On August 23, 1935, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR decided to replace the two-headed eagles on the Kremlin towers with five-pointed stars. In total, the main Moscow complex has 20 towers and each has its own story ...
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It was not without reason that Karamzin said that the Kremlin is "a place of great historical memories," and the Kremlin towers occupy a huge place in them. The walls and towers, as we are used to seeing them, were built in 1485-1516 and form an irregular triangle in shape.
Initially, there was a through passage inside the wall through all the towers, but most of it was eventually filled up with construction waste, the section between the Konstantino-Eleninskaya and Nabatnaya towers was preserved. Three towers, standing at the corners of the triangle, have a circular cross-section, the rest are square. Almost all are made in the same architectural style of the 17th century, only Nikolskaya is out of order, which was rebuilt in the pseudo-Gothic style at the beginning of the 19th century.
Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) tower
Height - 46.2 m.
It is located near the junction of the Moscow river with the moat and performs an important defensive function. Built in 1487-1488 by the Italian architect Mark Fryazin. The first name comes from the courtyard of the boyar Beklemishev adjoining the tower; later - from the nearby Moskvoretsky bridge.
Ivan Beklemishev was nicknamed "Bersenem", that is, gooseberries (hence Bersenevskaya Embankment) for his sharp tongue. He headed the boyar opposition to the grand ducal power. Vasily III, striving to rule alone without boyars, ordered his head to be cut off, and his court, together with the tower, was used as a prison for the disgraced boyars.
A well and a rumor hiding place were arranged in the tower. SP Bartenev mentioned him in his book "The Moscow Kremlin in the old days and now": "The Italian engineers who built the Kremlin appreciated its position (near the river) and provided it with a cache as a warning against undermining." The presence of the cache was also confirmed by the architect I. Ye. Bondarenko, who surveyed the Kremlin in 1918: "In the Beklemishevskaya tower, a cache was made to prevent the undermining."
Under Peter I in 1707, it was converted for defense against the Swedes. The loopholes of the tower were cut to accommodate more powerful guns. Then, during the restoration in 1849, they regained their original appearance.
This is one of the few Kremlin towers that have hardly been rebuilt. After the invasion of Napoleon, it only needed a little repair. During the storming of the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks in 1917, the top tent was shot down by a shell, but three years later it was restored.
Konstantino-Eleninskaya tower
Height - 36.8 m.
Built in 1490 by Pietro Antonio Solari. It received its modern name after the construction of the Church of Constantine and Helena in the Kremlin in the 17th century (it was dismantled in 1928).
Earlier in its place was the ancient white-stone tower of the time of Dimitri Donskoy, called Timofeevskaya. Through its gates, Dimitry Donskoy in 1380 went with his squads to the famous Battle of Kulikovo.
Initially, it was a pass, with a drawbridge over the moat and a diverting arrow (an additional tower connected to the main bridge).
At the end of the 17th century, when Velikaya Ulitsa lost its former significance and the former defensive role of the tower disappeared, the arrow was turned into a prison, the torture chamber was nicknamed "Torture". The tower gates were closed. In 1707, loopholes were also cut out for cannons. In the 18th century, the diversion bars and the bridge were demolished.
By the way, the arch of the laid gates, partially closed by late layers, is still clearly visible on the facade of the tower from the side of Vasilyevsky Spusk, as well as the depression for the gate icon and traces of vertical slots for the levers of the drawbridge.
The main quadrangle is divided into two tiers. The first tier was previously used for passage, and the second was used for office space. Ascent to the upper platform of the tower - along a narrow staircase located in the thickness of the wall.
Alarm tower
Height - 38 m.
The name comes from the Spassky alarm bell that hung on it, which served as a fire alarm. Built in 1495. It has kept its original shape well.
The lower tier of the tower is a complex multi-chamber room connected to the undercarriage of the walls by stairs and openings.
The tower is set very high - on a hill. It was the watchtower of the Kremlin fortress. Pillars of smoke indicated the approach of the steppe enemy, which the watchmen reported with bell ringing. Muscovites of unprotected settlements were in a hurry to hide, some outside the walls of the monastery, and some in the Kremlin.
In 1771, during the Plague Riot, the rebels sounded the Spassky alarm bell and thus gathered Muscovites to the Kremlin. At the end of the riot, Catherine II ordered to remove the tongue from the bell. For more than 30 years, the bell hung on the tower without a tongue. In 1803 it was moved to the Arsenal, and in 1821 - to the Armory, where the bell still hangs in the lobby.
The inscriptions on the bell inform: “On July 6, 1714, this alarm bell poured out of the old alarm bell from the old alarm bell which rang the city Kremlin to the Spassky Gate. It weighs 150 pounds ”,“ This bell was poured by master Ivan Motorin ”.
In the 1970s, the Nabatnaya Tower began to heel due to the loss of density by the soil and a cracked foundation. After screeding the base of the tower with metal hoops and strengthening the soil, the roll was stopped. However, the tower still deviates from the vertical by one meter.
Tsar tower
Height with a weather vane - 16.7 m.
This is the youngest and smallest tower of the Moscow Kremlin, built in 1680. Its octagonal tent on pitcher-shaped pillars resembles the common porch lockers of stone dwelling mansions that were common at that time. It has kept its original shape well.
Strictly speaking, this is not a tower, but a stone tower, a tent, placed on the wall. Once upon a time there was a small wooden turret from which, according to legend, Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) loved to watch the events taking place on Red Square - hence the name of the tower.
In its lower tier, there is a through arched passage - a continuation of the wall undercarriage.
Spassky Tower
Height with a star - 71 m.
It was built in 1491 during the reign of Ivan III by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari, as evidenced by white stone slabs with commemorative inscriptions installed on the tower itself.
Initially it was called Frolovskaya after the nearby church of Frol and Lavra. In 1516 a wooden bridge was thrown over the moat from the tower. In 1658, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to call her Spasskaya. The new name was associated with the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, placed above the gate from the side of Red Square. The icon itself has not survived, but the place where it hung is clearly visible.
When built, the tower was approximately half the height. In 1624-1625, the English architect Christopher Galovey, with the participation of the Russian master Bazhen Ogurtsov, erected a multi-tiered top in the Gothic style over the tower.
If the enemy penetrated inside the arrowhead, iron bars were lowered, and the enemy was trapped in a kind of stone bag. He was fired upon from the upper gallery of the archer. On the facade of the tower, you can still see holes through which chains were passed to raise and lower the special wooden deck of the bridge, and in the passage of the gate there are grooves along which a metal lattice went.
Fantastic figurines - an element of decor - under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich whose nakedness was shyly covered with specially sewn clothes. In the middle of the 17th century, the first two-headed eagle was hoisted on the main tower of the Kremlin.
