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While Europe is known for its castle tours, in Russia one can embark on a journey to visit kremlins. No one knows exactly how many there are in our country – about 20 or more than 30. It all depends on how you count them. For a separate kremlin trip, it would, of course, be desirable to choose older ones, ideally enclosed within their own perimeter, and preferably where tourists today could comfortably stay within this perimeter. Taking these factors into account and allowing for inevitable exceptions, Watch Russia has plotted its own avenue of Russian kremlins across the country.
When planning a route to visit kremlins, there’s no need to think too much about starting points but rather take cardinal directions as reference points. In that case, the centre will naturally be the Moscow Kremlin – everything in Russia originates from and flows back to Moscow. The westernmost is the Pskov Krom; the easternmost is Tobolsk, which is also the youngest; to the north lies the ancient Novgorod Detinets while, in the south of the country, stands the Astrakhan Kremlin. This brief list reveals that “kremlin” isn’t the only term to refer to such structures, so it’s worth delving into the meaning of the word itself. As with the cardinal directions, there are four interpretations.
In Vladimir Dal’s Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language (1863), the word “kremlin” refers to an inner fortress, a citadel within a city. At the same time, he mentions “kremlin wood”, describing it as strong, sturdy timber. Even so, another lexicographer, Alexander Podvysotsky, noted that, in northern dialects, “kremlin wood” referred to coniferous forests growing on boggy terrain, which couldn’t have been strong or healthy enough for building kremlins. At least, during Ivan Kalita’s reign, the Moscow Kremlin was built of oak.
In 1865, philologist Yakov Grot latched onto the word “krom” and decided it should denote something located at the edge or on the brink. Consequently, words like “granary” (“zakroma”) and “secluded” (“ukromny”) have the same root as the concept of kremlin.
Before the 14th century, fortified castles in Rus’ were called “detinetses”. They may have become known as “kremlins” under the influence of the Mongolian word “kerem,” meaning “fortress” or “stronghold”. From this root, with the help of the suffix “-l’”, the adjective “keremel” emerged, meaning “fortified”, which then reverted to the noun form “kremlin”. Predictably, the word “flint” (“kremen”) followed suit in this transformation.
All these semantic nuances: “flint”, “granaries”, “on the edge”, “a fortress within a city” of this crucial term for Russian statehood can somehow be felt when travelling along a route of Russian kremlins. Their main mystery lies precisely in this multivalence.
For centuries, the way to the main Russian kremlin – the Moscow Kremlin – lay through Smolensk, a key city due to its strategic importance. To capture Smolensk meant to open the road to Moscow. To close off this route, a powerful fortress was constructed here between 1595 and 1602. The project was overseen by Fyodor Kon’, Boris Godunov’s state master and the architect behind the walls of Moscow’s White City. Since the White City was demolished in the late 18th century and replaced by the Boulevard Ring, only in Smolensk can one see what its walls and towers looked like.
Today, the Smolensk Kremlin is the largest brick fortress in the world. Its walls stretch over 6.5 kilometres, nearly three times longer than those of the Moscow Kremlin (2,235 metres). Originally, there were 39 towers but Napoleon ordered the destruction of more than half of them during his retreat in November 1812. Only 17 remain today, leaving gaps in the perimeter. Nonetheless, visitors can still find accommodation within the Smolensk Kremlin. The Pestrikov hotel is attached to the restored Pyatnitskaya Tower. It features a suite called Vesyeluha Tower – a surviving tower. A path leads from the hotel along the Dnieper River, past the baroque Assumption Cathedral, and up the hill toward the Spiritual School. Nearby stands the Vesyeluha Tower. The origins of its name are unclear. One theory suggests it comes from the fact that it was a “cheerful, high place” where locals liked to relax while enjoying views of the Dnieper. Another version attributes the name to a construction-related sacrifice. The tower began to show signs of subsidence and cracking, prompting builders to wall up a merchant’s beautiful daughter inside. Instead of crying over her fate, she laughed and enjoyed herself. The tower even inspired a novel by Fyodor von Ettinger, in which a gang led by Count Zmeyavsky, a Polish counterfeiter, operated in the Devil’s Moat near the tower. Inside Vesyeluha, they held fiery witch sabbaths, seemingly in an attempt to deter curious passers-by from discovering their criminal activities.
Nowadays, the longest surviving section of the Smolensk Kremlin wall, featuring eight towers and gates, stretches between Vesyeluha and Nikolskiye Gate. Some of these structures house museums: the Smolensk Linen Museum in the tower above the Nikolskiye Gate, the Military History Museum in the Gromovaya Tower near the city’s Lopatin Garden central park, and the Smolenskiye Ukrasy Happiness Museum in Makhovaya Tower on Victory Square.
