First Published in 1963, The Kremlin presents the story of a gigantic citadel, of its grandeur and its horrors, of its masters, famous and infamous, and of the scenes, both splendid and terrible, which its stones have witnessed since the Kremlin’s foundation. The Kremlin has for centuries been the nerve-centre of Russian history. Everything has had its origins in its precincts. The history of Russia from the twelfth century, with a brief interval during which power was transferred to Petrograd, is inextricably bound up with its development. It was there that the czars were crowned and buried and on many occasions, it was the scene of their assassination. Everything was nurtured there: religion, dreams of power, absolutism, favoritism, cruel repression, and sheer insanity. But through triumphs, setbacks and tragic period of chaos, the rulers, whatever their names, have pursued the same policy.
This fascinating history of the Kremlin is a must read for scholars and researchers of Russian history and Russian politics.