As promised, with today's entry, I am starting a cycle of stories about the sights of our capital in my blog. Without claiming to be absolute truth (nevertheless, 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 connected with them. I hope that this cycle will be as interesting and popular as the dental one. Well, when it gets 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 500-page book will not suffice even for brief overviews of the Kremlin, but I will try to embrace the immensity - albeit in small portions.
So, the first photo tour will tell you about the Towers of the Moscow Kremlin. For even without getting into its territory, you can inspect them in the most thorough way.
Introduction
The Kremlin was not always the way we see it now. Over the centuries, it has repeatedly changed, its outlines, meaning and purpose have changed. Previously, it was an impregnable fortress, stopping the enemy with only its appearance, and its entire purpose was dictated by one goal - to withstand a 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 boundary between the authorities 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, which forbids building 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 were built on them later, when the Kremlin walls and towers lost their military purpose and became just a decoration of Moscow.
In addition, the towers, like all the buildings of the Kremlin, were repeatedly reconstructed and rebuilt.
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, in the middle of a clear day, a heavy downpour came, which put out the fire. As a result, only a small part of the charges went off, several towers were destroyed and the fortress walls were damaged. But the Kremlin itself resisted.
After this, how can one not say that Russia is protected by God?
We will start our tour from Red Square, from its main attraction. Then we will go down to the Moscow River, go around the Alexander Garden and return to Red Square. This is a route that takes less than one hour at a fast pace.
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 holidays, tsars and metropolitans entered the Kremlin. Through them they went through the procession. And now all of Russia checks the time on them.
Previously, they were called Frolovsky, after the church of St. Frol and Laurus, located behind them. The special status of the Frolovsky Gates is also evidenced by their location - opposite the Execution Ground.
By 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 Frolovsky Gate with a covered head, as well as to accompany animals or pass on wagons. It should be noted that the royal decree simply legitimized the tradition, because these gates were already revered among the people, so no one in a hat dared to pass through them.
In the 17th century, an image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, brought from Vyatka, was installed above the gate, and under it an inscription in Latin was made (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 three floors. Prior to the installation of the clock on the building of Moscow State University, it was the largest analogue clock in Russia.
2. Tsar's tower.
The smallest and one of the youngest towers of the Kremlin. From it, the tsar appeared during ceremonial events on Red Square.
Some researchers believe that royal decrees and orders were also announced from the Tsarskaya Tower. However, I personally am skeptical about this, because it is far and inconvenient to shout from there, and for decrees and the royal will there was a Execution Ground.
Later, this tower housed the fire service bells. 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 disturbing and important events in the life of the city. For the fact that the alarm bell in the 18th century called the people to the "plague riot", it was removed and exiled to Siberia. Now this repressed bell is in the Armory.
4. Constantino-Eleninskaya Tower.
Previously, this place was the Konstantinovsky Gate (named after the Church of the Blessed King Constantine, which was nearby). Through these gates, which were then the main ones in the Kremlin, Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy went to war with Mamai, through them he returned with a victory after the Battle of Kulikovo.
Under Mikhail Fedorovich, the gates were walled up (you can see the remains of gate structures on the outer wall), and under Peter I, the Church of St. Konstantin and Helena was built behind them, which gave the name to the tower - Konstantin-Eleninskaya.
5. Beklemishevskaya tower.
The tower got its name by the name of 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 it 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. The second nameless tower.
This tower also fell under demolition due to the construction project started by Catherine II, but was later restored. She never came up with a name.
8. The first nameless tower.
And this tower inherited from Catherine... A true manifestation of the Russian mentality: first we demolish, therefore we think, then we restore what was 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 supplies of provisions and water, and for partisan attacks. Some historians are of the opinion that underground passage led from the Tainitskaya tower all the way to the other side of the river, but there is no documentary or any other evidence of this theory.
In the tower itself, in its upper tier, at one time there was a cathedral of the Chernigov miracle workers, and now their relics have been transferred to the Archangel Cathedral.
Previously, there was a gate of the same name, closed up under Mikhail Fedorovich. However, you can see the remains of these same gates on the wall.
10. Annunciation tower
It is named so because of the Annunciation Cathedral, which was once nearby, and was later moved to Cathedral Square.
It should be noted that many buildings of the Kremlin "moved" across its territory, were demolished, rebuilt and rebuilt, so the name of some 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 entered the Grand Kremlin Palace - this is how the first water supply system in Moscow appeared. Hence the name of the tower - Vodovzvodnaya.
In 1812, Napoleon blew up the tower, but it was soon restored with a complete identity.
After the revolution, when the 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, the Borovitskaya Tower is the only entrance to the Kremlin territory, moreover, it is carefully guarded. They didn't let me get close to her.
It owes its name to the dense forest that once covered this part of the Kremlin hill.
Previously, it was called Predtechevskaya, after the church of John the Baptist, which was later demolished and transferred to the tent of the Borovitskaya tower. There were gates 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, the whole of Russia. Here in ancient times there was a settlement of Kuchkov, which belonged to a nobleman Stepan Kuchko, who was forced to cede the Kremlin Hill to Yuri Dolgoruky. It was also here that the first Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Bor was erected in Moscow, which became the beginning of Russian Orthodoxy.
