Moscow Kremlin

With the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine still raging, much of the world's attention has been paid to Russia and Moscow in particular. Justifiably, Moscow nowadays represents everything evil in world politics. Visiting Moscow as a tourist seems like such a remote possibility now. Given the current political climate, I am hesitant to tell people that the Moscow Kremlin and the Red Square are perhaps my favorite public spaces of any national capitals I have been to thus far. Given the current political climate, I am hesitant to tell people that the Moscow Kremlin and the Red Square are perhaps my favorite public spaces of any national capitals I have been to thus far.

GUM Department Store and the Saint Basil’s Cathedral.

With Russia’s Victory Day parade in the news daily, I thought about how the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square's architectural ensemble is a fantastic backdrop for political theater. While they are sizeable in their physical dimensions, I found them far more compelling than more monumental spaces like the National Mall in Washington or the Tiananmen Square in Beijing. I still vividly remember my first night in Russia in 2011 and how in awe I was when I walked through the Red Square for the first time. It was one of the very few times that left me completely speechless. I still felt a tingle in my heart when I recalled that very first encounter.

Even before the Russian invasion, the reputation of the Moscow Kremlin is already legendary. I suspect just about everyone in the world has heard of the Kremlin before. While “the Kremlin” may be synonymous colloquially with the Russian government, the word Kremlin refers to a Russian fortress in the historical context. While the Kremlin is world-famous, about two dozen “Kremlins” exist today. Besides the one in Moscow (aka “The Kremlin”), four other Russian Kremlins are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Among the most famous are the ones in Suzdal, Kazan, and Novgorod.

Let’s learn about history of the Kremlin.

The Kremlin we know today has been continuously inhabited for the last 1900 years. The site held strategic importance as the confluence point of Neglinnaya and Moskva Rivers. Originally made of wood, the fortification was subsequently upgraded to the proper stone fortress by Dmitry Donskoy, the Prince of Moscow, in 1366. Compared to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, Moscow is a relatively new city. Looking at the Kremlin today, little sign of history seems visible because of just how well-maintained it is because of its political significance. Despite its age, any trace of historical patina has been erased. Personally, I think Disney should have modeled their Cinderella Castle after the Moscow Kremlin rather than the Neuschwanstein Castle.

The trademarked Kremlin Wall and the Senate Building behind.

Like every fortress of the era, it was home to all the city's most significant structures. Historically, the most significant of them would be its impressive collection of churches around Cathedral Square. This is where all the Russian rulers are historically crowned. Even after Peter the Great moved the capital to the brand new Saint Petersburg, all emperors and empresses were still coronated inside the Dormition Cathedral. Speaking of churches, the Kremlin is unique because it has three separate cathedrals within its grounds: the Cathedral of the Dormition, the Cathedral of the Archangel, and the Cathedral of the Annunciation. Given that all three belong to the Russian Orthodox Church, I still have not figured out how that could be possible ecclesiastically.

The Dormition Cathedral and the Patriarch's Palace at the back.

After the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, the Soviet authority decided to move the capital back to Moscow as a political statement against the imperialist regime of the past. The Soviets were not exactly friendly toward any form of religion, particularly one intrinsically tied to the divine monarchy. During the early years of the Soviet Union, many churches were closed, and the authorities prosecuted many priests. Famously, Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow was himself prosecuted. Under Stalin’s rule, the government dynamited the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the mother church of the Russian Orthodox Church, to make way for the new Palace of the Soviet.

So, it was somewhat of a miracle that almost every religious structure survived Soviet times. All the churches within the Kremlin’s grounds were closed. Some were mothballed as storage facilities, while others functioned as secular museums. These churches may not be particularly impressive, but they are among the most spectacular ensembles of buildings I have seen. In total, there were nine churches inside the Kremlin walls. Overall, only two, Ascension Convent and Chudov Monastery, suffered the fate of demolition to make way for the State Kremlin Palace, the only Soviet-era building inside the Kremlin.

Cathedral of the Archangel is my favorite church inside the Kremlin.

With its intimidating high walls and foreboding towers, the Kremlin feels like a well-defended fortress suitable for the heart of the Russian government. However, the fortress is also a massive state museum: Moscow Kremlin Museum. At the museum's core is the Kremlin Armory, one of the oldest museums in Moscow. Tracing its roots in the imperial armories, the armory is said to hold the world’s largest collection of diamonds and precious gems. Aside from the Russian imperial crown jewels, it is also home to numerous Fabergé eggs. Ironically, I did not visit the armory during two separate visits to the Kremlin.

The Annunciation Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Archangel.

For centuries, the Kremlin was a forbidden zone for commoners like ourselves. It was not until the 1960s that Nikita Khrushchev decided to open its doors. Even though I grew up without any memory of the Soviet Union, something was awe-inspiring in being inside the nerve center of the once-mighty Soviet Union. Within the wall are Russia’s Senate Building, the Presidential Administration Building, and the Grand Kremlin Palace, the official residence of President Vladamir Putin. While none of the government buildings are open to tourists, I was surprised by how much of the Kremlin’s ground we could roam about.

