![Honor Guard at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, next to the Kremlin Wall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Honor_Guard_at_the_Tomb_of_Unknown_Soldier%2C_next_to_the_Kremlin_Wall.jpg)
The Commandant's Office of the
Moscow Kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (R ...
() is an administration unit of the
Federal Protective Service of Russia
The Federal Protective Service, or the Federal Guard Service (russian: Федеральная служба охраны, ФСО, Federalnaya sluzhba okhrany, FSO) of the Russian Federation, official name in English Federal Guard Service of the Ru ...
. Its duties include inspecting visitors to the Kremlin and providing security to the Kremlin interior and buildings exterior from the
Kremlin Wall
The Moscow Kremlin Wall is a defensive wall that surrounds the Moscow Kremlin, recognisable by the characteristic notches and its Kremlin towers. The original walls were likely a simple wooden fence with guard towers built in 1156.
The Kremlin w ...
such as
Lenin's Mausoleum
Lenin's Mausoleum (from 1953 to 1961 Lenin's & Stalin's Mausoleum) ( rus, links=no, Мавзолей Ленина, r=Mavzoley Lenina, p=məvzɐˈlʲej ˈlʲenʲɪnə), also known as Lenin's Tomb, situated on Red Square in the centre of Moscow, is ...
. It is also responsible for keeping the order among servicemen of
Moscow Garrison
The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military Di ...
organizing parades in the national capital. Internally, has authority over the operation of certain Kremlin museums. The Commandant of the Moscow Kremlin is the operational head of the office. It has direct control over the
Kremlin Regiment
The Kremlin Regiment (russian: Кремлёвский полк, Kremlyovskiy polk), also called the Presidential Regiment (russian: Президентский полк, Prezidentskiy polk), is a unique military regiment and part of the Russian F ...
, which notable maintains a permanent
honor guard
A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...
(russian: Почётный караул) at the
eternal flame
An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which can ...
of the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
A Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is a monument dedicated to the services of an unknown soldier and to the common memories of all soldiers killed in war. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-prof ...
.
History
In 1918, the new leadership of the
RSFSR
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
moved to the Moscow Kremlin, the protection of which was immediately carried out by the commandant's office of the Moscow Kremlin. Until January 1936, the office was not included in the command structure of either the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
or the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
, being subordinate to the military department on the Rights of the sector of the
Moscow Military District
The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military Di ...
. On 28 January 1936, it was transferred from the
People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union
The People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union () was the highest military department of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946.
History
In the 1920–1930s, the highest military authority of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic ...
and was renamed to the Office of the Moscow Kremlin Commandant of the NKVD. In early 1938, the managing of the Kremlin's museum complex was transferred to the Commandant's Office. At the beginning of the
Great Patriotic War
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...
in 1941, the personnel of the office were given the combat mission of the protection of the Kremlin's against the invading troops of the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
. Later on, by decree of the
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (russian: Президиум Верховного Совета, Prezidium Verkhovnogo Soveta) was a body of state power in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).[Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...]
. At the end of the war, the personnel of the commandant were given the new tasks of ensuring the security of the state leaders. On 14 March 1953 approved a new structure of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
, which had a central office. On 20 April 1955 the Government decided on free public access to the Kremlin. Since 2004, the Presidential Regiment has been under the direction of the commandant of the Moscow Kremlin. It has recently received congratulations in recent years by the
President of Russia
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
on its 75th, 90th and 100th anniversaries.
Commandant of the Moscow Kremlin
The following have served as military commandants:
* Pavel Malkov (March 1918—April 1920)
* Sergey Shornikov (10 July 1967 – 11 September 1986)
*
Mikhail Barsukov
Mikhail Ivanovich Barsukov (Russian: Михаил Иванович Барсуков; born on 8 November 1947) is a former Russian intelligence and government official. His most notable post was as the short-lived head of the Federal Security Servi ...
(10 December 1991 – 24 July 1995)
* Sergey Strygin (29 July 1995-January 2004)
* Lieutenant General
Sergey Khlebnikov
Sergey Anatolevich Khlebnikov (russian: Серге́й Анатольевич Хлебников; 28 August 1955 – 12 June 1999) was a Russian speed skater who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1980 and the 1984 Winter Olympics.
He was born ...
(January 2004-February 2020)
* Major General Sergey Udovenko (since February 2020)
Former commandant Sergey Khlebnikov was notably a member of the public council of the
Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo
The Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival is an annual military music event and military tattoo held in Moscow on Red Square. Participating in the festival are Russian and foreign military bands, folk groups, and honor guard units o ...
. One of the
Kremlin towers
The following is a list of towers of the Moscow Kremlin. The Kremlin Wall is a defensive wall that surrounds the Moscow Kremlin, recognizable by the characteristic notches and its towers. The original walls were likely a simple wooden fence w ...
is known as the Commandant's Tower (''Комендантская башня''), which originated in the early 19th century, when the Moscow Commandant took up residence in the Poteshny Palace, near the tower.
See also
*
Warsaw Garrison Command
The Warsaw Garrison Command (WGC) ( pl, Dowództwo Garnizonu Warszawa, DGW) is a military board and area of the Polish Army based in Warsaw, Poland. Despite being part of the Polish Land Forces, it is an independent formation. The command, which ...
References
{{coord missing, Poland
Military units and formations established in 1918
Moscow Kremlin
1918 establishments in Russia