Arsenal & Nikolskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin

This view is probably one of my favorite spots for taking memory photos with my clients from the beginning of our tour of Moscow Kremlin grounds and cathedrals. On the left side of this picture, you can see the right side of the Arsenal building, founded by Peter the Great to replace the former Strelets compound, where the Strelets guards, backed by Princess Sophia, had plotted a conspiracy again the Czar in 1689. It was built in 18th century, but remodeled in 1828 after wars and fires. The Arsenal has long since lost its role as a military depot, and currently houses the Presidential Regiment, which guards the Kremlin. In present days, the building of Arsenal became a military memorial, having hundreds of cannons standing all around it - the trophies from the past wars. Most of in this collection are the cannons seized from French soldiers, which were hauled here en masse starting November 1812. Back then, cannons were considered equal to enemy flags in symbolic importance as trophies.

On the background of this picture is the back of Nikolskaya (St. Nicholas) tower and the gate that faces the Red Square and Nikolskaya street behind the Kremlin wall. The name of this tower, built in late 15th century with supervision of Italian architects, derives from the St. Nicholas the Senior Monastery at Nikolskaya street nearby, which was later transformed into a Greek St. Nicholas Monastery. In Soviet times, by order of Stalin, double-headed eagles as symbols of tsarist regime were replaced with five-edge stars on the main towers of Moscow Kremlin.

Photo #053 taken on May 23, 2014 during tour of Moscow Kremlin grounds and cathedrals with my Dear clients from USA, Suzanne, Steve and Alex Plotkin.