Kremlin
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The Moscow Kremlin seen from the river.

A wall of Smolensk Kremlin in 1912.

Remains of the Kolomna Kremlin.

Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.

Kremlin (Russian: Кремль, Kreml Russian pronunciation: [krʲɛmlʲ]) is the Russian word for "fortress", "citadel" or "castle" and refers to any major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or the government that is based there. Outside Russia, the name "Kremlin" is sometimes mistakenly thought of as being Saint Basil's Cathedral because of its distinctive environment, although this is not a part of the Moscow Kremlin.

The name Kremlin (or Kreml) has been allocated to various Soviet Navy vessels during construction. In each case, the name was changed prior to commissioning. Vessels which have briefly carried this name included Admiral Kuznetsov and Ulyanovsk.^[1]

Russia's president administration is located in the Kremlin. During the Soviet era the government of the USSR located in Kremlin, although now it occupies a building outside it.

List of Russian cities and towns with kremlins

• World Heritage Sites
  • Moscow Kremlin
  • Novgorod Kremlin
  • Kazan Kremlin
  • Suzdal Kremlin
  • Solovetsky Monastery

• Extant
  • Astrakhan Kremlin
  • Kolomna Kremlin
  • Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin
  • Pskov Kremlin
  • Rostov Kremlin
  • Smolensk Kremlin
  • Tobolsk Kremlin
  • Tula Kremlin
  • Zaraysk Kremlin

• In ruins
  • Gdov Kremlin
  • Izborsk Kremlin
  • Porkhov Kremlin
  • Serpukhov Kremlin
  • Velikie Luki Kremlin
  • Torzhok Kremlin

• Unwalled
  • Dmitrov
  • Ryazan
  • Vologda
  • Yaroslavl

• Only traces
  • Borovsk
  • Opochka
  • Zvenigorod
  • Starodub
  • Tver – burned down by Muscovites during the Golden Horde occupation
  • Sknyatino – underwater since flooding during the 1930s.

• Unknown state
  • Ostrov
  • Volokolamsk

Many Russian monasteries have been built in a fortress-like style similar to that of a kremlin. For a partial list, see Category:Monasteries in Russia.

See also

• Media related to Fortresses of Russia at Wikimedia Commons

Other Uses

In the sense of impregnability and oppressive nature the word Kremlin is applied to other structures and organisations. For example, the regional headquarters on the Woolworths Group PLC group in the UK were referred to as mini-Kremlins.^{citation needed}

References

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