The first stone residential chambers in the royal palace, later called the Terem Palace, were built in 1635-1636. for Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich of stone craftsmen Bazhen Ogurtsov, Antip Konstantinov, Trefil Sharutin and Larion Ushakov. The basis for the newly erected three-story chambers was the lower tier of the northern part of the palace, built by Aleviz in 1499-1508. and built over it in the second half of the 16th century. Workshop chambers.

The tiered construction of the volume of the new building with open walkways, platforms, porches and stairs reflected the traditional features of Russian wooden architecture. Nevertheless, this was a new type of multi-storey stone residential building for its time, in which the enfilade construction of interior spaces, which became characteristic of later palaces, was already emerging.

Three galleries surrounded the palace in tiers: the lower Boyarskaya platform, or Bed porch, was located at the level of the ceiling of the Aleviz basement, where the Vladimir Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace now stands. From this level, an open staircase led to the Front Stone Courtyard, built on top of the leveled vaults of the Workshop Chambers, on which the three floors of the Terem Palace were actually built. The exit to the middle walkway was later closed by a Golden Grille, representing a unique example of blacksmithing. On the eastern side of the Terems there was the Front Golden Porch, along which one ascended to the second floor into the king’s living quarters. The last tier of the built chambers - the golden-domed Teremok, located in the center of the building, is surrounded by a third platform - the Upper Stone Courtyard.

The extraordinary picturesqueness and elegance of the new palace is created not only due to the complex space-planning design of the building, but also due to the rich decorative design of its facades. Profiled pilasters between the windows, carved and majolica cornices, complex white stone frames of openings with hanging weights and triangular pediments, covered with carved ornaments, tiles and carvings in the flaps of the parapets of the walkways, gilded roofing - all this is harmoniously combined with the polychrome coloring of the walls and white stone details, restored during restoration of Terems in 1966-1969. Overall, the palace gives the impression of a precious piece of jewelry.

The original interior decoration of the chambers, with the exception of individual fragments, has not been preserved and was made again under the direction of the artist F.G. Solntsev in the style of the 17th century. These works were carried out in 1836-1837. during the restoration of an ancient monument, which was subsequently included during the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace in a new complex of palace buildings.

Currently, the Terem Palace as part of the Grand Kremlin Palace is the Residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

Address: Russia, Moscow, Moscow Kremlin
Start of construction: 1635
Completion of construction: 1636
Coordinates: 55°45"02.3"N 37°36"55.8"E

Content:

Short story

Russia is a huge country, and in every corner there are always things that are interesting to the eye of an inquisitive traveler. But the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, occupies a special place for fans of historical excursions.

One of the most beautiful sights of the Russian capital rightfully includes the Terem Palace, which is part of the complex of buildings known as the Moscow Kremlin. The Terem Palace was built in the first half of the 17th century (completed in 1636) 4 authoritative master architects at that time: Ogurtsov, Konstantinov, Sharutin and Ushakov.

However, during the construction of the Terem Palace, preserved parts of old buildings were also used - in particular, the royal chambers created for Ivan the 3rd, and the Workshop Chambers of the 16th century. The open area surrounding the tower along the perimeter was formed due to the indentation in their superstructure to the base of the walls of the previous building.

Architectural features of the Terem Palace

What gives the Terem Palace a special charm is the way it was built - a tiered stepped composition with open staircases and fancy porches. It is interesting that many architectural solutions that were used in the creation of the Terem Palace were later often used for the construction of other buildings in the history of Russian architecture. For example, the well-known Upper Golden Porch with paired arches and, as it were, crowned with a tent, became the prototype of the original Russian interior.

There is also something to see outside the Terem Palace! The façade of the Terems deserves the closest attention - consider the white stone platbands with skillful carvings and hanging weights, or the cornices, in the design of which the most beautiful multi-colored tiles were used. The tiles clearly show images that include floral patterns and elements of heraldry (various animals and birds).

The decorative carvings decorating the entrance portals are also well done. For greater beauty, Russian architects introduced decorative pilasters into the spaces between the windows - however, they serve only for decoration and are not load-bearing elements of the Terem Palace structure.

Golden (Red) porch

Four chambers of the royal chambers

The second floor of the Terem Palace is occupied by the royal chambers. There are four in total. These are relatively small chambers, the notable architectural elements of which are closed vaults with rappelling.

