| Zaraysk Kremlin | |
|---|---|
| Part of Great Abatis Line | |
| Zaraysk, Moscow Oblast Russia | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 54°45′24″N38°52′9″E / 54.75667°N 38.86917°E |
| Type | Kremlin |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Restored |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1528-1531 |
The Zaraysk Kremlin is a rectangular fortified citadel, built at the behest of Vasili III of Moscow between 1528 and 1531. The town of Zaraysk is located between Moscow and Ryazan. [1]
Novogorodok-upon-the-Osyotr (later renamed Zaraysk) became part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow when the Principality of Ryazan lost its independence in 1503. Till that point, Ryazan had provided a protective buffer for Muscovy against potential attacks from the nomadic Tatars in the south. [1]
Just two years after completion in 1531, the new stone-walled kremlin found itself under attack from Crimean Tartars. There was another attack in 1541 from forces under the Crimean khan Sahib I Giray, which was beaten off by Nazar Glebov. Further attacks by Crimean Tartars took place 1544, in 1570, 1573 and 1591. [2]
In the 17th century, the growing settlement near the fortress acquired the name Zaraysk. In 1608, during the Time of Troubles, the kremlin fell into the hands of Polish invaders under the leadership of Aleksander Józef Lisowski, but was subsequently liberated by Dmitry Pozharsky. The last attack from Crimean Tartars was documented in 1673. After this episode the fortress was placed under the protection of the icon of the Theotokos of Kazan.
In 1681 Czar Feodor III authorized the rebuilding of the St. Nicholas Cathedral to replace the existing timber structure which had fallen into disrepair. During the eighteenth century, Zaraysk lost its strategic importance with the opening up of new trade routes. At the start of the twentieth century it was decided to rebuild the Church of the beheading of St John the Baptist (Церковь Иоанна Предтечи) (ru). Less than twenty years later, with a new secular political régime calling the shots from Moscow, the entire Kremlin enclosure was redefined as a museum complex in 1918. During the Great Patriotic War the town was near the frontline, but the Zaraysk Kremlin emerged undamaged.
Between 1987 and 1993 the complex benefitted from extensive restoration work, commissioned by the Moscow-based Department for Cultural Assets, but the restoration work remains incomplete following the withdrawal of funding. In 1998 a new "Museum of the Kremlin of Zaraysk" was established, containing a range of artefacts from Russia, western Europe, China and Japan. [3]
The Zaraysk Kremlin is conceptually similar to other Russian kremlins of its time, including the Moscow Kremlin constructed a few decades earlier. Its 2.4-hectare footprint is smaller than that of the other surviving medieval kremlins, however. It is positioned high on the eastern river bank opposite the confluence of the Osyotr and Oka Rivers. When it was built it was intended purely as a defensive outpost of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, to guard in particular against the frequent attacks from the Tartars. It was one of several strongholds along the course of the Oka which together comprised what came to be known as the Great Abatis Line.
One source identifies the architect of the Kremlin as Aloisio the New, better known for his numerous commissions in Moscow. Others assert that, as with most Russian fortifications outside Moscow, there is no surviving record of the name of the architect of the Kremlin at Zaraysk, and there is no surviving record of Aloisio having still been alive in the 1530s. The lay-out of the citadel follows the tradition of old Russian fortification buildings. The relatively small Zaraysk Kremlin has walls than are 9 m (30 ft) high and up to 3 m (9.8 ft) meters thick, constructed of brick and limestone blocks. Seven watch towers are incorporated in the walls including four twelve-sided corner towers. The other three towers, positioned midway along the northern, western and southern walls, include robust entrance gates into the kremlin. All the towers incorporate gun openings, designed so that artillery pieces can be directed against attackers outside or, with the guns turned round, inside the kremlin walls.
Within the walls two historical church buildings survive, both built very much more recently than the Kremlin itself. The St. Nicholas Cathedral (Никольский собор), topped off with no fewer than five onion domes, was built in 1681, replacing an earlier timber structure. Nearby is the Church of the beheading of St John the Baptist, architecturally very different, consecrated in 1821 and most recently rebuilt in 1901-1904. While the St. Nicholas Cathedral follows the traditional Russian style, the John the Baptist Church, with its single dome, follows neoclassical principles.
Outside the kremlin wall is an Upper Paleolithic (Gravettian) site which has revealed a bison figurine and two mammoth ivory Venus figurines. The finds are exhibited at the Zaraysk Kremlin museum.
A kremlin is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the most famous one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there. Other such fortresses are called detinets, such as the Novgorod Detinets.
The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, commonly known as Saint Basil's Cathedral, is an Orthodox church in Red Square of Moscow, and is one of the most popular cultural symbols of Russia. The building, now a museum, is officially known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, or Pokrovsky Cathedral. It was built from 1555 to 1561 on orders from Ivan the Terrible and commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. It was the city's tallest building until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600.
