The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers and they are all different, no two are alike. Each tower has its own name and its own history. And surely many do not know the names of all the towers. Let's get acquainted?
Most of the towers are made in the same architectural style, given to them in the second half of the 17th century. The Nikolskaya Tower, which was rebuilt in the Gothic style at the beginning of the 19th century, stands out from the general ensemble.
BECKLEMISHEVSKAYA (MOSKVORETSKAYA)
The BEKLEMISHEVSKAYA (Moskvoretskaya) tower is located in the southeastern corner of the Kremlin. It was built by the Italian architect Marko Fryazin in 1487-1488. The tower was adjoined by the courtyard of the boyar Beklemishev, for which it got its name. Beklemishev's courtyard, together with the tower under Vasily III, served as a prison for the disgraced boyars. The current name - "Moskvoretskaya" - is taken from the nearby Moskvoretsky bridge. The tower was located at the junction of the Moskva River with a moat, so when the enemy attacked, it was the first to take the blow. The architectural solution of the tower is connected with this: a high cylinder is placed on a beveled white-stone plinth and separated from it by a semicircular roller. Narrow, sparsely spaced windows cut through the smooth surface of the cylinder. The tower is completed with a mashikuli with a combat platform, which was higher than the adjoining walls. In the basement of the tower there was a rumor cache to prevent undermining. In 1680 the tower was adorned with an octagon bearing a tall narrow tent with two rows of rumors, which softened its severity. In 1707, expecting a possible offensive by the Swedes, Peter I ordered bastions to be built at its foot and loopholes widened to accommodate more powerful guns. During the invasion of Napoleon, the tower was damaged and then repaired. In 1917, the top of the tower was damaged during shelling, which was restored by 1920. In 1949, during the restoration, the loopholes were restored in their former form. This is one of the few Kremlin towers that has not been radically rebuilt. The height of the tower is 62.2 meters.
KONSTANTINO-ELENINSKAYA (TIMOFEEVSKAYA)
KONSTANTINOVO-ELENINSKAYA tower owes its name to the church of Constantine and Helena that stood here in ancient times. The tower was built in 1490 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari and was used for the passage of the population and troops to the Kremlin. Earlier, when the Kremlin was white-stone, another tower stood on this place. It was through her that Dmitry Donskoy went with an army to the Kulikovo field. The new tower was built for the reason that there were no natural barriers from its side, not the Kremlin. It was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful diverter arrow and a passage gate, which after, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. were dismantled. The tower got its name from the church of Constantine and Helena, which stood in the Kremlin. The height of the tower is 36.8 meters.
NABATNAYA
The NABATNAYA tower got its name from the large bell - the alarm bell, which hung over it. Once upon a time, sentinels were constantly on duty here. From a height, they vigilantly watched - if the enemy army was going to the city. And if danger was approaching, the sentinels had to warn everyone, ring the alarm bell. Because of him, the tower was named Nabatnaya. But now there is no bell in the tower. Once at the end of the 18th century, a riot broke out in Moscow at the sound of the Alarm bell. And when order was restored in the city, the bell was punished for disclosing an unkind message - they deprived of the language. In those days, it was a common practice to recall at least the history of the bell in Uglich. Since then, the Alarm bell fell silent and remained idle for a long time until it was removed to the museum. The height of the Nabatnaya Tower is 38 meters.
TSARSKAYA
TSARSKAYA tower. It is not at all like other Kremlin towers. There are 4 columns right on the wall, with a peaked roof on them. There are no powerful walls or narrow loopholes. But she doesn't need them. Because they were built two centuries later than the rest of the towers and not at all for defense. Earlier on this place there was a small wooden tower, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched Red Square. Earlier on this place there was a small wooden tower, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched Red Square. Later, the smallest tower of the Kremlin was built here and named it Tsarskaya. Its height is 16.7 meters.
