Zaraysk Kremlin

The Zaraysk Kremlin is a rectangular fortified citadel, built at the behest of Vasili III of Moscow between 1528 and 1531. The town of Zaraysk is located between Moscow and Ryazan.

Novogorodok-upon-the-Osyotr (later renamed Zaraysk) became part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow when the Principality of Ryazan lost its independence in 1503. Till that point, Ryazan had provided a protective buffer for Muscovy against potential attacks from the nomadic Tatars in the south.

Just two years after completion in 1531, the new stone-walled kremlin found itself under attack from Crimean Tatars. There was another attack in 1541 from forces under the Crimean khan Sahib I Giray, which was beaten off by Nazar Glebov. Further attacks by Crimean Tatars took place 1544, in 1570, 1573 and 1591.

In the 17th century, the growing settlement near the fortress acquired the name Zaraysk. In 1608, during the Time of Troubles, the kremlin fell into the hands of Polish invaders under the leadership of Aleksander Józef Lisowski, but was subsequently liberated by Dmitry Pozharsky. The last attack from Crimean Tatars was documented in 1673. After this episode the fortress was placed under the protection of the icon of the Theotokos of Kazan.

In 1681 Czar Feodor III authorized the rebuilding of the St. Nicholas Cathedral to replace the existing timber structure which had fallen into disrepair. During the eighteenth century, Zaraysk lost its strategic importance with the opening up of new trade routes. At the start of the twentieth century it was decided to rebuild the Church of the beheading of St John the Baptist (Церковь Иоанна Предтечи) (ru). Less than twenty years later, with a new secular political régime calling the shots from Moscow, the entire Kremlin enclosure was redefined as a museum complex in 1918. During the Great Patriotic War the town was near the frontline, but the Zaraysk Kremlin emerged undamaged.

Between 1987 and 1993 the complex benefitted from extensive restoration work, commissioned by the Moscow-based Department for Cultural Assets, but the restoration work remains incomplete following the withdrawal of funding. In 1998 a new "Museum of the Kremlin of Zaraysk" was established, containing a range of artefacts from Russia, western Europe, China and Japan.

Text adapted from “Zaraysk Kremlin” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Zaraysk Kremlin ranks #2,659 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #73 of the 141 mapped in Russia. Founded 1528, it is older than 43% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 718 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,826 times in the last 60 days, more than 64% of the atlas. See how Russia compares in the castle statistics.

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