Kremlin

President of Russia

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THE POTESHNY PALACE |

| Moscow Kremlin

Administrative buildings | The Kremlin Towers | The Kremlin Cathedrals | Squares and Gardens

The Senate

Building 14 (The Presidium)

The Arsenal

The Poteshny Palace

The State Kremlin Palace

The Grand Kremlin Palace

The Terem Palace

The Armory

The Faceted Palace

The State History Museum

The Poteshny Palace

The Poteshny - or Amusement - Palace, a major monument of 17th century civilian architecture, is situated near the Kremlin wall between the Komendantskaya and Troitskaya towers. It was built in 1652 for Boyar Miloslavsky, the father-in-law of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. A talented but unknown architect managed to fit all the buildings of the manor in a relatively small area. Near the Kremlin walls stood a three-story stone mansion with service buildings, deep cellars where wine and food were stored, an elegant palace church and an indoor garden. Boyar Miloslavsky lived here for 16 years; after his death the mansion went to the state, and in 1679 it was refurbished and used as a theater. “Potekhi,” performances to amuse the royal family, were staged there. Above the main dining hall there is a turret on four posts that was used as a belfry and watchtower.

In the 19th century, the Commandant of Moscow had his residence there. The Poteshny Palace is the Kremlin’s only surviving example of boyar chambers.

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