The Faceted Chamber is an architectural monument in the Moscow Kremlin, one of the oldest civil buildings in Moscow. It was built in 1487-1491 by the decree of Ivan III by Italian architects Mark Fryazin and Pietro Antonio Solari. The building was used for ceremonial dinners, meetings and ceremonial receptions at the wedding to the kingdom.
15th-17th centuries
The Faceted Chamber was founded in 1487 on the
site of an ancient gridiron by architect Mark Fryazin for ceremonial
receptions in the Grand Duke's Palace of Ivan III. Construction was
completed in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari. The name of the building was
given by the front eastern facade overlooking Cathedral Square, finished
with “diamond” rustication of white stone (under the “edges”),
characteristic of Italian Renaissance architecture, for example, the
Diamond Palace in Ferrara. At the same time, the voluminous solution of
the chamber - with a high roof, an open outer porch and an entrance hall
inside - fully corresponded to the Russian architectural tradition. Both
the traditional type of grill, known in Russian architecture since the
time of Kievan Rus, and the recently built refectory of the
Trinity-Sergius Lavra could serve as prototypes of the Faceted Chamber.
A row of double lancet windows with rectangular frames, made in the
Italian Gothic style, and a strict classical wedding entablature added
integrity to the building. The original windows may have had white stone
frames (their remnants have been preserved near the round windows of the
second light). An important role in the decorative design of the simple
rectangular volume of the chamber was played by color: the white stone
of the eastern facade was combined with the red coloring of the
unplastered side and rear facades and the gilding of the high hipped
roof. Over the years of growth of the cultural layer, the basement
"sank" into the ground, and initially the building probably looked more
slender.
Next to the Faceted Chamber (also called the Great) the
Middle Golden Chamber was built. In front of it stood the Upper Porch
(Front Passages), to which three stairs led from Cathedral Square:
The red porch - near the wall of the Faceted Chamber, served for the
solemn exits of the king.
The middle staircase (from the end of the
17th century - the Golden Staircase or the Golden Grid) - led to the
entrance hall of the Middle Golden Chamber, through which the
ambassadors of non-Christian states entered the palace.
The porch of
the Annunciation Cathedral - served as the entrance to the palace from
the Cathedral Square
Between the stairs of the Faceted and Middle
Golden Chambers were the Red Gates, which led from the courtyard of the
palace to the square. Behind the Middle Golden Chamber stood the Dining
log hut, broken in 1681. To the south of it stood the Embankment
Chamber, which existed, like the Middle Golden Chamber, until 1753.
By the time of its completion, the central hall of the Faceted
Chamber was the largest hall in Moscow. Since the 16th century, meetings
of the Boyar Duma, Zemsky Sobors, solemn feasts, festivities in honor of
the conquest of Kazan in 1552, the victory at Poltava in 1709, the
conclusion of the Nystadt Peace with Sweden in 1721 have been held here.
In 1653, it hosted the last Zemsky Sobor, after which Ukraine became
part of the Muscovite state. In 1682, a well-known debate took place in
the chamber between the Old Believers, headed by Nikita Pustosvyat, and
representatives of the official church; this dispute, where Princess
Sophia and Patriarch Joachim were among those present, is depicted in
the painting by Vasily Perov “Nikita Pustosvyat. Controversy about
faith.
In the 1630s, during the construction of the Terem Palace,
the color scheme of the walls of the chamber probably changed to match
the new structure: the white-stone parts of the entablature were painted
in red and green tones, the surfaces of the slopes received grass
paintings (except for window sills painted in cinnabar). At the same
time, the Red Porch received barrel-shaped and tented completions of
lockers.
In 1684, repair work was carried out in the Faceted
Chamber, which was led by Osip Startsev. Double gothic lancet windows
were hewn and replaced with existing openings, decorated with platbands
with floral ornaments. A hiding place was set up above the passage for
storing valuables. The copper roof was replaced with an iron one,
lowered and brightly painted (this painted roof perished in a fire in
1696), a wooden balustrade was created over the cornice of the chamber,
and opposite the entrance from the vestibule to the Faceted Chamber, a
new portal was built with carved columns and a pediment, above which
there was a two-headed eagle.
