Human settlement activity in the area is documented from as early as the 2nd century BC. Since the 11th century, Slavs have been constructing settlement defense buildings southwest of Pinewood Heights (Боровицкий холм, today's Kremlin Hill), the site of today's Red Square and Kitegorod. Soviet-era archaeologists unearthed an Orthodox bishop's seal from the 1090s here.
The site was Moscow's "Grad" until the 14th century. The founder of Moscow, Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky, expanded the "Grad" in 1156 with the construction of a mud-and-wood fortification: the Kremlin.
The Kremlin consists of three parts: the Triangular Square, the Cathedral Square and the Eastern Administrative Center. There are several cathedrals around the central square in the Kremlin. The largest of them is the Orthodox Cathedral of Our Lady, built between 1475 and 1479. Designed by an Italian architect. Used for the coronation of the tsars.
The Cathedral of the Annunciation, built between 1484 and 1489, it was used for gatherings as the private church of the Tsar's family. The Cathedral of the Archangels was built (1505-1509) on the site of the old church, which contained the tombs of the early tsars. The Great Bell Tower of Ivan III was built in the 16th century.
The Kremlin's status declined after Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1712, and was severely damaged by Napoleon's invasion in 1812. It was not until the construction of the Grand Kremlin in the mid-19th century that this situation changed.
The Bolsheviks moved the government back to Moscow in 1918, where party and government offices were subsequently housed. Soon after, the Tsar's eagle on the tower was replaced by a five-pointed red star (1937). During Stalin's rule, the Kremlin became the symbol of Soviet power. The Tsarist-era building of deputies and courts was transformed into a hall of the Council of Ministers of the USSR.
The Grand Kremlin was transformed into the Hall of the Supreme Soviet and used for major celebrations. Since the 1960s, with the completion of a number of buildings (e.g. the Parliament building), many party and government organizations were moved from their original locations. The Kremlin was opened to the public in July 1955, and in 1990 it was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Kremlin became the administrative headquarters of the Russian Federation.
Expanded Information:
The Kremlin*** has 5 towers and 19 spires. One of them, the Spasskaya Tower, is 67.3 meters high and was fitted with an autoharp from 1851 to 1852.
Overlooking the Moscow River to the south, St. Basil's Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and Alexander Garden and the Tomb of the Unknown Martyrs to the west. Surrounded by palace walls around four palaces, four cathedrals, nineteen towers and become a representative work of Russian Kremlin-style architecture.
The Kremlin is a symbol of the Russian state, is one of the world's largest architectural complex, enjoys the reputation of the "Eighth Wonder of the World", is a treasure trove of historical monuments, cultural symbols and artistic monuments.
Baidu Encyclopedia - The Kremlin