COURTS OF MOSCOW METROPOLITANS

In 1325, the patron of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Russia Peter moved from Vladimir to Moscow’s Kremlin. Grand Prince Ivan Kalita ordered to built a huge palace in the centre of the Kremlin for the Metropolitan. No record of the earliest buildings in the Metropolitan’s estate has survived. The Chronicles has only one remark about a “chamber” of Metropolitan Photius (1410-1431); it must have been made of wood as other buildings in the Kremlin.

Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Jonah was the first to encourage his builders to erect stone structures. This fact of the first stone civic building in the Kremlin is mentioned in the Chronicles. After the 1473 fire, that destroyed most buildings of the Kremlin and the Metropolitan’s court, Metropolitan Geronty had to build it anew. In 1484-1485, Pskovian masters constructed the gates, which were called the Holy Gates and were used as a ceremonial entrance to the court, a large palace standing on white-stone bricks, and a new Church of the Deposition of the Virgin’s Robe—a one-dome slim church.

On 16 July 1493, yet another big fire in the Kremlin destroyed the Metropolitan’s court. Metropolitan Zosumas, who supervised the renovation project, ordered to construct three new stone living rooms. They continued rebuilding the estate, probably, throughout the 16th century.

In 1589, the Metropolitanate was ceased to exist, while the Patriarchate was established under the Russian Church’s one and only leader — Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; then Job was elected the Patriarch. The next significant stage in the development of the estate is connected to Russian Patriarchs.