Coronations in the Assumption Cathedral took place until the end of
the 19th century, despite the transfer of the capital to St. Petersburg
at the beginning of the 18th century. During the celebrations, feasts
were held in the Faceted Chamber, and the throne room was decorated with
additional decor. In April 1730, for the coronation of Empress Anna
Ioannovna, more than five hundred precious things were transferred from
the Treasury Order to the chamber. For the wedding on the reign of
Catherine II, the walls were decorated with tapestries, the space above
the windows was painted, and the vaults were whitewashed. The last
coronation feast took place in the Palace of Facets on May 14, 1896 in
honor of the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II. Among other significant
events that took place in the chamber was the opening by Catherine II of
the meetings of the Legislative Commission in 1767, as well as the
presentation by the Empress of awards to the commanders after the Peace
of Kyuchuk-Kaynardzha in July 1774.
The Faceted Chamber was
damaged in the Trinity Fire of 1737: the roof, the floor in the hallway,
the frames in the windows burned down, and the white stone carving was
damaged. In 1753, during the construction of the new Kremlin Palace,
designed by the architect Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli, the Red Porch
was redone, preserving the old design and stone carvings.
During
the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace in 1838-1849, the Faceted
Chamber was included in the new complex of palace buildings and was
connected to the Vladimir Hall through the Holy Entrance. In 1840, by
decree of Nicholas I, a second portal was broken into the Holy
Vestibule. The framing of the new opening exactly repeated the decor of
the ancient portal. In the same years, the roof of the chamber was
updated, laying it on metal truss structures. In 1846, the crowning part
of the building was almost completely rebuilt by the merchant Fyodor
Chelnokov. In the 18th-19th centuries, the eastern façade acquired a
smooth plinth, and the window openings of the basement were converted
into rectangular ones with a dry decor.
In 1882, for the
coronation of Alexander III, a restoration was carried out. Georgy
Filimonov, an archaeologist and art historian, supervised the work;
architectural work was carried out under the supervision of Nikolai
Shokhin. As a result of the repair, almost all the innovations of the
18th-19th centuries were dismantled: wall upholstery, baroque window
decorations, and wall panels. To illuminate the chamber, bronze
chandeliers and sconces in the form of chandeliers in the style of
Novgorod lamps of the 15th century were created. An artel of painters
from the village of Palekh, Vladimir province, restored the paintings on
the walls and vaults of the chamber.
After the revolution of 1917, the chamber as part
of the Grand Kremlin Palace complex came under the jurisdiction of
the Kremlin commandant's office and began to be used for protocol
events.
In 1934, the Red Porch was dismantled and in its
place, close to the southern facade of the chamber, a two-story
dining room was built for members of the Congresses of the Communist
Party and meetings of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and the portal
of the Holy Entrance in the southern part of the facade was
converted into a window.
As a result of restoration work in
1967-1968, the carved white stone portal of the western wall in the
interior of the chamber and the relief decor of the central pillar
were restored. In the same period, the murals were updated, cracks
and gaps in the masonry and plaster were eliminated, and the gilding
on the walls, portals and pillar was re-executed.
In
1992-1994, the dining room was demolished, and the Red Porch was
rebuilt in the guise of the middle of the 18th century.
In
2011-2012, the foundation was strengthened, the screeds supporting
the walls, the roof was completely replaced, the chandeliers were
renewed, the parquet and carpets were recreated, and the frescoes of
1881 were restored. In parallel, archaeological excavations were
carried out, during which about three thousand items were
discovered.
As of September 19, 2020, the Faceted Chamber is
part of the Grand Kremlin Palace complex, which is the government
residence of the president. It hosts meetings of heads of state,
award ceremonies and other state events. The residence of the
patriarch is equipped in the basement of the chamber.
The building of the chamber is two-storeyed: the upper
floor is occupied by a square throne room with an area of 495 m²,
covered with four cross vaults resting on a central pillar, the lower
one is a basement. The height to the upper point of the vault is 9 m.