Perhaps the most unusual artifact inside the Kremlin was a massive bell called the Tsar’s Bell. It was the largest bell ever created and was designed to be handed at the nearby Ivan the Great Bell Tower. This bell was three times larger than the second-largest in the world, but it never rang. Right before its completion in 1735, a fire broke out in the Kremlin. To save the bell's supporting wooden frame, workers threw cold water on top of the bell, which inadvertently caused the bell to track. Despite their best efforts, the bell eventually fell into the casting pit and stayed there for over a century. According to popular legend, Napolean attempted to take the bell back to Paris as a trophy. Like the Russians before him, Napolean could not move it an inch and gave up. The bell is so enormous that it became a chapel itself for a period of time.

For me, Moscow Kremlin is a perfect manifestation of the reality of Russian politics. Despite a short stint as a true democracy in the early 1990s, the Russian Federation today is essentially a beta version of the tsarist regime. Historically, Russia sees itself as a besieged fortress. Despite ruling a vast empire and being proud of its ethnic diversity, Moscow always wears a chip on its shoulders. Russian rulers throughout the centuries have come to believe that the only way to exert control over its vast territory was through the centralization of powers and by instilling fear among its population. After all, there is no better way to keep a strongman in power than the perceived foreign threats. The idea that Russia is a “besieged fortress” is one of the central planks of Putin’s popularity.

The Kremlin Arsenal is unfortunately off-limit to visitors.

One of the most memorable video clips of political theater I have ever seen was the third inauguration of Vladamir Putin in May of 2012. This was just a few months after I left Moscow and all the mass protests against the rigged election. On Russian state television, they showed the footage of President Putin riding his presidential motorcade from The House of the Government of the Russian Federation (aka. the Russian White House) to the Kremlin.

It was perhaps the most bizarre political theater I have ever seen. In the eight-minute footage, there was not a single spectator around. For the special occasion, central Moscow was placed under strict lockdown. Instead of lining the streets with his adoring supporters or military personnel, Putin chose to have the empty streets as the backdrop of his moment. With that, he demonstrated that being feared was more important than being loved.

The Red Square

I suspect that anyone on a short visit to Moscow would make a beeline toward the Red Square. Unlike the Kremlin, this public square is one of the most iconic public spaces globally and is instantly recognizable to anyone born before the 1980s. The Red Square witnesses Russia’s turbulent history and remains the most symbolic public space. Famously, this is also the venue for the annual Victory Day Parade to commemorate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany during World War II (which is also known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia). For the past decade, the event has emerged as the most important political holiday on the calendar and a great propaganda tool.

The silhouette of Red Square is just absolutely stunning.

The Red Square we know is technically a misnomer. Visitors would be surprised to know that Red Square did not receive its name from the brick color of the Kremlin wall. It also did not get its name from the color of the Bolshevik revolution. Named Krasnaya Ploshchad (Красная площадь), it means the beautiful square in Russian. Over the century, the word Krasnaya gradually became synonymous with “red.” I think they should rename “back” to Beautiful Square in English.

To call the architecture of Red Square eclectic would be a huge understatement. Almost any famous public square worldwide is dominated by a landmark and background architecture. With the Red Square, each individual building is a beautiful work of art in its own right. If you were to trace the “silhouette” of all the buildings around Red Square, it would be one of the most distinctive. Prague may earn the nickname “the city with a hundred spires,” but I would argue that Moscow deserves that title even more.

The Resurrection Gate is traditionally the official entrance to the Red Square.

Throughout its history, the square is not only a place for ceremonies but also a former moat of the Kremlin. What I did not know beforehand was that the elevation of Red Square was higher than all streets leading toward it. As a result, there was a sense of arrival and anticipation as I approached the square. Nothing is more exciting than seeing the onion domes of Saint Basil Cathedral emerging from the horizon. Traditionally, the official entrance into Red Square was the Resurrection Gate. It is the only surviving city gate of Moscow. Typical of its time, the city gate also doubled as a shrine to provide a blessing to those passing below.

Just outside of the gate, we spotted a plaque for Kilometre Zero, from which point the distances of all Russian and Soviet cities were measured. This spot felt extra special since Russia is the largest country by land area. According to common legends, visitors should toss coins over their shoulders for good luck, similar to Rome’s Trevi Fountain. Unfortunately, it was not until recently that I learned that the actual Kilometer Zero was at the Telegraph Building a few blocks away.

Undoubtedly, the best-known monument on the Red Square is the world-renowned Saint Basil’s Cathedral. The building was commissioned by Tsar Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. Legend has it that the tsar had the architects executed to prevent him from building a similar church for other rulers. True or not, there is something special about this structure. I am curious whether Antonio Gaudi partly based his Sagrada Familia on Saint Basil’s. It may be the most famous building in Russia, but the design of Saint Basil’s is far from typical. Instead of a central prayer hall, it comprises nine chambers, each topped with a conical-shaped tower and a flamboyant onion dome. Its design could be traced back to the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye, which is on the outskirts of Moscow. The cathedral's circular plan was a common symbol of heaven back then, with the central tower being the holy city of Jerusalem.

