As promised, with today's entry, I begin on my blog a cycle of stories about the sights of our capital. Without pretending to be absolutely true (after all, I am not a professional guide, not a historian and not a local historian), I will tell you about interesting places Moscow, about the historical events associated with them. I hope this cycle will be as interesting and popular as the dental cycle. Well, when it is a little warmer outside, I would like to invite you on excursions to these very places.
This and the next few posts will be devoted to the Moscow Kremlin - the real pearl of the Russian capital. I understand that even a five hundred-page book is not enough even for brief overview essays on the Kremlin, but I will try to grasp the immensity, albeit in small portions.
So, the first photo tour will tell you about the Moscow Kremlin Towers. For even without getting into its territory, you can inspect them in the most thorough way.
Introduction
The Kremlin has not always been the way we see it now. Over the centuries, it has changed many times, its shape, meaning and purpose have changed. Previously, it was an impregnable fortress, stopping the enemy with only one appearance, and all its purpose was dictated by one goal - to withstand the siege.
Today the Moscow Kremlin has already lost its defensive function and has become, rather, a symbol of power and decoration of our capital. Its walls seem to have become the border between the government and the people, showing how far they are from each other.
Ivan III, enclosing the Kremlin hill with a wall, attached even more importance to it - he ignored the order of the Golden Horde prohibiting the construction of stone walls around cities and, thereby, laid the foundation for the independence of the Russian state. And these walls, together with the towers, more than once saved this very independence.
Since the Kremlin towers were built exclusively for defensive purposes, they looked something like this:
High spiers and tents on them were added later, when the Kremlin walls and towers lost their military purpose and became simply an adornment of Moscow.
In addition, the towers, like all Kremlin buildings, have been reconstructed and rebuilt several times.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, Napoleon set out to blow up the Kremlin, surrounding it with explosives from all sides. He even sent a mocking letter to Emperor Alexander I: "Your Kremlin is no more!" But at that moment, when the French soldiers had already set fire to the fuse, suddenly, on a clear day, a heavy downpour began, which extinguished the fire. As a result, only a small part of the charges worked, several towers were destroyed and the fortress walls were damaged. And the Kremlin itself resisted.
After that, how can one not say that Russia is protected by God?
We will start our excursion from Red Square, from its main attraction. Then we will go down to the Moskva River, go around the Aleksandrovsky Garden and return to Red Square. This is a brisk route that takes less than one hour.
1. Spasskaya Tower.
The most recognizable and perhaps the most important of all the towers. It has an entrance gate through which during solemn events and on holidays, tsars and metropolitans entered the Kremlin. Through them they went on the procession. And now all of Russia is checking time on them.
Previously, they were called Frolovskie, after the church of St. Frol and Laurus, located behind them. The special status of the Frolov Gate is also evidenced by their location - opposite the Execution Ground.
By the decree of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich (grandfather of Peter I), a pyramidal clock tower was built on the site of the gate. True, the clock was located one tier below.
Later, it was forbidden to pass through the Frolovskie gate with a covered head, as well as to lead animals or pass by carts. It should be noted that the tsar's decree simply legalized the tradition, because among the people these gates were revered anyway, so no one in a hat dared pass through them.
In the 17th century, the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, brought from Vyatka, was installed above the gate, and under it was an inscription in Latin (now there is no icon, but you can see the place where it was - a white rectangle). And the gates, and with them the tower, began to be called Spassky.
The current clock on the Tower (chimes) was installed in the 19th century and occupies as many as three floors. Before the clock was installed on the building of Moscow State University, it was the largest analog clock in Russia.
2. The Tsar's Tower.
The smallest and one of the youngest towers of the Kremlin. From her, the king showed himself during ceremonies on Red Square.
Some researchers believe that royal decrees and orders were also read from the Tsar's Tower. However, personally, I am skeptical about this, because it is far and inconvenient to shout from there, and Execution Ground existed for decrees and royal will.
Later, the bells of the fire service were located in this tower. This is indirectly evidenced by the X-shaped beams in the vault, apparently intended for hanging bells.
3. Alarm tower. 
As the name implies, it was intended for Nabat - a signal bell announcing a fire and some alarming and important events in the life of the city. For the fact that the Alarm bell in the 18th century summoned the people to a "plague riot", it was removed and exiled to Siberia. Now this repressed bell is in the Armory.
4. Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower.
Previously, this place was the Constantine Gate (named after the Church of the Blessed Tsar Constantine, which was located nearby). Through these gates, which were then the main ones in the Kremlin, Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy went to war with Mamai, through which he returned with a victory after the Battle of Kulikovo.
Under Mikhail Fedorovich, the gates were walled up (on the outer wall you can see the remains of gate structures), and under Peter I, the Church of St. Constantine and Helena was built behind them, which gave the name to the tower - Konstantino-Eleninskaya.
5. Beklemishevskaya tower.
The tower was named after the boyar Beklemishev, whose courtyard was located in this part of the Kremlin. In the tower, as in all the corner ones, there is a well that provided the besieged with water.
In modern guidebooks, this tower is sometimes called Moskvoretskaya.
6. Petrovskaya tower.
Guess who she was named after?))
Little is known about this tower. In the 18th century, Catherine II decided to reshape the Kremlin and build a huge palace in it. For this, part of the wall and several towers, including this one, had to be demolished. The palace was never built (a common thing), and the demolished towers were restored according to old drawings.
7. Second unnamed tower.
This tower was also demolished due to a construction project initiated by Catherine II, but was later restored. They never came up with a name for her.
8. The first unnamed tower.
And this tower got from Catherine ... A true manifestation of the Russian mentality: first we demolish, therefore we think, then we restore what we demolished.
9. Taynitskaya Tower.
This tower is known primarily for the fact that through it there was a secret exit to the Moskva River, which was used both to replenish food and water supplies, and for partisan sorties. Some historians have the opinion that underground passage led from the Taynitskaya tower to the other side of the river, but there is no documentary or any other confirmation of this theory.
