The Kremlin Regiment

Posted on May 23, 2014 by fernholzg

Gisell and I are both very fond of the soldiers here in Moscow, and we both really wanted to write about them, so to spread the joy, here’s a joint blog from us about the Kremlin or Presidential Regiment.
In Moscow, as in Arlington National Cemetery, there is a very famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The American memorial is a large stone cube, which a soldier marches around at all times; Russia’s monument is an eternal flame flanked by two soldiers from the Kremlin Regiment. Located just outside the Kremlin Wall, the World War II memorial commemorates fallen Soviet soldiers, and an eternal flame, lit from the eternal flame in St. Petersburg, burns in front of it. To the right of the flame extends a red marble wall, inscribed with the names of Hero-Cities of the Soviet Union during World War II; that is, where major battles were fought.
As in D.C., tourists in Moscow flock to watch the tomb’s guards, especially the hourly changing ceremony. Two soldiers come from off-right [seriously, I’m not even sure where they come from, it’s so far off] and march with high kicks towards the Tomb. The previous two soldiers take the same route back, accompanied by an officer in the middle who oversees the change.

Becoming a member of the Presidential Regiment is contingent upon several rigorous qualifications…

Infographic from Russia Beyond the Headlines

The Kremlin Regiment has various functions; in general, they’re tasked with the protection of the President and treasures in and around the the Kremlin. This includes guarding Lenin’s Mausoleum, the Tomb, the Kremlin Arsenal (which hosts a huge collection of Imperial paraphernelia), as well as simply funneling tourists inside the walls and around the premises on carefully-marked crosswalks.
The Regiment also perform a spectacular show on Sundays in the Kremlin on Cathedral Square. They march on foot, parade on horses, and do really impressive spinning and tossing maneuvers with guns, which they fire at the end. The show is called the Razvod Karaula (kah-rah-OOL-ah), the Changing of the Guard, and was one of my favorite things from the entire trip.

Further reading:
http://rbth.com/society/2013/07/30/presidential_regiment_commander_reveals_kremlin_secrets_28499.html

Tall (brick) Tales

Posted on May 22, 2014 by malnare

The Moscow Kremlin boasts nineteen towers of matching bright red brick, and each one of them has a name (except for two) and a story. From my first trip around Red Square and the Kremlin, I picked out a few of these towers and shall share some of that history.

Spasskaya Tower and its magnificent clock, once the main entrance to the Kremlin.

The most striking tower on Red Square is Spasskaya Tower, or ‘the Savior’s’ tower, dating back to 1491. The name comes from a sacred icon called “The Savior Not Made by Hands,” which once hung over the main entrance of the Kremlin. The icon was so widely revered that even the old tsars would remove their hats or dismount when passing under this gate. Where all kinds of people once stood on even ground, all people now move by the same time: the Spasskaya became the clock with legendary chimes that sets Moscow standard time for the whole country. This most famous tower of the Kremlin helps cast the setting of Red Square.

The “water-drawing” tower, although that apparatus is not extant.

Vodovzvodnaya (yes, hard to say, isn’t it?) Tower appeared a little earlier in 1488 at the corner of the Kremlin, just outside today’s Red Square. It stands next to the Moskva River and its name indicates “water-lifting.” A machine for drawing water was installed in 1633 in order to keep the Kremlin supplied with water without needing to expose anyone outside the walls, a splendid defense mechanism for potential sieges.

Annunciation Tower, with the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great rising in the background.

The nearby Blagoveschenskaya Tower is special for having a varied past. Half a century after its completion in 1488, the tower was made into the Kremlin’s prison. But the prison was closed and a church constructed there, prompting its name, meaning “annunciation.” This title evokes a higher calling in honor of the Church of Annunciation and its famed icon of the event. The church, therefore, would have been but one of many inside the Kremlin, but something special for being in the wall!
Sadly, there’s no space to write about all of the towers, but they are definitely a defining feature of the city!
Information mostly learned in classes at Carleton, supplemented or checked at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Moscow_Kremlin_towers

Red Square on Victory Day

Posted on May 22, 2014 by kaspers

After our adventures at Patriarch’s Ponds, Gretchen, Almeda, and I visited Red Square. It being May 10, the day after Victory Day, we watched workers take down the huge, metal-framed structures built for the holiday.

Taking it all down.

