Serpukhov Kremlin: photo, history. What did the Serpukhov Kremlin look like?

In the southern part of the Moscow region is the oldest settlement of Serpukhov. On its territory there are various unique sights, temples, ancient monasteries and churches with a long history. One of these architectural monuments is the Serpukhov Kremlin, attracting tourists from all over the world like a magnet to itself.

History of construction

The first mention of this city was dated back to the fourteenth century, in which it was said that the territory of this place was inherited from Ivan Kalita to Prince Andrew.

It was on these lands that the Serpukhov Kremlin was built in 1374, which is still the main attraction of the city. He was built on a high mountain, which at one time was renamed from Cathedral to Red.

In past years, this fortress was considered the most powerful structure that covered Moscow from the south. The history of the Serpukhov Kremlin says that together with other outposts it was supposed to defend the capital from the raids of the Tatars. A little later, this structure turned into the center of all defense, since it was here that the enemy attacks were most often committed.

Original View

Serpukhov Kremlin in the middle of the sixteenth century has changed a lot. All its fortifications from the tree gradually turned into stone walls, made of white stone, mined in local quarries.

In 1556, new constructions appeared on the site of old buildings. From many historical sources, it is known what the Serpukhov Kremlin looked like in those years. It consisted of eight towers and two half towers. The fortress consisted of walls with a length of 934 meters and something in shape resembled an elongated triangle of irregular shape. In order to expand protected areas, just north of the buildings, a wooden prison was built, which carried out a defensive role.

The Serpukhov Kremlin was a huge obstacle for various rebels and thieves who wanted to constantly infiltrate the Moscow lands and receive a strong rebuff in Serpukhov. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Poles long tried to break the defense of this structure, but they were only able to burn his prison.

The last siege that the fortress suffered was a raid by the Tatars. After that the gradual decline of the Kremlin began. He completely lost his defensive significance and began to gradually collapse. Its reconstruction was carried out only once in the eighteenth century by the order of Peter I, who feared the attack of the Swedes.

Why was it decided to dismantle the Kremlin?

Catherine II was a fan of history and ordered the complete restoration of the Serpukhov Kremlin, but, unfortunately, she did not manage to realize her idea because of her sudden death. Her son Pavel I did not feed his deceased mother warm feelings and therefore sought to cross out any reminder of her person and gave an immediate order to disassemble the walls of the fortress. Townspeople only partially fulfilled his command, because they did not hurry to part with the historical monument of their city.

Already in the nineteenth century Serpukhov Kremlin (Serpukhov) looked very sad. All the Kremlin towers had no roofs, so they quickly fell into decay. The stones that fell from their walls completely covered all the nearby slopes and hills.

In the late nineteenth century, the Kremlin was declared a "monument of antiquity" and partially fortified. But this did not help much, and in the 30s of the twentieth century the walls were already completely dismantled. The stones of this structure were useful for many other new buildings.

How does the sight look out these days?

For today, there are only two small fragments of stone walls and the remains of the foundation, which once had the Serpukhov Kremlin. Photos taken at the site where the site is located, show just an amazing view, opening from this hill.

Serpukhov also has an ancient cathedral built in the end of the 17th century on the territory of the Kremlin. The last change was made in 1840, and to this day its appearance has not changed.

In the heart of the Red Mountain there are: the Memorial dedicated to the fallen soldiers during the Patriotic War, and a monument to the Soldier-Liberator.

Many tourists and townspeople are attracted to this place, thanks to the fact that one can see here one of the most impressive landscapes in their life, consisting of an ensemble of ancient temple complexes built at different times.

Findings of archaeologists

The first official excavations were carried out on the territory of the fortress in the early twentieth century, and they continued in the following years. Inside the Kremlin, many archaeological finds have been found. For example, the remains of the Vysotsky Tower, built in 1556, were found.

Archaeologists were able to unearth many personal belongings of citizens living in Serpukhov in the period from 16th to 18th centuries. It was all sorts of earrings, rings, crosses, buckles and much more. Also, an interesting coin with a picture of birds was found on it and a collection consisting of various items used for armament in the 17th century.

On the territory of the fortress, even some flint products have been identified, which may indicate that a person has lived here in the Stone Age.

How is it better to get to Serpukhov?

In the event that you have to go from Moscow by car, it is better for such a trip to choose the Simferopol highway. Having reached the crossroads intersecting with the Volodarsky lane, you should turn to the right side, and then after three hundred meters you will have to turn left into the street leading to Krasnaya Gora and Serpukhov Kremlin standing on it.

You can also use the train, which runs straight from Kursk railway station to Serpukhov itself.

The Serpukhov Kremlin is one of the historical and architectural sights, thanks to which a closer acquaintance with the history of Russia and its capital is possible.