Red Fortress: History and Illusion in the Kremlin, Merridale, Catherine

Red Fortress: History and Illusion in the Kremlin, Merridale, Catherine. Published by Metropolitan Books, 2013. First US edition. 32 illustrations in color and black and white, 5 maps and plans, index. Red boards, gilt spine titles. Unclipped dust jacket. In pristine condition.

“Drawing on a dazzling array of sources from hitherto unseen archives and rare collections, renowned historian Catherine Merridale traces the full history of this enigmatic fortress. The Kremlin has inspired innumerable myths, but no invented tales could be more dramatic than the operatic successions and savage betrayals that took place within its vast compound of palaces and cathedrals. Today, its sumptuous golden crosses and huge electric red stars blaze side by side as the Kremlin fulfills its centuries-old role, linking the country’s recent history to its distant past and proclaiming the eternal continuity of the Russian state.
More than an absorbing history of Russia’s most famous landmark, Red Fortress uses the Kremlin as a unique lens, bringing into focus the evolution of Russia’s culture and the meaning of its politics.”