There are some kremlins in Russia where only individual buildings, earthen ramparts, and moats have survived. You can get an idea of what this looks like by visiting places like Vyazma or Mozhaysk. But, after Vyazma, coming from Smolensk, it might be better to turn towards Tula, which hosts the best-developed kremlin in Russia. More accurately, it’s a revitalization project for the surrounding area that has transformed Tula into one of the country’s major tourist centres.
One side of the Kremlin faces the Upa River Embankment and the Tula Arms Factory. The factory’s utility and storage facilities occupied the entire plot, preventing residents from seeing this part of the Kremlin for almost a century. Metallistov Street, running parallel to the embankment, used to be open to traffic, and the old merchants’ mansions and urban estates lining it housed communal apartments. These houses had gradually deteriorated over the years.
Then, something happened that urban planners now call the Tula effect, analogous to the Bilbao effect. In 2016, a historical centre revitalization project was launched. Metallistov Street became a pedestrian zone, housing restaurants, shops, hotels and an entire museum district. The area along Kazanskaya Embankment was cleared, the old channel of the Upa River cleaned, and cross-connections with Metallistov Street created, revealing numerous cozy courtyards with summer terraces of cafés and restaurants, where outdoor stages are set up. As a result, tourist numbers in Tula have more than doubled. In 2016, fewer than 700,000 people visited whereas, in 2024, the city welcomed over 1.8 million guests.
The Tula Kremlin is very neat and compact, boasting just nine towers and a total wall length of 1,066 metres. Even so, it offers a fully enclosed perimeter, accessible throughout via guided tours. In 2019, a new Archaeological Museum of the Tula Kremlin opened, showcasing, among other things, a model of the Kremlin completed with the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, paved streets and siege yards reminiscent of ordinary huts, of which there are also full-scale replicas on site. Two years earlier, the Kremlin Museum and Exhibition Complex was launched, including a Museum of Samovars and Tula Pryanik (gingerbread). No visit to this city is complete without experiencing these attractions.
Tula serves as a deciding point when moving westward towards Moscow. From Tula, two Kremlin Avenues branch out: one heading east and the other northwest. Along the pleasant detour, one may stop by Zaraysk, home to the smallest and most secluded kremlin, with a perimeter of just 620 metres, making it unique in the Moscow area.
Like Tula, Zaraysk underwent extensive revitalization of its historic centre in 2019, earning it well-deserved attention. It’s recommended to spend the night here, perhaps at the Postoyaly Dvor Guest House on Krasnoarmeyskaya Street. The Kremlin is just a five-minute walk away and, nearby, at the Stary Gorod restaurant, visitors can indulge in the Dostoevsky’s Pillows impressive dessert. This dish consists of layered pastry pillows topped with warm cream and a vibrant berry mousse. If there’s no time to visit the Dostoyevsky estate in the Darovo village, this dessert provides a small consolation.
From Zaraysk, it’s only 38 km to Kolomna, another recognized tourist hub in Russia. Its revival as a tourist destination began nearly 15 years ago with the reintroduction of the traditional pastila recipe. For overnight stays, opt for the Kuprin House within the Kremlin, once frequented by the writer himself. Last year, next to the Pastila Museum on Posadskaya Street, the Suranov House opened truly a time-machine transporting visitors back to 1890, immersing them in the life of a local merchant’s family. This experience does, however, require ample time for full immersion.
After Kolomna, consider heading to Ryazan, where kremlin ramparts perch atop a cliff overlooking the Trubezh River. From there, follow the Eastern Kremlin Avenue to Vladimir and Suzdal, eventually reaching the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan.
Alternatively, travel directly from Tula to Moscow via Serpukhov. The history of the Serpukhov Kremlin is both remarkable and tragic. Built in 1556 entirely of white stone, it stood unique compared to others, which were made primarily of brick. Unfortunately, in 1934, this architectural gem was dismantled for use for metro construction, though the stone ended up unused and scattered across various Soviet projects.
Today, only the Trinity Cathedral, fragments of foundations, and walls remain on Sobornaya Hill. A viewing platform occupies the site of the former Guard Tower, offering breathtaking sunset views over the Nara River. Afterwards, head downhill for dinner at the Fabrikant restaurant, housed in a former pumping station owned by industrialist Nikolai Konshin. This stunning example of brick modernism with Gothic elements also boasts its own brewery. It’s a pity that the 1930s lacked appreciation for local identity, especially amidst a gastronomic boom. Perhaps the Kremlin could have been preserved, if only as a restaurant complex. Nevertheless, dining at Fabrikant restaurant is highly recommended. Meanwhile, the role of the Kremlin is fulfilled by the nearby Vysotsky Monastery, though only pilgrims may stay there.
