Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is the place where the history of Nizhny Novgorod began. «Nizhny Novgorod stronghold», «pearl», «stone necklace» are the names of it. Our Kremlin is included in the list of fourteen wonders of Russia. It is the only structure as a fortress in this list. In 2015 this unique monument of architecture celebrated 500th year anniversary. Many legends, tales, secrets and mysteries are being kept under its impregnable walls. The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin dating from the 16th century was never taken by the enemy. The authors offer you to get acquainted with some interesting facts from the history of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin:
The Kremlin is a fortress in Nizhny Novgorod, its historical center, the mighty core of the ancient city. It was founded in 1221 by the great duke Vladimirsky Jury (George) II Vsevolodovich (1188 – 1238). The Kremlin served to protect the citizens from the enemy`s raids.
The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is the most picturesque place of the city. It is located on different height levels of the hill and one can spend the entire day with the city promenades in no hurry. It`s hard to imagine that Nizhny Novgorod used to be nothing more than its fortress wall. It was burnt to ashes several times but then restored from the nothing. The Kremlin that we can admire today was erected in the early 16th century by Pietro Francesco, an Italian architect (nicknamed Pyotr Fryazin).He is also known to have built a number of structures in Moscow. To build a stone walled Kremlin took more than a decade [1; 2].
The name of the great engineer-fortifier Leonardo da Vinci is associated with the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. The idea of Leonardo to construct the casemates, hidden by the thick layer of the tower walls, got a practical embodiment in the construction of the fortresses of that time, including in Nizhny Novgorod. The loopholes of the towers of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin pressed in the corners of the walls between the tower and the fence, gave the opportunity to confront a new devastating military technology. The excavation and survey works made under the guidance of S. L. Agafonov, proved that the architect who built our Kremlin, was aware of the designs of the famous Italian. There is a legend that the Kremlin was constructed by the Volga robbers under the supervision of Daniel Volokhovets, who was a «Jack of all trades» could speak Italian. During the construction of the Kremlin the robbers were released to help the works. The prisoners were nimble and swift, and therefore the Governor Volynets promised to set them free as soon as construction was completed [3].
The construction of the stone Kremlin began with the construction of the Ivanovskaya tower in 1500. It was supposed to protect the Posad (Lower residential area) and the marinas. Completed in the early 16th century, Ivanovskaya tower was forced to retreat the Tatars army which laid the siege to the town in 1505. The construction of Dmitrievskaya tower was unique due to the fact that it had a bridge connection with a fortified fire point set up over the moat. Now it houses a branch of Museum of Art and History of Nizhny Novgorod. In the immediate vicinity there is the Arsenal, built in 1843. The edifice was constructed in classical style and today serves as the exhibition hall of the National centre for Contemporary Art.
There are 13 towers in the Kremlin. The Dmitrievskaya, Pantry, Nickolskaya, Yoke, Secret, Northern, Clock Tower, Ivanovskaya, White, Zachtskaya, Borisoglebskaya, George Tower, Gunpowder Towers. Five of them are rectangular and eight are round in shape. Their height varies from 18 to 30 meters. All of them are connected by a fortification and their width reaches five meters, and the height from 12 to 22 meters.
The most ancient Dmitrievskaya tower was called by name the Nizhny Novgorod prince Dmitry Konstantinovich, according to the other version it was called in honor of the Saint great martyr Dmitry Solunsky. It functioned as a defense stronghold of the upper city. The tower had a bridge connection with a fortified point. A light lantern decorated with the city`s coat of arms (the deer) was constructed by N. Sultanov in 1896 to open the Art and History museum. The Kladovaya (Pantry) tower is situated next to the Dmitrievskaya. Nikolskaya tower has a through passage to the square. Still one can see the apertures for chains lifting a drawbridge. It was used to get connected with a wooden bridge over the moat. Today there is a bridge over Zelensky slope connecting Teatralnaya square and Kremlyovsky boulevard. The Koromyslova tower got its name in honor of the girl with a yoke buried according to a legend under this tower. The Taynitskaya tower has got a secret passage to the Pochaina river was also s called by the name of Holly Myrrhbearers church – Mironositskaya. You can still observe the fragments of the original white masonry at foot of the wall. The Northern tower settled down to the north of other towers, previously it was named Ilyinskaya by the name of the Church of Elijah the Prophet which stood opposite to it. The Chasovaya( Clock) tower served as watchtower with the clock mounted on its top. The Ivanovskaya tower is situated next to the St. John the Baptist Church which previously stood there. The White tower was also called Simeonovskya by the name of the Simeonovsky monastery located in the Kremlin. The Zachatyevskaya tower got its name by the Zachatyevsky monastery. The Georgievskaya tower got its name by St. George church located near by. The Borisoglebskaya tower was called in honor of Saints Boris and Gleb situated near the Volga river. The Porokhovaya (Gunpowder) tower was used for gunpowder storage; its former name was Spasskaya by the name of Spassky cathedral located in the neighborhood.
