No. 2, 2005
Alexander Snegin
,
Alexander Seleznyov
PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE FOR POSTERITY
JSC LUKOIL finances the reconstruction of the ancient Astrakhan Kremlin
The Astrakhan Kremlin with its mighty white walls and slender towers ornamented with glazed green tiles, a remarkable relic of Russia's late-16th-century fortification architecture rising over the lower Volga, is an eye-catching sight projecting the image of impregnable strength.
The Astrakhan Kremlin was built in 1582-1589 by the architects Mikhail Velyaminov and Dey Gubasty specially sent from Moscow in place of an older wooden structure as a Russian outpost in the estuary of the Volga.
The walls of the Astrakhan Kremlin are a honeycomb of casemated canon and harquebus fire emplacements for medium- and close-range shooting, with a row of curving-fire embrasures cut through the walls at almost ground level - something no other fortress had at that time.
The Astrakhan Kremlin was one of the most heavily fortified strongholds in the south of medieval Russia. Besides its massive "built," the Kremlin was distinguished by its sheer beauty which lent unforgettable color to the fast-growing city it stood guard of. Jan Janszoon Struys, a Dutch merchant and wayfarer who traveled in the lower reaches of the Volga at the end of the 17th century, wrote that "from afar Astrakhan looks prettier than at closer quarters because it abounds in towers and belfriesЙ At present, it is among Muscovy's largest and most beautiful cities".
The Astrakhan Kremlin was destined to play a special role in the foreign policy pursued by Emperor Peter the Great, the outstanding Russian reformer. While making preparations for the Persian campaign, the Emperor visited the city in June 1722, to see how the fortification of Russia's southern outpost was going. It was exactly Astrakhan that became the main port of the Caspian Flotilla created by Emperor Peter the Great. Alexander Suvorov, the great Russian commander, stayed in Astrakhan for two years supervising the progress of fortification works.
In 1698-1710, the Assumption Cathedral was erected on the Kremlin grounds by the serf architect Dorofey Myakishev. This masterpiece in stone epitomizing the idea of the spiritual strengthening of the Russian state graces the Kremlin to this day. The Cathedral is a severe cubic structure crowned with five gilded domes, their crosses resting on small wooden hand-painted drums. Legend has it that on seeing the Assumption Cathedral Emperor Peter the Great exclaimed that there was nothing like it in Russia and ordered its replica constructed in St. Petersburg. Also found in the Astrakhan Kremlin are the Trinity Cathedral, the Kirill Chapel and the Bishop's Chambers.
Today, the 400-years-old Astrakhan Kremlin is in need of restoration which the city cannot afford. In January 2005, JSC LUKOIL allocated funds for the reconstruction of this historical monument in the framework of an agreement the Company had signed with the city's administration in October 2004. Now we can rest assured that the ancient Kremlin's walls and towers will gladden the eyes of Astrakhan's residents and guests for years to come.