The Spassky Gate was revered as saints. It was impossible to ride through them on horseback, and men passing through them had to take off their hats in front of the image of the Savior, which was illuminated by an inextinguishable lamp. Anyone who disobeyed the holy rule had to do 50 prostrations. The criminals sentenced to death, who were executed at the Execution site, prayed for the image of the Savior of Smolensk.
There is a legend that when Napoleon drove through the Spassky Gate in captured Moscow, a gust of wind pulled the famous cocked hat off his head. When the French army retreated from Moscow, the Spasskaya Tower was ordered to blow up, but the Don Cossacks arrived in time to put out the already lit fuses.
They were also the main entrance to the Kremlin, from here regiments left for battle, and here they met foreign ambassadors. All religious processions from the Kremlin went through these gates, all the rulers of Russia, starting with Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, solemnly passed through them before the coronation.
To the left of the gate stood the chapel of the Great Council of Revelation (Smolensk), to the right of the Great Council of the Angel (Spasskaya). They were demolished in 1925.
The legend associated with the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is also interesting. In the middle of the 17th century, a plague epidemic passed through the central ones. The epidemic bypassed the city of Khlynov, rumors spread that the reason for this was the miraculous image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, to whom the townspeople prayed. Upon learning of this, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to bring the icon to Moscow. The image was delivered in a procession in 1648.
With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the gate image, as well as the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, were lost. However, in June 2010, icon painter Dmitry Vinokurov wrote an exact list of the famous miraculous icon.
The famous chimes have existed since the 16th century. They were made in 1625 under the guidance of the English mechanic Christopher Galovey. In 1705, by decree of Peter I, the Spassky clock was redesigned in the German style with a 12 o'clock dial. In 1770, an English clock found in the Faceted Chamber was installed. Since 1770, the clock played the German melody "Ah, my dear Augustine" for some time. Modern chimes were made by brothers Nikolai and Ivan Budenop in 1851-1852 and installed on the 8-10 tiers of the Spasskaya Tower. Since that time the chimes were performed at 12 and 6 o'clock "March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment", and at 3 and 9 o'clock the hymn "If our Lord is glorious in Zion" by Dmitry Bortnyansky, which sounded over Red Square until 1917. On November 2, 1917, during the storming of the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks, a shell hit the clock, the clock stopped for almost a year. In August-September 1918, at the direction of Lenin, they were restored by the watchmaker Nikolai Berens. The clock began to play at 12 o'clock "Internationale", at 24 o'clock - "You fell a victim ...". However, already in 1938, the chimes fell silent, becoming only beating hours and quarters. In 1996, during Yeltsin's inauguration, the chimes resumed after 58 years of silence. At 12 and 6 o'clock the chimes began to perform the "Patriotic song", and at 3 and 9 - the melody of the chorus "Glory." The last major restoration was carried out in 1999. Instead of the Patriotic Song, the chimes began to sing the national anthem of the Russian Federation.
By the way, the watch weighs 25 tons and is powered by three weights ranging from 160 to 224 kg. The watch has four dials with a diameter of 6.12 m, the height of the digits is 72 cm, the length of the hour hand is 2.97 m, the minute hand is 3.28 m. They are wound twice a day.
From the 1600s to 1935, the tower was crowned with a gilded double-headed eagle. In August 1935, it was decided to replace the eagles (they were installed on the Borovitskaya, Spasskaya, Nikolskaya and Troitskaya towers) with five-pointed stars with a sickle and a hammer (the star was also installed on the Vodovzvodnaya tower). The sketches of the stars were developed by academician Fedor Fedorovsky. The first ones were made of high-alloy stainless steel and red copper. In the middle of each star, a hammer and sickle covered with gold were laid out with Ural gems. But they quickly faded, and even looked ridiculous in the overall composition of the Kremlin, were cumbersome and severely disrupted the architectural ensemble. In 1937 they were replaced with ruby \u200b\u200band luminous ones. The power of the lamps in the star is 5000 watts.
Recently, public figures and the church are increasingly turning to the president with a request to replace the stars with eagles, but so far there have been no official speeches on this matter.
Spasskaya Tower has 10 floors
Senate tower
Height - 34 m.
Built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The tower received its name after the construction of the Senate Palace on the territory of the Kremlin in 1787. In 1680, a stone tent was built over the tower, ending with a golden weather vane. The tower has three tiers of vaulted rooms inside. The Lenin Mausoleum is located in front of the tower.
In 1948, a passage to the Mausoleum was made from the tower so that members of the CPSU Central Committee could enter the stands directly from the Kremlin, bypassing Red Square.
Inside the main volume of the tower, square in plan, there are three tiers of vaulted rooms.
Nikolskaya tower
Height with a star - 70.4 m.
Built in 1491 according to the design of Pietro Antonio Solari. Named after the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, located above the passage gate of the diversion arrow. According to the existing tradition, at this tower in front of the icon of St. Nicholas - the holy saint of God, the most revered in Russia - the townspeople decided their controversial issues.
In 1612, it was through the gates of the Nikolskaya and Spasskaya towers that the people's volunteer corps, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, solemnly entered the Kremlin on November 1. Muscovites and residents of neighboring villages greeted the winners with jubilation. (On October 27, an agreement was signed on the surrender of the Polish garrison).
In 1702-1736 the building of the Arsenal was built. The building adjoins the Kremlin wall between Nikolskaya and Corner Arsenalnaya towers. The Nikolskaya Tower acquires baroque décor, just like the original design of the Arsenal.
In 1806, the tower was thoroughly rebuilt, the former superstructure over the quadruple was replaced with a Gothic octagonal top with a high white-stone tent and openwork decorations. This, incidentally, is the main difference between the Nikolskaya Tower and other Kremlin towers.
In 1812, it was blown up by the French retreating from Moscow, the tent collapsed, part of the gate was damaged, but part of the four with the gate icon of Nikola Mozhaisky was not touched. In the book of Alexei Remizov, one can find a mention: “It exploded so that it knocked out windows and doors from all houses in the district. Only ruins remained of the Arsenal. And half the tower collapsed. But Nikola - with a sword and hail - withstood! Even the glass on the icon did not crack. Even the lantern with a candle continued to hang. "
The news of the miracle soon reached the emperor. Arriving in Moscow, Alexander I was personally convinced of the safety of the icon and ordered, first of all, to restore the tower, and to hang a marble plaque under the icon, the words for which he had inscribed himself. It was later dismantled.
The tower was restored in 1816-1819.
There used to be one-domed chapels near the Nikolsky Gate, but they were also demolished in 1925.