Each chamber has its own name:

• Walk-through canopy
• Living room (Dumna) room
• Prestolnaya
• Bedchamber

The ancient art of making interiors from wood still makes itself felt here - for example, this is how wooden choirs were created.

Walk-through canopy

When constructing the choirs, a technique was used that is often used in Russian wooden architecture - the method of connecting separate cages. Fancy floral patterns decorate the vaults and walls of the chambers. Once upon a time, the architect Ushakov worked on the creation of the ornament; the current images were created relatively recently, in the 19th century, according to drawings proposed by T.A. Kiselev and F.G. Solntsev.

Churches and icons of the Terem Palace

The architectural ensemble of the Terem Palace also included other buildings, making it rightfully one of the most important historical monuments of Russian architecture of the 17th century. For example, in the western part of the Terem Palace there is the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God “on Senya”. The temple was rebuilt several times. Among the notable features is the almost completely preserved white stone four-pillar church.

Living room (Dumna) room

The construction of this church was carried out at the end of the 14th century by order of Princess Evdokia, the widow of the notorious Prince Dmitry Donskoy. This church is one of the most ancient buildings included in the Moscow Kremlin and is well preserved to this day.

On the territory of the Terem Palace there are a number of churches: the Church of Catherine (built by J. Thaler in 1627), the Church of the Resurrection of the Word built above it and the so-called Crucifixion Church. The roof with majolica and painted crosses, under which 3 churches are united - the Crucifixion, the Savior and the Resurrection of the Word, were made by the monastic elder Hippolytus, a famous carver of that time. By the way, the ancient wooden crucifix installed in the chapel of the Church of the Crucifixion is also the work of Hippolytus.

throne room

The house church on the men's half of the Terem Palace was built in 1636, when the construction of the entire complex was almost completed. The church was illuminated in honor of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” (it is believed that the image of the Savior appeared on its own, without human participation), and a little later the church began to be called in a new way - Verkhospassky Cathedral. The same 4 architects who built the entire complex of the Terem Palace worked on the temple. The murals that can be seen in the cathedral were created 30 years later, starting in 1660. Sometimes the cathedral is called “The Savior behind the Golden Lattice” and here’s why. The fact is that they decided to separate the Verkhospassky Cathedral and the Terem Palace with a lattice - not gold, of course, but made of iron. However, the gilding that covers the grille is applied so carefully and carefully that many people think that it is really made of gold! In the Church of the Crucifixion of the Terem Palace there is a very beautiful and monumental iconostasis.

Bedchamber

His icons are made on silk fabric using the appliqué technique. The author of the icons is the famous master of the Armory Chamber Vasily Poznansky. The Verkhospassky Cathedral also has an iconostasis made in the 18th century in baroque forms. However, in the lower row of the iconostasis of the Verkhospassky Cathedral there are even more ancient icons, works by masters of the 17th century: these are “The Centurion Longinus”, “Fedor Stratelates” and “The Savior Not Made by Hands” with 20 stamps on the theme of the lives of saints. The iconostasis of the Church of the Resurrection of the Glorious is made of wood and decorated with carvings and gilding. And the clock that adorns the temple is a gift from the Swedish King Charles 9.

The first stone residential chambers in the royal palace, later called the Terem Palace, were built in 1635-1636. for Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich of stone craftsmen Bazhen Ogurtsov, Antip Konstantinov, Trefil Sharutin and Larion Ushakov. The basis for the newly erected three-story chambers was the lower tier of the northern part of the palace, built by Aleviz Fryazin in 1499-1508. and built over it in the second half of the 16th century. Workshop chambers.

Terem Palace, 1797. Veduta by Giacomo Quarenghi

The Terem Palace was designed according to the type of Russian wooden houses, the features of which are manifested both in the exterior and in the layout of the building. The palace is a multi-tiered building. New floors were erected at some distance from the old walls and rose up in stepped tiers.

It seems that each tier seems to grow from the previous one like a pyramid. Here the talent of the palace’s creators was fully demonstrated: limited by space and the proximity of neighboring buildings, they managed to create a masterpiece of architectural art, pleasing the eye with its festive splendor.