In the tower itself, in its upper tier, at one time there was a cathedral of Chernigov miracle workers, and now their relics have been transferred to the Archangel cathedral.
Previously, there was a gate of the same name, which was closed up under Mikhail Fedorovich. However, you can see the remains of these very gates on the wall.
10. Annunciation tower
It was named so because of the Annunciation Cathedral, which was once located nearby, and later was moved to Cathedral Square.
It should be noted that many of the Kremlin buildings "moved" across its territory, were demolished, rebuilt and re-erected, so the name of some of the towers may not be entirely clear.
11. Vodovzvodnaya tower.
In this tower, as well as in all the corner ones, there was a well that supplied water to the besieged Kremlin. Later, pumps (water-lifting machines) and reservoirs with water were installed here, which was supplied to the Grand Kremlin Palace - this is how the first water supply system appeared in Moscow. Hence the name of the tower - Vodovzvodnaya.
In 1812, Napoleon blew up the tower, but it was soon rebuilt with full identity.
After the revolution, when two-headed eagles were removed from the gate towers and replaced with five-pointed stars, a luminous star was also installed on Vodovzvodnaya.
12. Borovitskaya Tower.
Today Borovitskaya Tower is the only entrance to the territory of the Kremlin, moreover, it is carefully guarded. I was not allowed close to her.
It owes its name to the dense Bor, which once covered this part of the Kremlin hill.
Previously, it was called the Forerunner, after the church of St. John the Forerunner, which was later demolished and transferred to the tent of the Borovitskaya tower. There was a gate leading to the economic part of the royal court - in other words, everything that, for ideological reasons, could not be transported through the Spassky gate, was imported from here. As, however, and now ...
Many historians believe that it was from this place that the Kremlin began, Moscow began, and, in fact, all of Russia. Here in ancient times there was a settlement Kuchkov, which belonged to the noble man Stepan Kuchko, who was forced to cede the Kremlin Hill to Yuri Dolgoruky. The first in Moscow Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Bor was erected here, which became the beginning of Russian Orthodoxy.
So, Borovitsky Gate and the adjacent territory are a source, a special place, a small piece of land, which later grew to one-sixth of the land.
13. Armory tower.
It got its name from the adjacent Armory. And before the construction of the main treasury of the Kremlin, stables were located here, so the tower was called the Konyushennaya.
14. Commandant's tower.
It is also called so relatively recently - because of the adjacent Kremlin Commandant's Office. And earlier there were workshops, smithies and craftsmen's houses, so the tower was called Kolymazhnaya (from the word "kolymit" - to work) or Deaf. The origin of the latter name is still unknown to me. Maybe someone will tell you?
15. Trinity Tower.
Naturally, it was also not always called Troitskaya.
Previously, in this part of the Kremlin there was a royal chicken coop, and the gates themselves were called Kuryatnye. Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich decided to ennoble this place and ordered to build a tower with chimes on the site of the Kuryatnye Gate. There was not enough money for the chimes, but the tower, as you can see, was built. It got its name from the image of the Holy Trinity, which hung from its inner side. And outside there was an image of the Sign (where the clock now hangs - the rectangle from the icon remained).
One of the six gates of the Kremlin is also located here, moreover, it is active (two gates are walled up, one is used as an entrance, two are almost always closed). Most of the visitors get to the Kremlin through them.
16. Medium Arsenal Tower.
It owes its name to the Arsenal building built behind it. Earlier, when there was no Arsenal in this place, there was even a corner tower, and then, with the expansion of the Kremlin and the construction of the Coal Tower, it took its place in the wall.
17. Corner Arsenal Tower
Its former name is Ugolnaya (from the word "corner") or Sobakin (apparently in honor of Martha Sobakina). If you look closely, you will see that this is not an ordinary tower - unlike the quadrangular and round towers, it is sixteen-sided.
This is the most powerful tower of the Moscow Kremlin, its task was to control the crossing over the Neglinnaya. The tower also housed a well in case of a siege and had a secret exit to the river.
18. Nikolskaya Tower.
The tower owes its name to the image of St. Nicholas, installed on it immediately after its construction (the icon was located where the white rectangle is now. The street of the same name began from it - one of the most important in Moscow. It is also the gate to the Kremlin, now locked.
An interesting story happened with the Nikolskaya Tower.
In 1812, Napoleon managed to blow up the Nikolskaya Tower, and the destruction was colossal - less than one third of it remained. It is surprising that the image of St. Nicholas not only did not fall, but even the glass covering the icon did not crack.
Later, the tower was restored in the image of the Spasskaya and old drawings.
19. Senate Tower.
It owes its name to the Senate located behind it. This tower was not distinguished by anything special. Unless they almost called her Movzoleina ...
20. Kutafya Tower.
Historians are still arguing about the origin of the name of this tower - either from the word "skufya" or from the word "tafya". Considering that both of these words mean hats, the difference is not fundamental - the tower really looks like a hat.
Today it is the only surviving defensive structure designed to protect the bridges leading to the Kremlin (well, there is only one bridge left - Troitsky). And earlier, similar turrets stood at every bridge leading to the gate, except perhaps for the Taynitsky ones.
There is also a story about this tower during the Patriotic War of 1812.
When the French entered Moscow, their vanguard, led by Murat, hastened to occupy the Kremlin. On the way to the Kutafya Tower, they were greeted with fierce fire. Murat was greatly surprised because there was a ceasefire agreement between the belligerents. It turned out that they sat down in the Kutafya tower locals, the townspeople, ready at the cost of their own lives to protect the sacred place for every Russian. It was possible to expel them from there only after the advance detachment received reinforcements.
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you everything I know about the towers and the Moscow Kremlin in general. It would take an entire blog, or even a whole resource, to devote to this. However, I still hope that this little information will be useful to you, and next time, walking at the walls of the Moscow Kremlin, you will feel the spirit of history, the events that these walls were witnessing.
