Kremlin

President of Russia

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| DISCOVERING THE KREMLIN |
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National Priorities:
| Resolving the Housing Problem
| Education and Science
| Military Reform

DISCOVERING THE KREMLIN |

The Guardians of the Kremlin

Kremlin map

The history of the Kremlin is the history of Russia in miniature – days of peace and sieges by foreigners, religious processions and victory parades, great feats and troubles, the sacred and the grand. Since olden days, the Kremlin has been perceived in the popular imagination as a sort of ark protecting the nation’s priceless cultural treasures and most sacred objects within its crenelated walls. It was and remains the heart of the country’s political life and the center of its history and culture.

The History of the Kremlin

Through their tireless labor, the defenders and guardians of the Kremlin over the generations have preserved and handed down the legacy of the past. Today, the symbol of this care in preserving the Kremlin’s treasures is the Kremlin falcons. These strong and noble birds help protect the gold domes of the Kremlin’s cathedrals from flocks of crows that would otherwise cause serious damage to these architectural monuments.

Attracted by the brightness of the gold, dozens of crows land atop the domes and slide down the sides, scratching the precious metal with their claws. Popular legend has it that the number of crows in the Kremlin increased dramatically when it was occupied by the Poles during the Time of Troubles and then by Napoleon’s army in 1812. Toward the end of the 20th century there were so many crows that the Kremlin Commandant’s Office decided to regulate their population by using falcons. For this purpose, it set up a special ornithological service.

The Kremlin has four falcons. The falcon’s handlers say the birds are wonderfully trained and are also very patriotic. But that is no surprise, after all, for how can one help but fall in love with the Kremlin when seeing it from a bird’s eye view every morning.

Bird’s eye view of the Kremlin:

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