thing in russia's seat of power and joy. from a bird's eye view the oddly shaped triangle formed by moscow's kremlin could be seen as the heart of. a small state within a state these red walls have been protecting moscow's kremlin for more than five centuries. to even idea of its size so we decided to actually go around it before going inside we have to start right here at this hour time you watch.

the extent of the kremlin walls is over two kilometers and if you want to go around it you better go real fast because the winters in russia a really cold it's minus ten today. the first kremlin was built south of woods a couple of times before being rebuilt in white stowed. three hundred years later the walls in a tower square faced with a famous red rake but if you actually pulled away the red brick you would see a wall as whites as a bridal gown and some of those walls are almost six meters thick. right here on the red square wasn't it can mow it's filled with water and together with the ring of twenty towers made the kremlin and inaccessible fortress known around the world. stop

the watch now the tar club wears the witness it took us twenty seven minutes to go around the kremlin walls but what was behind them well join me on a journey to the heart of the kremlin to places him from the tourist he going to meet some real kremlin insiders although they may not be the usual news makers you see on t.v. . so that you're going to true kremlin scholar this man is for actually clear saturated with kremlin history so good to that's of the day and finally we meet good to see you sir couldn't ask a gate is the major passage into the kremlin and traditionally it has always been open for arriving visitors during the day since the time of ivan the terrible sars an emperor has used it when visiting moscow anyone entering the gates take. to

all of the savior of smolensk whose image can be seen above the gate. and tearing through game to enforce bankwest prohibition legend has it that when napoleon passed through the. twelfth tour his famous by calling from his had confront the savior. in nine hundred forty five the soviet union marshall. schools in one moment she entered dressed squares for spassky again to see if the first victory day parade on horseback and wearing his service cap. after you get free milk so when did the i can appear here. has been here since the sixteenth century but disappeared during the soviet era it was only a year ago that restores discovered the icon under a layer of plaster while examining the mystery almost thanks to them it was saved.

in the name of the father. and the holy spirit. this busking gate was open for passage until the late ninety's but motor transports to and from the kremlin disturbed tourists walking along the red square and the kremlin walls and with the new millennium came the decision to close the gate. now it opens only on special occasions during the ninth of may fixture day parade for example or on inauguration day to receive the presidential motorcade. the only other visitor to pass through the gate is a giant christmas tree put up for the last celebration. of could you lead me through those gates no but we can enter the kremlin through the private entrance

a secret entrance for a closed circle is just around the corner. was very easy to get inside the kremlin together with you as for me i've always wanted to get to the kremlin clock and especially to the bells it seems a child i always stood outside looking at the clock and i thought a magician lived there commandments the clock and also when the bells rang i was simply routines to the ground can i get inside with more to yes but you're not dressed warmly and there's a strong wind up there i have is very cold i think you'll have to put on something warmer. this basket tower was the heart of the kremlin's defensive line it was and to suppose that any offensive would come from the southeast and that the tower would be to first attacked as a result of how stressful and artillery units in the mid seventeenth century spot was the first to bear the team who had eight eagle emblem of russia during soviet

times they were all with one. the five pointed star. but the towers true jam has its chimes its clock face has a six meters diameter the rim numerals and clock hands are all gold plated a total of twenty eight kilograms of gold is needed just to coat them. inside this basket are great now true tower wizard you can those are of knows all about how to keep titans tower oh sissoko. so good to meet you so wanted to clock appear in the tower because the charms we see today have been here since they seem fifty two. clocks appeared on the spot sky tower joining the time of zometa harl romanov let me tell you more about them at the top of all that i'm following you. to reach the clock one has to climb nine floors of spiral stairs. hear the clock

your stern steadily waking every fifteen minutes to signal the bells to strike every quarter hour for one big hit on the hours and. fifty children of the purpose of the bells ringing previously when few people had watches the chimes informed everyone of the toy. previously the clock was operated manually but since nine hundred thirty seven three electric motors to cover everything else has been preserved in its original form. our clock is the oldest one in the. can you see the pointer at the end yep this point to regulates the speed of the clocks motion if the clock blocks behind it increases the speed if it's false the point just was it down so they do lag behind but you

