The Grand Kremlin Palace () is a building in the

Moscow Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall along with the K ...

. For much of the 19th century, it served as the official residence of the

Russian emperor The emperor and autocrat of all Russia (, ), also translated as emperor and autocrat of all the Russias, was the official title of the Russian monarch from 1721 to 1917. The title originated in connection with Russia's victory in the Great Nor ...

in Moscow, which was not then the capital of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. Designed by a team of architects under the management of

Konstantin Thon Konstantin Andreyevich Thon or Ton (; October 26, 1794 – January 25, 1881) was a Russian architect who was one of the most notable architects during the reign Nicholas I. His major works include the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Grand ...

, architect of the

Kremlin Armoury The Kremlin ArmouryOfficially called the "Armoury Chamber" but also known as the cannon yard, the "Armoury Palace", the "Moscow Armoury", the "Armoury Museum", and the "Moscow Armoury Museum" but different from the Kremlin Arsenal. () is one of ...

and the

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (, ) is a Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on the northern bank of the Moskva River, a few hundred metres southwest of the Kremlin. With an overall height of , it is the ...

, the palace was intended to emphasise the greatness of Russian autocracy. The Grand Kremlin Palace serves as the official working residence of the

president of Russia The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the State Council (Russia), Federal State Council and the President of Russia#Commander-in-ch ...

and also houses a museum.

History

The Grand Kremlin Palace was built between 1837 and 1849 to serve as the

tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

's Moscow residence, on the site of the estate of the

Grand Prince Grand prince or great prince (feminine: grand princess or great princess) (; ; ; ; ) is a hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. Grand duke is the usual and established, though not litera ...

s, which had been established in the 14th century on Borovitsky Hill; its construction involved the demolition of the previous

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

palace on the site, designed by Rastrelli, and the 16th century Church of St. John the Baptist, constructed to a design by Aloisio the New in place of the first church ever built in Moscow. The palace by Thon is 124 metres long, 47 metres high, and has a total area of about 25,000 square metres. It includes the earlier Terem Palace, nine churches from the 14th, 16th, and 17th centuries, the Holy Vestibule, and over 700 rooms. The buildings of the Palace form a rectangle with an inner courtyard. The building appears to be three storeys, but is actually two; the upper floor has high ceilings and two sets of windows. The west building of the Palace held state reception halls and the imperial family's private chambers. Five reception halls (Georgievsky, Vladimirsky, Aleksandrovsky, Andreyevsky, and Ekaterininsky) are named for

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

s of the Russian Empire: the Orders of

St. George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...

, St. Vladimir, St. Alexander,

St. Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Chu ...

, and St. Catherine. The Georgievsky Hall is used today for state and diplomatic receptions and official ceremonies. International treaties are signed in the Vladimirsky Hall, which also leads to the Palace of Facets, the Tsarina's Golden Chamber, the Terem Palace, the Winter Palace, and the Palace of Congresses. Aleksandrovsky Hall and Andreyevsky Hall were combined in

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

times to be used for meetings and conferences of the

Supreme Soviet of the USSR The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSUSSR) was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Based on the principle of unified power, it was the only branch of government in the S ...

; but they were lavishly restored in accordance with Thon's designs in the 1990s.

Structure and architecture

The Grand Kremlin Palace is 125 metres long and 47 metres high. The total area of the complex exceeds 25,000 square metres. In plan, the Grand Kremlin Palace is presented in the form of a square with a small

Cour d'honneur A court of honor ( ; ) is the principal and formal approach and forecourt of a large building. It is usually defined by two secondary wings projecting forward from the main central block ('' corps de logis''), sometimes with a fourth side, co ...

, in the centre of which was the Church of the Saviour on Boru, demolished in the 1930s. The main façade of the complex faces the Kremlin embankment, with the palace's Annunciation Entrance overlooking

Sobornaya Square Cathedral Square or Sobornaya Square () is the central square of the Moscow Kremlin where all of its streets used to converge in the 15th century. The square owes its name to the three cathedrals facing it – Cathedral of the Dormition, Cathedra ...

. Architect

repeated the composition of the previous palace complex, consisting of various buildings of different times. Art historians suppose that following the peculiarities of Old Russian architecture the complex was asymmetrical. Presumably, the arcade of the ground floor was an allegory for the composition of the palace of Ivan III, and the winter garden corresponded to the ancient Kremlin parks. The façades of the complex corresponding to the decoration of the Terem Palace, in particular, the architect repeated the framing of the windows in greatly enlarged dimensions. They are in the form of arches with narrow piers, giving the building a resemblance to an enclosed gallery. The second tier is divided by

pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...

s and richly decorated with carved white-stone platbands in Russian-Byzantine style with double arches in the centre, typical for Russian architecture of the 17th century. Before 1917, the facade of the palace was decorated with five white-stone bas-reliefs in the form of two-headed eagles, above which were the emblems of

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

Kazan Kazan; , IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzanis the largest city and capital city, capital of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka (river), Kazanka Rivers, covering an area of , with a population of over 1. ...

Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and Tavrida. After the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

, they were replaced with the letters СССР and the coat of arms of the Soviet Union.

Layout

The palace has a geometric plan characteristic of late classicism. However, the main entrance is not in the centre of the main facade, but in the eastern part of the palace, which was unusual for the architecture of that period. The entranceway is modestly decorated and is highlighted on the outside by a pair of lights hanging on chains. The shape of the doors corresponds to the window openings. The location of the entrance was necessitated by the need to accommodate a straight grand staircase of 66 steps, the length of which would not have allowed the structure to be installed in the centre of the complex. It is made of Revel stone. The walls of the room are made of artificial marble and the columns are made of natural Serdobol marble. A staircase leads to the first floor to the vestibule, from where the enfilade of grand double-height halls and ceremonial chambers begins. Next to the main entrance on the ground floor is a marble vestibule with polished granite columns, as well as the Own Half of the Imperial Family.

Current status

The Grand Kremlin Palace is the current residence of the Russian president, where official events are held. For example, the inauguration of the President of Russia takes place in The Hall of the Order of St. Andrew. Excursions take place during free time from official events according to requests from organisations addressed to the Head of the Commandant's Office of the Moscow Kremlin. Visitors may see the Faceted Chamber, the premises of the Teremnoy Palace, the Private Half of Their Imperial Majesties, and the ceremonial halls of the orders, except for the Catherine Palace. The tour itinerary also does not include the Emperor's study and the Golden Chamber of Tsaritsyno.

Interiors of the ceremonial halls

The Hall of the Order of St. George

The Hall of the

Order of St. George The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...

(Georgievsky Hall) is the first and largest of the staterooms of the palace. It was named after the Order of St. George the Victorious, which was approved by

Catherine II Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III ...

in 1769 and which was the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire. The walls of the room are decorated with gold embossed stars and

insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. An insignia, which is typically made of metal or fabric, is a standalone sy ...

with the motto "For Service and Bravery" ("''Za Sluzhbu i Khrabrost''"). The room is covered by a semi-cylindrical coffered ceiling supported by eighteen pylons. At the top, they are decorated with statues symbolising the country's military victories. By order of the emperor, marble plaques with a list of the regiments, crews and batteries which had received the St George Colors were installed in the room. In addition, the names of all the holders of the order were engraved on the walls. Initially, civil servants and representatives of the Moscow nobility gathered in St George's Hall during the celebrations. During a reception on the occasion of the 1945 Victory Parade, invited servicemen gathered in St George's Hall. The room was subsequently used for the presentation of military awards, decorations and prizes to figures of science and culture, as well as meetings of party representatives with civilians.

The Hall of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky

The Hall of the

Order of St. Alexander Nevsky The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia. History The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor ...

was named after the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, established by

Catherine I Catherine I Alekseyevna Mikhailova (born Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya; – ) was the second wife and Empress consort of Peter the Great, whom she succeeded as Emperor of all the Russias, Empress of Russia, ruling from 1725 until her death in 1 ...

in 1725. The room is situated in the central part of the first floor on the south façade of the complex and is connected with The Hall of the

by massive silver-plated doors with gold ornaments, depicting the Order's ribbons and stars. The rectangular room is 31 metres long, 20 metres wide and 20 metres high. The hall is decorated with the coats of arms of the provinces and districts of the

, wall mirrors, four marble fireplaces and candelabrums made in the factories of the Duke of Leuchtenberg. From above, it is covered by an elliptical dome on four pylons with images of the Order's coats of arms, stars and the monogram of St. Alexander. The parquet is of thirty species of wood. Initially in The Hall of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky six paintings of the artist Feodor Moller, representing the moments from Alexander Nevskiy's life, were placed: his entrance to the liberated

Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...

, The Battle of the Neva, his marriage with the

Polotsk Polotsk () or Polatsk () is a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the Dvina River and serves as the administrative center of Polotsk District. Polotsk is served by Polotsk Airport and Borovitsy air base. As of 2025, it has a pop ...

princess, his stay in

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

. In the 1930s the room was reconstructed and became part of the Assembly Hall. The interiors were restored in 1994-1999 and the room was subsequently used for meetings of the State Council.

The Hall of the Order of St. Vladimir

The Hall of the Order of St. Vladimir was named after the Order of St. Vladimir, instituted by

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

in 1782. Light enters the hall only through a lantern in the centre of the hipped dome from which hangs a tiered chandelier made in a factory in St Petersburg. The three-toned structure was originally placed in The Anteroom, for which it proved too large, and it was later re-hung in The Hall of the Order of St. Vladimir. The room also had four-floor lamps of dark bronze. The spatial composition of the room reminds of a baptistery and is designed as a rotunda with a by-pass gallery and a balustrade on the first-floor level. The room was originally a square in plan with sides of sixteen metres each, but the niches in the corners give it a resemblance to an octagon. The decoration of the room corresponded to the symbols of the Order and was done in a range of white, pink and pale green colours. The walls and pilasters are lined with pink and white marble, and the star-shaped parquet is made of more than twenty kinds of wood. The dome of the hall is decorated with mouldings depicting the Order of St. Vladimir. After 1918, the Hall of the Order of St. Vladimir was used for signing treaties between the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and foreign countries.