Antiquities of the Russian country, 1846-1853. Illustrator - ru: Solntsev, Fedor Grigorievich. Section VI. Monuments of ancient Russian architecture Windows of the Terem Palace.

Boyar's Square and the Church of the Savior behind the Golden Lattice in the Moscow Kremlin. 1838. E. Gilbertzon

Boyarskaya site in the Moscow Kremlin. (until 1838)

The features of Russian wooden architecture can be traced not only in the tiered structure, but also in the nature of the roof, the design of the porch with a gable roof, and the layout of the rooms, reminiscent of the interior of a Russian hut, which is based on a cage (a log frame usually with three windows on the facade). The white stone window frames and portals are decorated with floral patterns depicting birds and animals.

Terem Palace in the Moscow Kremlin. 1635-1636. South facade. Engraving from the 1870s

Alekseev F. Ya. View in the Kremlin of the Terem Palace and the Church of the Savior on Bor. 1800s

Fedor Yakovlevich Alekseev. Boyar platform in the Moscow Kremlin (1801)

Terem Palace. Sovereign's window.

The window of the royal chamber is decorated with a high pediment, but which depicts a coat of arms supported by small columns; the bases of the columns are presented in the form of stone sculpted lions.

Even before the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace began, a watchtower with decorative kokoshniks and an octagonal roof was attached to the western side of the Terem Palace. Portals with triangular pediments framing the tower windows with colored glass, oriented to the cardinal points, resemble the carved frames of the Terem Palace windows. A steep hipped roof with a patterned design of gilded metal and small flags successfully complements the palace ensemble. Although for its time the Teremny Palace was a rather tall building (the “golden top” is located at the level of the fourth floor of a modern house), the Grand Kremlin Palace, in the courtyard of which it is located , almost completely hides it from view.

The facades of the Terem Palace can only be seen through the windows of the Great Kremlin or State Kremlin Palaces. Only the façade of the Queen’s Golden Chamber and the domes of the house church are visible from Cathedral Square. From the Armory, however, you can see the gilded dome of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Each floor had its own purpose and its own lifestyle. The ground floor premises were used for domestic purposes. It contained rooms for household purposes, as well as rooms where there were supplies of water and candles, as well as preparations of vegetables and pickles

The queen's workshops were located on the ground floor. The production of all types of clothing, linen and other types of household items for the royal family was concentrated here. Here, court embroiderers decorated clothes with silk, gold embroidery and pearls.

The third room on the third floor of the palace is the Throne Room, or the royal office. In the “red” corner of the room there is a royal chair covered with velvet. In the 17th century, this was the most beautiful and most inaccessible room in the entire palace. Only in the mornings did the boyars closest to the tsar, “waiting for the time,” enter it to strike it with their foreheads.

The middle window of the room, decorated from the façade with a carved white stone casing, was called Petition. A box was lowered from it, where everyone could submit a letter of petition to the king. The common people called this box Long, since petitions lay here for a long time, unread by anyone. This is where the saying comes from: “Don’t put things off for too long.”

Here there were premises that included the royal family’s own chambers during their stay in the Terem Palace; the rest of the time the family lived in a wooden palace, which, according to contemporaries, was considered more beneficial for health.

The royal chambers occupied the second floor of the palace. These were four panels of relatively small sizes, covered with closed vaults with strippings: Entrance vestibule, Cross Chamber, Altar Room and Bedchamber. In the layout of the chambers, as well as in the general composition of architectural volumes, the influence of wooden architecture, in particular wooden mansions, built on the principle of connecting individual cages, will still be felt.

Upon completion of construction, the walls and vaults of the chambers were painted with floral patterns. Then, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the painting was resumed by S. Ushakov.

The current painting was made in 1836 according to drawings by F. G. Solntsev and T. A. Kiselev.
On the second floor there was the king's personal bath. Water was supplied here using a pump from a water tower. A spiral staircase led from the bathhouse to the royal bedroom. The rooms located on this floor were often rebuilt and their purpose changed accordingly. In the 19th century an archive was located here, in which the most important state papers were kept.

On the third floor were the tsar’s personal chambers: large “rooms with three windows” overlooking the Moscow River. The suite of rooms on this floor ended with the Bedroom and Chapel.

