Archeological finds / 2010

Results of the archeological investigations carried out in the territory of the Borovitskiy Hill in 2010.

In the period from June to October, 2010, during the performance of the yearly restoration works in the territory of the Armoury Chamber’s courtyard, there were carried out archeological researches which have been intended to result in a discovery of cultural layers including the historical remains from the previous stages of the Kremlin construction.

General view of the trench excavated near the Armoury Chamber Fragment of the white-stone architectural detail of the XIVth century
Brick fragment of the XIXth century with letters "вичи" within the inscription on the mark Brick fragment of the XIXth century with letters "метал" within the inscription on the mark

In the course of the excavation works the investigated stratum appeared to contain industrial debris with fragments of pharmacy utensils and white plain stove tiles of the early XXth century. There were also revealed the blocks of the stone pavement which had occupied the territory of the Armoury Chamber before its construction.

One of the most interesting and important archeological finds was a fragment of a white-stone decorative detail from one of the Kremlin’s cathedral. According to A. Grashchenkov such a detail could have been a part of the ornamental band from the façade of either the Church of Our Lady’s Nativity (on the Anteroom) or the Cathedral of the Saviour in the Woods (Spas na Boru). The first church, built in 1393, is still preserved within the Kremlin’s architectural complex, and the second cathedral was demolished in 1930s.

The uncovered pieces of construction material are also should be mentioned, i.e. the three bricks with marks on one of their sides. From the location of the marks and characteristics of the inscription the bricks can be traced back to the late XIXth - early XXth century. Partly damaged inscriptions contain words like "metal…", "…vichi", "Kupr.№". Archeological finds also included fragments of the ceramic spray tubes, ceramic domestic vessels and gallipots of the XVIIth-XIXth centuries.