The flamboyant architecture of Saint Basil’s Cathedral.

That said, the church interior was a little disappointing architecturally. While the interior is covered with splendid medieval frescos, the space feels claustrophobic and confusing. It had none of Gaudi's magic. Honestly, I did not remember much of it from my visit. Yeah, it was really that memorable. Like cathedrals inside the Kremlin, Saint Basil escaped the wrecking balls of Soviet authority simply because of its architectural qualities and civic significance. On several occasions, Stalin made plans to demolish the church to make way for his Soviet urban planning. Luckily, many noted Soviet architects and historians intervened and advocated for the church’s preservation. Otherwise, it would have been a colossal loss for Russians and all mankind.

Besides Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square has many other historical and architecturally significant structures. They include the over-the-top GUM Department Store, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, and the State Historical Museum. But for me, the most interesting part of the Red Square lay along the imposing red walls of the Kremlin. Many of the Soviet Union’s luminaries were buried here. Known as the Kremlin Wall Necropolis, it is considered the national cemetery of the USSR. The necropolis began as a mass grave for the 240 Bolshevik revolutionaries in 1917. Though most of those buried here were Soviet politicians, it is also the resting place for great scientists and cultural figures such as Alexander Karpinsky and Yuri Gagarin.

Just in front of the necropolis stood a relatively unassuming building that resembles a modernist stepped pyramid. This is the Mausoleum of Vladamir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union. As an architect, I could wholeheartedly say that this diminutive structure is my favorite on the Red Square. Built during the height of the Constructivist movement, the mausoleum embodies the spirited age of revolution in the early decade of the USSR. Soviet architect Alexey Shchusev had just five days to design and construct a temporary wooden structure to house his body for masses of mourners. Seven months later, it was replaced with a more elaborate wooden pavilion. Today’s mausoleum was the third and the permanent iteration by Shchusevhad. The structure doubles as the reviewing stand for the May Day Parade and other important civic functions.

Mausoleum of Vladamir Lenin and the Senate Building behind the Kremlin Wall.

With great irony, Lenin’s body was embalmed even though he had explicitly to spell out his wish to be buried. Because of his popularity, Lenin’s remains became a potent political tool to rally the Soviet people. To preserve the body perpetually, a special lab was set up to perfect the embalming technology and became the global leader in preserving the human body for display. Rumor had it that countries like China, Vietnam, and North Korea called them up when it was their terms to embalming other communist leaders like Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh, and Kim-Il Sung. Although the body meant to be last forever, the cost of maintaining the corpse costs the Russian government as much as a quarter of a million dollars annually.

To this day, foreign visitors are often surprised that Lenin’s body is still on display for any visitor who cares to take a peek. While I don’t quite remember the opening hours, the visit is free and requires no prior reservation. I honestly think it was the best “tourist” activity any visitor could partake in in Moscow. In case you felt a little morbid about seeing a dead body, you would be among the 2.5 million visitors who visited the body annually. Besides typical security procedures, visitors would be instructed to behave appropriately, which includes having appropriate attires, no lingering, and, most importantly, no photography or video recording of any kind whatsoever. Unlike other dictators’ mausoleums, Lenin’s was tiny and dimly lit. The low light and twisting staircases slowed us down. To see the body was a surreal experience. Credit to the Russian scientists, Lenin looks lifelike, with his skin seeming soft to touch like a living.

For about eight years, Lenin shared his mausoleum with Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. Unlike Lenin, Stalin was more than eager to be embalmed and glorified after his death. Stalin’s presence was controversial and was removed by Nikita Khrushchev under his campaign to dismantle the cult of Stalinism. Stalin’s remain was quietly taken out of the mausoleum and quietly buried in a marked grave by the Kremlin wall. While the Soviet government acknowledged the harms Stalin unleashed during his tenure, it stopped short of condemning or erasing him from history. Perhaps acknowledging his misdeed, the security around this part of the necropolis was particularly tight.

Although Stalin may no longer be on display. He still manages to leave his marks on Red Square to this day. One of the most prominent changes he made was to remove double-headed eagle insignia from five of the most prominent towers of the Kremlin and replace them with Soviet Red Stars. Made of ruby glass, the stars glowed in the dark like beacons in the night sky. Even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the nationalist symbolism of Kremlin Red Stars persisted. The government faced significant backlash when it announced the potential restoration of the imperial symbol to one of the Kremlin towers.

Seeing the domes of Saint Basil’s Cathedral from the distance is always comforting.

Looking at any map of Moscow, one would be hard-pressed not to recognize the importance of Red Square and Moscow Kremlin for Moscow and Russia. Although any city’s top tourist attraction tends to be overly touristy and underwhelming, Red Square bucks that stereotype. It is genuinely one urban space that I could never forget. During my five-month stay in Moscow, I stopped by Red Square often. Is the Red Square the most comfortable in the world? Not. But I would argue that it is the most memorable and beautiful of any urban space I ever visited. I could only hope that one day, I might have the opportunity to revisit Moscow and share my love of this amazing place with Brian.

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