During the battles in October 1917, the gate image of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisky was riddled with bullets and shrapnel, but the face itself did not suffer, which was perceived by the faithful Muscovites as a miracle.
At the end of April 1918, before the first official celebration of the proletarian May Day, the façade, including the icon, was draped all over with red red cotton. According to the official version, strong gusts of wind, twisting the panels, freed the view of the image. However, according to the recollections of people, the weather was calm and the red canvas was torn as if it had been cut with a sword.
Today the star of the Nikolskaya Tower has the largest number of faces per ray - 12.
Corner Arsenal Tower
Height - 60.2 m.
The most powerful tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Its lower massif consists of 18 faces, and the base is greatly expanded. This gives it great stability. In the upper part there are hinged loopholes - mashikuli. The walls are up to 4 meters thick. Built in 1492 by Pietro Antonio Solari.
A well was dug in the tower, which, in the event of a siege, could be used by the garrison of the fortress (it has survived to this day). From the Corner Arsenal Tower there was a secret passage to the Neglinnaya River (later it was laid). In the 15th and 16th centuries, the tower was reinforced with an additional wall that went around it in a semicircle. In 1672-1686, an octagonal tent was erected over it.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, the tower was partially damaged by an explosion. In 1894, the tower was repaired and adapted for the Moscow Provincial Archive, while the interior was altered.
Medium Arsenal Tower
Height - 38.9 m.
Built in 1493-1495 on the site of the corner tower of the time of Dmitry Donskoy. Previously, it was called Faceted - from the façade dismembered on the verge.
In the old days it was connected with the Corner Arsenalnaya and Troitskaya towers by intra-wall passages. The first move was bricked up in 1934. Another in-wall passage was opened in June 1974, when during the restoration of the Kremlin wall from the side of the Alexander Garden, an entrance arch was found in it, next to the Middle Arsenal Tower.
Previously, it was called Faceted - from the façade dismembered on the verge.
Trinity Tower
Height with a star - 80 m.
This is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The Trinity Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to its gates. The tower gates serve as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin. Built in 1495-1499. by the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin.
During its history, she managed to change several names - Bogoyavlenskaya, Robe Deposition, Znamenskaya, Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on the nearby courtyard of the Trinity Monastery.
A prison was located in the two-story base of the tower in the 16th and 17th centuries. A stone staircase led to it, a small hatch led from the upper rooms to the lower ones, through which only one person could climb. This was the only way out of these "stone bags". For air circulation, air vents were made in them - special slots.
In 1870 it was adapted to house the Archives of the Ministry of the Imperial Court.
Above the Trinity Gate in the icon case there was an icon of the Kazan Mother of God, damaged during the assault on the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks in 1917. The fate of the gate icon in Soviet times is unknown. At present, the place of the icon above the Trinity Gate from the side of the Alexander Garden is occupied by a clock, and from the side of the Kremlin - the same empty architectural niche.
The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest - in 1870, therefore, when dismantled in 1935, it had to be dismantled at the top of the tower. The star installed in its place was the most massive, its weight was about 1.5 tons. The star that we see on the tower now was installed in 1937.
In terms of its administrative importance, it was the second after Spasskaya. The gate of the tower served as the entrance to the mansion of the metropolitan, to the chambers of the queen and princesses, as well as an exit to the Volotskaya road, leading to the north, along which the princes, and later the tsars, left on campaigns. Here, solemn meetings of the returning rulers took place.
Now the Presidential Orchestra of Russia is based here.
Kutafya tower
The height from the city side is 13.5 m.
The only surviving diversion tower-arrow. Built in 1516 under the leadership of Aleviz Fryazin.
She has only one gate, which in moments of danger was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge.
In the 16-17 centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that the water surrounded the tower on all sides.
Draw bridges over the moat, which surrounded the tower, led to the side tower gates. The preserved slots for the chains of the lifting mechanisms can be seen today.
In 2011, the construction of modern pavilions began on the sides of the tower, which, according to the fears of specialists in the preservation of cultural heritage, will distort the historical appearance of the monument.
Commandant Tower
Height - 41.25 m.
Built in 1493-1495 under Ivan III, it was formerly called Deaf or Kolymazhny (after the nearby Kolymazhny yard, where the royal carriages were kept and stables were located). It got its current name in the 19th century, when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Amusement Palace.
In the main volume of the tower there are three tiers of rooms, covered with cylindrical vaults.
In 1676-1686, the tower, like all the others, was built on with a hipped roof for decoration (initially, all the towers were without these superstructures and ended with a belt of overhanging arrows for a sullen and formidable look).
Armory tower
Height - 38.9 m.
Built in 1493-1495. At the beginning of the 17th century, it had a passage gate to the Konyushenny yard in the Kremlin. Hence its ancient name Konyushennaya. The tower got its modern name in the 19th century after the Armory building built on the territory of the Kremlin.
In 1676-1686 the tower was built on with a hipped roof and to this day it has well preserved its medieval forms. Inside the main volume of the tower there are two tiers of vaulted rooms; the entrance to the lower one from the side of the Kremlin.
During its construction, grandiose hydraulic engineering works were required, because of the swampy floodplain, it was necessary to strengthen the creeping soil of the slope and rebuild the fortress wall along the river bank.
Borovitskaya tower
Height with a star - 54.05 m.
The name of the tower, according to legend, comes from the ancient pine forest that once covered one of the seven hills on which Moscow stands. According to another legend, the tower got its name from the builders of the white-stone Kremlin under Dmitry Donskoy - the residents of Borovsk built this part.
Before the construction of the modern Borovitskaya tower, another tower existed in its place, which had the same name. This is evidenced by the record of the construction in 1461 of the Church of St. John the Baptist "on the pine forest", where it was written that this church stood at the "Borovitsky gate".
The new Borovitskaya Tower was built by Pietro Antonio Solari during the renovation of the Kremlin in 1490, by order of Ivan III.
Through it they drove into the economic part of the Kremlin - to the Zhitny and Konyushenny courtyards. In 1493, the tower was badly damaged by fire. In 1658, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, it was renamed into the Forerunner - after the Church of the Nativity of the Forerunner in the Kremlin (later dismantled during the construction of the Armory), however, the new name did not take root.
There was an icon of St. John the Baptist in the icon case above the Borovitsky Gate. The lamp was looked after by the parables of the church of St. Nicholas Streletsky, located on Borovitskaya Square. The temple was destroyed in 1932 when the Sokolnicheskaya metro line was laid. The icon was lost during the Soviet era. A clock takes its place above the gate. In Soviet times, double-headed eagles were replaced by stars (as well as on the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya towers).
