The Kremlin – Moscow, Russia

Located in the heart of Moscow is “The Kremlin.” This amazing complex is the political and cultural epicenter of Russia and has been for centuries. It is difficult to compare “The Kremlin” to something familiar in the United States but I guess the closest comparison would be the Capital Building in Washington DC. The government of Russia (parliament, etc) rules from The Kremlin as it houses the parliament building, numerous administrative offices, etc. The entire complex is surrounded by a huge red brick wall that has large look out towers, etc. The complex starts at the river and climbs its way up the hill so that it overlooks the city. Inside the walls is an incredible collection of architectural treasures. There are historic churches, classical government buildings, modern communist era meeting halls, grand parks, etc, etc. Lindsay and I explored this area on a beautiful summer day in 2010. The government buildings are simply gorgeous as many of them are white, yellow, etc and they all are in perfect shape. The constant police presence (always blowing whistles at tourist who wander into secure areas) reminds you that this is still very much an active and important place. The jewel of The Kremlin compound is a collection of Russian orthodox churches. There are roughly 4-5 churches huddled together surrounding a stone/cobblestone square. The churches range from fairly new to ancient. Each has its own unique look/feel but they are all very much Russian Orthodox (numerous domes, lots of detail, etc). The most unique of all of these is the ancient Cathedral of the Assumption. It was said that when the Nazis had Moscow surrounded that Stalin allowed a secret vigil in this cathedral even though communist Russia was an “atheist state.” Lindsay and I wandered around this area just sitting on steps, people watching, thinking and just overall taking in the scene. Adjacent to the cathedrals was the extremely impressive Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the huge Tsar Cannon (A huge old cannon built by the Russians). Nearby was a beautiful park area and Lindsay and I spent the rest of our time in the Kremlin just walking through this park enjoying the surrounding area. Occasionally the bright white/gold tops of the cathedral churches could be scene through the tall green trees. The sky was blue, the birds were chirping and the surrounding area was simply spectacular. It truly was the perfect day to experience one of the top destinations in Russia….The Kremlin.