In the first of them there was a gilded carved bed with a luxurious canopy embroidered in gold on a red background with numerous inscriptions. In the chapel, two carved iconostases, covered with bolted gold, with icons of the 17th-18th centuries were installed.

The northern wing housed utility rooms and a narrow corridor. According to legend, the most beautiful girls were shown here, among whom the king had to choose a bride. He had to walk down the corridor three times and hand the towel to the lucky chosen one.

The fourth floor, or mezzanine, was sometimes called the golden top because the roof was covered with gold and silver sheets and painted in different colors. In the spacious, well-lit room with a golden top, attention is drawn to wall paintings made in the middle of the last century in the so-called “Russian” style.

Three galleries-promenades surrounded the palace in tiers: the lower Boyar platform, or Bed porch, was located at the level of the ceiling of the Aleviz basement, where the Vladimir Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace now stands. From this level, an open staircase led to the Front stone courtyard, built on top of the aligned arches of the Workshop chambers, on which the three floors of the Terem Palace were actually built.

The exit to the middle walkway was later closed by a Golden Grille, representing a unique example of blacksmithing. On the eastern side of the Terems there was the Front Golden Porch, along which one ascended to the second floor into the king’s living quarters. The last tier of the built chambers - the golden-domed Teremok, located in the center of the building, is surrounded by a third platform - the Upper Stone Courtyard.

The extraordinary picturesqueness and elegance of the new palace is created not only due to the complex space-planning design of the building, but also due to the rich decorative design of its facades.

Profiled pilasters between the windows, carved and majolica cornices, complex white stone frames of openings with hanging weights and triangular pediments, covered with carved ornaments, tiles and carvings in the flaps of the parapets of the walkways, gilded roofing - all this is harmoniously combined with the polychrome coloring of the walls and white stone details, restored during restoration of Terems in 1966-1969. Overall, the palace gives the impression of a precious piece of jewelry.

The Upper Golden Porch, topped with a tent and serving as the main entrance to the royal chambers, led from the Verkhnespasskaya platform to the second floor of the palace. From the Boyarskaya platform located in front of the arched basement, an open staircase (Lower Golden Porch) rose to the Verkhnepasskaya platform, which was locked with a gilded copper lattice at the Verkhnepasskaya platform (therefore the church is sometimes called the Church of the Savior behind the Golden Lattice).

In the western part of T.D. there is the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God “on Senya”, notable for the fact that in its basement a four-pillar white stone church from the end of the 14th century has been preserved. - the most ancient of the Kremlin buildings that have come down to us.

Simultaneously with the traditional techniques of decorative decoration - flies, ornamental wickerwork, polychrome, tiles, a carved gilded ridge on the roof ridge, the architects of T. D. used classical order forms. At this time, the Order of Stone Affairs paid great attention to familiarizing Russian architects with Western European construction experience.

From the multi-colored glass, tiled stoves and painted walls, Teremov breathes a distant, fabulous antiquity. Furniture - in the style of the 17th century. Benches and chairs are upholstered in Venetian velvet. Once upon a time, the cabinets and shelves were filled with gold and silver dishes, which are now preserved in the Armory. Songbirds sat in golden and silver cages.

No gold was spared when painting the Terem Palace. According to the chronicles, even the roofs and gutters were painted and gilded, and the doorways were decorated with painted and gilded carvings.

The interior decoration of T.D.'s chambers was very picturesque: bright ornamental paintings with heraldic signs woven into it covered the surfaces of the walls, vaults, formwork and even window sills; Biblical stories in symbolic form illustrated the monarchical idea. Simon Ushakov took part in the painting of T.D. (when it was resumed during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich). The painting has not survived.

The Golden Tsarina Chamber is a 16th-century palace building in the Moscow Kremlin. It got its name after the walls of the Tsarina’s Chamber were painted with gold at the end of the 16th century. The so-called Zhiletskaya Chamber, which served as Tsaritsina’s vestibule, has also survived to this day. In the old days, the palace guards were on duty in these vestibules. They preserve an elegant Renaissance portal that forms the main entrance to the main room of the women's half of the royal palace.

The architectural ensemble of the Terem Palace also includes the Golden Tsarina Chamber of the 16th century and house churches (Resurrection of the Word, Savior, Crucifixion chapel, etc.), which in 1682 were brought under one roof and 11 domes were placed on it on necks decorated with tiles. The construction work was led by the architect Osip Startsev, the drawings for the majolica and crosses were made by the carver, Elder Ippolit.
.

