Kremlin

Moscow Kremlin Московский Кремль
View of the Kremlin from across the Moskva River, 2012
Location	Moscow, Russia
Coordinates	55°45′6″N 37°37′4″E / 55.75167°N 37.61778°E / 55.75167; 37.61778
Area	27.7 ha (0.277 km2)
Built	1482–1495
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv, vi
Designated	1990 (14th session)
Reference no.	545
Region	Eastern Europe
Location in Central Moscow Show map of Central Moscow Location in Russia Show map of Russia Location in Europe Show map of Europe

The Moscow Kremlin (Russian: Московский Кремль Moskovsky Kreml', IPA: [mɐˈskofskʲɪj ˈkrʲemlʲ]), or simply the Kremlin, is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia.^[1] Located in the centre of the country's capital city, it is the best known of the kremlins (Russian citadels) and includes five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall along with the Kremlin towers. Within the complex is the Grand Kremlin Palace, which served as the royal residence of the Emperor of Russia. It is now the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation. The Kremlin overlooks the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and Alexander Garden to the west.

The name kremlin means "fortress inside a city" in Russian,^[2] and is often also used metonymically in international politics to refer to the Government of the Russian Federation. Likewise, during the Cold War, it referred to the Government of the Soviet Union, which operated out of the city in the erstwhile Russian SFSR. The term "Kremlinology" is related to the metonym and refers to the study of Soviet and Russian politics.

Largely open to the public, the Kremlin offers supervised tours;^[3] the accompanying Moscow Kremlin Museums reportedly attracted approximately three million visitors in 2017.^[4]