·The Moscow Kremlin

 ·The Moscow Kremlin that originally was made of wood was mentioned in the chronicles in 1156 as “Moscow fortress”. The first recorded stone structures in the Kremlin were built by prince Ivan Kalita in the late 1320s and early 1330s. As Moscow was getting more and more important, the significance of the Kremlin was also growing. Dmitry Donskoy replaced the oaken walls with a strong citadel of white limestone in 1366–1368 on the basic foundations of the current walls; this fortification withstood a siege by Khan Tokhtamysh. Dmitri’s son Vasily I resumed construction of churches in the Kremlin. The newly built Annunciation Cathedral was painted by Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev in 1405. In the Middle Ages Moscow was a typical town-fortress. In the past the thick Kremlin walls and high towers proved to be among the best engineering structures in the world.

·The walls of the Kremlin were built by the order of Ivan the 3rd, the Grand Prince of Moscow and All Russia, in 1485–1495, to replace the whitestoned walls built by the order of Prince Dmitry Donskoy. The red-brick walls were erected by Italian masters Mark Fryazin and Pietro Antonio Solario.

·Extra information: The State Hermitage Museum

·From the 1760s onwards the Winter Palace was the main residence of the Russian Tsars. Magnificently located on the bank of the Neva River, this Baroque-style palace is perhaps St Petersburg’s most impressive attraction. Many visitors also know it as the main building of the Hermitage Museum. The green-and-white threestorey palace is a marvel of Baroque architecture and boasts 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows and 1,057 elegantly and lavishly decorated halls and rooms, many of which are open to the public.

·The Winter Palace was built between 1754 and 1762 for Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. Unfortunately, Elizabeth died before the palace’s completion and only Catherine the Great and her successors were able to enjoy the beautiful interiors of Elizabeth’s home. Many of the palace’s impressive interiors have been remodeled since then, particularly after 1837, when a huge fire destroyed most of the building. Today the Winter Palace, together with four more buildings arranged side by side along the river embankment, houses the extensive collections of the Hermitage. The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and is among the largest and most respected art museums in the world.

·A: Have you ever been to the Moscow Kremlin?

·B: Yes, I have many times.

·A: How was your experience?

·B: I was very impressed by the size of the buildings. They were huge and had many beautiful designs and colours. It is very peaceful and makes me feel proud of my Russian heritage.

·A: Why is the Kremlin so important to Russia?

·B: It is a national monument of Russia which symbolises Russia’s power.

·Homework—

Summarizing