All restoration work was carried out based on the architectural support of N.G. Mukhin (Mosproekt-2, workshop No. 13) and on the recommendations of TsNRPM technologist M.P. Ievleva.

The original interior decoration of the chambers, with the exception of individual fragments, has not been preserved and was made again under the direction of the artist F.G. Solntsev in the style of the 17th century. These works were carried out in 1836-1837. during the restoration of an ancient monument, which was subsequently included during the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace in a new complex of palace buildings.

Located on a high Kremlin hill, the Terem Palace building was facing the south, towards the Moscow River. Crowned with a gilded attic roof, surrounded by open walkways with hipped porches, the Terem Palace dominated the Kremlin chambers and mansion building and formed an integral part of the entire Kremlin palace ensemble.
Currently, the Terem Palace as part of the Grand Kremlin Palace is the Residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

Some photos:
http://www.kreml.ru/ru/kremlin/buildings/Teremnoy_dvorets/
http://banallex.livejournal.com/
Literature
Ivan Zabelin “Home life of Russian tsars in the 16th and 17th centuries.” Publishing house Transitbook. Moscow. 2005
Libson V. Ya., Domshlak M. I., Arenkova Yu. I. and others. The Kremlin. China town. Central squares // Architectural monuments of Moscow. - M.: Art, 1983. - P. 333-334

From time immemorial, the palaces of Russian autocrats were distinguished by their luxury and splendor of decoration, and the abundance of gold in the interior design.
The Great Kremlin Palace of the architect Konstantin Andreevich Ton, built in 1849 as the Moscow residence of Emperor Nicholas I, worthily continued this tradition. The ancient palace chambers included in its composition - Faceted from the 15th century, Golden Tsaritsyna from the 16th century, Terema from the 17th century - with their figurative structure seemed to predetermine the appeal to gold in the architectural and decorative solutions of the new palace.

Faceted Chamber. red porchFaceted Chamber.Faceted Chamber.

The Faceted Chamber (1487-1491) was formerly called the Great Golden Chamber, since the wall paintings covering the walls and vaults were made on a golden background. Sunny yellow gold leaf glows on the carved white stone portals of the chamber and the Holy Entrance, adjacent to it. The Faceted Chamber - the throne room of Russian sovereigns - was intended for official and ceremonial ceremonies. The ceremonial reception hall of the Russian queens also shone with gold. It is no coincidence that from the end of the 16th century. the name of the Golden Queen's Chamber was established behind it.

Tsarina's Chamber (three windows under the yellow arch)Tsarina's Chamber (drawing)Tsarina's Chamber (drawing)

The decoration of the “very wonderful chambers” - the Terem Palace, built for Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov is luxurious. The craftsmen used almost all known materials, graphic motifs and, of course, gold.

Terem PalaceTerem Palace. golden porchTerem Palace. EntranceTerem Palace. ReceptionTerem Palace. Round stove

The golden lattice on the Verkhospasskaya site, the Golden porch on the front stone courtyard, the golden “grass” patterns and heraldic coat of arms on the walls of the royal office in the towers, the gold of carved wooden iconostases in the tower churches and the radiant shine of 11 golden domes with beautiful openwork crosses.

Terem Palace. Tsar's office

Ancient royal palaces always represented a complex of various multifaceted buildings. Following tradition, K. Thon created a new architectural ensemble as well as a group of buildings - compact and convenient. The key link in connecting the surviving old chambers with the new palace was the Vladimir Hall, erected on the site of the open Boyarsky site.

Vladimirsky Hall

The Grand Kremlin Palace fully lives up to its name. It has about 700 different rooms. The length of the main, southern facade, facing the Moscow River, is 125 m, the height of the building is 40 m. On the second floor of the palace there are the main ceremonial halls, dedicated to the most important order awards of Russia and given their names in their honor - Andreevsky, Alexandrovsky, Georgievsky, Vladimirsky, Ekaterininsky. The decor of each room uses images of the order’s sign, its star with its motto, and takes into account the colors of the order’s ribbons.
St. Andrew's Hall is the main throne room of the palace. Before the eyes of those entering, it appeared dazzlingly luxurious, replete with sophisticated stucco molding and gold, in the shimmer of polished white artificial marble, in the azure backgrounds (blue is the color of the order ribbon), in the solemn elegance of the decor of coats of arms and order emblems. The fate of the hall is dramatic. In 1932-1934. it, together with the neighboring Alexander Hall, dedicated to the Order of Alexander Nevsky, was completely rebuilt and transformed into a single meeting room of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. As a result, the halls lost their architectural and decorative decoration.