SPASSKAYA (FROLOVSKAYA)
SPASSKAYA (Frolovskaya) tower. Built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari. This name comes from the 17th century, when the icon of the Savior was hung over the gate of this tower. It was erected on the site where the main gates of the Kremlin were located in ancient times. It, like Nikolskaya, was built to protect the northeastern part of the Kremlin, which had no natural water barriers. The travel gate of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya, was popularly considered “saints”. They were not passed through on horseback and did not pass with their heads covered. Through these gates passed the regiments that went on the campaign, here they met kings and ambassadors. In the 17th century, the coat of arms of Russia - a two-headed eagle, was hoisted on the tower, a little later the coats of arms were hoisted on other high towers of the Kremlin - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya. In 1658, the Kremlin towers were renamed. Frolovskaya turned into Spasskaya. It was named so in honor of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, located above the gate of the tower from the side of Red Square, and in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, located above the gate from the side of the Kremlin. In 1851-52. a clock was installed on the Spasskaya Tower, which we still see. Kremlin chimes. Chimes are called large clocks that have a musical mechanism. Bells play music at the Kremlin chimes. There are eleven of them. One large, he marks the hours, and ten smaller ones, their melodious chime is heard every 15 minutes. There is a special device in the chimes. It sets in motion a hammer, it strikes the surface of the bells and the chiming of the Kremlin chimes sounds. The mechanism of the Kremlin chimes occupies three floors. Previously, chimes were wound manually, but now they do it using electricity. The Spasskaya Tower occupies 10 floors. Its height with a star is 71 meters.
SENATSKAYA
The SENATE Tower was built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari, rises behind the Lenin Mausoleum and is named after the Senate, whose green dome rises above the fortress wall. The Senate Tower is one of the oldest in the Kremlin. Built in 1491 in the center of the northeastern part of the Kremlin wall, it performed only defensive functions - it defended the Kremlin from the side of Red Square. The tower is 34.3 meters high.
NIKOLSKAYA
NIKOLSKAYA Tower is located at the beginning of Red Square. In ancient times, there was a monastery of St. Nicholas the Old nearby, and an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed above the gate of the tower. The gate tower, built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Solari, was one of the main defensive redoubts of the eastern part of the Kremlin wall. The name of the tower comes from the Nikolsky monastery, which was located nearby. Therefore, the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was erected over the gate of the strelnitsa. Like all towers with entrance gates, Nikolskaya had a drawbridge over the moat and protective gratings that were lowered during the battle. The Nikolskaya Tower went down in history in 1612, when the troops of the people's militia, led by Minin and Pozharsky, burst through its gates into the Kremlin, liberating Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders. In 1812, the Nikolskaya Tower, along with many others, was blown up by Napoleon's troops retreating from Moscow. The top of the tower was particularly affected. In 1816 it was replaced by the architect OI Bove with a new needle-shaped dome in the pseudo-Gothic style. In 1917, the tower was damaged again. This time from artillery fire. In 1935, a five-pointed star crowns the dome of the tower. In the 20th century, the tower was restored in the 1946-1950s and in the 1973-1974s. Now the tower is 70.5 meters high.
CORNER ARSENAL (SOBAKINA)
CORNER ARSENAL tower was built in 1492 by Pietro Antonio Solari and is located further away, in the corner of the Kremlin. The first name was given at the beginning of the 18th century, after the construction of the Arsenal building on the territory of the Kremlin, the second comes from the Sobakin boyars' estate located nearby. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal Tower. It is over 500 years old. It is filled from an ancient source and therefore it always has clean and fresh water. Earlier, there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. The height of the tower is 60.2 meters.
MEDIUM ARSENAL (FACED)
The MIDDLE ARSENAL tower rises from the side of the Alexander Garden and is called so because there was a weapons depot right behind it. It was built in 1493-1495. After the construction of the Arsenal building, the tower got its name. A grotto was erected near the tower in 1812 - one of the attractions of the Alexander Garden. The height of the tower is 38.9 meters.
