Currents April 2019 April 2019_Currents web

Currents April 2019 Globetrotter MAID FOR TODAY 954-968-0063 By: Max Edwards Kremlin Walls Surround Secrets News-worthy locales do not always inspire travel. But places redolent of intrigue, such as Moscow’s Kremlin, stoke the curiosity of even inveterate arm- chair travelers. “Kremlin” is Russian for “fortress” or “citadel,” common to many cities. But only Moscow’s kremlin conjures up rich and mythic imagery. The Kremlin is Moscow’s strategic and historic heart. By 1156, Muscovites had erected wooden kremlin walls. In 1485, Ivan the Great brought in Italian architects to build upon existing walls. White lime- stone, 30 miles outside Moscow, was hauled in. Later, brick additions enhanced the kremlin’s triangu- lar shape. Wall height varies from 16 to 62 feet, wall thickness from 11 to 21 feet. The walls’ outer perimeter is 7,333 feet in length. Some 1,045 crenellations (“teeth”) top the walls. [See photo.] Kremlin walls have much to tell: they held can- nons until the 17th Century; they held prisoners. Kremlin’s 20 towers and four gate towers witnessed history. The oldest tower, the Tainitskaya, dates from 1485. The Spasskaya tower is synecdoche for Moscow. Within the Kremlin are sites of import, among them: the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the Congress Palace, the Kremlin Palace, Terem Palace, the Armory. There are numerous distinctive churches: The Archangel Michael Cathedral, the royal burial continued on page 12 > HOME CLEANING! Licensed Bonded Insured NEW CUSTOMER SPECIAL 25% OFF ! Houses Condos Offices Parties (3 hour minimum) Serving South Florida for Over 34 Yrs. 11

Currents April 2019 April 2019_Currents web | Page 11