After all, every building, every brick and every cobblestone on the pavement is our story. Our Russia with you.
Thanks for attention.
Best regards, Stanislav Vasiliev.
Ps. As always, I am waiting for questions, if something was not clear.
The most famous Kremlin tower, which all residents of our country will definitely recognize. After all, it is on it that the famous chimes are located, which strike twelve times and inform about the onset of the new year. The tower clock chimes out the anthem of Russia and "Glory" to Mikhail Glinka several times a day, and the main bell rings every hour.
pl. Krasnaya, 3Corner Arsenalnaya (Sobakin) tower
The pot-bellied Corner Arsenal Tower is the most powerful in the entire Kremlin wall. She played a large role in the defense of the fortress, and under Peter I, its loopholes were expanded, and cannons were installed in them. The tower was an important strategic object also because a spring of spring water gushed in its depths, which would have come in very handy if the fortress had been sieged.
pl. Krasnaya, 3Medium Arsenalnaya (Faceted) Tower
For its sharp shapes and straight lines, the tower is called Faceted. At its foot is the famous grotto - the Italian grotto or simply "Ruins". It was built in the first half of the 19th century as a symbol of the revival of Moscow after the devastating fire of 1812.
st. ZhitnitskayaTrinity Tower
The central passage tower of the Moscow Kremlin, which in the Middle Ages was used as a royal and patriarchal exit. Together with the Kutafya Tower and the Trinity Gate, it forms a single link of defense. However, today it is used to enter tourists.
pl. Krasnaya, 3Kutafya tower
The appearance of the tower led the researchers to the idea that the word "kutafya" means "clumsy". But most likely the word comes from "kut" - "corner". Today, the tower houses a left-luggage office, the glass pavilion on the second floor houses the ticket office and the entrance to the Kremlin.
st. Vozdvizhenka, 1/13Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) tower
In ancient times, the Commandant's Tower was called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny Yard located in the Kremlin. But already in the 19th century, the name was changed due to the dwelling of the commandant of Moscow located in the Amusement Palace.
st. DvortsovayaArmory (Konyushennaya) Tower
Many towers and structures of the Moscow Kremlin have been rebuilt and modified over time. But the Armory Tower continues to delight the eye with its slender architecture. Her appearance, with the exception of some additions that took place in the years 1676-1686, practically did not change for more than five centuries.
st. BorovitskayaBorovitskaya (Forerunner) tower
For several centuries the tower was called the Baptist, after the church of the Nativity of John the Baptist, which stood nearby. But the tsar's decree did not interfere with the people - the name did not catch on, and a year later the tower again became Borovitskaya. Either because of the dense forest that once rustled near the Kremlin, or in honor of the city of Borovsk, whose residents built the Kremlin.
st. BorovitskayaVodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) Tower
The first water supply system in Moscow appeared in this tower: a special machine was installed in it, which supplied water under pressure from the Moscow River. Today it is crowned by the smallest of the Kremlin stars. And every citizen of Russia can view the Vodovzvodnaya Tower on the inside of the cover of his passport.
emb. KremlinAnnunciation tower
A legend is associated with the tower about the miraculous appearance on one of its walls of the icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. They say that this is why the tower began to be called the Annunciation. Other researchers say the name is related to the name of the church.
emb. KremlinTaynitskaya tower
It was from this tower that the entire Moscow fortress once began. But only the name remained of the previous structure: the tower was repeatedly rebuilt, destroyed and rebuilt.
emb. KremlinFirst Nameless Tower
Another tower, which was destroyed and rebuilt several times. For the first time, the construction made adjustments to its appearance Kremlin Palace, and in the second - Patriotic War 1812 Today the tower is 34 meters high and is completed by a pyramidal tent.
emb. KremlinSecond Nameless Tower
The design of this tower was also made adjustments due to the construction of the Kremlin Palace. Before the start of its construction, the tower was completely dismantled, and when Catherine II ordered to stop the construction, it was reassembled. Today it is one of the smallest towers of the Moscow Kremlin.
emb. KremlinPetrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower
Like many Kremlin towers, the Petrovskaya (or Ugreshskaya) tower got its name from the church of Metropolitan Peter and the monastery courtyard of the same name. The tower was destroyed during the Polish intervention in the 17th century, rebuilt after the Troubles, then dismantled for the construction of the Kremlin Palace and rebuilt again. And only in the 19th century, under the leadership of the architect Beauvais, the building was restored to its historical appearance.
emb. KremlinMoskvoretskaya (Beklimishevskaya) tower
The Beklemishevskaya tower is named after the boyar Beklemishev, whose courtyard was located not far from the Kremlin. Its second name is Moskvoretskaya, after the name of the bridge located nearby. By the way, this is one of the few towers that have survived to this day practically unchanged and have not been rebuilt.
emb. KremlinThe modern Kremlin was built in the late 15th - early 16th centuries. An impregnable fortress on all sides it was surrounded by water: from the south - the Moskva River, from the north and west - the Neglinnaya River, from the east - a ditch 10 m deep and 32 m wide, lined with white stone.
The length of the fortifications is more than 2 kilometers, the height is from 5 to 19 m, the thickness is from 3.5 to 6.5 m. 18 battle towers protrude from the walls. The distance between them made it possible to shoot through the entire protected perimeter. Initially, the towers were flat on top, only canopies covered the warriors from rain and snow.
In the 17th century, when the borders of the state moved away from Moscow and the Kremlin gradually lost its military significance, the towers were decorated with decorative tents.