The Hall of the Order of St. Andrew

The Hall of the Order of St. Andrew was the main room in the

enfilade Enfilade and defilade are concepts in military tactics used to describe a military formation's exposure to enemy fire. A formation or position is "in enfilade" if weapon fire can be directed along its longest axis. A unit or position is "in de ...

of official rooms dedicated to the military honours of the

. It corresponded to the Order of St. Andrew, which

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

established in 1698. The hall was used for ceremonial events and the coronations of Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II were held within its walls. Initially, the

centrepiece A centrepiece or centerpiece is an important item of a display, usually of a table setting. Centrepieces help set the theme of the decorations and bring extra decorations to the room. A centrepiece also refers to any central or important object ...

of the room was the throne of the incumbent monarch, decorated with carvings and precious stones. At the end of the 19th century, the pedestal was replaced by three seats for Emperor Nicholas II, Empresses Alexandra Feodorovna and Maria Feodorovna. After the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

, the

Comintern The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern and also known as the Third International, was a political international which existed from 1919 to 1943 and advocated world communism. Emerging from the collapse of the Second Internatio ...

congresses, conventions and summit meetings were held in the Hall of the Order of St. Andrew. In 1933-1934, the Hall of the Order of St. Andrew and the Hall of the

were merged and rebuilt to hold meetings of the

. In 1993, Russian President

Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...

ordered the restoration of the historic appearance of the chambers. After the reconstruction, the room was used for solemn meetings and events. Now the hall is used for sessions of the State Council and meetings of foreign ambassadors. The inauguration of the Russian president takes place in the Hall of the Order of St. Andrew.

The Hall of the Order of St. Catherine

The Hall of the Order of St. Catherine served as the throne room for Russian empresses and was named after the Order of St. Catherine, established in 1714. Flanking the entrance are pilasters on massive pillars decorated with malachite mosaic patterns. The walls are decorated with orderly reliefs, made in filigree and decorated with rhinestones. The parquet was designed by Fedor Solntsev. In the 20th century, the halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace were used for meetings of the

Soviet of the Union The Soviet of the Union (, ''Sovet Soyuza''; , ''İttifaqı Soveti''; ; , Moldovan Cyrillic: ; ; ; ; ; , ''Bileleşigiň Geňeşi''; ) was the lower chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, elected on the b ...

and the

Soviet of Nationalities The Soviet of Nationalities; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; was the upper chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, elected on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage in accordance with the principles of S ...

, as well as various committees during sessions of the

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, solemn meetings with foreign delegations were organised in the Grand Kremlin Palace. Seventeen events were held within the walls of The Hall of the Order of St. Catherine during this period. Chinese diplomat Soong Ziwen and General

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

, among others, were present at these receptions. As of 2018, the hall was not included in the tour programme of the Grand Kremlin Palace, as the room was used for meetings of the Russian president with foreign delegations and negotiations.

Gallery

Kremlin_27.06.2008_01.jpg, View from the

Moskva River The Moskva (, ''Moskva-reka'') is a river that flows through western Russia. It rises about west of Moscow and flows roughly east through the Smolensk and Moscow Oblasts, passing through central Moscow. About southeast of Moscow, at the cit ...

Andreyevsky Zal.jpg, The Hall of the Order of St. Andrew 2-St. George hall3.jpg, Detail of plaques in Georgievsky Hall Grand Kremlin Palace 1896 coronation 3.jpg, Aleksandr Hall during coronation of Nicholas II, 1896 Vladimir hall2.jpg, Chandelier in the Hall of the Order of St. Vladimir Moscou - Grand Kremlin Palace.jpg, Second tier details characteristic of Russian-Byzantine style Moscow Kremlin map - Grand Kremlin Palace.png, Overview map of Kremlin. Grand Kremlin Palace marked. Grand Kremlin Palace 1896 coronation 1.jpg, The royal coach of Nicholas II by the palace, 1896 Supreme Soviet 1982.jpg, "СССР" and emblem of the Soviet Union embedded in the upper arches of the palace during Soviet era 0039 August 9th, 2016 in Moscow.jpg,

Coat of arms of Russia The coat of arms of Russia derives from the earlier coat of arms of the Russian Empire. Though modified more than once since the reign of Ivan III (1462–1505), the current coat of arms is directly derived from its medieval original, with the d ...

restored to the upper arches following the dissolution of the Soviet Union

References

External links

Official Kremlin Museums Site
{{Authority control Moscow Kremlin Official residences in Russia

Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...

Royal residences in Russia Houses completed in 1849 Russian Revival architecture 1849 establishments in the Russian Empire Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Moscow