Perhaps surprisingly, swearing was once prohibited by law in certain parts of Moscow. Today we will explore Moscow. We will discover amazing facts about this medieval city.
Once upon a time, foreigners called Moscow’s Kremlin “Kremlingrad”. It was a city within a city. Only a small part was for the Tsar’s court. Most of the Kremlin held monasteries and churches. Important boyars lived there too as well as guildsmen and clergy.
The Tsar’s court was sacred. Special rules maintained the honor of Russia’s ruler. Only boyars, Tsar’s servants, and certain clergy could enter. Boyars dismounted their horses before entering the courtyard. Servants dismounted even farther away at the bell tower of Ivan the Great. Foul language was forbidden. Weapons were banned. Anyone bringing in a dagger faced arrest and torture. They would be suspected of plotting against the Tsar.
The Square of Ivan was nearby. It was loud and full of people. Government buildings stood there. People came with needs and complaints. Corporal punishments happened daily. Beating with rods was common. Criminals’ screams filled the air. Priests offered the Bloodless Sacrifice at the liturgy. Bells signaled a pause in punishments. Decrees were announced here. This gave rise to the saying “to scream over all Ivanovskoe”.
Ivan the Terrible drained the moat next to the Arsenal Tower. He kept lions and other exotic animals there. These were gifts from foreign emissaries. The nearby gates to Kitai-Gorod became known as the Lion Gates. Later, they became the Iveron Gates. This name came from a chapel with a copy of the Iveron Icon. They are also called the Resurrection Gates. An icon of Christ’s Resurrection hung on the main tower in 1689.
Crossroads in Moscow were called “little crosses”. They were centers of public life. The “little cross of St. Nicholas” was at Nikolskaia and Bogoiavlenskaia Streets. The “little cross of the Saviour” was at the Kremlin’s Spasskie Gates. Minor merchants sold wares there from books to pancakes. Clergy sought work. Workers waited to be hired. The poor and disabled begged for alms. Beggars used props such as baskets with babies. They even used open caskets with dead bodies to get more attention.
Moscow has changed greatly over the centuries. It grew around the Moscow Kremlin in the 14th century. It became the capital of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Later, it was the Tsardom of Russia. Peter the Great moved the capital to Saint Petersburg. Moscow became the capital of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1918. In 1991, it became the capital of the Russian Federation.
Moscow’s character is vibrant. It is sometimes wearisome. The city was rebuilt after Napoleon’s invasion in 1812. It continues to modernize. Soviet history collides with capitalism here. Lenin’s Mausoleum stands. Dreary Soviet-era apartments remain. Western-style supermarkets and nightclubs are visible too. Orthodox churches have been restored. Theaters have reclaimed leadership. Traditional markets have expanded. Moscow is truly a city of contrasts.