So, the Borovitsky Gates and the adjacent territory are the source, a special place, a small piece of land, which later grew to one sixth of the land.
13. Gun tower.
It got its name because of the Armory adjacent to it. And before the construction of the main treasury of the Kremlin, stables were located here, so the tower was called Konyushennaya.
14. Commandant's tower.
Also called so relatively recently - because of the adjoining Commandant's Office of the Kremlin. And earlier workshops, forges and craftsmen's houses were located here, so the tower was called Kolymazhnaya (from the word "kolyma" - to work) or Deaf. The origin of the last name is still unknown to me. Maybe someone will tell?
15. Trinity tower.
Naturally, it was also not always called Trinity.
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 Chicken Gate. There was not enough money for the chimes, but the tower, as you can see, was built. It received its name from the image of the Holy Trinity, which hung from its inner side. And outside hung the image of the Sign (where the clock is now hanging - the rectangle from the icon remained).
One of the six gates of the Kremlin is also located here, and they are 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. Middle Arsenal Tower.
It owes its name to the Arsenal building built behind it. Previously, when there was no Arsenal on this site, it was even a corner tower, and then, with the expansion of the territory 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 Coal (from the word "corner") or Sobakina (apparently, in honor of Marfa Sobakina). If you look closely, you will see that this is not an ordinary tower - unlike the square 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 to 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 Spasskaya and old drawings.
19. Senate tower.
It owes its name to the Senate located behind it. There is nothing special about this tower. 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 denote hats, the difference is not fundamental - the tower really looks like a hat.
To date, this is the only surviving defensive structure designed to protect the bridges leading to the Kremlin (well, there is only one bridge left - Troitsky). And before, such turrets stood at every bridge leading to the gate, except perhaps for the Tainitsky 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 met with fierce fire. Murat was very surprised, because there was a ceasefire agreement between the warring parties. It turned out that they sat in the Kutafya tower locals, townspeople who are ready at the cost of their own lives to protect a place sacred to every Russian person. 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, if not an entire resource. However, I still hope that this little information will be useful to you, and next time, walking near the walls of the Moscow Kremlin, you will feel the spirit of history, those events that these walls witnessed.
After all, every building, every brick and every cobblestone on the pavement is our history. Our Russia is with you.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely, Stanislav Vasiliev.
Ps. As always, I welcome questions if something was not clear.
The most famous tower of the Kremlin, which all the inhabitants of our country will definitely recognize. After all, it is on it that the famous chimes are located, which strike twelve times and announce the onset of the new year. The tower clock chimes the Russian anthem and Mikhail Glinka's "Glory" several times a day, and the main bell strikes every hour.
sq. Krasnaya, d. 3Corner Arsenalnaya (Sobakina) Tower
The pot-bellied Corner Arsenal tower is the most powerful in the entire Kremlin wall. She played a big role in the defense of the fortress, and under Peter I, her loopholes were expanded, and guns were installed in them. The tower was an important strategic object also because a spring of spring water beat in its depths, which would come in handy if the fortress was besieged.
sq. Krasnaya, d. 3Middle Arsenalnaya (faceted) tower
For sharp shapes and straight lines, the tower is called Granyon. 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 travel 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 Gates, it forms a single defense link. However, today it is used for the entrance of tourists.
sq. Krasnaya, d. 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, and the ticket office and the entrance to the Kremlin are located in the glass pavilion on the second floor.
st. Vozdvizhenka, 1/13Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) Tower
In ancient times, the Commandant's Tower was called Kolymazhnaya after the name of the Kolymazhny yard, located in the Kremlin. But already in the 19th century, the name changed due to the dwelling of the commandant of Moscow located in the Poteshny Palace.
st. PalaceArmory (Stable) tower
Many towers and structures of the Moscow Kremlin were 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 1676-1686, remained virtually unchanged for more than five centuries.
st. BorovitskayaBorovitskaya (Predtechenskaya) Tower
For several centuries, the tower was called the Predtechenskaya - after the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist standing next to it. But the royal decree is not a hindrance to the people - the name did not take root, 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 inhabitants 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 see the Vodovzvodnaya Tower on the inside cover of their passport.
emb. KremlinAnnunciation Tower
The tower is associated with a legend about the miraculous appearance on one of its walls of the icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. They say that is why the tower began to be called Blagoveshchenskaya. Other researchers say that 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 from the former building: the tower was repeatedly rebuilt, destroyed and rebuilt.
emb. KremlinFirst Nameless Tower
Another tower that was destroyed and rebuilt several times. For the first time, the construction of the Kremlin Palace made adjustments to its appearance, and in the second - Patriotic War 1812. Today, the tower reaches a height of 34 meters, and completes its pyramidal tent.
emb. KremlinSecond Nameless Tower
Adjustments were also made to the design of this tower due to the construction of the Kremlin Palace. Before the start of its construction, the tower was completely dismantled, and when Catherine II ordered the construction to be stopped, they were assembled back. 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, restored 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 returned 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 nearby bridge. By the way, this is one of the few towers that have survived to this day almost unchanged and have not been rebuilt.
emb. KremlinThe modern Kremlin was built at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century. impregnable fortress It was surrounded on all sides by water: from the south - the Moskva River, from the north and west - the Neglinnaya River, from the east - a moat 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 combat 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 sheds covered the soldiers 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 on the fortress with three-inch guns in order to drive the junkers out of it. In 1945 the Germans bombed the city. However, fate preserved the Kremlin, and in our time it has become a symbol of
Here is a diagram of the Kremlin, where all the towers are indicated. There are only 20 of them. All of them are different in form, construction history and meaning.
