Zaraysk Kremlin: photo and reviews of tourists

The Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily the third spent much time and effort on expanding the boundaries of his patrimony. In 1503, most of the present Zaraisk district ceased to be the territory of the Ryazan principality, which by that time had lost its independence. These lands became part of the Moscow state. However, Ryazan was no longer an obstacle to the Crimean Tatars on their way to Moscow. Therefore, before Prince Vasily, the problem of protecting the southern borders of the state was acute. Then it was decided to build several defensive points, including in Zaraysk.

History of the Kremlin

The Zaraisk Kremlin was built in 1528-1531. Earlier on this place there were already wooden fortifications. However, it was decided that this is not a sufficiently reliable defensive structure. Therefore, the engineer Aleviz Fryazin was invited from Italy. Nim inside the old wooden walls and were built new stone.

According to archaeologists who conducted excavations around the Kremlin, it was initially surrounded by a dry ditch five meters wide and three deep. Confirms its existence and preserved to this day the regular plan of the city, compiled in 1730 by the architect Gotovtsev.

For all of its existence, the Zaraisk Kremlin has been restored and rebuilt several times, thanks to which it has been preserved just in excellent condition. Repeatedly this medieval structure was repaired in the 17th and 19th centuries.

The Kremlin after the revolution

After the revolution (in 1918), the Kremlin was transferred to the museum of Zaranska. However, despite this, the Church of the Savior, which was on the south side, was demolished in the 1930s. Not preserved to this day and the church of St. George the Victorious, adorned once the opposite of the fortress shore of the river Osetr and Epiphany Church, also located nearby. In the beginning and the middle of the 20th century, cosmetic repairs were carried out several times in the Kremlin. The capital of the restoration, he was subjected in 1887-1993.

Museum "Zaraisk Kremlin"

Today, this ancient medieval Kremlin enjoys great popularity among tourists. It represents a rectangle stretched from the east to the west. One of its distinctive features is a very small size. This is the smallest of all preserved to this day the stone Kremlin. Its dimensions are only 130 x 190 m. It is possible to bypass the entire Kremlin in no more than 20 minutes.

Corner towers of the Kremlin

The walls of the fortress are decorated with seven towers - four in the corners and three above the entrance gate (southern, northern and western). On the east side there is no tower. The fact is that initially this wall was deaf. The gates in it were pierced later, after the need to repel invasions of the Tatars no longer existed.

Corner towers are dvenadtsatigranniki diameter of about ten meters and a height of about 12-14 meters. Their distinctive feature is that they protrude beyond the walls of the Kremlin, they are pretty far away. Once the defenders of the fortress had a great opportunity, being here, to keep almost circular defense. The northeastern tower is called Porokhovaya because it once contained stocks of gunpowder. Southeast - "Near the tavern" - got such a name due to the fact that next to it there was a drinking establishment. This building was demolished not so long ago - in the 90s. The corner south-west tower is called "At the hiding place", since next to it there is an underground passage through which water was once delivered to the Kremlin. Unfortunately, due to various kinds of restoration works , this "cache" is lost at the moment. The north-western tower (the highest one) is called the "Karaulnaya". From her very clearly visible neighborhood of the monastery, and therefore it served once as a viewing point.

Access towers

The access towers have a four-sided shape and three tiers of defense. The gate, once serving as a barrier to the enemy, was equipped with falling gratings. In addition, the reinforcements were supplemented with lifting bridges. From the north to the Zaraiskii Kremlin can be accessed through the Nikolsky Gates. They are called so because of the fact that next to them there is a chapel of the same name, which has survived to the present day. The western tower is called Yegoryevskaya because it was near them that the church of St. George the Victorious once was. Not far from the southern Spassky Tower was the church of the same name. The eastern gate is called the Trinity.

Church of the Kremlin

On the territory of the Kremlin there are two cathedrals: John the Baptist and Nikolsky. The latter was built in 1681. The Cathedral of John the Baptist is a later building. The exact date of its construction is unknown. In addition to these two churches in the territory has a wooden belfry Zaraisk Kremlin (map with its location in the city and the scheme is presented below).

The walls of the Kremlin

The walls of the Kremlin on average have a height of eight meters and a thickness of 3.5. The width of the combat course in them is 2 m. They are laid out of brick and lined with limestone. It is known that the Kremlin was once whitewashed. However, after one of the restorations it was decided that the original view of the walls should not be changed, since the brick with limestone is very well combined. Thus, the medieval spirit of construction was preserved. The Zaraisk Kremlin, the photo of which you can see in this article, is really an interesting ancient building, which is worth a visit.

The area around the Kremlin

Shortly after the construction around the Kremlin began to appear courtyards of craftsmen, traders, priests and landlords. In addition, a wooden prison was built, which surrounded this posad. He consisted of sections, covered with earth, mixed with stones, and was an equally serious defensive structure than the Zaraisk Kremlin itself. It was possible to get into the posad through five travel towers. In addition, the prison was supplemented by seven more deaf people. It was covered with a deep moat. In addition, the posad defended the palisade. Around him were numerous settlements.

Shrines

The beautifully preserved ancient buildings are not the only interesting thing that the Zaraisk Kremlin boasts. Its attractions are not numerous, but they are available. First of all, it is a tombstone, a monument to Zara princes John, Theodore and Eupraxia. Also on the territory there is a baptismal temple of Seraphim of Sarov.

For many centuries the main shrine of the Kremlin was the miraculous icon of Nikola Zaraysky. Today it is stored in the Andrei Rublev Museum in Moscow. However, those wishing to know how it looked, can look at the list from it, located in the Cathedral of John the Baptist in the Kremlin.

Reviews of tourists

To date, the Zaraisk Kremlin is one of the most popular places in Russia for tourists. Already visited by fans of history, not only celebrate the diversity of the excursion program, but also the cleanliness of the territory, as well as the well-being of the structure. The staff of the museum willingly provide visitors with all the information they are interested in about the history of the Kremlin, its sights and architectural features. Many tourists are very impressed by the silence and tranquility prevailing in the territory. Those who decided to visit this wonderful place are advised to visit not only the fortress itself, but also to go around it outside to see the towers and the walls are better. Some tourists even find on the territory of the Kremlin old coins.

The Zaraisk Kremlin. How to get there?

The Kremlin is located in Zaraisk along Revolution street, house 2. You can get to this city from Moscow through the Ozyory or Luhovtsi. In the first case, the path will be somewhat longer. Having reached Kolomna, you should turn to the Ozerskoe highway. After the Oka, there will be a turn to the right towards Zaraysk. In order to get to Lukhovits, you need to move along the highway M5 (Novoryazanskoy). After passing Luhovtsi, you should turn to Zaraysk.

You can get to this city by bus. It departs from the metro station Vykhino every day every 40-60 minutes from 7:30 to 20:35. The bus number is 330.