Travel Notes

Save the Kremlin

The walls of the Smolensk kremlin became the object of an tender recently when the regional government invited businessmen to come up with ways to put them to effective use. The walls were built during the time of Boris Godunov and were a key defense point on Russia’s western frontier. Only 17 of the wall’s 38 original towers survive, and Smolensk, despite its history, has yet to become a top tourist destination.