Red Fortress; History and Illusion in the Kremlin by Catherine Merridale – a Book Review

Red Fortress offers the reader a concise history of Russia with pointed emphasis on the architectural, cultural, and geographical significance of the Kremlin. What began as a remote small town with a white fort and limestone cathedral in the 1300’s, evolved into 68 acres of stately political buildings, cathedrals, parks, mansions, and a palace… A truly monumental symbol of political power and intrigue for the Russian nation. But it didn’t really stand the test of time. When the Kremlin wasn’t being nearly burned to the ground (several times), it was being destroyed by foreign tyrants like the Mongols and Napoleon, or desecrated by fellow Russian citizens in civil wars.

In the final chapter of Red Fortress, Catherine Merridale summarizes by stating, “The Kremlin’s history is a tale of survival, and it is certainly an epic, but there is nothing inevitable about any of it. Today’s glorification of the Russian state, like that of previous regimes, is a deliberate and calculated choice and real people can certainly be made to answer for it.” (Pg. 394)

After the revolution, the communists destroyed everything that reminded them of the opulent pageantry of the royal life of the Tsar including monuments to former heros and the Orthodox cathedrals. They assassinated all royalty, dissenters, and at least 9000 priests. They had to “create a new canon of saints and fallen heros, communist style” (Pg. 291). And after Stalin’s death, the new leadership once again did everything they could to erase the memory of Russia’s latest history… downplaying Stalin’s association with the communist party and falling back on Lenin’s utopian ideology. They created new pageantry and traditions, constructed new monuments, and gave their ancient neglected buildings a superficial, inexpensive, but modern restoration.

And all the while you are reading about the Kremlin and it’s state of grandeur, destruction, repair, and neglect, you will learn obscure facts about Russia’s most notable leaders: Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Nicholas II and Alexandria, Lenin, Stalin, and more current leaders likeYeltsin, Gorbachev, and Putin. Red Fortress includes details about politics, the cultural climate, and the socio-economic conditions throughout Russia’s 800 year history.

Personally, I found the first 100 pages difficult to digest. The years between 1200 and 1600 were just out of my range of interest, but the closer the Red Fortress got to the onset of the Romanov dynasty, the more fascinating and intriguing it became. And the Stalin years? Merridale schools us with a history lesson everyone should heed.

Catherine Merridale did an enormous amount of research citing 64 pages of references.

Anyone considering a trip to Russia would definitely have a new appreciation for the few rare remaining authentic historical sites. As early as 1947 – during a tour of the Kremlin – Steinbeck is quoted as saying, “Just two hours in this royal palace so depressed us that we couldn’t shake it all day… the Kremlin was the most gloomy place in the world.” (Pg. 334) And today? Well, sadly Red Fortress gives the impression that though at one time the Kremlin had a soul of its own, today it is not much more than an empty shell – a tourist attraction of smoke and mirrors.

If you have an unquenchable curiosity about Russian history, Red Fortress offers a unique and haunting perspective.

Rated 4 Stars.
I use a rating scale of 1 to 5. Books rated 1, I seldom finish. Books rated 2, I usually finish but would never recommend to anyone. 5 is the highest rating.