TROITSKAYA
The TRINITY Tower is named after the church and the Trinity courtyard, which were once located nearby on the territory of the Kremlin. Trinity Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The height of the tower, together with the star from the side of the Alexander Garden, is 80 meters. The Troitsky Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower. The tower gates serve as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin. Built in 1495-1499. by the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanese. The tower had different names: the Robe of the Robe, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 after the Trinity courtyard of the Kremlin. A prison was located in the two-storey base of the tower in the 16th-17th centuries. From 1585 to 1812 there was a clock on the tower. At the end of the 17th century, the tower received a multi-tiered hipped roof superstructure with white stone decorations. In 1707, due to the threat of a Swedish invasion, the loopholes of the Troitskaya Tower were expanded for heavy cannons. Until 1935, an imperial double-headed eagle was installed at the top of the tower. By the next date of the October Revolution, it was decided to remove the eagle and install red stars on it and the rest of the main Kremlin towers. The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest - made in 1870 and assembled on bolts, therefore, when dismantling it, it had to be disassembled at the top of the tower. In 1937, the faded semi-precious star was replaced with the modern ruby \u200b\u200bone.
KUTAFIA
KUTAFYA tower (connected by a bridge with Troitskaya). Its name is associated with the following: in the old days, a casually dressed, clumsy woman was called kutafya. Indeed, the Kutafya tower is low, like the others, but squat and wide. The tower was built in 1516 under the direction of the Milan architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya river, with the only gates, which in moments of danger were tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for those who besieged the fortress. She had loopholes of the plantar and mashikuli. In the XVI-XVII centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that the water surrounded the tower from all sides. Its original height above ground level was 18 meters. The only way to enter the tower from the city side was via an inclined bridge. There are two versions of the origin of the name "Kutafya": from the word "kut" - shelter, corner, or from the word "kutafya", meaning a plump, clumsy woman. The Kutafya tower has never been covered. In 1685 it was crowned with an openwork "crown" with white stone details.
COMMENDANTSKAYA (COLUMN)
The KOMENDANT tower got its name in the 19th century, since the commandant of Moscow was located in the building nearby. The tower was built in 1493-1495 on the north-western side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. It was formerly called Kolymazhnoy after the Kolymazhny yard located near it in the Kremlin. In the years 1676-1686 it was built on. The tower is made up of a massive quadrangle with mashikuli (hinged loopholes) and a parapet and an open tetrahedron standing on it, completed with a pyramidal roof, a watch tower and an octagonal ball. In the main volume of the tower there are three tiers of rooms covered with cylindrical vaults; tiers of completion are also covered with vaults. In the 19th century, the tower received the name "Commandant", when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Kremlin, in the Amusement Palace of the 17th century. The height of the tower from the side of the Alexander Garden is 41.25 meters.
WEAPON (STABLE)
The ARMORY tower, which once stood on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, now enclosed in an underground pipe, was named after the nearby Armory, the second comes from the nearby Konyushenny yard. Once upon a time there were ancient weapons workshops next to it. They also made precious utensils and jewelry. The ancient workshops gave the name not only to the tower, but also to the remarkable museum located next to the Kremlin wall - the Armory. Here are collected many Kremlin treasures and just very ancient things. For example, helmets and chain mail of ancient Russian warriors. The height of the Armory Tower is 32.65 meters.
BOROVITSKAYA
Built in 1490 by Pietro Antonio Solari. Travel card. The first name of the tower - the original, comes from Borovitsky hill, on the slope of which the tower stands; the name of the hill, apparently, comes from the ancient pine forest that grew on this place. The second name given by a royal decree from 1658 comes from the nearby Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist and the icon of St. John the Baptist, located above the gate. It is currently the main thoroughfare for government corteges. The tower is 54 meters high.
WATER SUPPLY (SVIBLOVA)
WATER TOWER - so named because of the car that was here once. She raised water from a well, arranged at the very top of the tower into a large tank. From there, water flowed through lead pipes to the royal palace in the Kremlin. Thus, in the old days, the Kremlin organized its own water supply system. It worked for a long time, but then the car was dismantled and taken to St. Petersburg. There it was used to build fountains. The height of the Vodovzvodnaya tower with a star is 61.45 meters. The second name of the tower is associated with the boyar surname Sviblo, or the Sviblovs, who were responsible for its construction.