In Orthodox Russia, earthly and spiritual fortresses – kremlins and monasteries – often intermingled, creating harmonious blends. Today, the most serene Russian kremlin is in Rostov Veliky, originally the residence of metropolitans. The journey here passes through Sergiyev Posad with its Lavra and Pereslavl-Zalessky with its kremlin-like Goritsky Monastery.
Rostov Kremlin is unique: it consists of three consecutive perimeters, each transitioning seamlessly into the next. Entering through the Holy Gates, visitors first arrive at the Assumption Court, home to the eponymous cathedral and a magnificent bell tower. Most Russians, particularly the older generation, recall scenes from Leonid Gaidai’s comedy Ivan Vasiliyevich Changes Profession (1973), where soldiers march singing a song about Marusya and the imposter Tsar grotesquely rings out Chizhik-Pyzhik and Podmoskovniye Vechera while entangled in bell ropes. Early morning visits to the bell tower, especially outside peak season, offer a tranquil view of the Kremlin, the Guest Courtyard and the calm waters of Lake Nero nearby. Even so, caution is advised owing to narrow passages, low arches and steep steps.
From the Cathedral Court, paid access opens to the second perimeter called the Metropolitan Court. Here, you’ll find the currently closed Na Pogrebakh Hotel and a functioning café located directly in the cellar. A pond in the middle of the courtyard reflects the surrounding towers and churches, especially the baroque Hodegetria Church with diamond-pointed rustication. No matter what the season, Rostov Kremlin is a theatre of reflections and shadows, with successive perimeters providing ample screens and silhouettes. Even the wall mouldings seem designed to cast intricate shadows, akin to Gogol’s profiles. Shadows of one building merge into the white frames of another, creating a play of darkness and light. And in the Metropolitan Garden, this is the third perimeter, figures of a deer family (the deer is Rostov Veliky heraldic animal) were installed directly opposite the Round Garden Tower. At sunset, you can enjoy their gentle movement following the sun across the blushing wall. Clearly not without intent, a garden tent was pitched opposite this tower. From spring onwards, a café opens inside, offering tea, gingerbread, and medovukha. You can admire the heavenly scenes without distancing yourself from earthly pleasures. Similarly, in the Kremlin, you can visit the Museum of Rostov Finift, and then dine at the new Finift restaurant in the Gostiny Dvor.
Regarding gingerbread, it differs from one place to the next. In the garden tent or Na Pogrebakh café, it’s merely a treat accompanying tea. Yet, at the Smylov Merchant’s Gingerbread Establishment in the Usadba Pleshanovyh hotel, it becomes a whole world unto itself. In old-fashioned Rostov, it was customary before weddings or bachelor/hen parties to fill wooden boxes with diversely shaped gingerbread figures resembling portable Christmas-theatre sets. There were even gingerbreads carried by grooms in special pouches under their arms, absorbing sweat during the day. If the bride accepted such sweaty treats, it signified she’d truly found her match. A new registry office has opened across the street from the estate, enabling couples to marry in this picturesque setting. Photoshoots in the Kremlin further enhance the wedding experience.
Further from Rostov Veliky, the Kremlin Avenue ascends to Yaroslavl, the capital of the Golden Ring. The Yaroslavl Kremlin is smaller than Rostov’s, with walls measuring approximately 800 metres long versus 878 metres, and features just one, albeit enclosed, perimeter. Interesting exhibits include Treasures of Yaroslavl, showcasing jewellery from temple treasuries, unusual ornamental embroidery, and river pearls and beads sewn onto fabrics used on icon vestments, gospel covers and ecclesiastical garments. There’s also a historical game room, Birulki Hall, where visitors can play birulki, carefully extracting tiny wooden cups, pitchers, samovars, and ladders from a pile without disturbing neighbouring pieces.
The city continues to exploit themes from Ivan Vasilievich comedy, as seen in its popular hotel-restaurant, where waiting personnel dressed in sarafans and kosovorotkas (side-fastening shirts) mechanically ask tourists, “Would you care to dine?” If tables aren’t reserved, the typical response is, “No seats available”.
During summer, following the Kremlin Avenue leads northwest to Veliky Novgorod. Not only is this the oldest surviving Russian kremlin with an enclosed perimeter, it’s also the only one with its own beach – a wide sandy strip along the Volkhov River. Cooling off in the water while admiring the arcade of the Gostiny Dvor across the bank is a particular pleasure.
In winter, the journey along the Kremlin Avenue culminates in Tobolsk. Contrarily, this is Russia’s youngest kremlin, built at the turn of the 17th–18th centuries. Perched on a snow-white slope above the Irtysh River, the white-walled Kremlin shines brightly during this season. Visitors can stay at the Opochivalnya hotel and dine at the Povarnya restaurant. In contrast, try hot fish soup infused with oil, served with a pipette stuck into lightly toasted bread, squeezing the secret ingredient into the broth. Every kremlin holds a mystery, and this is no exception.