From the west, the room of the Holy Entrance adjoins the hall. The
eastern facade of the chamber is decorated with faceted rustication, the
decorative effect of its processing is emphasized by twisted columns
placed at the corners. Excluding the eastern façade, the façades of the
chamber are decorated only with columnar window casings; originally they
were probably painted with red-brown red lead, which enhanced the
expressiveness of the front facade. On the northern wall under the roof
there is a badly preserved high-relief bust of a man, conventionally
called the “portrait of a master”; according to the assumption of Moscow
historian Sergei Romanyuk, this may be a portrait of Pietro Solari.
The entrance to the Faceted Chamber from the Cathedral Square is
called the Red Porch and is a remake of the 20th century, built on a
historical site. Two double-headed eagles are installed above its side
pediments, and stone lions are placed on the spans of the railing. A
small extension is attached to the north facade, in which there is a
staircase.
Not earlier than the second half of the 16th century,
the walls and vaults in the interior of the chamber were painted with
frescoes; The first information about the presence in the Faceted
Chamber of "everyday painting" on allegorical subjects dates back to the
reign of Fyodor Ioannovich. In 1668, after a fire, the painting was
resumed by Simon Ushakov, who compiled a detailed inventory of plots and
deciphered the inscriptions in 1672 at the direction of Tsar Alexei
Mikhailovich. During the reign of Peter the Great, murals were mostly
destroyed, the vaults were whitewashed, and the walls were covered with
crimson velvet with embroidered golden double-headed eagles. In this
form, the chamber was preserved until 1881, when the painting was
resumed by Palekh icon painters, the Belousov brothers, in accordance
with the inventory of Simon Ushakov. Paintings of the 16th-17th
centuries have been partially preserved under the murals of the 19th
century.
The portal of the main passage is framed by flat
pilasters with floral carvings and completed with images of heraldic
animals. The central figure of the composition is the image of a
double-headed eagle, which is the oldest state emblem of Russia, as was
established by O. G. Ulyanov.
The source of the plot for the
painting of the Faceted Chamber was the Bible and Chronographs. There
are cosmogonic compositions on the vault and slopes of the vault. On the
western part of the vault there is an image of Sabaoth surrounded by
nine angelic ranks, on the slopes are depicted the forefathers, prophets
and evangelists. Some scenes of the wall paintings serve as
illustrations for the "Legend of the Princes of Vladimir" of the 16th
century. Two of these compositions are placed in the lunettes of the
southern wall: a scene from "The Wedding of Vladimir Monomakh" and the
image of Fyodor Ivanovich (there are scenes from the Old Testament and
the image of Solomon). On the northern wall there is a story about
Joseph the Beautiful, on the western wall - illustrations for the
parable of the righteous and unrighteous judges. In the slopes of the
window openings there are images of twenty-four representatives of the
princely family of Rurikovich.
Initially, the pillar and portals
were decorated with gilded white stone carvings with painting and
gilding. The current carving is a plaster reproduction of the original
carving, made in 1968 based on fragments of the original carving
preserved under later layers. At the same time, the original red-brown
background of the reliefs of the portals and the pillar was restored.
Dolphins are placed in the center of the pillar, and the Russian coat of
arms and images of animals are on the frieze ribbon. The latter were
intended to illustrate the qualities of a worthy ruler: a deer reminds
of strength and power, a crane of prudence and caution, a dolphin
illustrates care for subjects, a pelican - selfless love, and a winged
serpent - a combination of wisdom and strength. The pillar was
previously surrounded by staves - shelves for placing various tableware
(silver and gilded goblets, dishes and other utensils). Between the
lower windows and the upper light windows there was originally a frieze
with metopes and triglyphs.
The hall is illuminated by four dark
bronze chandeliers - "khoros", made in the 1840s, as well as twenty
bronze candlesticks on the walls.
The holy vestibule is located in front of the entrance
to the Faceted Chamber, the doors of them lead, in addition to the
chamber, to the Vladimir Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace and to the
Terem Palace. This is a low oblong front room, covered with cross
vaults. Here the priests of the Kremlin cathedrals met the monarchs
after the coronation and blessed them; here they met the guests invited
to the kings.