ANNUNCIATION
ANNUNCIATION tower. According to legend, this tower used to keep the miraculous icon "Annunciation", and in 1731 the Church of the Annunciation was added to this tower. Most likely, the name of the tower is associated with one of these facts. In the 17th century, for the passage of laundresses to the Moscow River, near the tower, a gate was made, called Portomoin. In 1831 they were laid, and in Soviet times the Church of the Annunciation was dismantled. The height of the Annunciation Tower with a weather vane is 32.45 meters.
TAYNITSKAYA
TAYNITSKAYA tower - the first tower laid during the construction of the Kremlin. It was named so because a secret underground passage led from it to the river. It was intended so that it was possible to take water if the fortress was besieged by enemies. The height of the Taynitskaya Tower is 38.4 meters.
PETROVSKAYA (Ugreshskaya)
The PETROVSKAYA tower, together with two nameless ones, was built to reinforce the southern wall, as the most frequently attacked one. As well as two nameless Petrovskaya tower at first had no name. She received her name from the church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky courtyard in the Kremlin. In 1771, during the construction of the Kremlin Palace, the tower, the Church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshskoye courtyard were dismantled. In 1783, the tower was rebuilt, but in 1812 the French destroyed it again during the occupation of Moscow. In 1818, the Petrovskaya Tower was restored again. It was used for their own needs by the Kremlin gardeners. The height of the tower is 27.15 meters.
Address: Moscow Kremlin, between the Armory and Troitskaya towers
Build date: 1495 year
Tower height: 41.25 m.
Coordinates: 55 ° 45 "02.2" N 37 ° 36 "48.8" E
Short story
The erection of the Commandant's Tower falls on the reign of Prince Ivan III. The new original design appeared in 1495 thanks to the skillful actions of Russian master buildersled by the Italian architect Alois Fryazin.
View of the tower from the Alexander Garden
At the end of the 15th century, he lived on the territory of Russia and developed projects for many Kremlin buildings.
At first, the Commandant's Tower had a different name - Glukhaya. She received such a name due to the fact that in her main four there were no windows or loopholes. Subsequently, this constituent part of the Moscow Kremlin was renamed again - it became known as the Kolymazhnaya Tower.
And this change was also justified, because in the vicinity of the tower was the Kremlin Kolymazhny yard, which served as a repository for the royal carriages and carriages. The royal stable was located in the same courtyard. And only in the 19th century, the tower was called the Commandant, since the commandant of the capital city lived in the Amusement Palace, which was located next to the Moscow Kremlin.
Commandant Tower architecture
The total height of the Commandant's Tower is 41.25 m. Its design underwent minor architectural changes in the period from 1676 to 1686. Like all the other Kremlin towers, it was supplemented with an upper quadrangle and a decorative hipped dome. Above the walls of the structure, awnings made of wood were attached, protecting it in bad weather.
If we compare the Commandant's Tower with other towers of the Moscow Kremlin, then we can see that in appearance it is close to the architecture of the Armory Tower.
The lower quadrangles of both designs are equipped with mashicules and a parapet. Their upper quadrangles are open, and the crowns of the towers are tents with observation towers and a small addition in the form of an octahedron tent.
The internal layout of the building is represented by 3 ascending tiers, which are covered with cylindrical vaults. As for the building material used for the construction of the Commandant Tower in Moscow, it was a red ceramic brick. It was also used for the construction of other structures that make up the Kremlin ensemble.
You can find the Commandant's Tower, among other structures of the Moscow Kremlin, on its north-western side - it is located along the Alexander Garden, which is another landmark of Russia. The tower itself, which received its final name thanks to the Moscow commandant, is located between the Oruzheynaya and Troitskaya towers.
Attraction rating
The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers and they are all different, no two are alike. Each tower has its own name and its own history. Only two towers did not get names, they are called the First Nameless and Second Nameless.
They are followed by the Petrovskaya Tower, but the most extreme right tower has two names at once. Nowadays, it is called Moskvoretskaya, and once it was called Beklemishevskaya by the name of the person next to whose yard it was laid.
Somehow it turned out that the enemies most often attacked from the side of the Moskva River, and the Moskvoretskaya Tower had to be the first to defend itself. That is why it is so formidable and with so many loopholes. Its height is 46.2 m.
The first tower, which was laid during the construction of the Kremlin, was Taynitskaya.