In 1812, during the explosion of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower from Borovitskaya, the top of the tent fell. The tower was repaired in 1816-1819. In 1848, after the destruction of the Church of the Nativity of the Baptist near Bor, the tower was turned into a church. The throne was transferred there from the church and the pseudo-Gothic decorations were destroyed.
From the outer side of the Kremlin wall, at the folds of the gates, one can see the coats of arms carved from white stone, obviously of ancient origin - Lithuanian and Moscow. Experts have not yet given an answer about the time and reasons for their appearance at the Borovitskaya Tower.
Another interesting fact is that if the flag of a foreign state flies on a building near the Borovitsky Gate, this means that a foreign president is currently in the Kremlin.
Today the Borovitsky Gate is the Kremlin's only permanent passage gate. Visitors to the Armory also pass through the Borovitskaya Tower. It is believed that they are the most ancient of the Kremlin gates, there is an opinion. That there is an underground passage under them.
Vodovzvodnaya tower
Height with a star - 61.25 m.
Built in 1488 by Italian architect Anton Fryazin. The former name of the Sviblova Tower comes from the boyar surname Sviblova, whose courtyard adjoined the tower from the Kremlin side.
She had a well and a hiding place to reach the river. It received its modern name in 1633 after the installation of a water-lifting machine in it to supply water from the Moskva River to the Kremlin. According to the testimony of contemporaries, a similar machine, manufactured under the guidance of the Englishman Christopher Galovey, cost several barrels of gold. Galovey made a cunning device that supplied water through lead pipes to the gardens of the upland part of the Kremlin. It was the first pressure water pipeline in the history of Russia. Unfortunately, the water lifting machine has not survived.
On the Moskva River near the Vodovzvodnaya Tower there was a port wash raft for rinsing linen. On the bank of the river there was a port wash hut with accessories for the raft. In the Kremlin wall there were small port wash gates, through which clothes were carried.
In 1731, the Church of the Annunciation was added to the tower, while the watchtower was converted into a bell tower with seven bells, and the weather vane was replaced with a cross. The tower was renovated in 1866. From 1891-1892, the Annunciation Tower was used as a side-altar of the church, with loopholes being cut into large windows. In 1933, the church was dismantled, the cut-out loopholes on the facades were narrowed, the cross was replaced with a weather vane.
Taynitskaya tower
Height - 38.4 m.
The central tower of the southern wall of the Kremlin, from which the construction of the existing Kremlin walls and towers began. The construction of the Kremlin fortifications began from the southern side, since it is believed that the Tatars most often threatened the Kremlin from here, and the old white-stone walls were the most dilapidated here.
Erected in 1485 by Anton Fryazin on the site of the Cheshkovy or Chushkovy gates of the fortress of the time of Dmitry Donskoy. It provided for a well-cache inside and a hidden exit to the Moscow River, in connection with which the tower was nicknamed Taynitskaya.
When erecting the tower, the architect was the first to use brick for fortification construction. Until 1674, the tower had a striking clock.
Until the 18th century, on the Moskva River, opposite the Taynitsky Gate, the Jordan was arranged on the feast of the Epiphany. The royal exit to the Jordan was one of the most magnificent ceremonies.
In 1770-1771, in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the project of V.I.Bazhenov, the Taynitskaya Tower was dismantled, and in 1783 it was restored, but without the diversion arrow. In 1812, during the retreat of Napoleon's troops from the Kremlin, the tower was damaged by an explosion and was repaired in 1816-1818.
Until 1917, the Kremlin signal cannon was fired from the arrowhead of the Taynitskaya tower every day, informing Muscovites about the approach of noon - similar to the tradition of firing the Peter and Paul cannon in St. Petersburg.
View of the Moscow Kremlin from the Moskvoretsky bridge
First Nameless Tower
Height - 34.15 m.
This architecturally simple tower has been rebuilt many times. It was first erected in the 1480s. In 1547, the tower collapsed during the fire of Moscow from the explosion of a powder warehouse arranged in it (therefore it was also called Porokhovaya). It was rebuilt in the 17th century.
The tower was dismantled in 1770 in preparation for the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace by V.I.Bazhenov. After the completion of the construction of the palace in 1776-1883, the tower, together with the wall between it and the Second Nameless Tower, was rebuilt in a new place, closer to the Taynitskaya Tower.
In 1812, the tower was blown up by the retreating French. It was restored in 1816-1835.
Second Nameless Tower
Height - 30.2 m.
Built in the 1480s as an intermediate tower on the south side of the Kremlin.
In 1701 the tower had a gate, which was later closed. In 1771, in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace, it was demolished, then restored.
Inside the tower there are two tiers of vaulted rooms. The lower tier is covered with a cylindrical vault, the upper tier is closed with stripping. The upper quadrangle is opened into the cavity of the tent.
During the Polish intervention of the Time of Troubles, the tower was destroyed by cannon shots in 1612, then rebuilt. In 1667 a church was built in the tower.
In 1812, the tower was blown up by the retreating French; in 1818 it was restored.
Although the Petrovskaya Tower was erected “for a better appearance and strength”, it was used for household needs by the Kremlin gardeners.
The first pressurized water supply system, built by Russian craftsmen Trefil Sharutin and Anton Konstantinov in 1631 to supply water to the tsar's cookery, existed for about two years. In 1633, a new, larger-capacity water pipeline was built, made of lead pipes.
Zabelin mentions one of the compilers of chronographs, who spoke with enthusiasm about the construction activity under Tsar Mikhail and, in particular, how in 1633 the craftsmen "with cunning arts raised water from the Moscow River to the royal court for the sake of great demand" 1. A well was built in the tower, into which water was supplied through a pipe from the Moscow River. A horse-driven pump supplied water to a lead pool at the top of the tower, from where it was bred for the palace needs. This water-lifting machine, built by the master Christopher Galovey and installed in the Vodovzvodnaya tower on the banks of the Moskva River, supplied the Kremlin with water for about 75 years. In 1700, by order of Peter I, lead pipes from the tower to the garden were dismantled and transported to St. Petersburg under construction.
The so-called lower and upper gardens were laid out on the southern slope of the Kremlin hill; there were also greenhouses, greenhouses and small fountains - "platoon waters", to which water was supplied through lead pipes. In 1681, a pond lined with lead slabs was built in the Kremlin Garden. Water was also supplied to the pond from the Vodovzvodnaya tower.
The scheme of the Kremlin water supply system by the end of the 17th century according to the reconstruction of prof. NI Falkovsky had the form shown in Fig. five.
