Astrakhan Kremlin (Астраханский кремль)

After Tsar Ivan IV conquered the territories of the Astrakhan Khanate in 1557, construction of a fortification began. Initially, a wooden fortress was built, but it proved to be insufficient. Consequently, a massive stone fortification was erected between 1582 and 1589. Bricks from destroyed buildings of the former Tatar city of Sarai were partly used as building material. The complex was designed after the model of other Russian Kremlins but implemented by local builders from Moscow. The fortress originally comprised a wall almost 1.5 km long with eight towers.

The Astrakhan Kremlin is located in the city of Astrakhan, in the Astrakhan district, Southern Russia region, Russia. It stands on an island surrounded by the Volga and smaller rivers, at an elevation of approximately 1 m above sea level.

Today, visitors can explore the Kremlin. The complex consists of a 1487-meter-long, white-painted brick wall with seven preserved towers, three of which have passage gates. The wall is between seven and 11.5 meters high and up to 5.2 meters thick in some places. Within the walls are several historical structures, including the Assumption Cathedral and the former Bishop's House. Since 1980, the Kremlin has been on Russia's national monument list and has been applying for UNESCO World Heritage status since 2009.

• Assumption Cathedral (sacred building), approx. 0.1 km away
• Sukkara Castle Ruin (castle), approx. 1272.2 km away
• Rostov Kremlin (castle), approx. 1341.6 km away
• Transfiguration Monastery (sacred building), approx. 1370.9 km away