Several times the Moscow Kremlin was threatened with destruction. At the end of the 18th century, by order of Catherine II, the architect V.I. Bazhenov designed the demolition of the ancient walls and the construction of a new palace in their place. In 1812 Napoleon wanted to blow up the shrine of Russia. In 1917, the Red Guards fired at the fortress with three-inch guns in order to knock the cadets out of it. In 1945 the Germans bombed the city. However, fate saved the Kremlin, and in our time it has become a symbol
Here is a diagram of the Kremlin showing all the towers. There are only 20 of them. All of them are different in form, history of construction and meaning.
The most ancient tower The Kremlin - Taininskaya... Its name is associated with a secret well and an underground passage to the Moscow River, which were dug there in case of a siege. The tower was built in 1485. Antonio Fryazin.
The famous Spasskaya tower with chimes, built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari. Until the middle of the 17th century, it was called Frolovskaya, and when the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands was placed above the gate, it received the name Spasskaya. The Spassky Gate is the main gate in the Kremlin, through which, according to tradition, Russian tsars and emperors entered the Kremlin. According to legend, in 1521. during the invasion of Moscow by the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey, the blind nun of the Ascension Monastery had a vision: under bell ringing from these gates came the Moscow saints, whose relics were already at that time in the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral. In front of them they carried the miraculous icon of the Vladimir Mother of God. On the same day, the Tatars suddenly retreated from Moscow. In the 17th century, a clock was installed on the tower.
Tsarskaya the tower is to the left of Spasskaya, right on the Kremlin wall. According to legend, it was from her that Ivan the Terrible watched the executions taking place on Vasilyevsky Spusk.
Corner -Arsenalnaya (Sobakina) the tower was built in 1492.
Antonio Solari also had a spring with clean water inside, which has survived to this day. Because of the boyar Sobakin's yard, which was located nearby, the tower was called by his last name. And after the construction of the arsenal in the 18th century, the tower became the Corner Arsenal. Its height is 60.2 meters. In a gloomy underground passage under the tower, the sexton Konon Osipov was looking for the famous library of Ivan the Terrible. But even in our days the controversy of the mysteriously disappeared "liberey", as the library was called in the Middle Ages, does not subside.
In the 19th century, the commandant of Moscow settled in the Kremlin's Amusement Palace and the tower located nearby began to be called Commandant's... The height of the tower is 41.25 meters.
Between Borovitskaya and Commandantskaya towers there is Armory, which was formerly called Konyushennaya because of the proximity of the royal stables. The name of the Armory Tower was given in 1851, when the Armory Board was built on the territory of the Kremlin.
Borovitskaya the tower was the "back" gate of the Kremlin. It was used for household needs, since there was a grain and horse yard nearby. The name comes from the forest, in the place of which this tower was erected. The tower had a drawbridge over the Neglinnaya River and a lattice that protected the entrance. But when the Neglinnaya River was enclosed in pipes, the bridge was removed, only the slots in the wall for chains were preserved from it. In 1658. the tower was renamed to the Forerunner, but the name did not stick.
Nabatnaya the tower had an alarm bell, the ringing of which raised Muscovites in times of trouble. Catherine the Great ordered to rip out his tongue because the bells were the signal for the start of the Plague Riot in 1771.
Troitskaya the tower was built in 1495, and at the end of the 17th century it was crowned with a slender tent, reminiscent of the top of the Spasskaya tower. In 1686. chimes were also installed on the Troitskaya tower, which died in a fire in 1812.
Name Kutafya tower comes from the word "kut", which means cover. She defended the entrance to the Kremlin, was surrounded by a moat, and in moments of danger the only gates were tightly closed. It could only be accessed via a drawbridge.
Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblovskaya) the tower was built in 1488.
and had a well inside and a secret passage to the river. A water-lifting machine was arranged in it, which lifted water through pipes for the entire Kremlin. In 1812. during the retreat of Napoleon's troops, the tower was blown up. But under the leadership of O.I. Beauvais was rebuilt and restored.
Annunciation the tower has a blank structure and is located between the Taininskaya and Vodovzvodnaya towers. The chronicles say that the icon "Annunciation" was kept in the tower and the Church of the Annunciation was attached to it, which was later dismantled. The tower is famous for its deep dungeons.
IN Nikolskaya the tower had a driveway and an arrowhead with a drawbridge. The name is associated with the icon of St. Nicholas hanging over the gate of this tower. There was a tradition to resolve disputes under this icon. In 1612, during the struggle against the Polish gentry invaders, troops led by Minin and Pozharsky broke through this gate and liberated the Kremlin. During the days of the October Revolution, the tower was badly damaged by shelling, but in 1918. it was repaired at the direction of Lenin.
The remaining towers: Konstantino-Yeleninskaya, Senatskaya, Beklemishevskaya, Sredny-Arsenalnaya, 1st and 2nd Unnamed, Petrovskaya, all of them were named due to the location of a monastery, church or by the last name of the boyars living nearby, or in honor of the nearby constructed buildings. The towers played the role of protecting the Kremlin from enemies, and later an aesthetic and cultural role, since they are very beautiful and eye-catching architectural forms.
The Kremlin fortress with its emerald tents, "swallow tails" and ruby stars is one of the brightest, recognizable and, as it is customary to say in such cases, "dear to every Russian from childhood" symbols of the country.
The status of the symbol is well complemented by the remark: the Moscow Kremlin is the largest active fortress in Europe.
As if in confirmation of the postulate of the largest active fortress, in 2013, powerful plastic checkpoints were built on the sides of the Kutafya tower, which completely hid the side facades of the monument, but instead replaced the ancient drawbridges and successfully revived their function.
From space it is clearly visible that the main fortress of Russia forms an irregular triangle of walls with 20 towers: 1) Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) in the southeastern corner of the Kremlin triangle, near the Moskva River and Moskvoretsky Bridge. Counterclockwise from it: 2) Konstantino-Eleninskaya (Timofeevskaya), 3) Nabatnaya, 4) Tsarskaya, 5) Spasskaya (Frolovskaya), 6) Senatskaya, 7) Nikolskaya, 8) Angular Arsenalnaya (Sobakina), 9) Sredny Arsenalnaya (Faceted), 10) Troitskaya, 11) Kutafya, 12) Komendantskaya (Kolymazhnaya), 13) Armory (Konyushennaya), 14) Borovitskaya (Predtechenskaya), 15) Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova), 16) Blagoveshchenskaya, 17) Taynitskaya, 18) Pervaya Bezymyannaya, 19) Second Bezymyannaya, 20) Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya).
