The Moscow Kremlin Museums have presented for the first time a three-volume catalog of unique architectural drawings of the Kremlin Palace complex and the Armory Chamber.

The appearance of the Moscow Kremlin complex underwent numerous reconstructions over the centuries before becoming what we are accustomed to seeing today. The only evidence of past changes are the surviving drawings from the second half of the 18th century to the first quarter of the 20th century from the Graphics Department of the Moscow Kremlin Museums. The museum presented an unprecedented collection of 775 drawings, sketches, and drafts to the public in the publication Architectural Graphics. The Kremlin Palace Complex. The Armoury."

The greatest difficulty in the work was the volume—more than 700 sheets were drawn from the Graphics Fund alone. Historians also worked with the collection of drawings by Matvey Kazakov, stored in the Museum of Architecture, drawings from the collection of the Historical Museum, and documents from the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts and the Russian State Historical Archive. Another difficulty in the work was the ruined condition of the drawings. In some cases, it was only after restoration work—reinforcement and cleaning—that it was possible to read the signatures and establish authorship.

"Strangely enough, the most difficult drawings are those from the 1920s. They were made on very poor quality paper. Many drawings were made on tracing paper, which breaks down over time, literally crumbling in your hands. Restorers manage to piece these things together—this is the most difficult work. Even drawings from the 18th century are easier to work with, as the quality of the paper was better," said Asya Tikhomirova, curator of the Moscow Kremlin Museums' Graphic Arts Collection.