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The Moscow Kremlin is the very heart of Moscow. Kremlin means citadel and there are many kremlins in Russia, but the one in Moscow is The Kremlin. It borders the Moscow River and has within its walls a number of important buildings. There are several palaces, churches, and the official residence of the President of Russia. It has been continuously occupied since the 2nd millennium B.C.
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It is believed that Slavic people have occupied the Kremlin hill since the eleventh century. At that time the community was known as Moscow Grad (Moscow town). At some point soon thereafter the hill was fortified and by the fourteenth century it was referred to as the Kremlin. Dmitri Donskoi added white limestone walls in 1368 and several important churches were constructed inside the walls. In the fifteenth century Italian artisans designed and built the walls that we see today. During the Time of Troubles the Kremlin was occupied by the Polish-Lithuanian army between 1610 and 1612. Following their rout by a volunteer army led by Minin and Pozharsky, Mikhail Romanov was elected czar and took up residence inside the Kremlin. In 1682, following the death of Czar Alexis, the Streltsy Uprising in the Kremlin resulted in Ivan V and Peter I being named dual czars with their sister, Sophia Alekseyevna, being named regent. It is said that the Streltsy Uprising caused young Peter to dislike the Kremlin and contributed to his decision to establish his new capital in St. Petersburg in the beginning of the eighteenth century.
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