The Faceted Chamber, part of the architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin, was built in the late 15th century. Its hall served as a venue for ceremonial receptions and celebrations of important events in the history of the state. The chamber got its name due to the cladding of the eastern facade with white stone blocks, each of which was hewn on four sides.

The history of the Faceted Chamber begins in 1487, when the Italian master Marco Friazin laid its foundation as a ceremonial throne room for the new Grand Ducal Palace of Ivan III. The construction was completed in 1491 by the Lombard architect Pietro Antonio Solari.

The building is made of brick. The reception hall, which is a single-column chamber with four cross vaults, is located on a high basement floor. To the west, it is adjoined by the ceremonial Holy Porches, which are accessed by an open stone staircase known as the Red Porch. The square-plan chamber, covered with vaults resting on the walls and a central column, was the most common type of hall in Russian architecture of the 15th-16th centuries. For two centuries, the Faceted Chamber, with an area of 495 sq.m., remained the largest hall in Russian architecture.

Architecture of the Faceted Chamber

The name of the chamber is associated with the cladding of the main eastern facade facing Cathedral Square, with white stone blocks, each hewn on four sides. This treatment, characteristic of Italian Renaissance architecture, is known as "diamond rustication." The side facades were smooth and painted "to look like brick."

According to graphic materials, the Faceted Chamber had a high four-pitched gilded roof, which was replaced in the 19th century with a low three-pitched covering.

In the 16th century, the walls and vaults of the chamber were decorated with frescoes. In 1668, Simon Ushakov updated the painting, creating a detailed inventory of the subjects. The preserved painting was executed by Palekh icon painters in 1881 according to Ushakov's inventory.

Restoration

During the restoration work of 1967-1968, the unique carved white stone portal in the western wall of the chamber and the relief decor of the central column were restored. In 1992-1994, the Red Porch, which had been dismantled in the 1930s, was rebuilt.

Today, the Faceted Chamber is one of the representative halls at the Residence of the President of the Russian Federation.