Prior to the present palace the site was occupied by an equally grand structure – the Palace of Empress Catherine the Great. Yet just a century after it was built, her successor Emperor Nikolai I gave orders to have her palace pulled down, to make way for a grandiose new palace to house himself and his family.
The author of this audacious project was none other than Konstantin Ton, architect of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour which can be seen from these battlements. Ton’s new building exceeded all expectations of the term “palatial”, comprising more than 700 halls and rooms. The palace served as the Moscow residence of the Emperors, before being confiscated by the USSR as the administration building of the Supreme Soviet Council.
Nowadays the palace has a new designation as an official residence of the Russian President, and in this capacity new Presidents are sworn-in within its great halls. The awards and medals of highest national honour are made to their recipients here. But this is the only way you might get inside – because the palace is resolutely closed to general visitors otherwise.
Photo Grand Kremlin Palace, by Julmin, is licensed under CC BY-SA 1.0
The author of this audacious project was none other than Konstantin Ton, architect of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour which can be seen from these battlements. Ton’s new building exceeded all expectations of the term “palatial”, comprising more than 700 halls and rooms. The palace served as the Moscow residence of the Emperors, before being confiscated by the USSR as the administration building of the Supreme Soviet Council.
Nowadays the palace has a new designation as an official residence of the Russian President, and in this capacity new Presidents are sworn-in within its great halls. The awards and medals of highest national honour are made to their recipients here. But this is the only way you might get inside – because the palace is resolutely closed to general visitors otherwise.
Photo Grand Kremlin Palace, by Julmin, is licensed under CC BY-SA 1.0
