The Commandant's Office of the Moscow Kremlin () is an administration unit of the

Federal Protective Service of Russia The Federal Guard Service of the Russian Federation ( rus, Федеральная служба охраны Российской Федерации, p=fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnəjə ˈsluʐbə ɐˈxranɨ rɐˈsʲijskəj fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨɪ (Federal'na ...

. Its duties include inspecting visitors to the

Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...

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 ...

such as

Lenin's Mausoleum Lenin's Mausoleum, also known as Lenin's Tomb, is a mausoleum located at Red Square in Moscow, Russia. It serves as the resting place of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, whose preserved body has been on public display since shortly after his death ...

. 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 (), also called the Presidential Regiment (), is a unique military regiment and part of the Russian Federal Protective Service (Russia), Federal Protective Service with the status of a special unit. The regiment ensures the s ...

, which notably maintains a permanent honor guard 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 ca ...

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 the common memories of all soldiers killed in war. Such tombs are located in many nations and are usually high-profile na ...

History

In 1918, the new leadership of the

RSFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

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, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

or the

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...

, being subordinate to the military department on the Rights of the sector of the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District () is a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 191 ...

. On 28 January 1936, it was transferred from the

People's Commissariat of Defense of the Soviet Union The People's Commissariat of Defence 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, also known as the Great Patriotic War (term), Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and its successor states, and the German–Soviet War in modern Germany and Ukraine, was a Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II ...

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 German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

. Later on, by decree of the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet () was the standing body of the highest organ of state power, highest body of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).The Presidium of the Soviet Union is, in short, the legislativ ...

, many of the office's personnel were awarded orders and medals of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. 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 or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the i ...

, 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 Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the State Council (Russia), Federal State Council and the President of Russia#Commander-in-ch ...

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) * Gennady Bashkin (11 September 1986 - 22 August 1991) * Mikhail Barsukov (10 December 1991 – 24 July 1995) * Sergey Strygin (29 July 1995-January 2004) * Lieutenant General Sergey Khlebnikov (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 ...

. 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 ...

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.

References

{{coord missing, Poland Military units and formations established in 1918 Moscow Kremlin 1918 establishments in Russia Federal Protective Service

History

Commandant of the Moscow Kremlin

See also

References