Grand Kremlin Palace

This long yellow-and-white palace along the Kremlin's river front was built in the mid-nineteenth century as a Moscow residence for the imperial family and now serves as a ceremonial seat of the Russian presidency. Behind its rhythmic facade lie vast state halls named for tsarist orders of chivalry, decorated with gilding, columns and painted vaults of extraordinary richness. The complex incorporates older palace churches and chambers, layering centuries of court architecture.