TAYNITSKAYATOWER
It was named so because a secret underground passage led from it to the river. It was intended so that it was possible to take water if the fortress was besieged by enemies. The height of the Taynitskaya Tower is 38.4 m.
BOROVITSKIE GATE AND TOWER
They are located on the highest hill, where all of Moscow came from. This tower stands at Borovitsky Hill, on which a pine forest grew long ago. From him came her name. The height of the tower with a star is 54.05 m.
BECKLEMISHEVSKAYA (MOSKVORETSKAYA) TOWER
Located in the southeast corner of the Kremlin. It was built by the Italian architect Marko Fryazin in 1487-1488. The tower was adjoined by the courtyard of the boyar Beklemishev, for which it got its name. Beklemishev's courtyard, together with the tower under Vasily III, served as a prison for the disgraced boyars.
The current name - "Moskvoretskaya" - is taken from the nearby Moskvoretsky bridge. The tower was located at the junction of the Moskva River with a moat, so when the enemy attacked, it was the first to take the blow. The architectural solution of the tower is connected with this: a high cylinder is placed on a beveled white-stone plinth and separated from it by a semicircular roller. Narrow, sparsely spaced windows cut through the smooth surface of the cylinder. The tower is completed with a mashikuli with a combat platform, which was higher than the adjoining walls.
In the basement of the tower there was a rumor cache to prevent undermining. In 1680 the tower was adorned with an octagon bearing a tall narrow tent with two rows of rumors, which softened its severity. In 1707, expecting a possible offensive by the Swedes, Peter I ordered bastions to be built at its foot and loopholes widened to accommodate more powerful guns. During the invasion of Napoleon, the tower was damaged and then repaired. In 1917, the top of the tower was damaged during shelling, which was restored by 1920. In 1949, during the restoration, the loopholes were restored in their former form. This is one of the few Kremlin towers that has not been radically rebuilt.
ANNUNCIATION TOWER
According to legend, this tower used to keep the miraculous icon "Annunciation", as well as 1731. the Church of the Annunciation was added to this tower. Most likely, the name of the tower is associated with one of these facts. In the 17th century. for the passage of laundresses to the Moskva River near the tower, a gate called Portomoyny was made. In 1831 they were laid, and in Soviet times the Church of the Annunciation was dismantled. The height of the Annunciation Tower with a weather vane is 32.45 m.
- so named because of the car that was here once. She raised water from a well, arranged at the very top of the tower into a large tank. From there, water flowed through lead pipes to the royal palace in the Kremlin. Thus, in the old days, the Kremlin organized its own water supply system. It worked for a long time, but then the car was dismantled and taken to another city - St. Petersburg. There it was used to build fountains. The height of the Vodovzvodnaya tower with a star is 61.45 m.
... that once stood on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, now enclosed in an underground pipe, was named after the nearby Armory. Once upon a time, there were ancient weapons workshops next to it. They also made precious utensils and jewelry. The ancient workshops gave the name not only to the tower, but also to the remarkable museum located next to the Kremlin wall - the Armory. Here are collected many Kremlin treasures and just very ancient things. For example, helmets and chain mail of ancient Russian warriors. The height of the Armory Tower is 32.65 m.
COMENDANT TOWER
It got its name in the 19th century, since the commandant of Moscow was located nearby in the building. The tower was built in 1493-1495 on the north-western side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. It was formerly called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny yard in the Kremlin located nearby. In the years 1676-1686 it was built on.
In the 19th century, the tower received the name "Commandant", when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Kremlin, in the Amusement Palace of the 17th century. The height of the tower from the side of the Alexander Garden is 41.25 m.
It is named after the church and the Trinity courtyard, which were once nearby on the territory of the Kremlin. Trinity Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The height of the tower, together with the star from the side of the Alexander Garden, is 80 m.
The Troitsky Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower. The tower gates serve as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin. Built in 1495-1499. by the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanese (Italian: Aloisio da Milano).
The tower had different names: the Robe of the Robe, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya. It received its present name in 1658 after the Trinity courtyard of the Kremlin. A prison was located in the two-storey base of the tower in the 16th-17th centuries. From 1585 to 1812 there was a clock on the tower.
