Audio tour The Architechtural Ensemble of the Ryazan Kremlin

The Ryazan Kremlin is the oldest part of the city. Russian terms for town, such as “kremlin” or “gorod”, mean “a fortress”, “a fortified place”. The Kremlin was a refuge for people from nearby settlements in case of danger.

The Ryazan Kremlin is located on a high hill. The Kremlin hill is surrounded by two rivers. They are the Trubezh and the Lybed. Our city was founded in 1095. It was called Pereyaslavl Ryazansky till the 18th century. The capital of the independent Ryazan Principality was Ryazan. Ryazan was originally located 65 km far from Pereyaslavl, to the south-east. Ryazan was destroyed by the Mongol invaders in 1237. The capital was moved to Pereyaslavl Ryazansky approximately by the end of the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century. The Ryazan Princedom lost its independence in 1521. It joined the Muscovite State and they became a single state. In 1778 the name of the city was changed from Pereyaslavl Ryazansky to Ryazan by the order of Empress Catherine the Great.

The Ryazan Historical And Architectural Museum has held the territory of the Ryazan Kremlin since 1922. The historical buildings of the Kremlin are partly returned to the Russian Orthodox Church now.