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Exploring Moscow's Architecture

Exploring Moscow's Architecture

By Laura Blake

Moscow is famous for the unusual architecture that lines its streets, often inspired by art it has a distinctly creative feel which has gone on to be celebrated around the world.  Here are some of the standout highlights of the capital’s architecture.
 
The Kremlin
 
The quintessential symbol of Russia and in the very heart of Moscow, the Kremlin overlooks the famous Red Square and what stands today has existed since the late 15th century when it was built during 1482-1495.  In English the name Kremlin aptly translates as ‘fortress’ and is the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.
 
The building sits on Borovitsky Hill, rising above the Moscow River in the very centre of the city.  Its white-stone walls are instantly recognisable, it is surrounded by unassailable red-brick walls and tightly guarded gates.  There was even once a river and moat that protected its north and east sides which were filled in 200 years ago.  All these defences add a magical element to the building, particularly as you get inside and are able to marvel at why the site was so well protected. 
 
What is contained within the walls of the Kremlin are a joy to behold, cathedral square is at the heart of it and is surrounded by six other buildings.  The Cathedral of the Dormition is the most impressive, completed in 1479; it was the main church of Moscow where all the Tsars were crowned.  The starring feature is the huge limestone facade, which is capped with five golden cupolas.  The other notable structure at the Kremlin is the Ivan the Great Bell Tower which is said to mark the exact centre of Moscow and resemble a burning candle.
 
St Basil’s Cathedral
 
At the southern end of Red Square stands the 16th-century St.  Basil’s Cathedral, which was built by Ivan the Terrible (Tsar Ivan IV) to commemorate his victory over the Tartar Mongols.  One of the striking aspects of this magnificent building is the deluge of colours and shapes that is totally unique to Russian architecture.  From 1555 to 1561 architects conjured the design for this masterpiece which has come to be recognised around the globe.
 
Underneath the sheer randomness of the many shapes lies a complex web of nine different chapels, the tall, tent-roofed one in the centre; four big, octagonal-towered ones, topped with the four biggest domes; and four smaller ones in between.  It is alleged that Ivan actually had the architects blinded so they could never build anything comparable.
 
Metro Stations
 
A journey on the Moscow metro is also a crusade through Russia’s history as eight decades of Russian architecture pass before you.  From spotless baroque marble and grey granite structures to very modern iron and glass creations all reflecting the past ambitions and styles of times gone by.  The immaculate granite floors of the subway are as remarkable as the intricate artwork and regal columns that also adorn the stations.  The Metro itself dates back to 1931, the first Metro line – running from Sokolniki to Dvorets Sovetov (now Kropotkinskaya) – was 11km (seven miles) long and had 13 stations.
 
In the beginning, Russian design of its metro stations sought to create “palaces of the people”, with many art historians believing that the immensely grandiose underground stations were meant to foster a favourable image of a relatively young soviet state.  The Lenin era of Russia can still be traced at some stations with impressive busts of Lenin to be found at Belorusskaya and Komsomolskaya stations, while there are also fantastic mosaics at Baumanskaya and Kievskaya. 
 
Contemporary design of the stations has its roots in the architectural styles of the Thirties and Forties, which were reintroduced when artists were involved in decorating the stations once more.  Sretensky Bulvar station has silhouettes of Pushkin, Gogol, and the scientist Timiryazev along with scenes of Moscow; Dostoevskaya is decorated with black-and-white panels featuring the main characters from Dostoyevsky’s novels The Idiot, Demons, Crime and Punishment, and The Brothers Karamazov, and the Maryina Roshcha station has pastoral mosaic landscapes.

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