St. Andrew's Hall

In 1999, the St. Andrew's and Alexander Halls were recreated according to drawings, measurements, sketches and watercolors of the 19th century. and regained their original appearance. Now you can fully follow the description of these magnificent halls from the book by Sergei Petrovich Bartenev “The Grand Kremlin Palace. Index to its review” 1911: “The Alexander Hall with pink marble walls, all sparkling with gold, was built in honor of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky ... In the golden bas-reliefs of the dome and arches there are signs of the order; in the corners of the dome and above the doors there are state eagles with the imperial crown. Between the twisted gilded columns there are the coats of arms of the provinces and regions of Russia. On the sides of the doors and between the windows there are gilded fittings consisting of ancient weapons of the Slavs... the shimmer of gilding in the ornaments and everywhere create “an almost barbaric abundance of brilliance.”

Alexander Hall

The antechamber of the Grand Kremlin Palace, to which the main staircase leads, precedes the entrance to the largest hall, “Georgievsky.” It is dedicated to the highest military award of pre-revolutionary Russia, the Order of St. George, established by Catherine II in 1769. The architectural appearance and decorative design of the hall reflect the idea of ​​​​glorifying military heroism and feat. The enormous dimensions (17.5x61x20.5 m), the noble whiteness of the walls and vault, and the gold of the lamps create an atmosphere of solemn grandeur. The memorial character of the hall is emphasized by the repeated repetition of images of the St. George Cross and a star with the motto “For Service and Bravery”, the names of distinguished military units and the names of St. George cavaliers carved in gold.

St. George's Hall

The unique originality of the front hall is given by marble sculptures placed above the twisted columns along the long walls. These statues allegorically depict the lands and kingdoms that became part of Russia from the 15th to the 19th centuries. They were created by the famous Russian sculptor Ivan Petrovich Vitali.
The abundance of molded, carved and sculptural decorations, the wealth of gilded bronze in amazing chandeliers and large mantel clocks, the multicolored precious inlaid parquet flooring, made according to the design of academician Fyodor Grigorievich Solntsev from more than 20 rare types of wood, enhance the impression of solemnity and grandeur.
Next to Georgievsky there is a relatively small Vladimirsky Hall. Square (16x16 m), with cut corners, it is covered with a 16-sided dome, densely decorated with gilded ornamental stucco, floral patterns, and order insignia (a cross and a star with the motto “Benefit. Honor. Glory”). The dome of the Vladimir Hall is also interesting as an example of a successful design solution. To lighten the weight and improve acoustic properties, it is made of hollow ceramic pots. This technique was known to Russian architects back in the 12th century.

Vladimirsky Hall. Central chandelier

The Catherine Hall of the palace is named after the Order of St. Catherine, established by Peter I in 1714. The only women's order in the statute of Russian awards was in the form of a cross with an oval gold medallion and an enamel image of St. Catherine. The walls of the hall are covered with light silver moire and decorated with large decorative medallions of the order. The rich carved ornament of the richly gilded doors also includes order insignia. The Catherine Hall was the throne room of the empresses. Behind it are the rooms of the Front half of the palace.

Catherine Hall

The formal living room is a luxuriously furnished room with a high vaulted ceiling painted with floral designs. The walls are covered with green and gold patterned brocade. Upholstered gilded furniture is covered with the same brocade. A porcelain flower bed floor lamp (for 66 arms) with vases for fresh flowers and two candelabra in Japanese and Chinese styles play an important role in the decoration of the living room. They were made at the famous Imperial Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg. The undoubted attraction of the Main Living Room are the tall mirrored doors made of rosewood, skillfully inlaid with bronze, tortoiseshell, and mother-of-pearl.

