Construction of Kremlin

The Kremlin in Moscow is a fortified complex on a hill above the Moskva River, which has served as the seat of Russian rulers for centuries. A wooden fortress stood there from the twelfth century and white-stone walls followed under Dmitry Donskoy in the fourteenth. The present red-brick walls and towers were built in the late fifteenth century under Ivan III by Italian architects, who also helped build the Cathedral of the Dormition and other churches within. The Kremlin grew in stages, so the date shown reflects only one stage. It was the centre of the Soviet government and is now the residence of the Russian president. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Red Square.

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