In the 17th century, with the further development of hydraulic engineering, the professions of masters of water supply, dam affairs, and drainage affairs appeared. There are the names of Ivan Erokhov - the master of the water supply system, who burned the sovereign's soap house with lead boards; Ivan Korel - a gutter master who repaired "water" in the New Jerusalem Monastery; a whole family of Kostousovs - stone crafts of apprentices who, together with the dam work, built apprentice Andrei Fomin in 1667, a dam on the Grape pond in Izmailovo; Galaktion Nikitin - the watermen who in 1685 covered the upper garden in the Kremlin with lead planks and carried out water-supply works a year earlier “on all three palaces and on the stable and into the garden ...” 2; Trefil Sharutin, which we have already mentioned in connection with the Kremlin's water supply in 1631.
Here is a far from complete list of Russian craftsmen who worked in the 17th century. All this suggests that work on "water-inlet" devices, on the construction of dams and water wheels, which were the main driving force in factories and "sawmills", were not an isolated phenomenon at that time, and that the level of hydraulic engineering knowledge and skills among Russians the masters was high enough.
In the same century (published by K.V.Missel), during the development of high-lying sections of Kiev above the Dnieper, a centralized water supply was arranged to supply water to a part of Podil. The groundwater was collected by drainages, through which it was discharged into a prefabricated wooden reservoir located at a height of 30 m above Podol. From the reservoir, through a wooden pipeline about 500 m long, water was diverted into the pool, covered with a dome supported on columns. In the middle of the pool was the figure of Samson, tearing apart the jaws of a lion, from which a stream of water gushed into the pool. This structure remained until 1908 and was closed during a cholera epidemic in the city.
1 I. Zabelin. History of the city of Moscow. 1905.
2 I. Zabelin. Domestic life of Russian tsars. 1872.
The Arsenalnaya Corner Tower is the tallest and most powerful corner tower of the Moscow Kremlin. From the Arsenal Tower, the Kremlin defenders controlled the crossing of the Neglinka River and defended Red Square.
The middle Arsenalnaya tower is located opposite the Alexander Garden between the Corner Arsenalnaya and Troitskaya towers.
By the end of the 15th century, the Kremlin was not sufficiently protected from the north-western side, and therefore, in 1495, a tower was erected, named Granena because of its facade, dismembered on the edge. After the construction of the Arsenal building in the Kremlin, the building received its modern name.
In 1680-1681, many Kremlin towers were built on, the Middle Arsenalnaya was also greatly changed - an observation deck and an octagonal tent were erected at the top, the height of the building increased to 38.9 meters.
In 1812, during a fire and the retreat of the French army from Moscow, many structures were destroyed. The Kremlin towers, including the Middle Arsenalnaya, were also damaged. In the post-war period, the destroyed towers were restored under the direction of the architect Osip Ivanovich Bove. After Neglinka was imprisoned in an underground pipe, in its place, next to the Kremlin, by order of Emperor Alexander I, the Alexander Garden was created.
The middle Arsenalnaya tower is notable for the fact that at its foot is one of the attractions of the Alexander Garden - the grotto, built in 1821, also according to the project of Bove. When it was created, the fragments of buildings destroyed during the war with Napoleon were used.
Kutafya tower |
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The Kutafya Tower is familiar to all tourists who have visited the Kremlin - through it and the adjacent Trinity Tower, you enter the territory of the Moscow Kremlin.
Next to the Kutafya Tower are the ticket offices of the Moscow Kremlin museums, as well as a left-luggage office where you need to leave large bags and backpacks.
Those who have purchased tickets for an excursion to the Armory Chamber or the Diamond Fund can enter the Kremlin through the Borovitsky Gate (Borovitskaya Tower).
Of all the towers of the Moscow Kremlin, Kutafya is the smallest, its height is only 13.5 meters, at the same time, it is the largest in area and was of great importance - it was used to defend the bridge over the Neglinka River.
The Kutafya tower itself was also well protected - a river flowed on one side of it, and a moat was dug on the other, and it was possible to get into it only by a bridge over the moat, which rose during the siege of the Kremlin.
The origin of the name Kutafya Tower is interesting. According to one of the versions, the building was named with this name because of its shape - in ancient times in Russia, Kutafya was called full, clumsy and clumsy women. According to another version, in the old days the word "kut" meant a corner and a shelter, which could also serve as a name for this defensive structure.
Trinity Tower |
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The Trinity Tower, built at the end of the 15th century according to the design of the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin, is located in the middle of the northwestern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, opposite the Alexander Garden. Simultaneously with its construction, the Troitsky Bridge was built over the Neglinka River, later enclosed in a pipe underground. This is one of the most beautiful towers and the largest - its height together with the star is 80.8 meters.
Throughout its history, the tower was called Epiphany, Robe of the Robe and Znamenskaya (after the Kremlin cathedrals), then Karetnaya - after the Karetny Dvor, and only in 1658 acquired its modern name.
Its purpose also changed:Xvi - XVII centuries at its base housed a prison, inXIX century - the archive of the imperial court, and now the presidential orchestra is based here.
At the end of the 17th century, when many of the Kremlin towers were being built, Troitskaya was decorated with a tent with white stone decoration.
The coat of arms of Russia was originally installed only on the Kremlin's Spasskaya tower, later the tallest towers - Nikolskaya, Borovitskaya and Troitskaya, were also decorated with Double-headed eagles. In Soviet times, ruby \u200b\u200bstars were installed on the tops of these four towers, as well as on Vodovzvodnaya instead of the two-headed eagles. Despite the fact that each of them weighs about a ton, they turn in the wind thanks to special bearings.
In 2015, the Troitskaya Tower was restored: work was carried out to preserve the white stone decorations, strengthen the walls and the tent, clean the star, installed in 1937, and replace the swing mechanism and lamps.
Commandant Tower |
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The Commandant's Tower, built under the direction of the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin.
In its lower part, the building did not have loopholes and windows, and therefore the tower was called Deaf, then it was renamed into Kolymazhnaya after the name of the Kolymazhny yard, which was located not far from it.
The Armory Tower is located on a small hill between the Commandant and Borovitskaya towers at the north-western wall of the Kremlin. Its construction was started in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari, but in 1493 the architect died and work stopped.
The unfinished structure was located on the banks of the Neglinka River and gradually this place began to turn into a swampy floodplain, which threatened to erode the soil of Borovitsky Hill and the approaches to the Moscow Kremlin. The Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Aloiso da Carezano) continued the work - under his leadership, hydraulic engineering works were carried out to drain and strengthen the soil and the construction was completed.
The constructed tower was named the Konyushennaya, because through its gates it was possible to drive to the royal Konyushennaya yard.