At the end of the 17th century, the tower received a multi-tiered hipped roof superstructure with white stone decorations. In 1707, due to the threat of a Swedish invasion, the loopholes of the Troitskaya Tower were expanded for heavy cannons. Until 1935, an imperial double-headed eagle was installed at the top of the tower. By the next date of the October Revolution, it was decided to remove the eagle and install red stars on it and the rest of the main Kremlin towers.
The Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest - built in 1870 and prefabricated on bolts, so during dismantling it had to be disassembled at the top of the tower. In 1937, the faded semi-precious star was replaced with the modern ruby \u200b\u200bone.
KUTAFIA TOWER
(Connected by a bridge with Troitskaya). Its name is associated with the following: in the old days, a casually dressed, clumsy woman was called kutafya. Indeed, the Kutafya Tower is not high, like the others, but squat and wide.
The tower was built in 1516 under the direction of the Milan architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya river, with the only gates, which in moments of danger were tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for those who besieged the fortress. She had loopholes of the plantar and mashikuli. In the XVI-XVII centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that the water surrounded the tower from all sides. Its original height above ground level was 18 meters.
The only way to enter the tower from the city side was via an inclined bridge.
There are two versions of the origin of the name "Kutafya": from the word "kut" - shelter, corner, or from the word "kutafya", meaning a plump, clumsy woman. The Kutafya tower has never been covered. In 1685 it was crowned with an openwork "crown" with white stone details.
PETROVSKAYA TOWER
Together with two unnamed ones, it was built to strengthen the southern wall, as the most frequently attacked.
As well as two nameless Petrovskaya tower at first had no name. She received her name from the church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky courtyard in the Kremlin. In 1771. during the construction of the Kremlin palace, the tower, the church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshskoye courtyard were dismantled. In 1783. the tower was rebuilt, but in 1812. the French destroyed it again during the occupation of Moscow. In 1818. The Petrovskaya Tower was restored again. It was used for their own needs by the Kremlin gardeners. The height of the tower is 27.15 m.
MEDIUM ARSENAL TOWER
It rises from the side of the Alexander Garden and is called so, since there was a weapons depot right behind it. It was built in 1493-1495. After the construction of the Arsenal building, the tower got its name. A grotto was erected near the tower in 1812 - one of the attractions of the Alexander Garden. The height of the tower is 38.9 m.
CORNER ARSENAL TOWER
Located further away, in the corner of the Kremlin. Once she was called Sobakina, by the name of a person who lived nearby. But in the 18th century, the Arsenal building was erected next to it, and the tower was renamed. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal Tower. It is over 500 years old. It is filled from an ancient source and therefore there is always clean and fresh water in it. Earlier, there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. The height of the tower is 60.2 m.
NIKOLSKAYA TOWER
Located at the beginning of Red Square. In ancient times, there was a monastery of St. Nicholas the Old nearby, and an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed above the gate of the tower. The gate tower, built in 1491 by the architect P. Solari, was one of the main defensive redoubts of the eastern part of the Kremlin wall.
The name of the tower comes from the Nikolsky monastery, which was located nearby. Therefore, the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was erected over the gate of the strelnitsa. Like all towers with entrance gates, Nikolskaya had a drawbridge over the moat and protective gratings that were lowered during the battle.
The Nikolskaya Tower went down in history in 1612, when the troops of the people's militia, led by Minin and Pozharsky, broke into the Kremlin through its gates and liberated Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders.
In 1812, the Nikolskaya Tower, along with many others, was blown up by Napoleon's troops retreating from Moscow. The top of the tower was particularly affected. In 1816, it was replaced by the architect OI Bove with a new needle-shaped dome in the pseudo-Gothic style. In 1917, the tower was damaged again. This time from artillery fire. In 1935 the dome of the tower is crowned with a five-pointed star. In the 20th century, the tower was restored in the 1946-1950s and in the 1973-1974s. Now the height of the tower is 70.5 m.