Returning to class Monday, at least two, maybe three, of our professors told us that it would have been better for us to watch the parade on Red Square on TV instead of craning our necks, standing on our tiptoes, and watching from a different part of the parade route. But for us, the goal was to experience the festivities in person and not through a screen. After all, we can always look online and see what we may have missed! And yes, I was curious: how had Red Square had looked like the day before, on Victory Day? The weather was perfect and the streets were packed. However, the following day was overcast, threatening to rain, and the streets were deserted.
Here are a few comparison pictures:

From http://rt.com/news/157780-wwii-victory-parade-red-square/.

The view above Red Square. From http://rt.com/news/157780-wwii-victory-parade-red-square/.

The view in front of GUM, a shopping center.

Red Square filled with people. From http://pbs.twimg.com/.

On Wednesday (May 21) I traveled back to Park Pobedy, Victory Park, to visit the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. It was sunny and uncomfortably warm, and as with Red Square on May 10, Park Pobedy was deserted except for a few people playing in the fountains.

May 21st. Not a holiday. All this open space was filled on Victory Day!

May 9th, Victory Day on Park Pobedy.

Lenin's Mausoleum

Posted on May 21, 2014 by fernholzg

Okay, I admit it. I was really, really excited to see Vladimir Ilych Lenin in person. The mausoleum was one of those things my high-school-self found on Google one evening and spent the next several hours/ few days obsessively researching.
The decision to preserve Lenin was made in opposition to the wishes of his wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya. There have been different iterations of the mausoleum: at first it was wooden.

The final design was decided through a contest sponsored by the Soviet government, won by architect Aleksey Shchusev.

The longest-lived, most famous Mausoleum design.

During World War II, the German offensive pushed dangerously close to Moscow. In response, Lenin’s body was transported to Siberia in a specially customized temperature-controlled train with all of the necessary supplies. Then, in 1953, the Mausoleum gained a second inhabitant: Joseph Stalin. This was only temporary though; Khrushchev had Stalin’s body buried next to the Kremlin wall in 1961 as part of Destalinization.

The Lenin-Stalin Mausoleum.

Stalin’s resting place, next to the Kremlin wall. His grave, both times I’ve seen it, was never wanting for flowers…

The idea of preserving a body as a symbol of an ideal (that is, Lenin as a symbol of Communism) is endlessly fascinating to me, but not everyone sees it that way. When discussing our plans to visit Lenin, the reactions we encountered ranged from neutral to negative. Our professors asked us why we’d ever want to go see a mummy. The mausoleum was evaluated as scary, terrible, unnecessary. Me, I found it curious. If I could spend more time in Russia, I would try to grapple with the question, “What role does Lenin continue to play in modern-day Russia. Or, does he play a role at all?
It sure seems that way. From tourist trinkets to legitimate Communist rallies, Lenin is still very much a part of the public consciousness. And judging by the Victory Day decorations on Red Square, he’s maybe being pushed aside. Three of us strolled the square on Sunday, the day after the enormous holiday. We noticed some very conspicuous scaffolding hung with banners that entirely encased the Mausoleum. It seemed to be intentionally blocking the stark red-and-black pyramid from view; indeed, upon glancing at some pictures online, they actually built a huge stage in front of the mausoleum.

Putin delivering a Victory Day speech, May 9, 2014. Photo courtesy of the Russian Presidential Press and Information Service.

The stage’s aftermath.

My question: Why, when for so many years great celebratory speeches were delivered from ATOP the pyramid, would they instead choose to cover it up?
Lenin’s current resting place (and quite possibly not his last) is an excellent example of the struggle currently going on within Russia – that is, the battle between old and new. Time will tell how this city will continue to change under the cold stone gaze of the Mausoleum.

A Tale of Two Clocks

Posted on May 20, 2014 by kaspers

I’ve been impressed by two clocks residing in Moscow:

The first is the Temple of Glory in the Armory Museum

On Monday, May 5 (the same day that we got back from St. Petersburg!) we were given a tour of the Kremlin’s armory. We saw elaborate royal clothing and carriages, snazzy crowns, and gifts given to the royal family, such as golden tableware and my favorite – a chiming clock. It was gifted to Catherine the Great by Michael Maddox, who moved from England to Russia when he was twenty. The clock, Храм Славы (temple of glory), was completed in 1703. Although it is not functioning today, the clock would chime and play music to revolving figurines and flowers, different depending on the hour. (even though this is in Russian, my source is from here http://kraeved1147.ru/chasyi-m-medoksa-hram-slavyi/). Photography in the Armory was prohibited, but I managed to find this photo:

Michal Maddox’s clock to Catherine the Great, Temple of Glory. 1703. From http://www.moscow-driver.com/

And the second is: Kremlin Chimes and clock

Each time I have visited to Red Square or the Kremlin, I love listening to the distinct melody of the Кремлёвские куранты (Kremlin Chimes).

