Identifier: russia00dobsrich (find matches)
Title: Russia;
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Dobson, George Grove, Henry M Stewart, Hugh, 1884-1934 Haenen, F. de
Subjects: Soviet Union -- Description and travel
Publisher: London, A. and C. Black
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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thout a tremble in his voice, in spite of theexcruciating pain he was undergoing. CHAPTER XIX KREMLIN WALLS, CHURCHES, ETC. The original walls of the Kremlin were wooden,but they were constantly suffering from the terriblefires which time after time devastated the town.The old fortress, or Kremlin, was protected on thesouth by the river ; on the north and west by theswampy stream, the Neglinia ; and on the west bya very deep moat, which was also filled by theNeglinia. The great fire of 1367 burnt down the wholetown and also its protection—the wooden walls ofthe KremUn. Acting on the advice of the Metro-politan Alexis and of the nobles, the then Princeof Moscow, Dmitry Donskoi, resolved to constructstone walls. The Russians, however, understoodbut little about building with brick or stone, anddid not know how to select good materials, sothat the stone walls did not last long. Towardsthe close of the fifteenth century Ivan HI. had theold walls knocked down, and new stone ones con- 206
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THE RED (or REAUTIFUl) STAIRCASE OF THE KREMLIN. (Page 27) KREMLIN WALLS, CHURCHES, ETC. 207 structed, under the superintendence of Italian archi-tects. These old walls are those we see now, but,of course, they have repeatedly been repaired sincethen. On the walls are built nineteen towers, andthere are five gates. One interesting thing in theseold towers is that there is no trace of there everhaving been a portcullis. Of the towers the mostbeautiful is the Saviour Tower, built over the gateof the same name (Spassky Gate). The tower isabout 62 metres in height, crowned with the two-headed eagle. The lower part of the tower, thegateway, was built in 1491, during the reign ofIvan III., by a Milanese architect, who put up aLatin inscription over the gateway to that effect.The upper part of the tower, of Gothic architec-tural style, was built in 1626 by a Scotsman ofthe name of Galloway. The Scotch have played no mean part in thehistory and development of Russia. Peter theGreat brought ba

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