This is an architectural ensemble, comprising various secular and ecclesiastical buildings erected over five centuries.
The Great Kremlin Palace was built in 1838-49 from a design by a group of Russian architects under Konstantin Thon for Emperor Nicholas I and his family. The grandiose dimensions of the palace made it necessary to first clear a large area in the part of the Kremlin where the palaces of the grand princes and tsars traditionally stood. Many early and late structures were demolished. The only ones to escape this fate were the Chamber of Facets, the Golden Tsarina Chamber and the Terem Palace, which were connected with the new building.
General view of the Kremlin. Engraving by E. Finden. 1823.
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The main facade of the Great Kremlin Palace faces the River Moskva, To the north it adjoins the Terem Palace, forming an inner courtyard with it, and to the east the Chamber of Facets and the Golden Tsarina Chamber. The terrace formed by the projection of the ground floor, the division of the facade by pilasters, the white-stone window surrounds with double arches and hanging pen dants all echo the Terem Palace built in the seventeenth century.
A graduate of the St. Peters burg Academy of the Arts, who spent many years in Italy studying Roman architecture, Thon could not fail to include classical devices and forms in his design. These include the enfilade arrangement of the rooms and the overall symmetry of the general plan. Brough forward to the brow of the Kremlin Hill, the palace with its remarkably long facade (more than 120 metres) gave the panorama of the Kremlin from the River Moskva a clearly expressed frontal quality. The Kremlin acquired a most impressive main facade organically linked with the expanse of the River Moskva.
The palace has three rows of windows, although it is two-sto-reyd (the upper storey having two rows). The central section of the main facade is emphasized by a square attic storey with a flagstaff.
Great Kremlin Palace
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The kokoshniks of the attic storey were originally adorned with two-headed eagles and coats of arms. These have now been replaced by the initials CCCP (USSR), which stand for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the emblem of the Soviet State.
The main entrance into the palace was moved to the east of the centre and not emphasized architectu-rally.
The Great Kremlin Palace is not only of exceptional historical and artistic interest. Its builders also made use of the finest engineering and constructional achievements of their day. To guard against fire Thon made bold use of metal coverings, iron girders and such new building materials for that day as concrete, cast iron and zinc. Heating by stoves was replaced by a new type of hot-air radiator.
There are about 700 rooms of various kinds in the palace. Electricity was installed in 1896. Before that it took about 20,000 candles and nearly 5,000 kerosene lamps to light the palace for a single evening.
