The Kremlin wall. Who is buried near the Kremlin wall? Eternal flame near the Kremlin wall

One of the main attractions of the capital, on which even foreigners recognize Moscow, is the Kremlin wall. Initially created as a protective fortress, now it performs, rather, a decorative function and is a monument of architecture. But, besides this, in the last century the Kremlin wall also serves as a burial place for outstanding people of the country. This necropolis is the most unusual cemetery in the world and has become one of the most important historical monuments of the capital and a place of visiting thousands of tourists.

History of the Kremlin Wall

It took a modern look only at the beginning of the 16th century. The Kremlin wall was built of red brick in place of the ancient white stone, and only in the east the territory of the Kremlin was slightly expanded. It was built according to the project of Italian architects. In shape, the wall repeated the outline of the Kremlin fortress and looked like an irregular triangle. Its length is more than two kilometers, and the height is from five to twenty meters. The highest walls were from the side of Red Square. Above, the Kremlin wall is decorated with dents that have the shape of a swallowtail. They number more than a thousand, and almost all have narrow loopholes. The wall itself is wide, about six meters high, and there are many embrasures and passages in it. Outside it is smooth, made of massive red brick. More than 20 different towers are built into the wall. The most famous of them is Spasskaya, on which the Kremlin chimes are located. In addition to its architectural and historical value, now the Kremlin wall attracts tourists and the necropolis created in the last century. It is a kind of cemetery that has become a memorial.

Creation of the Kremlin necropolis

The first two mass graves near the Kremlin wall appeared in November 1917. They were located on the Red Square between the Nikolsky and Spassky Gates. About 200 nameless fighters who died during the October Revolution were buried in them. In the next ten years, more than ten mass graves appeared next to the wall. And of the three hundred Bolsheviks buried in them, only 110 names are known. In honor of them, many streets and squares were named in the capital and other cities. Until 1927 near the Kremlin wall buried dead and even died of their deaths of the revolution. There were also single burials of famous people of that time.

Who is buried near the Kremlin wall in the early years?

• The first solitary grave near the Kremlin wall appeared in 1919. In it, YM Sverdlov was buried.
• In the early 1920s, many prominent figures of the party and government were buried in solitary graves: MV Frunze, FE Dzerzhinsky, MV Kalinin and others.
• In the early years of the necropolis, the Kremlin wall was also buried by foreign Communists. Here are buried John Reed, Clara Zetkin, Inessa Armand and Sam Katayama.
• Since 1924, the center of the Kremlin necropolis has become the Mausoleum, in which the body of Vladimir Lenin rested. This place later became a tribune for prominent statesmen.

Burial of 30-80-ies

After 1927, it was decided to bury the Kremlin Wall only outstanding members of the party and government, as well as great scientists. The brotherly burials ceased, but until 1985, this necropolis buried many famous people.

• Members of the party and government: Bodenny, Suslov, Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko;
• In the early sixties, the body of JV Stalin was taken from the Lenin Mausoleum and buried near the Kremlin wall;
• All dead in the rank of marshal, for example Zhukov;
• Outstanding pilots, for example Chkalov, cosmonaut Gagarin and many others;
• Famous scientists Karpinsky, Kurchatov and Korolev;
• Visitors to the necropolis who are interested in who is buried near the Kremlin wall can still see the names of Lenin's mother, his wife NK Krupskaya, the writer M. Gorky, the People's Commissar of Education Lunacharsky and many others.

How was buried in the necropolis?

Until the early 1980s, the Kremlin wall was used to bury famous people. There were two types of burials near it:

1. To the right of the Mausoleum near the Kremlin wall are the graves of particularly prominent figures of the party and government. They are decorated with sculptural portraits - busts of the famous sculptors Merkurov, Tomsky, Rukavishnikov and others. The last person buried near the Kremlin wall was KU Chernenko, who was buried there in 1985.
2. Most of the people buried in the necropolis are cremated. The urns with their ashes are embedded in the Kremlin wall on both sides of the Senate Tower. Their names and dates of life are stamped on memorial plates. In total, the remains of 114 great people - scientists, military, politicians and astronauts - rest in the wall. The last was buried in this way, D. F. Ustinov.

What else is known about the Kremlin wall?

The burials that attract tourists are not only on Red Square. In the necropolis of the Kremlin wall is the memorial "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier", located in the Alexander Garden. It was created in 1967 in honor of the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Moscow. The ashes of an unknown soldier on the gun carriage as part of a funeral procession were taken from under Zelenograd. The memorial did not take a modern look at once. At the grave of the soldier was placed a tombstone with a composition of cast bronze. A military helmet and a laurel branch lay on the folds of the battle banner. The eternal fire at the Kremlin wall complements the composition. Later, an alley with porphyry blocks was added, under which the land of ten hero cities was stored, and in 2010 a granite 10-meter stele appeared in the memorial. It also symbolizes the memory of the hero cities. An important part of the entire composition of the memorial is the Kremlin Wall itself. Photo of this place is known not only in Russia, but also abroad.

The history of the necropolis

Already almost hundred years there is this original cemetery. Its appearance changed several times, and in the 50's it was even wanted to close it and transfer the ashes resting there to another place. We planned to create a special Pantheon for this, but this project was soon closed. The fate of the necropolis did not greatly reflect the political events taking place in the country. Although politicians in disrepute were not buried near the wall, the existing burials were not liquidated. Since 1974, the necropolis has been included in the number of state monuments, and it has been protected by the state. And part of it - the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - has become the most popular place of visiting tourists and visits of foreign statesmen. For many years now they talk about the liquidation of the necropolis and the transfer of the ashes buried there to ordinary cemeteries. This is due not only to religious, but also to political considerations. But in accordance with the current legislation of Russia, for this it is necessary to obtain the consent of relatives, which in most cases is impossible. Therefore now the necropolis has become an architectural and historical monument. A lot of tourists are eager to visit the Kremlin wall.

Necropolis value

Since the first years of its creation, it has become a place of oath of soldiers, parades have been held in front of the Mausoleum. During the holidays wreaths are placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. And in recent years a standing honor guard from the soldiers of the presidential regiment stands beside her. This place is visited by foreign delegations and ordinary tourists not only on holidays, but also on ordinary days. Not everyone knows who is buried near the Kremlin wall, but that such a memorial exists is known not only in Russia, but also abroad. This necropolis has become one of the most popular sights of Moscow.