SENATE TOWER
It rises behind the Lenin Mausoleum and is named after the Senate, whose green dome rises above the fortress wall. The Senate Tower is one of the oldest in the Kremlin. Built in 1491 in the center of the northeastern part of the Kremlin wall, it performed only defensive functions - it defended the Kremlin from the side of Red Square. The height of the tower is 34.3 m.
SPASSKAYA (FROLOVSKAYA) TOWER
This name comes from the 17th century, when the icon of the Savior was hung over the gate of this tower. It was erected on the site where the main gates of the Kremlin were located in ancient times. It, like Nikolskaya, was built to protect the northeastern part of the Kremlin, which had no natural water barriers. The travel gate of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya, was popularly considered "saints". They were not passed through on horseback or covered with their heads. Through these gates passed the regiments that went on the campaign, here they met kings and ambassadors.
In the 17th century. the coat of arms of Russia - a two-headed eagle, was hoisted on the tower, a little later the coats of arms were hoisted on other high towers of the Kremlin - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya.
In 1658. the Kremlin towers were renamed. Frolovskaya turned into Spasskaya. It was named so in honor of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, located above the gate of the tower from the side of Red Square, and in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, located above the gate from the side of the Kremlin.
In 1851-52. a clock was installed on the Spasskaya Tower, which we still see today - the Kremlin chimes.
Chimes are called large clocks that have a musical mechanism. Bells play music at the Kremlin chimes. There are eleven of them. One large, it marks the hours, and ten smaller ones, their melodious chime is heard every 15 minutes. The mechanism of the Kremlin chimes occupies three floors. Previously, the chimes were wound manually, but now they do it using electricity. The Spasskaya Tower occupies 10 floors. Its height with a star is 71 m.
KING'S TOWER
It is not at all like other Kremlin towers. There are 4 columns right on the wall, with a peaked roof on them. There are no powerful walls or narrow loopholes. But she doesn't need them. Because the tower was not built for defense. According to legend, Tsar Ivan the Terrible loved to look at his city from this place. Later, the smallest tower of the Kremlin was built here and named it Tsarskaya. Its height is 16.7 m.
ALARM TOWER
It got its name from the big bell - the alarm that hung over it. Once upon a time, sentinels were constantly on duty here. From a height, they vigilantly watched - if the enemy army was going to the city. And if danger was approaching, the sentinels had to warn everyone, ring the alarm bell. Because of him, the tower was named Nabatnaya. But now there is no bell in the tower.
Once at the end of the 18th century, a riot broke out in Moscow at the sound of the Alarm bell. And when order was restored in the city, the bell was punished for disclosing an unkind message - they deprived of the language.
In those days it was a common practice to recall at least the history of the bell in Uglich. Since then, the Alarm bell fell silent and remained idle for a long time until it was removed to the museum. The height of the Nabatnaya Tower is 38 m.
KONSTANTINOVO-ELENINSKAYA TOWER
It owes its name to the church of Constantine and Helena that stood here in ancient times. The tower was built in 1490 and was used for the passage of the population and troops to the Kremlin. Earlier, when the Kremlin was white stone, another tower stood on this place.
It was through her that Dmitry Donskoy went with an army to the Kulikovo field.
The new tower was built for the reason that the Kremlin had no natural barriers on its side. It was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful diverter arrow and a passage gate, which after, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. were dismantled. The tower got its name from the church of Constantine and Helena, which stood in the Kremlin. Tower height 36.8 m.
FIRST NAMELESS TOWER
Adjacent to Taynitskaya and is a deaf building. In the XV - XVI Art. she served as a store of gunpowder... In 1547 the pylon was completely destroyed by fire, but in the 17th century. it was rebuilt anew and supplemented with a tier with an interesting name: "tent". When the government started to build a luxurious Kremlin palace, the facility was liquidated. As soon as the work that was entrusted to the architect Bazhenov was over, it was decided to work on the structure again. As a result, the beauty of the Kremlin was supplemented by another object, the exact height of which is 34.15 m.
SECOND NAMELESS TOWER
The tower was built in the 1480s as an intermediate tower on the south side of the Kremlin.
Since 1680, the tower has gained even greater architectural attractiveness, as it was completed with a 4-sided tent and equipped with an observation post-tower. The stone structure is neatly crowned with a tent with a weather vane.
