The kremlin timeline

The Kremlin History

By eupovol
  • 1156

    The first Kremlin is constructed during the reign of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky.

    The first Kremlin is constructed during the reign of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky.
    The site of the Kremlin has long been occupied and likely had some structures built upon it as early as the 10th century. Its history as a government center began in 1156, when Prince Yury Vladimirovich Dolgoruky founded the city of Moscow. He had a force of workers build the Kremlin’s first walls, of wood.
  • 1238

    The Kremlin is destroyed by the Mongols.

    The Kremlin is destroyed by the Mongols.
    In 1238, Moscow was rubbed through the Tartar invasion. The manuscript tells the city's population was eliminated, everyone, including babies and old people, the city itself was blown up and destroyed, so the Moscow land trembled with sorrow and pain. However, the city survived, renewed and grew.
  • 1339

    The Kremlin was rebuilt in oak by Ivan I Kalita in 1339.

    The Kremlin was rebuilt in oak by Ivan I Kalita in 1339.
    Prince Ivan Danilovich Kalita (Ivan I of Moscow, r. 1325-1340) was the first significant ruler of Moscow who made major changes to the Kremlin. Ivan I of Moscow was an ally of the Mongol Golden Horde, giving him power and protection. He used his wealth to transform Moscow into a grand city. He also replaced the walls of the Kremlin with solid oak. Towers of up to 13 metres (43 ft) were raised, and gates were created.
  • 1368

    The Kremlin's wooden walls and towers are rebuilt with white stone during the reign of Prince Dmitry Donskoi.

    The Kremlin's wooden walls and towers are rebuilt with white stone during the reign of Prince Dmitry Donskoi.
    In 1367 and 1368 Prince Dmitry Donskoy rebuilt the walls, using white stone.
  • 1474

    Grand Prince Ivan III organised the reconstruction of the Kremlin.

    Grand Prince Ivan III organised the reconstruction of the Kremlin.
    Grand Prince Ivan III organised the reconstruction of the Kremlin, inviting a number of skilled architects from Renaissance Italy. It was during his reign that three extant cathedrals of the Kremlin, the Deposition Church, and the Palace of Facets were constructed. The highest building of the city was the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, built in 1505–1508 and augmented to its present height in 1600. The Kremlin walls as they now appear were built between 1485 and 1495.
  • 1479

    The Dormition Cathedral (Assumption Cathedral) is completed and consecrated.

    The Dormition Cathedral (Assumption Cathedral) is completed and consecrated.
    Fioravanti's most famous work was the Dormition Cathedral (Assumption Cathedral), which was consecrated in 1479 and is considered one of Moscow's most sacred cathedrals.
  • 1490

    The Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower and the Borovitskaya Tower are completed.

    The Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower and the Borovitskaya Tower are completed.
  • 1491

    The Frolov and the Nikolsky gates and towers are completed.

    The Frolov and the Nikolsky gates and towers are completed.
  • 1492

    The Palace of Facets is completed.

    The Palace of Facets is completed.
  • 1508

    The Cathedral of the Archangel is completed.

    The Cathedral of the Archangel is completed.
    At the request of Ivan III, Aloisio the New began construction on the new Cathedral of the Archangel (1508), the future burial place of many royals. However, Ivan III died three years before it was completed and never got to see the end result, which was a beautiful red brick and white stone building.
  • 1508

    The Ivan the Great Bell Tower is completed.

    The Ivan the Great Bell Tower is completed.
    The Ivan the Great Bell Tower was completed in 1508 by architect Bon Fryazin and is the tallest structure in the Kremlin, playing a crucial role in the defences of the Kremlin as its central watchtower.
  • 1514

    The Grand Ducal Palace is completed.

    The Grand Ducal Palace is completed.
    In 1480, the architect Marco Ruffo (Marco Fryazin) arrived in Moscow and worked on the Grand Ducal Palace (1514) and the beautiful Chamber of Facets (Palace of Facets), the royal dining hall.

  • The Time of Troubles takes place in Russia.

    The Time of Troubles (1598-1612) began with the death of Tsar Feodor I of Russia (r. 1584-1598), who left no heirs. What followed was over a decade of death and destruction as the throne was fought over. The boyars (Russian nobles) were trapped behind the high walls of the Kremlin, and the Kremlin was seized by foreign forces, with the surrounding buildings in Moscow being burned to ashes.

  • Terem Palace is completed.

    Terem Palace is completed.
    The most notable building project during Mikhail's reign was the Terem Palace (1630s), built with brick by a team of Russian builders. It was a grand building with intricate carvings, bright colours, glazed windows and a gilded roof. The Terem Palace became the primary residence of the tsars during the 17th century.

  • St. Petersburg becomes the new capital city of Russia.

    St. Petersburg becomes the new capital city of Russia.
    Peter I of Russia was the tsar of Russia from 1682 to 1721 and Russian emperor from 1721 to 1725. During his reign, the Kremlin was looked upon as an old-fashioned fortress with multiple issues. It had been whitewashed to invoke its original look and was no longer as striking or distinctive looking. Peter I built a new city called St. Petersburg, which became the new Russian capital in 1713. The Kremlin remained a royal residence but was soon looked upon as an old relic.