never notice it because once it starts to pick up specialists quickly eliminate the problem acting like an ambulance so far we haven't noticed it but we're close to revealing that's right. this is an ancient bell ringing. for setting up melodies at the tower it's almost two and a half meters in diameter and what is it sing it sing the national anthem of russia . yes yes. the bell strikes the melody of russia's national anthem every six hours cables run from the drum below to the very top where the bells chime in the bell tower. well here are the bells yes we're in the bell tower. if you look up you'll see it's still house. wouldn't. forty eight bells hang here in imperial times but were lost during the soviets

today the chimes sing the russian anthem with ten bells and a few metal beats up here attempt stories of the ground it's always very windy. we've got to go now because the main bells in us are ringing and we are risking mccarrick death and also it's very cold so we're getting out of here. being from the noises of the bells just a few minutes later i found myself near the kremlin central square where people are preparing for a special event so right now we're only cathedral square where a giant fir tree is being decorated for near celebrations these streets between the palaces a warship and the palaces of the stars and can just tell you something one hundred

years old which basically means that it was born when the last star was still alive . one can see that this. christmas tree has one a very demanding seasonal beauty pageant. gardener spend several months searching moscow region for the right candidate at least thirty meters tall pyramid shaped and displaying. these criteria is where match the judges ignored. is especially ordered for this christmas tree and it's scary to straight into the kremlin. it's dirty for me it's like twenty times my height and in no time is going to be wearing at department store walls jewelry and decorations about two thousand pieces and one thousand five hundred. garland that's like almost enough to surround the kremlin into. the trees decorations from top to

bottom to begin with the large star of bethlehem. it is a quarter of the size of the rugby stars atop the kremlin towers but during the holiday season it is the most important one of all. though they look oversized white kremlin old timers believe that if you have a chance to hang at least one piece onto the tree and make a wish to come true. now we're going to talk to. decorate this you or your tree. i wonder how long it is. in the us so sergey for how long have you been decorating christmas trees. well this is the first time that i'm decorating this tree for the past four years i've been working with christmas trees at cathedral square so who decides how to decorate a christmas tree or design project is drawn up to clearly define how to use decorations

by the way the total weights of the decorated christmas tree is thirty tons and four hundred kilos. well if this size of the tree is an indicator the presence under. promise much. admission free accreditation free transport charges free. agent free risk free. to tide free. old free broadcast quality video for your media projects a free media dog r t v dot com. wealthy british style decide it's

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the next point of my journey is the grand kremlin palace usually it is a venue for important state ceremonies mostly dignitaries are invited here but in the past children were also. thousands of them came to celebrate. the tradition of arranging holidays for children in the kremlin dates back to more than fifty years the first reception was in a grand kremlin palace his lawyer. just hold st george's in one nine hundred fifty four. back then christmas tree most tracks directly up the stairs through their front door without much thought for the ancient interior over sixty meters deep st george's hall is the size of a football pitch a giant tree used to be mounted right here in this massively have the object used to be dragged across this park here floor that was originally late in eight hundred forty five. when it's scraped that chandelier each one weighing three tons by the

way and it's tinkling produced an almost surreal chime also large nails were hammered into this floor to fix this huge christmas tree they can't sue danced and sang in this hall where we're asked not to shuffle because it would ruin the floor nevertheless the interior was heavily damaged even i was asked to come in with soft indoor shoes and i tried my best. these wrongs honor the memory of heroes who received the order. for their courage and the. second generation. is also a fine but a fighter to preserve the homes reconstruction stood one has changed after the reconstruction but because of support the park it has definitely changed because it is going hard. to make it bright. its very rare is that in two percent of the park can't survive since one thousand nine hundred eighty five when it was. this it

percent of the flooring was it plays during restoration in one thousand sixty eight thousand nine hundred sixty nine it took. to restore. the. children's parties were moved to a new building in the early sixty's the kremlin palace of congress built on the. it's obvious that this building is from the soviet era and it stands in stark contrast with the kremlin's architectural character the palace used to be a key side for communist forums and now it's the most prestigious musical venue in this country and also a stage for the world's greatest artists show as now or staying out and john tina turner here they made they've all been here. right now underway in the state kremlin palace. for thousands of kids.

