The roof tiles of the Moscow Kremlin: on-site surveys of the 1910s-1940s

This paper is the first to publish information on the architectural and archaeological activities carried out to examine the towers of the Moscow Kremlin in the first half of the 20th century. These activities were led by A. V. Filippov and were the first research of the hipped roofs crowning the architectural symbol of Russia. The roof tiles date mainly to the 17th century; however, the tiles examined also included some items used in repair works to replace the lost roof tiles in the 18th century. The tiles were of two types, namely, flat ones shaped as slabs with ledges and holes which were nailed to the masonry; and tiles semi-round in cross-section which were used to cover the ribs of the hipped roofs. All roof tiles were glazed. The materials from A. V Filippovs archives contain documents with measurements of the tiles covering some towers and data concerning the angles of the roofs slopes. The scholar was preparing an extended scientific work containing the results of the research but this work was not finished.