Kolomna is an ancient city of Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Moskva and Oka Rivers, 114 kilometers (71 mi) southeast of Moscow. Population: 144,589 (2010 Census); 150,129 (2002 Census); 161,881 (1989 Census).
The Oka is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, as far upstream as the town of Kaluga. Its length is 1,500 km (930 mi) and its catchment area is 245,000 km2 (95,000 sq mi). The Russian capital Moscow sits on one of the Oka's tributaries—the Moskva.
The Kremlin is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins, and includes five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. In addition, within this complex is the Grand Kremlin Palace that was formerly the Tsar's Moscow residence. The complex now serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation and as a museum with almost 3 million visitors in 2017. The Kremlin overlooks the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and the Alexander Garden to the west.
Zaraysk is a town and the administrative center of Zaraysky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located about 162 kilometers (101 mi) southeast from Moscow. Population: 24,645 (2010 Census); 25,093 (2002 Census); 26,958 (1989 Census).
Zasechnaya cherta was a chain of fortification lines, created by Grand Duchy of Moscow and later the Tsardom of Russia to protect it from the Crimean-Nogai Raids that ravaged the southern provinces of the country via the Muravsky Trail during the Russo-Crimean Wars. It was south of the original line along the Oka River. It also served as a border between the Muscovite State and the steppe nomads. As a fortification line stretching for hundreds kilometers, the Great Abatis Border is analogous to the Great Wall of China and the Roman limes.
The Cathedral of the Archangel is a Russian Orthodox church dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It is located in Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin in Russia between the Great Kremlin Palace and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. It was the main necropolis of the Tsars of Russia until the relocation of the capital to St. Petersburg. It was constructed between 1505 and 1508 under the supervision of an Italian architect Aloisio the New on the spot of an older cathedral, built in 1333. Now it also serves as a part of Moscow Kremlin Museums.
The Kazan Kremlin is the chief historic citadel of Russia, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built at the behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.
Ascension Convent, known as the Starodevichy Convent or Old Maidens' Convent until 1817, was an Orthodox nunnery in the Moscow Kremlin which contained the burials of grand princesses, tsarinas, and other noble ladies from the Muscovite royal court.
Kolomna Kremlin is a very large fortress in Kolomna, Russia. The stone Kolomna Kremlin was built from 1525–1531 under the Russian Tsar Vasily III. Before its reconstruction in 1531, the Kolomna Kremlin was made of wood. On its territory there are many Russian churches and monasteries: The Uspensky cathedral, the Voskresenky church, the Spassky monastery, and a number of others.
The Suzdal Kremlin is the oldest part of the Russian city of Suzdal, dating from the 10th century. Like other Russian Kremlins, it was originally a fortress or citadel and was the religious and administrative center of the city. It is most notably the site of the Cathedral of the Nativity.
The Tobolsk Kremlin is the sole stone kremlin in Siberia. It is located in Tobolsk, Tyumen Oblast, Russia.
Astrakhan Kremlin is a fortress in Astrakhan, Russia. It is located on a hill on an island in the Volga Delta, between the Volga, the Kutum, and the Tsarev.
The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is a fortress in Nizhny Novgorod, the historic city center.
Tula Kremlin is a fortress in Tula, in the central area of European part of Russia. Monument of the 16th century. There are 2 Cathedrals inside the Kremlin:
The Ryazan Kremlin, the oldest part of the city of Ryazan, is a historical and architectural museum. It is one of the oldest museums in Russia. Located on the top of a steep hill, it is surrounded by rivers and a dry moat. This monument of architecture and nature reserve of federal importance is included in the State Register of Especially Valuable Objects of the People of the Russian Federation. The management of this museum is the responsibility of the Federal State Institution of Culture "Ryazan Kremlin"
The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos "na Senyakh" is the oldest surviving building in the Moscow Kremlin and the city of Moscow. It has been part of the Grand Kremlin Palace since the mid-19th century. The church cannot be visited. Only the underground floor of the Annunciation Cathedral goes back to the same period of the Middle Ages as this church.
Moscow Kremlin Museums is a major state-run museum in Moscow Kremlin. Its roots lie in the Kremlin Armoury museum founded in 1806, the current form of the museum started in 1991. The Head of the museum is Yelena Gagarina, daughter of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. There were 424,922 visitors to the Kremlin Museums in 2020, a drop of 86 percent from 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it still ranked 46th on the List of most-visited art museums in the world in 2020.
The Venus figurines from Zaraysk are two paleolithic sculptures of the female body. Both are made of mammoth ivory. The age of these Venus figurines is about 20.000 to 14 000 years BC; they stem from the Gravettian. Zaraysk is a Russian town located between Moscow and Ryazan. The statuettes were found in 2005 by Hizri Amirkhanov and Sergey Lev. Finds from Zaraysk show features of both the Avdeevo culture and the Kostenki culture.