Paulene Little, age 15, of Dotham, Ala., for her question:
WHEN WAS MOSCOW'S KREMLIN BUILT?
Kremlin is the fortified part of a Russian City. The name comes from the Russian word "kreml," which means "fortress." The best known citadel of this class is the Kremlin of Moscow, a triangular enclosure one and a half miles around. The present Kremlin walls have stood since 1492. The fortified walls are topped with towers.
Two of the cathedrals in Moscow's Kremlin were built by the Italian architect Fioravanti in the late 1400s. Much of the palace work dates from the Renaissance period. The whole Grand Palace was designed by the Italian Baroque architect Rastrelli. It was almost completely destroyed by fire when Napoleon invaded Moscow in 1812.
The present palace, which replaced the one destroyed by fire, is a simple classic building of the first half of the 1800s.
The Kremlin contains a large number of complex buildings from many different dates in history. The picturesque domes of the cathedrals of the Assumption, the Annunciation and the Archangel lend pleasing variety to the fortress.
Any view of the Kremlin in Moscow is breathtaking. Its multitude of gilded domes, its pyramidal gate towers and the contrast of the threatening boundary wall with the extreme richness and intricacy is striking.
Inside the Kremlin, the variety of styles and the lavish decoration give an impression of powerful magnificence.
The Kremlin was closed to the public by the Communists, who made it their main government center. Joseph Stalin lived within its walls. After his death in 1953, many government offices were moved outside the walls. It became a national museum in 1955.
The buildings of the Kremlin were painted in bright colors after 1955. The domes were regilded. The Kremlin's historical treasures now include paintings, jewels and czarist crowns.
Moscow is a city with a population of about 9 million. The Moscow River flows through the center of the city.
The city of Moscow is built in the shape of a huge wheel. Wide boulevards extend from the center of the city like a wheel's spokes. They cross two circular boulevards, which form inner and outer rims of the wheel.
At the very center of the wheel stands the Kremlin. Many of the old czars are buried in the Cathedral of the Archangel.
Red Square lies just outside the Kremlin walls. This large plaza, nearly one quarter mile long, took its name in Russian from an old word meaning both "beautiful" and "red." There, huge military and civilian parades celebrate the anniversary of the Soviet Revolution and other special events.
Opposite the Kremlin on Red Square is GUM, Russia's largest department store. Famous Saint Basil's church is also on Red Square. This 400 year old building is part of the State Historical Museum. It has eight onion shaped domes.
Also on Red Square, and facing the Kremlin, is one of the world's largest hotels, the Russia Hotel.