On the territory of the Kremlin, not far from the Konyushennaya Tower, there were workshops for the manufacture of precious utensils, jewelry and weapons, and at the beginning of the 16th century, the building of the Armory Order was erected here, where weapons were kept. The modern building of the Armory was built in 1851 according to the project of Konstantin Ton, from that time the Stable Tower was called the Armory.
Borovitskaya Tower was built by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari near the Bolshoi Kamenny Bridge, not far from Borovitskaya Square. Initially, the Borovitskaya Tower had a drawbridge and a lattice covering the entrance to the Kremlin in case of danger.
The building was used for household needs - the road to Konyushenny and Zhitny dvor passed through its gates, and at present government gamblers leave the Borovitsky Gate.
Previously, there was a pine forest on this place, which is probably why the tower was named Borovitskaya. True, there is another opinion, according to which the construction work was carried out by residents of the city of Borovsk, after which the building was named.
The Vodovzvodnaya Tower is located at the end of the Alexander Garden, in the place where the Kremlin wall turns to the Moscow River. Like other corner towers (Beklemeshevskaya and Uglovaya Arsenalnaya), Vodozvodnaya has a circular cross-section. It was built in 1488 under the direction of the architect Antonio Gilardi (Anton Fryazin).
Initially, the tower was called Sviblova after the courtyard of the Sviblov nobles, located at the southern wall of the Kremlin. Later, a water-lifting machine was installed in it, which lifts water from a well into a huge tank standing above and the tower was named Vodovzvodnaya.
At the same time, the first water pipeline was built, through which water from the tank was supplied to the royal palace, and was also used to water the garden.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the water-lifting machine was taken to Peterhof to be used to power the fountains.
The Vodovzvodnaya Tower has a height of 61.45 meters, in 1937, like the other tallest towers (Troitskaya, Borovitskaya and Spasskaya), it was decorated with a five-pointed ruby \u200b\u200bstar.
At this point, our walk through the Alexander Garden ends and the further path will pass along the embankment of the Moskva River.
We recommend that you return a few meters back to the place where the Big Stone Bridge begins. A gorgeous panorama opens from here, and 7 towers of the Moscow Kremlin are visible, overlooking the Moscow River.
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The Annunciation Tower was built one of the first, presumably in the 1480s. Its height is small - only 32.45 meters, and the limestone slabs of the White-Stone Kremlin of the 14th century have been preserved at the base of the building.
During its history, the purpose of the structure has changed several times. So, under Ivan the Terrible, a prison was located in its lower part, even a basement room for keeping prisoners was preserved.
At the beginning of the 18th century, a bell was installed on the tower of the tower, an Orthodox cross appeared instead of a weather vane, and the Annunciation Church was added nearby.
The tower got its name from the name of the church attached to it, according to another version, it was named after the icon of the Annunciation, which was here for some time.
For reference: In Soviet times, many of the Kremlin's historical monuments were destroyed or rebuilt. In 1933, two churches were demolished - the Church of the Annunciation and the Church of the Savior on Bor in the courtyard of the Grand Kremlin Palace.
Next to the tower in the Kremlin wall there was the Portomoynye Gate, through which the washerwomen passed to the Moscow River and washed trousers there (the word “trousers” means underwear).
In 1932, under the leadership of the Russian and Soviet architect Nikolai Vinogradov, the Annunciation Tower was rebuilt - the old building was dismantled, and a new one was built in its place, corresponding to the original appearance. The loopholes and weather vane were restored, the ancient facade of the historical building was recreated.
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To protect the Kremlin from the Moskva River, the Taynitskaya Tower was built in the center of the Kremlin Wall. Of all 20 towers, it was the first to be erected and served to defend the most militarily dangerous side of the Kremlin.
It is interesting that the architect of the building was the Italian Anton Fryazin (real name Antonio Gilardi), who arrived at the wedding ceremony of the Moscow prince IvanIII with the Greek princess Sofia Palaeologus, the future Moscow princess.
According to the plan of Anton Fryazin, a tower was built in the central part of the Kremlin wall, in which a secret passage to the Moscow River and a well were arranged, necessary in case of a long siege of the fortress by the enemy. Apparently, this secret passage determined the name of the Taynitskaya tower.
During the construction, Anton Fryazin first used brick, which became an innovation in the construction of the fortress and served as a further restructuring of many structures of the Moscow Kremlin.
The tower had a driveway and an outlet arrow connected to it by a stone bridge. The sentries on duty constantly watched the Moskvorechye and, in the event of a fire detected, announced this with the strikes of the bell.
In the 1680s, like many other towers of the Moscow Kremlin, Taynitskaya was also built on: a four-sided tent with an observation tower was erected.
Under Catherine II in the 1770s, in connection with plans to build a majestic palace for the empress, the Taynitskaya and the adjacent First, Second Nameless and Petrovskaya towers were dismantled to the ground. The construction of the palace was soon abandoned and the historical monuments were recreated again.
The Taynitskaya tower is small (its height is 38.4 meters), and it is notable for the fact that until 1917, as well as from the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, a signal cannon was fired from it, announcing the approach of noon.
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The first Nameless Tower is a small building 34.15 meters high, square in cross section, built in the 1480s and serving to defend the southern wall of the Kremlin.
The first Nameless Tower was used to store gunpowder and therefore was formerly called Powder Tower. This circumstance led to the fact that during a fire in 1547, gunpowder exploded, which led to its strong destruction. The building was rebuilt during the reconstruction of the Kremlin in the 17th century; the building acquired a four-sided tent with a watchtower and an octahedral dome with a weather vane.
During the construction of the new Kremlin Palace in the 1780s by the architect Vasily Bazhenov, the First Nameless Tower was moved closer to Taynitskaya.
The Petrovskaya Tower was important for the defense of the southern side of the Kremlin, which was most often attacked.
We reached the last tower on the embankment - the Beklemishevskaya or Moskvoretskaya tower. It is angular and is visible simultaneously from the Moskva River and from Vasilievsky Spusk. Its height is 46.2 meters, and it got its name from the courtyard of the boyar Ivan Beklemishev, which was previously located here.
Boyar Ivan Beklemishev led the boyar opposition against Prince VasilyIII... Beklemishev was executed for his speeches and sharp tongue, and his estate, together with the tower, began to serve as the sovereign's prison.
The powerful building, created by the architect Marko Fryazin (the Italian name of the master is Marco Ruffo), was used to defend the Kremlin in the most dangerous place from the point of view of defense, where the enemy most often attacked. Built in the form of a tall cylinder with a large number of loopholes and an octagonal spire, the structure was intended to protect the fortress from the side of the crossing over the Moscow River and was of great strategic importance.
Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge begins next to the tower - the notorious place of the murder of politician Boris Nemtsov.
