The Kremlin complex which locates at the heart of Moscow near Red Square has always been identified as one of the historical sites of Russia that witnessed several significant moments in the city of Moscow history. Besides the historical buildings and monuments from the 14th to the 19th centuries, there is an almost modern structure that isn't accurately matched with others. The State Kremlin Palace, or as it was known formally, the Kremlin Palace of Congresses is the youngest building in the complex which was only constructed in 1961.
The mastermind behind the decision to construct the Palace of the Congresses was Nikita Khrushchev, who was the leader of the Soviet Union and the First Secretary of the Communist Party between the 1950s and 1960s. The palace's principal purpose was to host the Communist Party Congresses and gatherings. The palace goes five stories into the ground and has the capacity of around 6000 people inside its largest hall. The construction of the palace began in 1959 and completed on the 22nd congress of the communist party in 1961. The palace has been provided with the most modern equipment of its time, but the main focus was on the acoustics of the hall since its principal goal was to host the congresses, and it was critical for the administrators that the hall can deliver the most excellent sound quality for around 6000 people. That was the main reason why the Palace of the Congresses turned into an international concert and ballet hall in the late Soviet era and after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Before the construction of the palace, there were lots of arguments about building a modern structure inside the Historic district of the Kremlin complex. Many believed that having a new structure inside Kremlin that has no relevancy with other buildings would be corrupting the history of the place. Nikita Khrushchev built the palace opposite of the Kremlin’s Arsenal, no matter of all the disagreements. While constructing the palace, several monuments and structures from the 19th century had demolished including the former Kremlin’s Armory building, but the construction never stopped and the building completed in 1961. However, in the 1950s, several laws passed that turned any structure before the Soviet era into a national treasure which made it illegal to demolish them.
While the Soviet architecture community had believed that the modern Palace of the Congresses would be the inspiration that the future urban Moscow needs, the structure didn’t play a significant role in Moscow architecture in the future, and has remained one of the few examples of its own in Moscow. Though the simplistic glass-and-stone large building was entirely out of place, the reflection of other buildings in its windows made one surprisingly beautiful scene. The exterior of this structure was quite uncomplicated design with marble and tinted windows without any detailed decoration.
Since the main reason behind building this palace was to host the gatherings and congresses, the main focus of the architects and engineers was the sound and acoustics. The technologies that used to build this palace were the latest ones which even today it can compete with some major halls in the world in terms of equipment and tools. That’s the main reason why this palace turned to one of the largest concert halls of Russia.
Though the largest hall of the palace was the most suitable place to perform ballets which led to the founding of the Kremlin Ballet Company, and several notable ballet companies such as Bolshoi company and Mariinsky company have performed there, the hall hosted multiple music concerts and theaters as well. The main hall has the potential to host about 6000 people, which make it the largest concert hall in Russia. Through history, several famous international artists have performed in this hall, including Leonardo Cohen, Maria Cary, Cher, Gipsy King, Tina Turner, and many others. There are two other halls inside the Palace of the Congresses that are a bit more private than the main hall.
The Small hall locates on the sixth floor of the palace, and its parquetry floor has seen several Latin and international dance performance throughout its existence. The Small Hall has also hosted several Jazz and Classic music concerts as well. The view from the Small Hall windows over the Kremlin complex has its advantages as well, and it’s one of the tourists’ favorite spots since it gave one of the unique views over the Kremlin complex.
Besides these two, there’s another cozy hall inside this palace called the Diplomatic Hall. The administration of the palace devoted The Diplomatic Hall to all from the promising artists, masters, and international musicians so people would experience an inspirational night inside this room. The diverse of music genres, including Jazz, Classic, and folklore music in this hall is another fascinating thing about it.
While traveling to Russia, especially during a tour to Moscow, you will find several historical structures and monuments from different periods of history, so if you want to enjoy your trip to Russia more, you need to know some basic facts about the major monuments that you might face during your travel to Russia. If you know the basic facts, you can handle your plans better and list the priorities of your Russia tour. If you enjoy a ballet performance but couldn’t get the opportunity to the Kremlin ballet halls, you can still see a ballet performance at other theaters of Moscow and Saint Petersburg such as the Aurora Hall, the Theater of Musical Comedy, the Carnival Concert Hall and many others in your tour to Russia.