However, two of them are not quite towers: Kutafya is a separate bridgehead (in European "barbican"), and Tsarskaya is a small stone pavilion on the wall. But if you count them too, the figure comes out round, it's easier to remember.
The first full-fledged wooden fortress appeared on Borovitsky Hill in 1156. In 1367, Dmitry Donskoy built mighty walls and towers of white stone. Already in December 1368, the fortress passed the first test and inspired the first horror: the Lithuanian pagans, led by Olgirdas, stood under the new wall for a week, were very upset about its inaccessibility and left themselves. For its time, the fortress was excellent, but after a hundred years it became necessary to replace it with a more modern structure. Nevertheless, archaeologists confirm that at the base of the southern wall of the Kremlin, the white-stone masonry of the 14th century has been preserved to a height of two meters.
The fortifications that we see today were built from 1485 to 1516 under Ivan III and Vasily III by a whole company of eminent Italian architects, murols (from the Italian mura - wall). By the way, the very word "Kremlin", which replaced the Russian "Detinets", comes from the term "kremalier", which goes back to the Late Latin cremaculus - tooth. The Kremlin was built by analogy with the best Northern Italian fortresses of that time, in particular, with the Sforza Castle in Milan.
Originally towers brick Kremlin were not as elegant and high as they are now, the fortress was stricter, but more powerful - from the south and east stretched a second, lower line of walls with brick bastions, from the east they were complemented by the Alevizov ditch 30 meters wide, from the west - wide dams of the river Neglinnaya. In the 17th century, the walls of the Kremlin were whitewashed with lime several times, then they stopped, then they tried to revive this tradition shortly before the revolution, but it turned out that Moscow was too used to the color red (especially since we know that in Moscow “red” is beautiful).
In the 17th century, the towers were built on with high tents. Very expensive, complex, gorgeous and completely unnecessary in practical terms, most add-ons are purely decorative. They defined a new image of the capital city, revived after complete ruin in the Time of Troubles - it is not for nothing that the first tent (the clock tower over the Spassky Gate) appeared earlier than the first stone temples-monuments erected in memory of the Troubles.
In 1767, by decree of Catherine the Great, the dilapidated walls began to be dismantled, the Kremlin was to undergo a global rebranding according to the project of Vasily Bazhenov. But soon the empress changed her mind and - either out of harm or foresight - ordered the restoration of the recently destroyed towers of the southern wall. So in a row of towers standing along the Moskva River, only the far right (Beklemishevskaya, she Moskvoretskaya) and the second from the left (Blagoveshchenskaya) remained ancient. The left corner Vodovzvodnaya then also survived, but was later blown up on the orders of Napoleon. At the same time, in 1812, the Nikolskaya and Sobakina (Corner Arsenalnaya) towers were partially destroyed. The rest of the Kremlin walls are mostly ancient, but you can hardly see the medieval masonry on their surface. The walls were repaired and reworked a huge number of times, and only on the southern wall, closer to the Moskvoretskaya tower, can you find the hallmarks of the 17th century.
The laid arches of the ancient gates can be seen on the facades of the Taynitskaya and Konstantin-Eleninskaya towers. Until now, the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya towers remain passable, but only the last two are open to the working population.
The inaccessibility of the walls and towers of the Kremlin for tourists and researchers is a separate problem. Photos of the interiors of the towers can only be found in books published before 1917. True, for last years filming of the interior of the Spasskaya Tower and the battle passages of the walls appeared on the Internet.
Local features
The territory of the Moscow Kremlin and its museums are open to the public every day, except Thursday, from 10:00 to 17:00. Ticket offices are open daily, except Thursday, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Ordinary citizens can enter the territory of the Kremlin through the Troitsky and Borovitsky gates (landmarks are the Kutafya tower, "preceding" the Trinity, and the Borovitskaya tower, respectively).
If you need: Kremlin Palace, Cathedral Square, Kremlin temples, Ivan the Great bell tower. Tsar Cannon and Tsar Bell - then use the Kutafya Tower and Trinity Gate to enter the Kremlin.
The nearest metro stations to it are “Library im. Lenin "and" Alexander Garden ". Near the tower, on the right side, in the Alexander Garden.
cash desks are located. You must purchase a ticket to enter the Kremlin. Visiting exhibitions and climbing the Ivan the Great Bell Tower are paid additionally, and visiting cathedrals does not require a separate fee, this is included in the ticket price.
The entrance to the Kremlin through the Borovitskaya Tower is for those who have purchased an excursion to the Armory and / or the Diamond Fund. A fact that is not obvious to the guests of the capital: the Borovitskaya Tower is located directly opposite the Borovitskaya metro station, but you won't be able to walk directly - the road is very wide, the traffic is dense, and there is no pedestrian crossing. It is easier to get off at the metro station "Library im. Lenin "or" Alexandrovsky Garden ", walk to the ticket office to the right of the Kutafya tower, from the ticket office another 300 meters along the Alexander Garden in the direction of the Kremlin embankment (that is, in the opposite direction from Red Square).
As a rule, excursion groups gather at the Borovitskaya Tower - it is almost unrealistic to get into the Armory and the Diamond Fund just like that by buying a ticket at the museum's ticket office, and even on a day off. Travel agencies redeem all tickets in advance. In days school holidays you don't even have to try to break into these museums on your own, but best time for a relatively quiet visit - weekdays and not in summer.
