Ryazan Kremlin

About this place

The Ryazan Kremlin is the oldest part of the city of Ryazan and now a history and architecture museum, one of the oldest museums in Russia, standing on top of a steep hill ringed by rivers and a dry moat, about 184 km southeast of Moscow in a straight line. In the 11th century the kremlin was a fortified castle on the highest, northwestern part of today's complex, covering two hectares, surrounded by suburbs and settlements of peasants, fishermen and craftsmen, with wooden-paved streets. Two lakes lay on the hill, and floods sometimes turned the kremlin into an island. The complex holds eight churches, six of them in separate buildings. The Assumption Cathedral and bell tower were designed so their silhouettes could be seen from afar, and from the 18th to the mid-20th century they served as landmarks for navigation on the Oka river. The tall white-and-red bell tower with its golden spire rises beside the cathedral with gold and blue domes, above a green hill and earth rampart, and from far banks they seem to float above the city; in winter snow covers them. Visitors walk the kremlin grounds among the churches and old buildings, visit the museums and look out over the river from the top of the rampart. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.