Initially, the Kremlin was a royal city that was closed to ordinary people, except on religious holidays. When the capital moved to St. Petersburg in the early 18th century, the Kremlin turned into a popular place to walk. The Bolsheviks came to the Kremlin in 1918 and made it into the sinister home of their strike force. The Kremlin was again closed to visitors. Part of the Kremlin was knocked down to build Josef Stalin's residence and a communication center. Red Square became a ground for military parades and a cemetery for party leaders. This great burden distorted the spirit of the royal residence. After Stalin's death, the construction of the palace for party congresses - a glass cube that was alien to the historic ensemble - finally ruined the structure of the enclosed space, although the fortress was open for visitors.
The Kremlin has faced new ordeals since the collapse of the Soviet Union. About 2 million tourists and Russian Orthodox Christians visit it every year. Today this is not only the president's residence but also the Moscow Kremlin state historical and cultural museum. The Kremlin is Russia's treasury. Gifts to Russian emperors, royal regalia, unique diamonds, gold nuggets, gilded carriages, diamond-covered scepters, bars of platinum and other treasures are shown in the Armory and the Diamond Fund, which are visited by 2,000 tourists a day.
The restoration plan for the Kremlin should restore the lost balance of mystery and beauty. The Russian government is to approve the restoration program within two months. The main objectives are to restore the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Makaryev Palace, Patriarch's Palace, Archangel Cathedral, Annunciation Cathedral and Assumption Cathedral.
A large exhibition center will be built outside the Kremlin to regulate the flow of tourists and show the Kremlin treasures in their richness and luster.
In the future the glass Palace of Congresses will obviously be razed and the original view restored. The problem of whether or not to preserve the burial sites along the Kremlin wall and the Lenin Mausoleum remains unresolved. Russian society is still not ready for such radical decisions. Meanwhile, the resolute demolition of nearby ugly glass-encased buildings, like the Intourist Hotel and Hotel Rossiya, which was meant for delegates of party congresses, proves that the original spirit of the Kremlin and Red Square will be revived.
