Kitay-gorod, also referred to as the Great Possad in the 16th and 17th centuries, is a cultural and historical area within the central part of Moscow in Russia, defined by the remnants of now almost entirely razed fortifications, narrow streets and very densely built cityscape. It is separated from the Kremlin by the Red Square. Kitay-gorod does not constitute a district (raion), as there are no resident voters, thus, municipal elections are not possible. Rather, the territory has been part of Tverskoy District, and the Central Administrative Okrug authorities have managed the area directly since 2003.
Iverskiye Gates leading to Red Square are the only extant gates of the Kitay-gorod wall; they were destroyed in 1931 by the Soviet regime and rebuilt in the 1990s.
Surviving part of the wall in Zaryadye
St. Nicholas Church on the Ilyinka (1680–1689), with its gold-starred blue domes, once dominated Kitay-gorod's skyline. It was razed in 1933 by the Soviet regime.
The church of the Trinity in Nikitniki, a masterpiece of 17th-century Russian architecture. It was destroyed in 1936, but rebuilt in the 1990s.
The Moscow Kremlin, or simply the Kremlin, is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, it is the best known of the kremlins and includes five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall along with the Kremlin towers. Within the complex is the Grand Kremlin Palace, which served as the royal residence of the Emperor of Russia. It is now the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation. The Kremlin overlooks the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and Alexander Garden to the west.
View of the Kremlin from across the Moskva River, 2012
View from the House on the Embankment
The Kremlin in 1910; many of the buildings were later destroyed by the Soviet government, especially those of religious importance.
Grand Kremlin Palace, commissioned 1838 by Czar Nicholas I, constructed 1839–1849, today the official residence of the President of Russia
