“Its walls are made of strong, wonderful bricks, of a terrible height. They are majestic and dominate the area. This building has been brought to perfection and is worthy of surprise,”- this is how the famous traveler Pavel Allepsky described the Kolomna Kremlin in the 16th century. Centuries later, it still admires its greatness.
History of appearance
The Kremlin in Kolomna was built in the 15th century to protect the southern borders of the Moscow principality from the raids of the Tatars. Before that, in its place was a wooden citadel, erected by the Ryazan princes in the 12th century. However, it did not fully cope with the defensive function, since it was constantly set on fire and destroyed.
After the Tatar troops once again easily destroyed the wooden fortress, Prince Vasily III (father of Ivan the Terrible) issued a decree on the construction of a stone fortress in Kolomna. Its construction began on May 25, 1525. The construction of the Kolomna Kremlin was entrusted to Italian craftsmen. They were the ones who built the Moscow Kremlin. Work on the stone fortress in Kolomna lasted six years and was completed by August 1531.
The Italians used in the construction all the achievements of the European fortification architecture of that period. The Kremlin covers an area of 24 hectares. 17 towers were erected along the perimeter. The length of the walls is 2 km, the height is more than 20 m, with a thickness of about 3 m. The Kremlin in Kolomna is rightfully considered one of the grandiose buildings of that era. For a long time it was a military outpost of Russia. It was in the Kolomna Kremlin that Ivan the Terrible gathered an army for a campaign against Kazan in 1552.
Kremlin today
The walls of the Kremlin are not completely preserved. When it lost its protective function, people began to take it apart brick by brick to build houses. Soon it was forbidden to do this, but part of the structure had already been lost. Of the 17 towers, only 7 have survived to this day. Each of them has its own name:.
The tallest of the surviving ones is Kolomenskaya. It rises 31 m. This tower is twenty-sided, but from a distance it looks round. It owes its second name to the wife of False Dmitry I and False Dmitry II - Marina Mnishek. During the Troubles, she lived in Kolomna.
sights
Within the walls of the Faceted Tower, whose height is only 22 m, there is a museum of weapons of Ancient Russia.
On the Kremlin territory there are two women's monasteries - Novo-Golutvinsky and Uspensky Brusensky, as well as the Assumption Cathedral, Tikhvin Church, Holy Cross and Resurrection Churches.
A monument to Dmitry Donskoy rises near the Kolomna Kremlin. This is one of the creations of the architect Alexander Rukavishnikov.
The territory of the Kolomna Kremlin belongs to one of the city districts. Therefore, the passage is not limited in any way. You can enter the territory free of charge and at any time of the day. Museum opening hours vary depending on the season.
How to get there
You can get from Moscow to Kolomna by car, bus or train. From the station "Kotelniki" bus number 460 runs. The nearest stop to the Kremlin is "Square of Two Revolutions". Entrance to the territory along Lazhechnikova street.
To get there by rail, you need to take the Moscow - Ryazan or Moscow - Golutvin electric train, which departs from the Kazansky railway station. Directions to the station "Golutvin", and then by minibus number 20 or 68 to the stop "Square of Two Revolutions".