The length of the Kremlin walls is 2235 m. Compared to the world's largest fortress wall, the Great Wall of China, our Kremlin is not large. Nevertheless, it is the largest active fortress in Europe. By the way, the title of the largest European fortress (by total length fortifications, about 9 km) belongs to our Pskov.
The thickness of the Kremlin walls ranges from 3.5 to 6.5 m, the height is from 8 to 19 m. The famous Kremlin battlements, made according to the Italian fashion of the 15th century, reach 2–2.5 m. tall tower- Troitskaya (79.3 m).
Three towers, standing at the corners of the Kremlin triangle, have a circular cross-section, the rest are square. Borovitsky Gate, set at the bend of the wall, in the "fourth corner" of the Kremlin triangle, has an intricate polygonal layout.
Ruby stars on the five Kremlin towers appeared in the 1930s. Prior to that, the Troitskaya, Spasskaya, Borovitskaya and Nikolskaya towers were crowned with symbols of Russian statehood - golden double-headed eagles. In 1935, all the eagles were melted down, and five-pointed stars took their place. The fifth one, Vodovzvodnaya, was added to the four "selected" towers. Initially, the stars were made of gilded steel and decorated with gems, but soon began to fade and were replaced by ruby illuminated ones.
Kremlin stars were extinguished twice: the first time during the German air raids in 1941, the second - in 1997 for the filming of the film "The Barber of Siberia" by Nikita Mikhalkov.
The first clock on the Spasskaya Tower appeared in the 16th century, but not much is known about them. In 1625, the English master Christopher Galovey installed on the tower famous watch without moving hands (the dial itself rotated), they were not located in their present place, but in a large icon case on the four of the tower. Under Peter I, a new clock with music was installed, playing the German melody "Ah, my dear Augustine." The chimes we know, made by the watchmakers, brothers Johann and Nikolai Butenop, appeared on the tower in 1851–52. During the events of the October Revolution, the clock was pierced by a shell and restored only a year later on Lenin's personal order - the chimes played the Internationale (at 12 o'clock) and “You fell a victim” (at midnight). Since 1938, the music on the Spasskaya Tower has ceased to play - the clock only chimes every 15 minutes. Since 1996, the chimes have again become musical - at 9 o'clock (morning and evening) you can hear "Glory" from Glinka's opera "A Life for the Tsar", and at noon and midnight - the anthem of Russia.
Trinity Tower - the tallest tower of the Moscow Kremlin, located in the middle of the northwestern part of the Kremlin wall. The gate of the tower, to which the Troitsky bridge leads through the Alexander Garden from Kutafi towers, serve as the main entrance to the Kremlin for visitors to the fortress.
The tower was built in 1495-1499 under the guidance of an Italian architect Aleviza Fryazina (Old) and is the second most important tower of the Kremlin after Spasskaya.
The height of the tower together with the star is 80 meters from the side of the Alexander Garden and 69.3 meters from the side of the Kremlin. The different heights are due to the difference in ground level inside and outside the Kremlin wall.
Externally, the Trinity Tower resembles Spasskaya, but it is more tall and less elegant in decoration. The form of the base of the tower is a quadrangle, which is crowned by a multi-tiered hipped roof with rich decorative design; the upper part of the quadrangle is decorated with a lace arched belt with turrets at the corners and figures of animals and birds, among which one can recognize bears and peacocks. There is a belfry under the tent; the red star-weather vane is crowned with the tent. The tower is adjoined by a massive diversion arrow with the Trinity Gate, which is approached by the Trinity Bridge from the Kutafya Tower.
History of the Trinity Tower
Trinity Tower was built in 1495-1499 under the guidance of an Italian architect Aleviza Fryazina (Old) and over the years of its existence has changed several names: Epiphany(original name), Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya and Carriage. The tower received the first 3 names in honor of the cathedrals located on the territory of the Kremlin, while Karetnaya was named after Carriage yard. Its modern name- Troitskaya - the tower was received in 1658 from the nearby courtyard Trinity Monastery.
Initially, like other Kremlin towers, the Trinity Tower was built without a hipped roof, which appeared only at the end of the 17th century. Since the tower had an important defensive significance, when preparing Moscow for the Swedish invasion in 1707 by decree Peter I the turret loopholes were expanded to accommodate modern heavy cannons. The next reconstruction awaited the Trinity Tower in 1870, when its defensive significance was lost, and the interior was adapted to house the Archives of the Ministry of the Imperial Court.
In the past, an icon of the Kazan Mother of God, damaged during the assault on the Kremlin in 1917 and disappeared during the Soviet years, was in the icon case above the Trinity Gate. At present, the place of the icon from the side of the Alexander Garden is occupied by a small clock.
Until 1935, the top of the tower was crowned with the coat of arms of Russia - a double-headed eagle, instead of which a gilded semi-precious star was installed, which after 2 years - in 1937 - was replaced with a ruby one.
The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest among other Kremlin towers - made in 1870 - and prefabricated on bolts, therefore, when dismantling it, it had to be disassembled right at the top of the tower and lowered down in parts.
It is interesting that in the 16-17th centuries a prison was located in the two-story base of the tower.
Today the Troitskaya Tower houses Russian Presidential Orchestra: its interior houses recording studios, offices and a rehearsal room. In addition, the Trinity Gate is the main entrance to the Kremlin for citizens and tourists: Kutafya tower and Troitsky bridge, through the Trinity Tower, visitors pass inside the fortress.
Trinity Tower goes out to the Alexander Garden. You can get to it on foot from metro stations "Lenin's Library" Sokolnicheskaya line and "Alexander Garden" Filyovskaya.
Moscow Kremlin - a unique fortress in the center of Moscow and the most ancient district of the city. The Kremlin is considered the heart of Russia - both because the Russian capital began its journey from here, and because the center of the state has long been located within the walls of the fortress: first the royal chambers, and now - the residence of the President of Russia.
And, of course, the protection of the Kremlin has always been of great importance.
