Grand Kremlin Palace, Presidential palace in Tverskoy District, Moscow, Russia
The Grand Kremlin Palace stands along the southern wall of the fortress, its white stone facade stretching 125 meters above the Moskva River embankment. Inside, the building contains five large ceremonial halls and a network of private rooms connected by wide staircases and corridors decorated with vaulted ceilings.
Nicholas I commissioned architect Konstantin Thon in 1838 to replace the earlier baroque residence with a new building that would combine Byzantine forms and Russian architectural traditions. Construction finished in 1849, and the completed palace was inaugurated during Easter of that year.
This palace hosts presidential inaugurations in the Georgievsky Hall, decorated with military ornamentation. The five rooms dedicated to Russian knightly orders reflect the honor system established by the tsars. Each room bears the name of an order: Saint George, Saint Andrew, Saint Alexander Nevsky, Saint Catherine, and Saint Vladimir, forming a ceremonial ensemble that continues the Russian protocol tradition since the 19th century.
Entry to the building requires advance authorization from the Kremlin administration, as it serves as an official residence. Photography is not allowed inside the ceremonial rooms, though it may be permitted in certain public zones under specific conditions.
The marble walls of each ceremonial hall bear engraved names of all recipients of its respective order, turning the formal rooms into living records of Russian military history. Each hall honors its order holders with permanent inscriptions that line the walls.
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