of the decorations of the hall is a copy of the monument to the great Novgorod heroes Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, installed on Red Square.

The main colors of the hall are white and gold: the vault decorated with stucco and the sculptures of the hall are white, the names of the Cavaliers of St. George and military formations on the boards are gold. Six chandeliers cast in bronze are also gilded.

St. George's Hall surprises with its severity and scale. This is a temple of Russian valor, a monument to the feats of arms of Russian weapons. As before, government receptions and meetings are held here, awards are presented.

Alexander Hall

The Alexander Hall is dedicated to the Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky. Prince Alexander was known for his piety and courage. The order in his honor was established by Catherine I in 1725, and the motto of the award is "For Labor and Fatherland".

The Alexander Hall is also huge, 31 meters long, 21 meters wide and 20 meters high. Konstantin Ton used elements of the Byzantine-Russian style in its design. The intricate floral parquet, created in 1843, looks like a fabric carpet that glistens under a layer of lacquer.

Under the dome are the signs of the order - a cross and a star with the monogram of St. Alexander, in the corners - images of a double-headed eagle.

Historical canvases, created by Fyodor Moller, professor of historical painting at the Academy of Arts, tell about the life of St. Alexander Nevsky. The paintings on the western side of the hall tell about the military exploits of the prince, and on the eastern side we see scenes from his peaceful life.

The light from the high windows, reflected in numerous mirrors, fills the entire space. The walls are decorated with white and pink marble, and the red velvet in the furniture upholstery matches the color of the sash. Between the twisted gilded columns are the coats of arms of the lands of the Russian Empire.

Andrew's Hall

Andreevsky Hall (Throne) was the main hall of the Kremlin Palace. It is dedicated to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, established by Peter in 1698. The motto of the order is "For Faith and Loyalty".

The tetrahedral columns of St. Andrew's Hall form three naves. In the eastern side of the room there is a throne, consisting of three thrones, one of them was intended for Nicholas II, the second - for his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, and the third - for the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the emperor's mother. Above the throne place is a canopy made of ermine fur. The vault depicts the all-seeing eye in radiance - the Orthodox symbol of the Trinity.

During the days of the coronation, guests from all the lands of the Russian Empire gathered in the Andreevsky Hall to congratulate the emperor.

St. Andrew's Hall is striking in its luxury - vaults, columns and pylons are covered with gilded stucco, and the capitals (the upper parts of the columns and pylons) are decorated with signs of the order - the image of a double-headed eagle, against which is St. Andrew crucified on the cross.

Vladimir Hall

The Vladimir Hall is dedicated to another high military award - the Order of St. Vladimir, established in honor of Prince Vladimir of Kiev, under whom Russia was baptized.

The motto of the order is "Benefit, honor and glory", and its sign is a golden cross covered with red enamel. The creator of the Grand Kremlin Palace, Konstantin Ton, was also awarded this order.

In its form, this is an unusual room. In plan it is a square with a side of 16 meters, but niches are made at its corners, and as a result, the Vladimir Hall looks more like an octagon.

The vault of the hall resembles an ancient tent, daylight into which penetrates through a round lantern, and in the evening the hall is illuminated by a magnificent bronze chandelier. One of the decorations of the hall is the arches decorating the side galleries.

Vladimir Hall connects the main halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace with the Palace of Facets and the Terem Palace.

Ceremonial order halls can be viewed during the tour. Only the Catherine Hall, where the President of Russia holds official meetings and negotiations, is not accessible.

Catherine's Hall

The Catherine Hall is dedicated to the Order of St. Catherine, established by Peter the Great. The motto of the order is "For love and fatherland". The award had two degrees. The Order of Catherine of the first degree was awarded to princesses by birthright, and the second degree to court ladies. The first lady to be awarded this order was Peter's wife, Catherine I.

Unusually beautiful candelabra appeared here in 1856, when the coronation of Alexander II took place. Two crystal candlesticks were brought from the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg, and four others were taken from the Museum of the Imperial Glass Factory.

own half

The residential part of the building is located in the southern part of the Kremlin Palace. Here, in the so-called "Private Half", were the chambers of the emperor and empress. The enfilade consists of six main rooms:

• The bedchamber of the Empress with luxurious furniture and exquisite decoration. In the design, mainly two colors are used - blue and gold. An atmosphere of peace and piety prevails here.
• In the boudoir of the Empress (lady's morning room) there is one of the most beautiful fireplaces of the palace, decorated with polished malachite plates. Overhead gilded details in the form of beads, garlands and rosettes give it a special sophistication
• The Empress's study was decorated at the request of its first mistress, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, in the Boule style (named after a furniture maker of the 17th century). Here, in the decoration of furniture and doors, a special type of inlay was used, when plates of tortoise shell and copper were superimposed on a wooden base. Also gorgeous upholstery fabric with gold thread
• The living room of the Empress is snow-white with gold trim. Eight plaster bas-reliefs are symbols of the arts, four more depict the seasons. The main decoration of the room is a unique pineapple chandelier, a symbol of hospitality and cordiality.
• The dining room is decorated in a traditional classic style. Stucco ornamentation on the vault, white and yellow marble in the decoration of the walls, in the niches - marble vases with antique scenes, sculptures of Leda, the beloved of Zeus and the god of marriage Hymineus.

Excursions to the Grand Kremlin Palace

The Grand Kremlin Palace and the Palace of Facets can only be visited as part of an excursion by appointment. The cost of the tour is from 4 thousand rubles (2019), duration is about 1.5 hours. You must be prepared for the fact that the date and time of the tour may be postponed due to official events. It is recommended to take as few personal items as possible on the tour. Before visiting, several inspections are carried out as at the airport. Photography is only allowed in a few front rooms.

The Grand Kremlin Palace was built by Konstantin Ton at the direction of Nicholas I for more than ten years - 1838 to 1849. As the great creators intended, the grandiose building became reliable and corresponding to the status of the capital.