Many tourists like taking a walk along the Kremlin walls. The exhibition on the history of the 1612 Territorial Army march against the Polish and Lithuanian invaders starts in the Ivanovskaya tower. There you can also see the temple of John the Baptist where Kozma Minin addressed the townspeople with the call to start a military campaign. The great merit of the Kremlin is that it preserved the medieval sternness of its towers and walls and some classical features of the structures f the 19th century.
In 1221 the wooden church was built in the Kremlin and in 1227 it was replaced by a stone building of the Michael-Archangel cathedral. In 1359 it was reconstructed and served as a church and a mansion of the grand duke. The Archangel cathedral as it preserved to the modern times was erected in 1613 by Lavrentiy Vozoulin and his stepson Antipa. The present day cathedral was reconstructed to commemorate the victory of the volunteer militia led by Minin and Pozharsky. The cathedral was in fire many times which resulted in numberless changes in its construction. The appearance of the temple resembles the wooden churches of the Russian North. Among the archeological finds it is possible to see the head of a lion cut out from a stone and some unique ornaments which richly once covered the walls of a temple in the XIII th century.
In 1962 the remains of K. Minin were buried there.
Obelisk to Minin and Pozharsky was placed in the Kremlin in 1828. The public financed its construction and the funds were raised through subscription. The granite slabs of the monument were brought here from Karelia. At a shot distance one can see the Eternal Flame (1941-1945). Here you can often encounter just married couples who lay flowers to the monument.
In the late XVIII century the Kremlin was essentially rebuilt. Older constructions were demolished and a plaza was laid out by the Archangel cathedral. On the one side of the plaza the Presence Seat were allocated (1782-1785, architect Y. Ananyin). The portico columns and the attic emphasize the classical style of the building.
Vice-Governor’s Palace (1788) repeats the architectural style of the Present Seats. According to the architect`s thought it was to become a part of a vast ensemble.
The House of Soviets (1929-1931), architect A. Grindberg always attracts visitors` attention. It is one of the best samples of the constructionist architecture in Nizhny Novgorod. The house is remarkable for a protruding semi-cylinder with a belt glazing. It was nicknamed as «Plane», due to the similarity to a plane if we look at it from above [3; 4]. In the spot where there used to be the House of Soviets today the Kremlin houses the city hall. Previously six multi-temporal Orthodox religious buildings were located there [5].
In the Governor’s Palace (1835-1941) located near by now there is the Art Museum, where you can see the unique paintings of the famous masters. Many canvases tour a lot. It also possesses a rich collection of icons and paintings by «the Peredvizhniki» («the Movers», the 19th century Russian realist school) as well as an impressive compilation of the Russian avant-garde paintings. The Kremlin promenades provide the tireless admiration of the way the epochs are mingled. Beyond the Gallery on the slope of the hill there is Kremlyovsky Gardens, it`s a perfect place for promenade lovers.
Another historical construction is the Church of St. John the Baptist. The restoration was conducted and the church regained its historical appearance of the early XX th century, its domes bell tower with interior decoration and paintings. Along with this work the construction of the Square of National Unity was held. The square became the major site for the celebration of the Day of National Unity for the first time in the history of Russia, November 4. 2005. Nizhny Novgorod is famous for the rich cultural heritage and numerous historical objects of the historical value. To promote the city sightseeing and attract more visitors to the cultural objects it is essential to create more educational programs and teach more people who are keen on local lore studies and create tourist hematic excursions [6–10].
To draw a conclusion, it should be stressed that architectural and cultural heritage of the city of Nizhny Novgorod is a unique reflection of the major events in the social and cultural history of the country. According to the results of the project-contest «Russia-10» 2013, the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, by the people`s vote has been chosen as one of the ten main symbols of Russia. The objects of the cultural and historical heritage must be preserved and promoted. Nowadays the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is the administrative and cultural center of the city. The buildings of the Government and Legislative assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod region as well as the museums and the Kremlin concert hall are located there. The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is a unique historical monument and its territory is reserved place. The object of cultural heritage of federal importance is under authority of the Nizhny Novgorod state historical and architectural memorial estate.
Библиографическая ссылка
Тынникова А.Н., Назарова А.М., Смирнова Е.В. АРХИТЕКТУРНЫЙ АНСАМБЛЬ НИЖЕГОРОДСКОГО КРЕМЛЯ // Международный студенческий научный вестник. – 2017. – № 4-7. ;URL: https://eduherald.ru/ru/article/view?id=17601 (дата обращения: 19.04.2024).