Moscow - The Kremlin

We rode the metro to the Moscow Kremlin. A Kremlin is a Russian citadel. The Moscow Kremlin houses the government and is the home of the Russian President. It's surrounded by a tall wall with gorgeous clock towers. Inside there are many churches/cathedrals and museums. We went in almost all of them. We spent the most time in the Armoury. It houses an extensive collection of artifacts some from as far back as the 13th century.

A few of my favorite things were: 

1. "The Chiming Clock: Temple of Fame" This beautiful clock built for Catherine the Great. It has a mechanical organ inside and when it plays one of its 13 tunes, the crystal tubes on its face turn and reflect the light resembling sun rays. 

2. The Faberge Eggs. These intricate Easter eggs were given as gifts and contain surprises. My favorite on display was the egg containing a miniature working replica of the first Trans-Siberian Railway train. You can't take pictures inside the buildings so I've borrowed this one from the interwebs!

3. The coaches. Amazing to see the transformation of the coaches through out history. There were small carriages in the exhibit, they were the carriages for the children in the royal families. Fun fact: These carriages were pulled by ponies and staffed by dwarfs (little people). Couldn't have big things towering over small royalty?!

We also saw many beautiful thrones, some of the largest natural emeralds in the world, and of course intricate coronation gowns including the gown worn by Catherine the Great. I'm glad corsets for everyday wear have gone out of style. 

We walked through a few Cathedrals and saw where Ivan the Terrible was entombed. He of course, had his tomb at the alter.

The paintings in the cathedrals are magnificent and cover the walls and the ceiling. Even the ceilings of the cupolas are painted. 

In the court yard areas inside the Kremlin are other artifacts including the Tsar's Bell and Canon and my favorite, the cannons of the war of 1812.

I geeked out a bit over these canons. So, one of Tchaikovsky's most famous works is the 1812 Overture written to commemorate the Russian Victory over Napoleon in his invasion of Russia. Canons played a huge roll in the Russian success in the largest battle in the war. So, included in the score are parts for 16 canons. Not these specific canons, but canons to represent the actual cannons of 1812! Pretty darn cool.