inside we have an appointment with the kremlin oldtimer children's writer alexander script to the very first. party from mt fifty three written with no i think with broken the soviet tradition of staging of says here at the kremlin before. the tree would light up then kids would be shown to play with a revolutionary theme. with them and change the plugs for what it was about a boy toy out of his current situation so in the story he sent into a different time. when i came to the new year policy there was no coverage on the floor. all swear to go on the roof it turned out the during the so some of the children had wet themselves on the concrete out of fear. to be washed and hung out to draw off to bits.

performances are more predictable but still very colorful nevertheless. by tradition at the end of the show the main character of the new year celebrations makes his grand entrance. children always leave kremlin with gifts however the greatest drama is after the show when parents surround the new year straight to pick the children up who risk to disperse like in kremlin inner sanctum. so how did you like this show was it a case. where it's so now it's about time to find out where one can even hear it really kicks. it is not far fetched the state.

has to meet you. talking about what's here. a short let's go over there and. that's where we. it's so if you. yeah. so this is where all. of this take place on the. sole good. of the privilege to work.

some kind of. i don't think. is very fond of fish. for example lobster salad. fish or meat in the. dishes like bread. on a business trips so when someone in the countryside. also a traditional delicacy the security officers. as

a rule are very carefully checked before the presidential mouth. so when your. secret service i. make sure that most. people. only. there. was a lover of the. secretary of state. personally promoted international receptions thanks to. cream sauce with parmesan cheese to go with ravioli i guess i can say that i can

feed the president are you going to have some. oh leaving this is so good. after lunch and there is an order perhaps in sars. i decided to acquaint myself with a show of the peace and quiet in the kremlin. a whole regiment of young soldiers live here guarding the kremlin and the president. berets. the presidential regiment is rehearsing a performance with weapons and are not only soldiers but also honor guards they protect to the unknown soldier at the eternal flame. can you please show me some special tricks that i can teach you if you want all right let's do it like a pro command is. going to unfold. let me show you this

then up to the shoulder. bend to the foot hold the carbine with the right term i'm not going to cut myself and my you won't cut yourself unfold it. almost now shoulder the weapon sure but lift it up your hold with your left. i'm holding it if you're going to be careful it should not lean on the left shoulder. this is the position in which we start the honor guard. young men between eighteen and twenty or selected across the country for the presidential regiment. one can see that they are. in perfect health background and professional appearance . for the guards very handsome young man of similar hates are chosen. for their emergency situation when people break the existing growth for example if

people step over the chain we warn the with this kind of signal where the cure was topping the rifle on the ground the public immediately understands what this noise means and don't go any further. than the most frequent violators of our young girls always try to flirt with the guards but this is to no avail the guards are not allowed to move never mind smile. so here is your signature move but is about we would raise the leg about seventy eighty degrees move the body forward and put the full foot on the ground this makes the food you step with and bend a little but you should go quick march. you're doing it well you could join our company in a couple of months. to the rights. it's time for the guys to prepare for the changing of the guard but i couldn't miss a chance to take

a look at their uniform wardrobe. when it is cold we wear ceremonial overcoats the overcoats are very warm with color of. course. when the temperature is twenty degrees below zero we were warmer uniform cold to because. it is made of plus it is very warm for it feels even when it's minus twenty. four hour journey into the heart of kremlin is coming to an end thanks time for me to move behind the kremlin walls so i can make it for the changing of the carts. so the guards are changing every hour daily from eight am to eight pm these guys any weather minus thirty one show rain. in the summer but the most heart part of course is to stand there motionless no matter what but hey that's the price you pay to leave

rent free inside the kremlin.

police. forces in just three weeks. three days. a year. six pm right now. kevin.