We are marking the 490th anniversary ofNizhny Novgorod Kremlin completion in this year (1511).

This is one of the most impressive monuments of Russian military construction art of the time.

The Kremlin endured five sieges in its medieval history but was never subdued. An outpost to reckon with emerged on the Volga, a shield to protect Russia's eastern borders. When approaching the ancient city from the river, travelers were awed at its picturesque location and its beauty. Indented fortress walls looked like notched stripes running up and down the hill slopes. Round and rectangular towers accentuated the grandeur of this structure. However, cannons, sticking out of embrasures, left the viewer no doubt about the fortress' stern purpose. The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin on the unassailable Dyatlovy Hills was safeguarding the city with its mighty walls and 13 towers. Local patriots led by Kozma Minin and Dmitri Pozharsky set out from its walls in 1611 for the historic liberation of Moscow.

By the materials of book "Anniversary Nizhny"