The original design of the premises is almost not
preserved, the existing one refers mainly to the 19th century. So,
during the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace, a Carrara marble
fireplace appeared in the pier of the northern wall, carved decoration
of windows and doors was made, six door portals (three of which are
false) were decorated with paintings and gilding; Heraldic images of a
lion and a dragon have been preserved on two portals. From the original
decor of the entrance hall, a white-stone entrance portal decorated with
a Renaissance carved pattern, as well as double windows at the ends (the
only ones that were not affected by the restructuring of the 1680s,
their original decor was preserved on the facades), have been preserved.
Wall paintings on biblical and historical scenes were made in 1846-1847
by the artist Fyodor Zavyalov. Some of the murals were made with the
preservation of the old iconography, according to the 17th century
inventory of the icon painter Simon Ushakov (“Old Testament Trinity”,
“The Appearance of the Archangel Michael to Joshua”, “The Dream of
Constantine”). Two plots are connected with Russian history (“Sergius of
Radonezh blesses Dmitry Donskoy for the Battle of Kulikovo”, “The choice
of faith by Prince Vladimir of Kyiv”).
The hiding place is an elongated room with a window
opposite the throne place, from where the queen watched the ceremonies
(until the 1680s, a small room was used for this purpose in the northern
end of the Holy Entrance, where a separate entrance decorated with a
portal led from the Boyar site). A viewing grate was inserted into the
window, which was hung with a curtain. A description of the cache from
the 1730s has been preserved:
... the walls and ceiling are
upholstered with yellow damask, and the door is with red cloth, the
image of Sophia the Wisdom, the salary and crowns are silver, in the
windows there are glass windows, at the sill window there is a valance
and floors of Chinese gold and silver brocade and with various silks,
overlaid with a gold braid in two rows, near the floor there are two
silk cords, two pillows with yellow damask floors, under the pillows on
the window it is upholstered with red cloth.
In a fire in 1737,
the building burned down, it was restored for the coronation of
Elizabeth Petrovna, which took place in 1742. In 1882, elements of the
decoration of the chamber of the 1840s, removed during the resumption of
murals, were moved to the hiding place: wall upholstery, chandeliers and
sconces in the form of double-headed eagles. In 2010-2011, the walls,
the vaulted ceiling were restored and the painting was updated, window
sill marble boards were again made.
The Red Porch is an open stone staircase leading from
the Cathedral Square to the main passage to the Faceted Chamber. It
adjoins the southern facade and has three marches. A carved white stone
portal faces the top of the stairs, through which you can get into the
vestibule.
In the 17th century, a permanent guard was stationed
on the Red Porch, guarding the entrance to the palace from the Cathedral
Square. Under the vaults of the stairs were rooms for employees. It
consisted of 32 white stone steps covered with iron plates. Three rests
were arranged on the stairs, on each landing there was a stone gilded
figure of a lion, on the left side there were stone railings. The
staircase was covered with a copper roof in the form of tents, which
ended with figures of eagles. During the fire of 1696, it burned down
and was no longer restored. During the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich, the
staircase was called Golden, in the 17th century it was also mentioned
as Big and Red.
In 1753, during the construction of a new palace,
the white-stone arcade on the upper platform in front of the Holy
Entrance was dismantled. The stairs and arches were rebuilt in their
former forms. Once again, the porch was dismantled in 1841, then
restored again. Stone work was led by Mikhey Ivanov, the figures of
lions were made by the artist and sculptor Santino Campioni. Then they
were painted by Anton Langerotti.
After the porch was demolished
in the 1930s, it was restored in 1992-1994 under the guidance of
architect Nikita Mukhin. For the reconstruction, drawings made during
the demolition, a model of the chamber from the Museum of Architecture
were used.
The basement - the lower floor of the Faceted Chamber - consists of several rooms covered with vaults; these rooms are formed by one longitudinal and two transverse walls. The eastern crosshair of the walls is a support for the pillar of the chamber. The basement has largely retained the original architecture, although the premises in the western part, under the Holy Entrance, have undergone significant alteration. All rooms of the space were used as service rooms and did not have elegant decorative finishes. It contained pantries and a stove that heated the Faceted Chamber. In the 17th century, the Kremlin guard service was located in the basement, in the 19th century it was a guardhouse, and now part of the premises is used as the Kremlin residence of the patriarch.