Front living room

The front half is closed by the front bedroom. It is designed as a classic palace bedroom with the obligatory alcove, highlighted by two monolithic columns of gray-green marble with gilded Corinthian capitals. The walls of the room are divided by pilasters, trimmed with the same marble. The simple-shaped fireplace is lined with jasper of a deep dark green color with a rare smoky blue tint. Like all palace fireplaces, it is decorated with elegant gilded bronze candelabra and a clock.

State bedchamberState bedchamber

Terem Palace. Tsar's reception room

The Terem Palace is part of the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation, and not a museum at all, so getting there is extremely difficult. So we offer an imaginary tour. You can open photographs of interiors and drawings and follow the text, then everything will fall into place and fit into a harmonious picture. True, in the photo post it’s not very clear what belongs to what, but this is the best that we could find, because you can’t go there yourself and figure it all out: a sensitive object.

So, we examined the second floor of the Terem Palace, built by Aleviz. Between the church and the Back Chamber there is a Boyar Staircase. Let's go down it to the first floor. Here, too, the building is surrounded by corridors from the north and south. First there are seven rooms, which in the 19th century were kitchens, and originally were the basements of the chambers of the palace of Ivan III. Further under the Zhiletskaya and Golden Tsarina chambers there are their own basements. Here the noble residents were beaten with batogs for offenses and put under arrest.

The cellars and glaciers of the Grand Duke have been preserved underground. You can get there from some basements on the first floor.

Let's return to the Vladimir Hall. From there you can climb to the Verkhospasskaya platform (Front Stone Courtyard). Before construction, it was truly an open-air area on the roof of the second floor of the Terem Palace. Moreover, before the stone mansions of the 17th century, there were residential wooden mansions of kings/grand dukes, and further towards the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary - queens/grand duchesses.

Previously, from the courtyard to the Verkhospasskaya platform one could climb a luxurious staircase, which was separated from the platform by the famous Golden Red Lattice. The staircase was decorated with gilded lions sitting on the railings of each landing.

The lattice, unlike the stairs, is still there. Iron lattice, gilded, painted. There is a legend that it was cast from copper money after the Copper Riot, but in reality it was not.

Well, here we are at the Verkhospasskaya site. If we go straight, we will find ourselves in the Cast Iron Corridor, running along the northern facade. If you go to the right, you will see the Refectory, and behind it is the Church of the Savior behind the Golden Lattice, also known as the Verkhospassky Cathedral. But a staircase with lions rises to the left. The lions hold the monograms of Nicholas I and appeared under him. A porch placed inside a covered room looks somewhat unnatural.

There is a small door under the stairs; let's go through it and find ourselves in a suite of five maid of honor rooms. Initially, these were the chambers of the lower tier of the Terem Palace. From all these rooms you can get into the Cast Iron Corridor. By the way, on the fourth floor above part of the Cast Iron Corridor there is a Portrait Corridor. You can get into it by stairs from the refectory of the Verkhospassky Cathedral. The ceiling of the Portrait Corridor features Russian emperors, which is why the corridor is also called the Romanov Gallery.

Among the rooms on the third floor, one was the Amusement Chamber, the other was the sovereign’s soapbox, where the tsar descended along a special secret staircase, which has survived to this day. The soap dish was insulated with lead to prevent water from passing to the lower floor.

Okay, let's go back to the Verkhospasskaya site and finally go up the stairs. We are on the Golden Porch, topped with a hipped turret. From the Golden Porch we go into the Entrance Hall, and then into the Front (Cross, Dining, Living) Chamber. Initially it was called the Front Hut, because there was no fundamental functional difference between the royal and peasant houses.

The next room is the Throne (Golden) Chamber, also known as the Room. This is the sovereign's own office. It was here that the royal decrees were first announced, and only then the heralds carried them everywhere. The central south window of the Room is highlighted from the outside with white stone carvings and lions. There are two doors on the north side, but now they lead to nowhere, but before there was an entrance to the Upper Tower and a descent to the lower tier.

Behind the Room there are the last two small rooms: the Prayer Room (Krestovaya) and the Bedchamber (Chulan). Previously, there was also a royal buffet and mansions of court pilgrims, but they have not survived.

From the Passage Entrance Hall you can climb a very steep staircase to the fifth floor of the Terem Palace, where in the middle of the vast area (Upper Stone Courtyard) there is a Stone Attic (Terem) with a Lookout Tower. The tower is one large, bright hall, the facades of which are richly decorated with tiles.