In terms of the fortress is an irregular triangle: the Kremlin acquired such a shape during the Ivan III the Great, at which they began to erect new walls of red brick to replace the old white-stone, built at Dmitry Donskoy. Simultaneously with the construction of the walls, new towers were also erected, which formed the defensive lines of the new Moscow fortress. The main array of walls and towers was built in 1485-1495, part of the fortifications of the Kremlin were completed until 1516, when the king was already Vasily III. Initially, the towers were erected without tiered hipped roofs - they were added only in the 17th century.
A total of 20 towers are located along the Kremlin wall.
Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) tower
Architect: Marco Ruffo.
Years of construction: 1487-1488.
Height: 46.2 meters.
Completion: flag-weather vane.
Name given by building Arsenal, built in the early 18th century.
Trinity Tower
Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old).
Years of construction: 1495-1499.
Height: 80 meters.
Completion:
Located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Srednaya Arsenalnaya and the Commandant towers. Outwardly it resembles the Spasskaya Tower; is a quadrangle, which is crowned with a multi-tiered hipped roof with rich decorative design. It has a diversion arrow with the Trinity gate. Unlike other pass-through towers of the Moscow Kremlin, it has preserved the Trinity Bridge, which connects it with the Kutafya Tower.
The name is given by the nearby courtyard Trinity Monastery.
Kutafya tower
Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old).
Years of construction: 1516.
Height: 13.5 meters.
Completion: absent.
Located on the western side of the Kremlin wall opposite the Trinity Tower, it is the only tower of the Moscow Kremlin that is located away from the wall and is actually the only surviving barbican of the fortress. In the past, it was surrounded by water and was used to defend the Trinity Bridge over the Neglinnaya River, leading from the Kutafya Towers to the Trinity Gate. In comparison with other towers, it resembles an elegant festive cake. At present, the main checkpoint for visitors to the Moscow Kremlin is equipped in the Kutafya Tower.
The name probably comes from an outdated word "kutafya" meaning a plump, awkward, unkempt woman.
Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) tower
Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old).
Years of construction: 1493-1495.
Height: 41.2 meters.
Completion: flag-weather vane.
Commandant Tower located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Troitskaya and the Armory towers. It is an elongated quadruple with a base expanding to the bottom and a parapet with mashicules at the top, topped with a hipped roof.
The name is given by the residence of the commandant of Moscow in the Poteshny Palace.
Armory (Konyushennaya) Tower
Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old) - possibly.
Years of construction: 1493-1495.
Height: 32.6 meters.
Completion: flag-weather vane.
Armory tower located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Commandant and Borovitskaya towers. It is a quadrangle with a base expanding to the bottom and a parapet with mashiculi on the top, topped with a tiered hip top.
The name is given to the building of the Armory.
Borovitskaya (Forerunner) tower
Architect: Pietro Antonio Solari.
Years of construction: 1490.
Height: 54 meters.
Completion: glowing ruby star-weathervane.
Borovitskaya tower located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Oruzheynaya and Vodovzvodnaya towers. It represents 4 quadrangles decreasing to the top, placed on top of each other and crowned with a stone tent; on the side there is a diversion arrow with the Borovitsky gate. Despite the rather poor decoration, Borovitskaya Tower stands out from the others due to its stepped (pyramidal) shape.
On the outside of the Borovitsky Gate, there are the coats of arms of the Lithuanian and Moscow principalities carved out of white stone; when and why they appeared there is unknown.
The name is given by the ancient pine forest that covered Borovitsky hill in the past.
Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) Tower
Architect: Anton Fryazin.
Years of construction: 1488.
Height: 61.2 meters.
Completion: glowing ruby star-weathervane.
Located on the southwestern corner of the Kremlin wall near the Kremlin embankment of the Moskva River between the Borovitskaya and Annunciation towers. It is an elongated cylinder with a complex hipped roof. The parapet of the tower is crowned with dovetail cogs, and it is equipped with mashicules for circular firing. Attention is drawn to the decorative design of the tower: up to the middle of the height, it is lined with alternating belts of protruding and sinking masonry, above which passes an arcature belt, emphasized by a thin strip of white stone. Interestingly, the star at the top of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower is the smallest among the other Kremlin towers (3 meters in diameter).
In the past, the tower housed a water-lifting machine developed according to the project Christopher Galovey- the first in Moscow water supply from tanks installed on the upper tiers of the tower to supply water from the Moskva River to the Kremlin. Later it was dismantled and transported to St. Petersburg, where it was used to fill fountains with water.
The name is given by the Galovey water-lifting machine.
Annunciation tower
Architect: ?
Years of construction: 1487-1488.
Height: 32.4 meters.
Completion: flag-weather vane.
Annunciation tower located on the southern side of the Kremlin wall between the Vodovzvodnaya and Taynitskaya towers. It is a four-sided building with a built-on four-sided tent and an observation tower. The parapet of the tower is equipped with mashikuli. Under Ivan the Terrible it was used as a prison, in 1731-1932 - as a bell tower of the Church of the Annunciation (demolished in the Soviet years).
The name is given to the icon of the Annunciation, which, according to the legend, miraculously manifested itself on the northern wall of the tower during the reign of Ivan the Terrible.
Taynitskaya tower
Architect: Anton Fryazin.
Years of construction: 1485.
Height: 38.4 meters.
Completion: flag-weather vane.
Taynitskaya tower is located in the central part of the southern side of the Kremlin wall between the Annunciation and the First Nameless Towers. It is a massive quadrangle with a built-on four-sided tent and an observation tower. The parapet of the tower is equipped with mashikuli. In the past, the tower had the Taynitsky gate, a spring well and a secret passage to the Moscow River.
The first tower of the Moscow Kremlin was built - it was from it that the construction of modern walls and towers began.
The name comes from a secret exit to the Moscow River.
First Nameless Tower
Architect: ?
Years of construction: 1480th.
