Astrakhan Kremlin

Astrakhan Kremlin is a complex of defense structures originally erected in the late 16th – early 17th century in the Volga Delta, in the historical center of modern Astrakhan. The fortifications were built by Russian architects as the main support of the southern borders of the Russian Empire. Over the centuries, the towers were dismantled and replaced with stronger ones, and new buildings were added to the ensemble. The Astrakhan Kremlin is the key object that tourists visit while exploring the city. It is not only an architectural monument of the XVI-XX centuries, but also an ethnographic and historical museum that tells about Astrakhan and the whole Russian state.

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Video: Astrakhan Kremlin

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History of the construction of the Astrakhan Kremlin

The first defense structures made of wood were built in the lower reaches of the Volga River in 1558. The terrain: a hill surrounded by marshes – prompted the layout of the fortification in the form of a rectangular triangle. The wooden fortress was replaced by a massive stone fortress under Ivan the Terrible and Boris Godunov. The construction was carried out by Moscow craftsmen who chose as material stones from the destroyed walls of the Golden Horde city. The project was completed in 1620.

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Originally the complex included 8 towers, some of them were dismantled in the XVIII-XIX centuries. The reason was the peculiarities of the swampy ground: the foundation of the XVI century was not strong enough and the towers could collapse, although the material of the walls was fully intact. In addition to the defense objects themselves, several churches were later completed. In Soviet times the Astrakhan Kremlin was completely reconstructed. The work was completed in 1974, and in 1980 the ensemble was declared a historical and architectural reserve.

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History and architectural features of the ensemble elements

A new word in domestic military architecture was the enhanced functionality of the fortress. Every detail of the walls and towers of the Astrakhan Kremlin was designed for defense: teeth on the walls helped to hold hand firearms, through oblique holes it was convenient to pour tar or boiling water on the enemy’s head. Cannons were placed on the platforms of the upper battle. Thanks to architectural findings, the density of defensive fire was significantly increased. The thickness of the walls, reaching 3 or more meters, made the Astrakhan Kremlin the most effective fortress of its time.

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Monuments of the XVI-XVII century

Three passage towers and four blind towers have survived from the 16th century. The Crimean tower served as a defense against raids from the Crimean Peninsula. Not only thick walls, but also almost entirely stone staircases protected the structure from collapse. The Artillery or Torture Tower was placed in the northwest corner of the triangle. A little later, the Powder Cellar, intended for storing ammunition, was built next to it. Food supplies were kept in the southern corner of the fortress in the deaf Zhitnaya Tower, a small but one of the most reliable towers. The water gate, which provided communication with the Volga, was discovered during excavations in our time. During the fighting they were blocked by a strong grating.

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Of the buildings of non-military purpose preserved non-alarming Kirill’s Chapel of the late XVII century. According to the architects’ plan, it is a simple cube topped with a dome. At the beginning of the XIX century the building was modernized by adding a portico with Empire style columns. Since 1992, the chapel has resumed services, every Saturday water is consecrated here before the relics of hegumen Kirill, who in the XVI century built the first Orthodox monastery in Astrakhan.

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Monuments of the XVIII century

The first churches on the territory of the Astrakhan Kremlin appeared at the same time as the fortress walls, but they have not reached our time. The main monuments of religious architecture date back to the XVIII century. The gate church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built in 1729-1738 over the entrance gates of the Kremlin without any special refinements. In the twentieth century, its laconic appearance changed: architects added chapels and kokoshniks, laid red tiles.

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In contrast to the simple gate church, the richly decorated Assumption Cathedral of the same period was originally conceived as a place for solemn services held on the well-lit upper floor. The interior of the cathedral has not been largely preserved: the iconostasis is modern, the marble walls and cast-iron floor have been restored according to descriptions. The painting of the dome is in the tradition of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin in modern times.

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On the lower floor of the cathedral, dark and low, local hierarchs of the church were buried. The main crypt is Metropolitan Joseph, who was martyred in 1671 during Stenka Razin’s uprising. In the twentieth century he was recognized as a martyr, and on May 24 solemn services are held in his memory. In addition to the clergy, Georgian kings are buried in the cathedral – Vakhtang VI, who lived in exile in Astrakhan, and Teimuraz II, who died during a state visit to St. Petersburg and was buried on his way home.