The picture is clickable.

Story

Nicholas I

1836—1849

Architects use genuine materials very freely. They are building the Vladimir Hall on the site of the Boyarskaya site, turning the Verkhospasskaya site into an indoor space, redoing the stairs, erecting a tented tower and an observation deck at their own whim...

Fedor Solntsev’s approach is more accurate. He restores the interiors of the Terem Palace and the Golden Tsarina Chamber for real, uses genuine objects whenever possible, and if they are missing, he makes remakes based on ancient models. Contemporaries believed and accepted the interiors as original.

1838

Due to reconstruction and construction, ladies-in-waiting and other palace employees are being evicted from the Terem Palace.

The pictures are signed and clickable.

Alexander I

1812

Napoleon's retinue settles in the Terem Palace. After the war, she was replaced by Russian court servants.

1810

The treasures of the Terem Palace are transferred to the Armory Chamber.

1809

The abolition of the churches of the New Savior and the Assumption.

Temporary workers

1743

Repair, extension on the third floor. The treasures of the Tsar's Armory and the Great Treasury are placed in the Terem Palace.

Peter I

1723

1670

Casting and installation of the Golden Grill.

1666

Room door decoration.

1664

1660

A church council is taking place in the Room, which decided to deprive Nikon of his rank.

1655

The old patriarchal palace goes to the princesses, because Nikon is building it in the Tsareboris courtyard.

1654

Tsarina Maria Miloslavskaya gives a reception to the Georgian Tsarina Elena Levontevna in the Golden Tsarina Chamber.

1646

Alexey Mikhailovich is setting up new Amusement Mansions in the Teremny Palace. They are being built by the palace carpenter Vaska Romanov.

1630s

The bed chambers became the lower part of the Terem Palace (see below) and were called the Workshop Chambers.

1637

Some groom Ivan Osipov, a gold painter by trade, was already at that time putting burdocks on the roof with gold leaf, silver and various paints, “and in the same mansion, in all the windows (otherwise the attic, i.e. tower) he made mica endings.”

Zabelin I.E. Home life of Russian tsars in the 16th and 17th centuries. M., 1895., future saint. He wrote a whole book about his trip to Muscovy, here is a fragment dedicated to the Golden Tsarina Chamber:

If we look at the vaulted chamber in which we were, we will see that there is no other chamber similar in beauty in the whole world. It is arranged in a sphere shape, covered with the purest gold, decorated with images and, due to its skillful arrangement, miraculously reflects the sounds pronounced in it. On its walls are depicted arabesques, trees, black and red vines, as well as various birds. In the middle of the vault there was a beautifully sculptured lion holding a snake in its teeth, from the middle of which descended many beautiful candlesticks, decorated with precious stones and pearls and skillfully woven like baskets.

I cannot perfectly describe this round chamber and talk about it in detail, because the abundance of what is described frightens me. But a strong desire compels me to describe it, although no mind is able to completely achieve this. From all sides of the chamber, countless images of mosaic work looked at us, representing various events and faces - St. The Virgin Mary, the Lady of the world, holding our redeemer in her arms - the faces of St. angels, hierarchs, martyrs; All these images - excellent work - were decorated with diamonds, large pearls and other precious stones. In addition, all the faces of the saints had beautiful crowns and were covered with expensive frames.

I cannot list all the pearls, rubies, sapphires, topazes and other brilliant precious stones with which the icons were covered. I’d better finish my speech about this, because I cannot perfectly describe the countless number of objects that were here.

Arseny Elassonsky, “Description of a trip to Muscovy.”

And Queen Irina Godunova receives Patriarch Job, for the sake of whose election Jeremiah and Arseny came.

1535

Elena Glinskaya receives the Queen of Kazan (probably Syuyumbike) in the Lazarevskaya Chamber (near the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus).

Grand Duchy

1526

The first mention of the Coal Chamber, later known as the Golden Tsarina Chamber.

1508

Aleviz the Old builds the lower tier of the towers. Among them there is the Lazarevskaya (Rear) chamber. The doors from this chamber led to the Bed Porch, which also adjoined the entryway and was connected by a door to the Front Passage, or Red Porch.

1395

Laying stone cellars on the site of the future Terem Palace.