The time kept by the clock is the official time of Moscow. The clock and its chimes are housed in the Spasskaya Tower http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spasskaya_Tower, the main tower of the Moscow Kremlin, towering over Red Square.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is on the left and Spasskaya Tower is on the right. From the wikimedia commons.

Somewhere between 1491 and 1585, the clock was added to the Spasskaya Tower and since then, it has been rebuilt multiple times. The clock’s face is just over 20 feet (6 meters) in diameter and the minute hand is nearly 11 feet (3 meters), impressively big. The clock lets out a short chime every fifteen minutes and a longer tune on each I find the scale of both of these clocks impressive – Spasskaya Tower’s clock is huge and the Maddox’s clock is very intricate.

The Kremlin's "Secret" Gardens

Posted on May 19, 2014 by eisenthall

The Kremlin is the heart of Moscow. It is an incredible, bewitching place. Poet Mikhail Lermontov put it this way:

“neither the Kremlin nor its crenellated walls, nor its dark passages, nor the splendid palaces can be described. They must be seen, they must be seen. One must feel all that they say to the heart and the imagination,” (Brooke, 1).

We were finally able to visit the Kremlin this last weekend and see several of its sacred places and objects, including the building in which Stalin lived, the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon, the building that Putin works in, and the striking Cathedral Square. To my surprise, my favorite place in the Kremlin ended up being Taynitsky Gardens, named for the nearby Taynitskaya Tower. Taynitsky means “secret,” and the secret of the Tower was a hidden well and a passageway to the Moscow River. They were both done away with (filled up and blocked off, respectively) during the Stalin period. The Gardens themselves used to be the site of a church, though that too was demolished after the 1917 Revolution.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The sweet smell of lilacs pulled me into the park. The day we took our tour was unusually chilly and wet, but the Gardens still glowed with beauty. Tulips were in full bloom, and everything looked fresh and green. It is a colorful, lovely place.

Taynitskaya Tower

Sneaking a peek at Putin’s helipad from the park.

Manezhnaya Ploshchad' Fountains

Posted on May 5, 2014 by landk

Since much has been written about the beauty of Red Square already, and because on May 1st all the fountains in the city were turned on (although the rain spell we are having today seems to have caused some of them to turn off again) I thought I would write about the fountains located just behind the Kremlin on Manezhnaya Ploshad’. When I first saw these fountains, they were devoid of water, which made them a bit less exciting than they are now. However, now the fountains are going full blast and the area has been taken over (again, rain notwithstanding) by strollers, lovers, and kids eager to enjoy spring.

A poor picture of “Geyser,” the central fountain. The four horses are meant to represent the four different seasons of the year.

Back at Carleton, I took a class with our professor Anna Mikhailovna called “Russian Cultural Idioms of the 19th Century,” in which we learned about stories, works of art, quotes, and paintings that are well known in Russian culture. This class has proved to be extremely useful in Russia. For example, when looking at these fountains, I was able to spot many that represent stories we are familiar with from our classwork.

For example, the fountain below shows the character Alyonushka, a young girl whose brother gets turned into a goat for disobeying the instructions of his parents. The statue shows Alyonushka in a state of depression as she contemplates her fate. This pose was famously rendered by Vasnetsov in his painting “Alyonushka.” To watch a cartoon of the story (in Russian), click here.

Another fountain that I recognized is based on a Pushkin story, “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” (Сказка о золотой рыбке). In this tale, an old fisherman catches a golden fish who promises to fulfill all his wishes.

The story goes that the old man, not knowing what to do with such a fish, throws it back into the sea. However, when his wife hears about the fish, she immediately starts requesting things. At first, she wants practical things that she and her husband need. Eventually, though, her greed overtakes her and she starts requesting more and more unrealistic things until finally, the golden fish decides enough is enough and leaves her with nothing.

To me, these fountains represent a series of moments here in Russia in which I have had the opportunity to see something that I recognize from a class or film and have a wonderful moment of clarity in which I realize that all those hours I spent studying at Carleton did pay off.