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At the very beginning of the XVIII century appeared and the Trinity Cathedral, originally part of the monastery of the same name, founded at the same time with the Astrakhan Kremlin by order of Ivan the Terrible. The Trinity Monastery complex, gigantic for its time, fell into disrepair under Peter I, then it was handed over to the military for a garrison school, and later – for the House of Welfare. Most of the buildings were dismantled, but the efforts of churchmen managed to preserve the Trinity Cathedral as a heated church for winter services. To the north of the cathedral is the unmarked mass grave of several hundred Astrakhans killed by Stenka Razin’s henchmen.

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Monuments and reconstructions of the XIX century

The 15-meter square in plan Archpriest Tower was built in 1843 on the place of the old tower dismantled twenty years earlier. The historical proportions were not observed, but stylistically the tower is close to the original. The thickness of its walls is a little more than 1 meter. Military architects of the XIX century could afford such a deviation from the original, as the defense value of the Astrakhan Kremlin by that time lost.

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Monuments of the twentieth century

The 80-meter-high Prechistenskaya Bell Tower was built in the early twentieth century. The two previous bell towers, dismantled because of the threat of collapse, were significantly lower. Now the structure has become part of the Assumption Cathedral.

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In the post-war time, the authorities were concerned about the reconstruction of the Astrakhan Kremlin. The lost elements of the ensemble were carefully restored according to the surviving images. Thus, the Red Gate Tower, which in the XVI century was the main observation and defense point of the complex, was rebuilt in the 1960s. It is a massive twelve-sided tower with three tiers and an inner labyrinth for convenient defense. At the top of the tower there is an observation platform, in the stone part there are loopholes for cannons and pishchals.

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Exhibitions of the Astrakhan Kremlin

Most of the exhibits of the permanent exhibitions are related to the military history of the region, but some sections tell about local government and the development of trade in Astrakhan. In the Powder Cellar there is an exhibition “Secrets of the Astrakhan Kremlin” – a synthesis of traditional and multimedia means (6+). The exhibition “Discovery of the Shot” (12+) is also open here. In the Torture Tower there are 16+ exhibitions devoted to the history of corporal punishment, riots of XVI-XVIII centuries, administration of the Astrakhan region of that time. The brig tells about the life of the garrison, the life of soldiers and officers in the XIX century. In the Red Gate tower on three tiers placed items related to the history of the Astrakhan Kremlin, organized a photo exhibition of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries.

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Information for tourists

The Astrakhan Kremlin is open to the public every day, except Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month, from 10 am to 6 pm. From May to early October, the museum closes an hour later on Fridays and weekends. The ticket office stops serving tourists one half hour before closing time. Access to the seasonal exhibitions presented in the Powder Cellar is open from May through October. The time of the visit does not play a significant role: even at the height of the season there is enough space on the territory of the Astrakhan Kremlin so that groups of tourists do not interfere with each other.

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Ticket price

A visit to one exhibition will cost 50 rubles for an adult, 30 p. and 20 p. – For students and schoolchildren. The exception is “Secrets of the Astrakhan Kremlin”, costing 160, 100 and 60 rubles respectively. Beneficiaries: participants of military operations, large families, disabled – pass for free, pensioners pay 50% of the cost of an adult ticket. In addition to excursions for 600 rubles and more expensive visitors are offered other paid services. You can look through a telescope tube to see the city, rent stylized historical costumes for a photo shoot. Bank cards and cash are accepted. Photography and videography in the exhibition halls is paid.

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How to get there

The Astrakhan Kremlin is located on the eastern bank of the Volga River, at some distance from the water, as the riverbed has moved away from the walls over the last centuries. The Kutum River flows to the northeast and the Privolzhsky Zaton to the south. From the platform Astrakhan-1 to the Kremlin is less than 2 km in the south-west direction, transport stop “Lenin Square”, “Oktyabrskaya Square”. Regardless of the chosen method of transportation, it is impossible to get lost in the city: against the background of low-rise buildings of the historical center of Astrakhan, the bell tower of the Assumption Cathedral is visible from any point.

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