لخّصلي

The Kremlin, the architectural core of Moscow, is almost the exact center of the city.The elevated plateau, reaching the Une that extends from the Borovitskiia and Spaskiia gates, breaks and forms a sharp escarpment visible from across the river and from the bridges.Fabritsius cites the chronicles of Krekshin (a contemporary of Peter 1): "Peter Friazin [Pietro Solario] constructed two barbicans or secret
towers and many houses, and he built roads branching off underground. He built an underground water system of masonry conduits, with a water flow like unto rivers through the entire Kreml- city, to be used during siege."Starting near the Tainitskaia Tower, it extends throughout the entire Kremlin; leaving the Kremlin walls, in the neighborhood of the Nikol'skaia Tower, it continues under the Alevisian Moat, where it was formerly adjoined by a large mansion; it then turns in the direction of the present 25th of October Street (formerly Nikol'skaia Street).The Arkh- angel'skii, Blagoveshchenskii, and the Uspenskii
cathedrals, the Belfry of Ivan the Great, the white buildings with their gilt cupolas, the green declivity with the walls at the very edge of the river all together they create an unforgettable sight.The topography of its site at the confluence of the Neglinnaia and Moskva rivers, forming the southwest vertex of the Kremlin triangle predetermined the development of its plan.These ramparts served as battle stations from which showers of arrows were discharged through the embrasures; later they were mounted by the musketeers, riflemen, cannoneers, and their ordnance.Moscow was burned by the Russians to resist Napoleon; yet most of the Kremlin remained unharmed, for the devouring fires did little else than scorch the towers.The present surrounding high wall is studded with nineteen towers: three massive circular towers-one at each angle of the triangle; five steepled gate towers; and eleven watch towers and barbicans of various shapes.The interior faces of the Kremlin walls are marked by many shallow-arched niches; and there is strong reason to believe that within these thick walls are many passages, corridors, stairways, and secret chambers of which only a few are known.Instead of adapting and shaping the ground to some preconceived rectangular or octagonal plan, the Russian planners of the Kremlin visualized and designed its ensemble as an integral part of the location.More broadly, except for slight irregularities, the outline of the Kremlin can be thought of as an almost equilateral triangle whose southwest angle is obtuse.The walls, towers, cathedrals, and other structures had underground passages, waterpipes, large vaulted cellars, and storage places for supplies of food, ammunition, and arms.There are indications that another underground passage once extended from the Tainitskaia Tower to Razin Street (formerly Varvarka), passing under St. Basil's Church.Strictly speaking, the outline of the Kremlin is an irregular pentagon; its sides curve slightly concavely on the south and convexly on the cast and west-and its perimeter is about a mile and a half.Again and again, under successive shocks of war, the walls and towers have been damaged and rebuilt, but they have remained substantially unchanged in form.All the entrance towers had the additional protection of their barbicans, fronting ing the main gates and connected with them by drawbridges.The walls follow the topographical contours of the ground and therefore at some places wander up and down the hill, adding to the uniqueness and picturesqueness of the fortress.The ramparts, about eight feet wide with battlements on the outer side and a low parapet on the inner, are supported on filled-in arches.At places most likely to be attacked, the towers were closer together, the distances being calculated so that the attacker could be repulsed by cross fire from the flanking towers.These underground passages were used by the embattled and besieged garrison to make their surprise sorties and attacks or to spy on the enemy activities.They blended it with the hill and the curves and blufts of the Moskva and Neglinnaia rivers.could be seen from the neighboring towers and all enemy activities could be closely observed.The rigid, strictly geometrical plans of Western fortresses are absent here.On the brow of this hill a great
esplanade and the best architectural monuments of the Kremlin were
developed.Location and historical significance make the Kremlin the very heart of Moscow.The Kremlin fortifications were designed in accordance with theories.Now these ramparts form a pleasant walk around the Kremlin and, at some points, reveal a breath-taking view of the city across the river as well as of the Kremlin plazas and gardens.The corner and entrance towers were considered impregnable-the enemy could penetrate them only through a narrow aperture in the roof.The fortifications' firing stations were arranged for three levels of combat fire: upper, middle, and lower.One of the secret passages of Pietro Solario was discovered at the end of the nineteenth century.On the south is the Moskva River; on the east, the Red Square; on the west, the Alexander Park and a new, wide boulevard.From it radiate, in practically all directions, the great arterial thoroughfares of the capital.The walls, flanked by towers, are arranged in straight, short lines with definite breaks.Only on the south side, which faces the Moskva River, are the breaks somewhat softened.For military defense, the walls at certain places were built, not in a straight line, but with slight angular breaks or zigzags.The towers were somewhat advanced beyond the wall line, so that each one of them.Here the wall forms a curve that is parallel to the almost crescent-shaped river bend.of military defense that were revolutionized by the invention of gunpowder.Each tower was designed as a small fortress, independent and self-sufficient.The ground level at the walls and towers was always higher on the inside than on the outside of the walls.The top of the south wall is about sixty-five feet above the level of the river.The walls are from twelve to sixteen feet thick.Within the walls the plan is extremely interesting.