Kremlin Presidium
| Kremlin Presidium | |
|---|---|
| Административный корпус Кремля | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Coordinates | 55°45′8.05″N 37°37′12.61″E / 55.7522361°N 37.6201694°E |
| Current tenants | Russian presidential administration |
| Construction started | 1932 |
| Completed | 1934 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ivan Rerberg. |
The Kremlin Presidium (Russian: Административный корпус Кремля), also known as Building 14 (Russian: 14-й корпус), is a building within the grounds of the Moscow Kremlin in Russia. Constructed in 1934, it formerly housed the Supreme Soviet, the highest legislative body of the Soviet Union. Currently, it houses various offices of the Russian presidential administration, the Kremlin Commandant’s office and offices of the FSO and is thus a highly secured and restricted area closed to the public. At present, only the southern corner façade, opposite the Tsar Bell can be viewed.
Building
The Kremlin Presidium is located in the northern part of the Kremlin grounds, next to the Kremlin Senate, forming one side of Ivanovskaya Square. The four-story building has three wings opening towards the Senate, connected by a central building which faces the Taynitskaya Garden to the south. The southern facade has a row of Ionic order columns, with a gable roof in the center, reflecting the Neoclassical style of the adjacent Senate building. However, the wing halls are much simpler and less conspicuous. The building has three floors and is painted in the same yellow color as many other administrative buildings within the Moscow Kremlin.
History
The Presidium stands on the site of Chudov Monastery, founded in 1365 by the Metropolitan Alexius and the old Ascension Convent. These were among the historic buildings with the grounds of the Kremlin ordered to be destroyed by Joseph Stalin as part of the state atheism campaign, which resulted razing of religious structures from all over Russia. Work on a new administrative building for the Soviet government began almost immediately, and Ivan Rerberg, a prominent Moscow architect who had designed Kiyevsky Rail Terminal was assigned to the task.
The new building was completed in 1934, two years after Rerberg’s death. Initially, it had no name, and was used as the Red Commanders School, a military academy for Red Army leaders. The school was relocated in 1935, and from 1938, housed the offices of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, whose head was the titular de jure head of state of the Soviet Union. From 1958-1961, part of the building was converted into the 1200 seat Kremlin Theatre (Кремлёвский театр).
References
- Klein, Mina. The Kremlin: Citadel of History. MacMillan Publishing Company (1973). ISBN 0-02-750830-7
- Tropkin, Alexander. The Moscow Kremlin: history of Russia's unique monument. Publishing House "Russkaya Zhizn" (1980). ASIN: B0010XM7BQ
External links
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