Height: 34.1 meters.
Completion: flag-weather vane.
First Nameless Tower is located on the southern side of the Kremlin wall between the Taynitskaya and the Second Nameless Towers. It is a quadrangle with a built-on four-sided tent and an observation tower. During its history it was destroyed several times and was rebuilt. In the past, a powder store was located inside the tower, according to which the tower was called the Powder Tower.
The current name is given for a not entirely clear reason.
Second Nameless Tower
Architect: ?
Years of construction: 1480th.
Height: 30.2 meters.
Completion: flag-weather vane.
Second Nameless Tower is located on the southern side of the Kremlin wall between the First Nameless Tower and the Petrovskaya Tower. It is a quadrangle with a built-on four-sided tent and an observation tower topped with an octagonal tent. In the past, there was a gate in the tower.
The name was given for an incomprehensible reason.
Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower
Architect: ?
Years of construction: 1485-1487.
Height: 27.1 meters.
Completion: flag-weather vane.
Petrovskaya tower located on the southern side of the Kremlin wall between the Second Nameless and Beklemishevskaya towers. It consists of 3 stacked fours, crowned with an octagonal tent. The parapet of the tower is equipped with false machines. Over the years of its existence, it has been rebuilt several times.
Name given by courtyard of the Ugreshsky monastery with the Church of Peter the Metropolitan, which was located on the territory of the Kremlin near the tower in the 15-17 centuries.
Interesting facts about the Kremlin towers
There are 20 towers along the walls of the Kremlin;
In the past, when the Kremlin was located on an island formed by the Moskva River, Neglinka and Alevizov ditch, from the passage towers to " mainland"bridges were thrown - only the Trinity Bridge has survived to this day;
The very first building in time is the Taynitskaya Tower, erected in 1485;
Of the 20 towers, 5 are crowned with ruby stars (Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya and Vodovzvodnaya), 1 has a decorative top (Tsarskaya), 1 has no top (Kutafya tower), 13 remaining towers are equipped with weathercock flags;
The ruby red stars on the tops of the towers revolve in the wind like a weather vane;
Initially, in 1935, gilded semi-precious stars were installed on the tops of the towers, but they quickly faded, and already in 1937 they were replaced with luminous ruby ones;
The towers were crowned with double-headed eagles to the stars, except for Vodovzvodnaya - on it state symbols was not placed;
To prevent the stars from overheating from the operation of the lamps, they are equipped with a ventilation system;
Troitskaya Tower - the tallest tower in the Kremlin (80 meters);
Kutafya Tower - the lowest tower of the Kremlin (13.5 meters);
Kutafya Tower is the only surviving bridgehead barbican of the fortress;
The chiming clock of the Spasskaya Tower is a symbol of the coming of the New Year in Russia;
In the past , however, some of the towers - including the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya and Troitskaya - could have been left red for aesthetic reasons;
The ensemble of walls and towers of the Moscow Kremlin is one of the most popular architectural sights of Moscow.
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?
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, therefore, when the enemy attacked, it was the first to take the blow. The architectural solution of the tower is also connected with this: a high cylinder is placed on a beveled white-stone base and is 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 hiding place 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 the loopholes to be 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.
The KONSTANTINOVO-ELENINSKAYA tower owes its name to the church of Constantine and Helena that stood here in antiquity. 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 traveled with an army to the Kulikovo field. The new tower was built for the reason that there were no natural obstacles on its side, not near 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 disassembled. The tower got its name after the Church of Constantine and Helena, which stood in the Kremlin. The height of the tower is 36.8 meters.
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 whether the enemy army was marching towards 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 began 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 were deprived of their 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 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 strong 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) 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 Kremlin towers renamed. Frolovskaya became 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 the years 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.
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 height of the tower is 34.3 meters.
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, an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed 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 into the Kremlin through its gates, 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 upper part of the tower was especially damaged. 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 meters.
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 always has clean and fresh water in it. Previously, there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. The height of the tower is 60.2 meters.
The MIDDLE ARSENAL tower 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 meters.
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 was called differently: the Robe of the Robe, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 after the name of 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 Trinity 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 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 one.
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 battle and mashikuli. In the 16th-17th 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.
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 in the Kremlin located near it. In the years 1676-1686 it was built on. The tower is made up of a massive quadrangle with mashiculi (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; the 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 17th century Amusement Palace. The height of the tower from the side of the Alexander Garden is 41.25 meters.
The ARMORY tower, which once stood on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, now enclosed in an underground pipe, was named after the Armory Chamber located nearby, the second comes from the nearby Konyushennaya yard. Once upon a time there were ancient weapons workshops next to it. They also made precious dishes and jewelry. 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.
Built in 1490 by Pietro Antonio Solari. Travel card. The first name of the tower - the original, comes from the 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 TOWER - so named because of the car that was here once. She raised water from a well, arranged at the bottom of the very top of the tower into a large tank. From there, water flowed through lead pipes into royal palace in the Kremlin. Thus, in the old days, the Kremlin had 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 for 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 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 Portomoyny. 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 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.
Built in the 1480s. The tower ends with a simple four-sided pyramidal tent. The interior of the tower is formed by two tiers of vaulted rooms: a lower tier with a cross vault and an upper tier with a closed vault. The upper quadrangle is open into the tent cavity. One of the two towers which did not get the name. Height 34.15 meters.
Built in the 1480s. An octagonal tent with a weather vane is located above the upper quadrangle of the tower; the upper quadrangle is open to the inside of the tent. The inner part of the tower includes two levels of premises; the lower tier has a cylindrical vault, and the upper tier is closed. Height 30.2 meters.
The PETROVSKAYA tower, together with two nameless ones, was built to reinforce the southern wall, which was the most frequently attacked. At first, like the two unnamed Petrovskaya Tower, it 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 needs by the Kremlin gardeners. The height of the tower is 27.15 meters.