At the beginning of the 18th century, a gate was later laid in the tower. Like many other towers of the southern wall, the Second Nameless Tower was dismantled in 1771 in preparation for the construction of the Bazhenov Grand Kremlin Palace and after the cessation of construction of the palace was rebuilt.
The Commandant's Tower of the Moscow Kremlin has walls 1.7-3.3 m thick, rises 41.25 m from the side of the Alexander Garden. The length of the outer perimeter at the base is 30.5 m. It is located between the Troitskaya and the Armory Towers. Built during the reign of Ivan III, in 1493-1495.
Commandant titles
Throughout the history of the existence of the Commandant, it had three names. In the 17th century. she was called the Deaf because of the lack of travel gates. It was also called Kolymazhnaya, since the Kolymazhny yard was located nearby - a kind of garage for the royal carriages and stables.
The current name - Commandant, received in the 19th century, almost 4 centuries after its construction. They called it when the commandant of Moscow drove into the Amusement Palace next to her.
Architect
The architect was, of course, the Italian architect from Milan - Aleviz Fryazin (Aloisio da Carcano). It was he who was invited to continue the construction of the Moscow Kremlin after the death of his compatriot Pyotr Fryazin (Pietro Antonio Solari).
Like its “sister”, the Commandant's is a four-sided structure at the base and a stone hipped roof (it was erected in 1676-1686). It consists of 3 cylindrical tiers.
Near Komendantskaya
You can approach it through the Alexander Garden. After walking along it a little more, we will see in front of us the majestic Troitskaya Tower - the highest passage tower of the Moscow Kremlin, which was considered the second after
What did the Kremlin, a fortress, mean to the people of that era? The Kremlin is the militant and intellectual core of the city. And in dangerous situations, the walls of the Kremlin saved lives. Inside the fortress lived nobility - leadership, there was an arsenal and supplies, there was a main cathedral, a library and learned people. When the population increased, people also settled on the outside of the walls - a settlement was formed. Posad was also then surrounded by fortifications. When the enemies attacked, everyone who could take refuge behind the walls of the fortress. Each tower performed specific functions. The tallest were sentry, the strongest were entrance, with gates, and there was also an arsenal, a water intake, a sentry (with a clock), a prison tower - dark ... The distance between the towers was such that the entire space between them from the same towers could be shot through ...The fortress on Borovitsky Hill was built and rebuilt since 1156 (the date of the appearance of the first fortifications). But the familiar towers and walls began to be built in the 1480s - during the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich (Ivan III). For the arrangement of the royal residence - a complex of choirs, churches and cathedrals - architects Pietro Antonio Solari, Antonio Gilardi (Anton Fryazin), Aloisio da Milano (Aleviz Fryazin), Aristotle Fioravanti were invited from Italy (this part of our history is well reflected in the series about, wife of Ivan Vasilievich). The construction was carried out in Russian traditions, in compliance with all the canons of church and residential architecture. But the result turned out to be unusual, where else can you find such elegant and at the same time majestic towers? And if the eye is already used to not noticing this beauty, then I propose to take another look at our main attraction.
Taynitskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin
The most "senior" tower - Taynitskaya, was built by Anton Fryazin in 1485. The photograph shows that once there was a gate in this tower, but now they are laid (in the 30s of the 20th century).In general, the very first towers were built along the Moskva River, and Taynitskaya was the central one on this "embankment" (see the diagram above). "... a strelnitsa was laid on the Moskva River at the Sheshkovy (Peshkovy) gates, and under it a cache was brought out" - the chronicle says. Each Russian fortress had a "secret" tower - with access to a spring that supplied the besieged with water, and to secret underground passages. The Taynitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin means the underground passage to the Moscow River and the passage inside the fortress. There was also a well there. The existence of the well and passages is confirmed by documents. Until 1674, the tower had a striking clock, and until 1917, a cannon shot was fired from the tower every noon.
In terms of underground secrets, the Moscow Kremlin is one of the most interesting objects in the world. Scheme You cannot see the link about the underground passages in the Moscow Kremlin shows which of them are still preserved
