A Trip to the Kremlin
8th Grader James Sun visited Moscow, Russia over the summer
November 12, 2019
The word “Kremlin” strikes fear into Americans like nothing else, except for “Al-Qaeda” and maybe “No Service.” But in reality, it is quite a pleasant place, at least to the visitor. In August this year, I visited the Kremlin in the heart of Moscow, Russia. The Kremlin is the residence of the Russian President who currently is Vladimir Putin.
The origin of the Kremlin is unclear, but most historians believe that it dates back to 1156, where it was used as the religious center of the Russian Orthodox Church and the residence of the early tsars. The modern appearance of the site was started in 1367 when the first towers and walls were built by architectural masters brought in from Europe. St. Basil’s Cathedral, which is located next to the Kremlin, was built in the 1600s. In the 1700s, the capital of Russia was moved west to St. Petersburg. When the Communist party took over Russia, the capital was changed back to Moscow, where it developed a notorious reputation as where the inner workings of the regime were located. When the USSR became the USS aren’t, the first president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, lived here until Putin moved in in 1999 after Yeltsin resigned.
The Kremlin is surrounded by brick-red towers and walls. It lies on the edge of the Moscow River and is located on top of Borovitsky Hill. The east side of the Kremlin is the Red Square, which is also notable for having Lenin’s mausoleum on it.
When I visited, the entrance was being renovated. We spent about an hour in line to purchase tickets to get in the Kremlin and the Armoury, which was a museum with the most valuable items in all of Russia. An orange-flavored soda with the Kremlin logo on it was for sale at the entrance, which was purchased (and it was better than Fanta). Here is a list of the most interesting things in the complex:
Sobornaya Square (Cathedral Square)
The visit was very pleasant, except for waiting in line for one hour. Everything was very well managed inside the Kremlin and you could see Putin’s home as well. The only disappointment was the Armoury. I expect some old Russian art and relics but was greeted by dresses of the royalty and also their horse carriages. My trip to the Kremlin in Moscow was very nice overall, and I would recommend visiting the complex.
