Now Izmailovo is mainly known for its kremlin and vernissage. It is there that Moscow center of Russian souvenirs was moved from the Old Arbat. The Izmailovo kremlin was built so that tourists could dive into the atmosphere of an ancient Russian town. And it must be acknowledged that its architects quite succeeded in it.
Nearly all buildings of the Izmailovo kremlin are wooden and some of its walls are made of stone. There you can see the Palace of Russian Meal, the Church of St. Nicholas and several museums, as well as handicraft workshops. The kremlin itself is surrounded by a wall with mighty towers. All this was built by the drawings of the tsar`s residence of 16 century.
The trading rows of the Izmailovo Vernissage are at the foot of the hill where the kremlin is located. There you can buy various souvenirs, as well as many authentic old things. The Vernissage is divided into several areas: the alley of painting, the street of trades, the street of folk crafts, the flea market and the street of antiques.
If you go along the shore of Serebryany (Silver) pond as far as the Izmailovo island, you can see a quite different Izmailovo. In 17 century Izmailovo was a small village located rather far from Moscow. Izmailovo was the family estate of the Romanov dynasty who had ruled over Russia since 1613.
To our days there survived the buildings of the time of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich. It was under that tsar the Serebryanka river was blocked by a dam and the island was created where the summer residence of Izmailovo was located. To our days on the island there remained the Intercession Cathedral (1679), the Gates of the Tsar`s Court (1670) and the Mostovaya (Bridge) Tower (1671).
