Faceted Chamber

The Moscow Kremlin is famous for its many historical architectural monuments. One of them is the oldest building of the capital – Faceted Chamber.

In this place Tsar Ivan the Terrible celebrated the conquest of Kazan in 1552, and in 1709 Peter I celebrated the defeat of the Swedes.

Construction of the Faceted Chamber

It was erected between 1487 and 1491, when Moscow became the capital of the Russian state. Documents dated 1487 say that on behalf of Prince Ivan Vasilyevich, it is necessary to build a "great chamber." Architects Marco Ruffo and Pietro Antonio Solari took part in the construction of the building.

The chamber got its name thanks to the exterior decoration made with the help of faceted stone. Such cladding of buildings was characteristic of the Italian architectural style of the Renaissance.

The interior of the building has changed more than once since its construction. For the first time, the walls were painted with a biblical story, when Fedor Ioannovich, whose image is depicted on the Tsar Cannon, was at the throne. At this time, biblical painting was closely intertwined with scenes of everyday life and historical sketches. Portraits of famous representatives of the Russian principality were depicted on the walls.

During the reign of Peter I, various entertainments and comedies were held in the chamber. For this reason, wall images were ordered to be whitewashed with lime. Under Paul I, the painted walls were hung with velvet. After some time, the velvet was removed, and the painting was restored by order of Alexander III in 1882. The restoration was carried out by the Belousov brothers, masters of painting icons.

The Faceted Chamber in our time

The chamber hall impresses with its area: 495 square meters with a height of nine meters. During the day, sunlight enters it through 18 window openings. In the evening, the chamber is illuminated by four weighty bronze chandeliers.

Today, the interior decoration practically does not differ from the interior of the 17th century. Not only carpeting was recreated, but also parquet, for the production of which 16 different types of wood were used. In order to accurately restore the fabric that covered the furniture and had not been restored since the 19th century, craftsmen from Great Britain were called. During the restoration work, about 3,000 antiques were found, for example, the Golden Brooch, now stored in the Armory.

After a large-scale restoration, the building reopened to receive guests in 2012. The restoration took place under the leadership of A. Mikhailenko. It is possible to visit the Moscow Kremlin to see the Faceted Chamber only by pre-booking.