Throughout its history, the Beklemeshiv Tower has not undergone a global reconstruction; it is one of the few Kremlin buildings that survived the war of 1812. True, in 1917, its top was knocked down by a shell, and then restored thanks to the work of the Russian, Soviet architect and restorer Ivan Rylsky.
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The Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower was built in 1890 at the eastern wall of the Kremlin under the direction of the architect Pyotr Fryazin (the real name of the Italian master is Pietro Antonio Solari).
The building was located not far from the Timofeevsky gate, through which in 1380 Dmitry Donskoy went to the Battle of Kulikovo. That is why the tower was called Timofeevskaya for a long time, and only in the 17th century, after the construction of the church of Saints Constantine and Helena next to it, was it renamed into Constantine-Eleninskaya.
The Church of Saints Constantine and Helena survived during the Patriotic War of 1812 and the fire in the Kremlin, but the coming to power of the Bolsheviks was tragic for it. In 1928, under the pretext of the need to expand the Kremlin Garden, the temple was dismantled. It was the first destroyed church and the first lost architectural monument on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin.
On Vasilyevsky Spusk, the approaches to the Kremlin wall had no natural barriers and were especially vulnerable. It was necessary to protect the roads leading from the Kremlin to the city of China, therefore, to strengthen the defense, a powerful diverting arrow and a drawbridge were built across a wide moat.
In the 17th century, the Konstantino-Eleninskaya tower loses its defensive significance; a prison is located in its lower part and in the diversion arrow. And later, in the 18th century, the drawbridge and the diverting arrows were dismantled, and the gates were bricked up.
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The alarm tower is located opposite the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, the building got its name from the alarm bell, which was struck by the watchmen on duty here in the event of an enemy approaching or a fire.
The alarm bell was cast by the talented foundry master Ivan Motorin, who created many church bells, including the famous Tsar Bell and the 152 pound bell for the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.
In 1771, at the signal of this bell, the Plague Riot began, Count Orlov, the favorite of Empress Catherine II, succeeded in pacifying the people. As a punishment, the bell lost its tongue and stood silent for 30 years, after which it was completely removed. Currently, he can be seen in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin.
In the 70s of the XX century, the foundation of the structure cracked and the Nabatnaya Tower began to deviate from the vertical. The architects managed to stop the fall of the structure, however, the deflection at a height of 38 meters is about one meter.
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The Tsar's Tower is the smallest and most unusual one, it looks more like a fairytale tower built on the Kremlin wall. This is the latest building - its construction was completed in 1680, when many towers were built on with tents and domes.
The structure, only 16.7 meters high, was never intended for defense and therefore has never been destroyed in its history.
Why was the tower called the Tsar's? And the reason is that, according to popular legend, a small turret of Ivan the Terrible was previously built on this place, from which he loved to watch what was happening on Red Square and the executions on Vasilyevsky Spusk.
Four columns are crowned with a tent-like roof and a dome with a gilded weather vane; decorations are made in the form of narrow belts and white stone trim. The Tsar's Tower of the Kremlin with its fabulous outfit conveys to us the image of the boyar chorus of those times.
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The Spasskaya Tower is the most famous tower of the Kremlin; every citizen of the country is familiar with its chimes. The main Holy Gates of the Kremlin - the Spassky ones - are located here, at which the tsars were met and the soldiers were escorted on the campaign, through which each procession passed.
The Senate Tower was of great strategic importance for the defense of the Kremlin from the side of Red Square. It was built one of the first, but for almost three centuries the building did not have its own name and only after the construction of the Senate building it was given its modern name - the Senate Tower.
In the endXVIII century during the reign of CatherineII under the leadership of the architect Matvey Kazakov, the building of the Senate was erected for holding meetings of the nobility. In Soviet times, the office of V.I. Lenin, later meetings of the Council of Ministers of the USSR were held. Currently, the historical building houses the residence of the President of Russia.
In 1948, a passage was made through the building so that members of the CPSU Central Committee could, without going to Red Square, get to the podium of the Mausoleum and attend parades and solemn events.
The Senate Tower is located behind the Lenin Mausoleum, its height is 34.3 meters, the author of the historical monument is Ptro Solari.
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From the northeast, the Kremlin wall did not have natural defensive barriers, and therefore one of the tallest towers was built here - Nikolskaya, which had an arrowhead with a diversion bridge. Its height is 70.4 meters, and the building got its name in honor of the icon of St. Nicholas, kept here. In those distant times, controversial issues were resolved near the icon, it was also believed that it helps to reflect the attacks of the enemy.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Nikolskaya Tower was rebuilt in the Gothic style under the direction of the architect Luigi Rusca. Two turrets appeared on its parapet, but the facade began to look especially beautiful, one might say openwork.
A legend has been preserved that during Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, the French tried to destroy the tower and it was really badly destroyed: its tent fell down, the gate fell. Windows and doors were knocked out of the Senate building and nearby buildings, but the icon of St. Nicholas did not suffer and remained in its place.
The Nikolskaya Tower is the last in our excursion, followed by the Corner Arsenalnaya Tower, from which we started our journey. We walked around the entire Moscow Kremlin and saw all of its towers.
Bologovskiy district is fabulously lucky with water resources. The abundance of wonderful lakes, large and small, is a distinctive feature of our region. That's just all the poorer once rich variety of flora and fauna of our water bodies. Less and less weighty prey is caught with a simple fishing rod. The luck of the amateur angler now depends on his ingenuity and endless improvement of fishing gear. But is it supposed to be like that at the edge of lakes?
What is being done to save our lakes from complete depletion? One of the most effective ways to preserve fish stocks is to impose restrictions on fishing in the water bodies of the Tver region during the spawning season, says the state inspector of fish protection in the Bologovsky district. Gennady Ivanov.
Today our lakes are going through hard times, - notes Gennady Ivanov, - and those who violate the laws on nature management and protection of water resources are to blame for this. You don't have to go far for examples. Within the city is Lake Bologovskoye, which has suffered from waste water, fuel oil and other pollution for many years. Several years ago, they were going to extract a valuable organic fertilizer - sapropel from the bottom of the reservoir. But a sample taken from the bottom of a lake near a cemetery showed the presence of a large amount of chemicals in the sapropel, primarily alkali. This is a consequence of many years of use of the reservoir for washing clothes. And look what is happening in the area of \u200b\u200bthe refrigerator, which now belongs to a private entrepreneur! The coastal area is now fenced here!
In itself, this fence is contrary to the law, but even more outrageous is the dump set up behind the fence by the new owners of the refrigerator.