Red Square: History and Contrast

Posted on April 29, 2014 by moreesandersa

Red Square is full of strange and fascinating contrasts. When I visited, I was struck by the way a single square could combine elements from so many parts of Russian history. Even the name seems to bridge the imperial and soviet eras: deriving from an old Russian word meaning “beautiful,” the square came to be called Krasnaya Ploshchad after St Basil’s cathedral was built on it in the middle of the sixteenth century under the tsar Ivan the Terrible. In modern Russian, “Krasnaya” refers to the color red, which seems appropriate given Russia’s soviet past.

The Lenin mausoleum in front of the Kremlin wall. Photo credit: Wikimedia commons

The architecture also presents some interesting juxtapositions. In the same day, I went into both the Lenin Mausoleum and St Basil’s cathedral. The mausoleum’s stern right angles and somber colors are in stark opposition to the cathedral’s bright domes, winding passageways, and intricately painted geometric and floral patterns, but the amazing thing is that both seem to fit into the architectural ensemble in some way. Styles have certainly changed over the last five hundred years or so, but Red Square is so full of unique architecture that nothing seems out of place.
When I first got through the gates leading onto the square, I almost ran straight into a pro-communism demonstration.

My first view of Red Square

Seeing this group of modern communists demonstrating against the backdrop of a nine-hundred-year-old fortress, two Orthodox churches, a huge secular mausoleum, a museum, and an early twentieth century shopping center was a startling reminder of how many different forces have played a role in shaping modern Russia.

Labyrinths and Grandeur: St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square

Posted on April 20, 2014 by aldrichc

I have to admit: since the beginning of my time here in Moscow I have wanted to see THIS on Red Square:

I wished to witness all of the grandeur of Храм Василия Блаженного (St. Basil’s Cathedral) with its whimsical cupolas and lively color. It was just as I imagined on the outside. However, when I finally went inside, it was much different than I had previously imagined. Often in pictures, it can appear to be behemoth in scale, monstrous in proportion. This image, however, changes on the inside the cathedral. Inside, the winding corridors and diminutive chapels seem a dark, complex labyrinth. The grandeur, on the inside, suddenly prevailed in my mind when I reached the central chamber of the cathedral. Then I heard the singing…

A story goes that Ivan the Terrible ordered that the two architects be blinded after they finished the cathedral, so that they may never build something so beautiful ever again. At that moment, I could see why.

Lobnoe Mesto

Posted on April 18, 2014 by browninj

There is a shy, cylindrical structure made of stone sitting on the edge of the Red Square that is perhaps most notable for not being very noticeable. As a matter of fact, I had absolutely no recollection of the Lobnoe mesto from when I visited Moscow over the summer, despite having wandered back and forth across the Red Square on multiple occasions. But this, I think, is excusable. Stepping onto the Red Square,you are instantly surrounded by concurrent histories flowing together and sights that are known throughout the world. It is easy for the red walls of the Kremlin, Lenin’s Mausoleum, GUM, and St. Basil’s Cathedral to drown out what looks to be a large and simple well, patiently sitting alongside the monument to Citizen Minin and Prince Pozharskii, the 17^th century liberators of Moscow. I probably would have missed it again on my most recent excursion had the praktikanti not pointed it out after I almost plowed straight into it.

As with many other Russian names (including the “Red Square”) translation has further confused an already complicated and disputed etymology. My favorite interpretation is that Lobnoe mesto, like Calvary, is so named because it is a sharp, raised place that resembles a head or skull (“lob” being the Russian word for “forehead”).

Counterintuitively, the Lobnoe mesto was intended to attract attention. It was from this spot in 1549 that Ivan the Terrible called for the boyars to reconcile their differences and over the following years and centuries it became a place from which decrees were promulgated. The executions of Stenka Razin and participants of the 1698 Stretlet Revolt on this location conveyed a different type of official message to the public. In 1968, the tables turned and a group of Soviet dissidents came to this spot to protest their government’s decision to crush the Prague Spring and now the circular platform, littered with 50 kopek and 1 ruble pieces eagerly tossed from the hands of Muscovites and tourists attempting to throw a coin into the central hole of the structure for good luck, projects an entirely different message.

Vasily Surikov's Morning of the Execution of the Stretltsy (Утро стрелецкой казни)

The Lobnoe mesto (left-midground) in Surikov’s Morning of the Execution of the Streltsy. Despite the fact that relatively few executions were actually carried out on this spot, lobnoe mesto (in small letters) can be used to mean “a place of execution”.

Sources:

Caroline Brooke, Moscow: A Cultural History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006)
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Лобное_место

Carleton Moscow & Beyond 2014

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Category Archives: Red Square and the Kremlin