Cathedral of the Assumption (right), where the Tsars of Russia were crowned, and the former Russian Parliament building (left) in the Kremlin at the centre of Moscow.

Byzantine gold towers of the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Kremlin, Moscow. The Tsars of Russia were crowned in this Russian Orthodox church.

The Kremlin (left), the centre of government in Russia and the seat of the Russian Orthodox church, and 16th century St Basil's Cathedral (right) in the centre of Moscow.

The south façade of the Great Palace of the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia. The palace complex incorporates a number of historic buildings, including the Faceted Palace, the Tsarina's Golden Chamber, and the Terem Palace.

Situated in the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, the Cathedral of the Assumption is one of the most holy places in the Russian Orthodox church. The tsars of Russia were crowned here.

The Kremlin, for many years synonymous with Russia's government, stands above the Moskva River, surrounded by a wall 2.2 km/1.5 mi long. From left to right the buildings are: the Grand Kremlin Palace (built 1838-49), the 15th-century Cathedral of the Annunciation, the Tainitskaya Tower, the Archangel Cathedral (burial place of several tsars, including Ivan (IV) the Terrible), and the Ivan the Great Belltower, for many years the tallest building in Moscow.

Set in the heart of the Kremlin, the golden domes of the Cathedral of the Assumption (Uspenskii Sobor). The church, the most important of those in the Kremlin, was the venue for the coronation of rulers. Built in 1475-79 by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravante, it is based on traditional Russian designs.