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TEREM PALACE
The large-scale destruction of Moscow during the Polish-Lithuanian and Swedish interventions, compounded by subsequent fires, necessitated urgent restoration work. The scale of this work was so great that stone-masons were brought from many other towns and even countries.
Terem Palace
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In 1635-6 construction began of a new palace for the tsar's children, the Terem Palace, in place of the older palaces. It was built by the finest craftsmen of the day, Bazhen Ogurtsov, Trefil Sha-rutin, Antip Konstantinov and Larion Ushakov.
The Terem Palace was modelled on Russian wooden houses, which left its mark on both the exterior and the planning. It is a multi-tiered edifice. The new storeys were erected around but at a slight distance from the old walls and rose up in stepped tiers. Each tier seems to grow out of the one below, creating the impression of a pyramid. The talent of the masters showed itself here most clearly. Limited by the restricted space and the many different existing buildings, they nevertheless managed to create a most impressive piece of architecture, which delights the eye with its festive, picturesque appearance.
The large-scale destruction of Moscow during the Polish-Lithuanian and Swedish interventions, compounded by subsequent fires, necessitated urgent restoration work. The scale of this work was so great that stone-masons were brought from many other towns and even countries.
The popular origins of Russian wooden architecture can be traced clearly not only in the stepped tiers, but also in the design of the roof, the tent-roofed porches, the resemblance of the rooms to the basic klet (a rectan-gular log structure) which usually had three windows on the main facade. The variety of shape and colour typical of Russian baroque also found expression in the white-stone carving, where one can see an analogy with the decor of Russian wooden architecture.
The white-stone window surrounds and portals are decorated with splendid ornament in the form of foliate patterns, birds and animals.
The horizontal division of the palace units is stressed by high-relief cornices of majolica and polychrome tiles which adorn the parapets of the spacious landings.
A special feature of the palace decor are the sumptuous window surrounds with their broken pediments, dual arches and hanging pendant. The window of the Tsar's chamber is decorated with a high pediment containing a coat of arms, supported by small columns resting on sculpted lions.
Each floor had its own function and its own life. The semibasement on which the palace was erected was used for domestic purposes. It contained the Fiscal, Water and Candle rooms and other rooms where vegetables were salted and soused, apples preserved in syrup and various other operations connected with the preservation of fruit and vegetables were performed.
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