Klochkov, D. A. Bewachung der wichtigsten Zitadelle Russlands Zum 100. Jahrestag des Dienstes des Kommandanten des Moskauer Kreml Föderaler Sicherheitsdienst der Russischen Föderation

This book tells how the concept of the "main citadel" changed for almost 900 years, who was responsible for the protection of the Moscow Kremlin and in what way its defence was carried out against the background of the most important events in Russian history.

The most common meaning of the word "citadel" is a fortress protecting the city, or the inner fortification of a fortress that served as a last refuge for the fortress garrison in the event of the conquest of its main strongholds. In Russia, many associate this word mainly with the Moscow Kremlin. It was the residence of the Grand Dukes of Moscow, then of the Russian Tsars, as well as of many important state institutions of the time, including the treasury. The Kremlin was thus the personification of power in Russia, its last and most important fortress. In the 18th century, the capital became St. Petersburg. During this period, the protection of the Kremlin was carried out by various military contingents and police units, and the fortifications were at the same time the walls of the royal palace and the fences of the surrounding parks. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Kremlin's palace commander took on the general supervision of security for the imperial residences, as well as monitoring security on the roads during journeys of important personalities. All the numerous formations, however, proved powerless against the rapidly developing revolution in February 1917 ... The new government, breaking the old foundations, neglected the guards for whom the Provisional Government paid in October 1917. The Bolsheviks who replaced it paid greater attention to the security of the leadership. Russia's "main citadel" was originally in Petrograd in the Smolny Institute building. When the Soviet government moved to Moscow in March 1918, it returned to the Moscow Kremlin area. It is still there today, and now the Moscow Kremlin Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is on guard.