We, of course, are fighting against such phenomena, but I believe that preventing littering of the banks and pollution of water bodies is the task of any citizen. It is unacceptable to arrange landfills along the banks of rivers and lakes. Everyone understands this, but at the same time, on the shores of Lake Zmeevskoye, every spring, as soon as the snow melts, ugly landfills set up by the residents of Ogryzkov are found. In the spring, construction of rafts and berths begins on the shores of Lake Bologovskoye. However, no unauthorized buildings within a twenty-meter coastal zone are allowed.
A new article 8.42 has appeared in the administrative code of the Russian Federation - on the violation of the regime of economic and other activities on the coastal strip. And violators of the law - both individuals and legal entities - face administrative punishment in the form of a fine: from 3 to 4 thousand rubles and from 200 to 400 thousand, respectively. For officials, the amount of the fine for this violation will be from 8 to 12 thousand rubles.
Recently there was a case when a summer resident on the lake shore adjacent to his site, arbitrarily built a raft, and even fenced off this coastal zone, thereby restricting access to the shore for other persons. And it is also a violation of the law, followed by punishment.
- Residents of uncomfortable houses, summer residents, according to a long-standing tradition, every spring build rafts on the shore for rinsing clothes, fishing, and it is more convenient to draw water from a raft for household needs. Will they also be fined for the raft?
For the construction of any structure in the coastal zone - even a small raft - a special permit must be obtained in Tver, in the Upper Volga Department of the Federal Agency for Fishery. The permit is issued completely free of charge. As for rinsing clothes, it is prohibited to do this in a lake or river. It is permissible to rinse linen on the shore, pouring used water onto the ground so that it enters the reservoir through the soil as through a natural filter.
- Now many residents have their own vehicles, and even distant forest lakes have become accessible to people. How to preserve their pristine purity? Will renting reservoirs help this?
In December 2010, Bologovsky entrepreneur Alexander Pavlushkin finally obtained permission to lease Lake Gorneshnoe, and the entrepreneur Igor Tsvetkov secured Lake Sopino and Lake Lokhovo. The lease term is 20 years. Currently, tenants are identified with the type of activity. On the leased lakes, it is planned to organize a lake-commodity economy, which provides for fish farming. At the same time, there will be no restrictions for the recreation of citizens on these lakes, as well as restrictions for those who like fishing. If suddenly tenants try to introduce any bans, citizens should know that, according to the law, access to lakes, including leased ones, cannot be limited. When arranging recreation sites, cultural sites, tenants may be able to offer their paid services. This is done, for example, in the Valdai region. Surely, there will be much more order on the rented lake.
Vodovzvodnaya tower (Sviblova) - one of the most beautiful and laconic , located on the southwestern corner of the fortress wall between the Borovitskaya and Annunciation towers.
The tower was built in 1488 by an Italian architect Antonio Gilardi (in the Russian tradition - Anton Fryazin) and had an important defensive function, since it protected the mouth and ford of the Neglinnaya River. A well was arranged in the lower tier of the tower, and subsequently a civilian function was added to the defense function: a water-lifting machine was installed in it to supply water to the Kremlin.
The height of the tower is 61.25 meters (up to the star - 57.7 meters). The main volume is in the form of a cylinder, the base of which is made of white stone; on its top there is a combat platform with mashikuli - loopholes of vertical fire, on top of which a hipped roof with dormer windows is built on top. The tower is elegantly decorated on all tiers: in the lower part it is lined with alternating belts of protruding and sinking brickwork, which end with a narrow white-stone strip and an arcature belt, on the battle platform there are teeth of a decorative form characteristic of the Kremlin with slots for shooting, dormers on the tent are decorated with rather fanciful porticoes with columns and pediments. The tower is crowned with a red ruby \u200b\u200bstar with a beam span of 3 meters (the smallest of the Kremlin stars).
In general, the Vodovzvodnaya Tower resembles that located at the opposite end of the southern fortress wall, however, it differs in a more squat cylindrical volume and surpasses it in decorative design.
History of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower
Initially, the tower was called Sviblova - after the courtyard of the Sviblov boyars, who adjoined it from the Kremlin. The Vodovzvodnaya Tower received its modern name in 1633, when a water-lifting machine was installed in it. Christopher Galovey to supply water to the Kremlin.
The Galovei water-lifting machine is actually the first pressure water pipeline in Moscow with lead pipes. Water was supplied to it from a well located in the lower tier of the tower: with the help of a special platoon machine, it was pumped into the tanks on the upper tiers of the tower, from where it went by gravity through lead pipes to the sovereign's Sytny and Kormovoy courtyards and the Kremlin gardens. There is an assumption that the Russian tsars, due to the use of this water, received lead poisoning, since during the period of the water supply they lived less than usual. In 1737, the lead water pipeline was destroyed in a city fire, and the water-lifting machine has not survived.
Among other things, in the past, on the Moskva River, next to the tower, there was a port wash raft, where linen (pants) were rinsed, and on the shore there was a port wash hut, in which the accessories necessary for washing were kept. So that the path to the hut and the raft would not cause inconvenience, in the Kremlin wall near the Vodovzvodnaya tower, small port-washing gates were made through which the washerwomen carried linen.
Initially, the tower did not have a hipped roof: the tent over the main volume was added only in the 1680s.
It is interesting that the Vodovzvodnaya Tower became almost the most distressful among the Kremlin ones: by the 19th century it was badly dilapidated due to high humidity, and in 1805-1806 it had to be completely dismantled and rebuilt. However, after that the tower stood for only 6 years: in 1812 it was blown up by French troops retreating from Moscow; the tower was restored in 1817-1819 according to the project of the architect Osip Bove.At the same time, its appearance changed somewhat: instead of loopholes in the newly built tower, semicircular windows were equipped, and dormer windows were decorated with porticoes.
In Soviet times, a ruby \u200b\u200bstar was installed at the top of the tower. It is curious that, unlike the Spasskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya and Nikolskaya towers, which are also crowned with stars, Vodovzvodnaya, before the installation of the star, did not have an end in the form of a two-headed eagle. And the star did not appear on it immediately: in 1935, when other towers were decorated with semi-precious stars, it was bypassed. However, in 1937, when the semi-precious stars, which quickly deteriorated under the influence of atmospheric precipitation, were replaced with ruby \u200b\u200bones, one was installed at Vodovzvodnaya.
Today, the Vodovzvodnaya Tower is one of the most beloved Kremlin towers. And not only because of the magnificent decorative design, but also because it is she who opens the most picturesque panorama of the fortress from the side of the Moscow River: for example, when looking from .
Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) Tower The Moscow Kremlin is located on the Kremlin embankment from the side of the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge. You can get to it on foot from the metro station Borovitskaya Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line.