The most ancient tower 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 symbol of the Kremlin has become 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 Giray, a blind nun of the Ascension Monastery had a vision: under bell ringing Moscow saints came out of these gates, whose relics already then rested in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. 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.
Royal the tower is located to the left of Spasskaya, right on the Kremlin wall. According to legend, it was from her that Ivan the Terrible watched the executions carried out on Vasilyevsky Spusk.
Corner -Arsenalnaya (Sobakina) The tower was built in 1492.
Antonio Solari and had a spring inside her with clean water, which has survived to this day. Because of the nearby courtyard of the boyar Sobakin, 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 the gloomy underground passage under the tower, sexton Konon Osipov was looking for the famous library of Ivan the Terrible. But even today the disputes of the mysteriously disappeared “liberia”, as the library was called in the Middle Ages, do not subside.
In the 19th century, the commandant of Moscow settled in the Poteshny Palace of the Kremlin and the tower, located nearby, began to be called Commandant's. The height of the tower is 41.25 meters.
Between the Borovitskaya and Komendantskaya towers is located Armory, which used to be called Konyushennaya because of the proximity of the royal stables. The Armory Tower got its name in 1851, when the Armory Board was built on the territory of the Kremlin.
Borovitskaya the tower was the "rear" gate of the Kremlin. It was used for household needs, since there was a living and stable yard nearby. The name comes from the forest forest on the site of which this tower was erected. The tower had a drawbridge across the Neglinnaya River and a grate that protected the entrance. But when the Neglinnaya River was enclosed in pipes, the bridge was removed, only cuts in the wall for chains were preserved from it. In 1658 The tower was renamed Predtechenskaya, but the name did not stick.
Nabatnaya the tower had an alarm bell, the ringing of which raised Muscovites in moments of trouble. Catherine the Great had his tongue torn out because the bells were the signal for 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 Trinity Tower, which died in a fire in 1812.
Name Kutafya tower comes from the word "kut", which means cover. It protected 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 reached by 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 raised water through pipes for the entire Kremlin. In 1812 during the retreat of the Napoleonic troops, the tower was blown up. But she, under the leadership of O.I. Beauvais was rebuilt and restored.
Blagoveshchenskaya the tower has a deaf structure and is placed between the Taininskaya and Vodovzvodnaya towers. 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 passage gate and an archery with a drawbridge. The name is associated with the icon of St. Nicholas, which hung over the gates 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 these gates and liberated the Kremlin. During the days of the October Revolution, the tower was badly damaged by shelling, but in 1918. was repaired at the direction of Lenin.
The remaining towers: Konstantin-Eleninskaya, Senate, Beklemishevskaya, Sredny-Arsenalnaya, 1st and 2nd Unnamed, Petrovskaya, all of them were named due to the location of a monastery, church nearby or by the 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 subsequently an aesthetic and cultural role, since they are very beautiful and attract the eye with architectural forms.
The Kremlin fortress with its emerald tents, swallowtails and ruby stars is one of the brightest, most recognizable and, as it is customary to say in such cases, “dear to every Russian since childhood” symbols of the country.
The status of the symbol is well complemented by the note: the Moscow Kremlin is the largest active fortress in Europe.
As if to confirm the postulate of the largest active fortress, in 2013, mighty plastic checkpoints were built along the sides of the Kutafya Tower, completely hiding the side facades of the monument, but instead taking the place of ancient drawbridges and successfully reviving their function.
From space it is clearly seen 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 Moscow River and the Moskvoretsky Bridge. Counterclockwise from it: 2) Konstantin-Eleninskaya (Timofeevskaya), 3) Nabatnaya, 4) Tsarskaya, 5) Spasskaya (Frolovskaya), 6) Senatskaya, 7) Nikolskaya, 8) Corner Arsenalnaya (Sobakina), 9) Middle Arsenalnaya (faceted), 10) Trinity, 11) Kutafya, 12) Komendantskaya (Kolymazhnaya), 13) Armory (Konyushennaya), 14) Borovitskaya (Predtechenskaya), 15) Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova), 16) Blagoveshchenskaya, 17) Taynitskaya, 18) First Nameless, 19) Second Nameless, 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 gazebo 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 withstood 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 by its impregnability 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 design. Nevertheless, archaeologists confirm that at the base of the southern wall of the Kremlin, the white stone masonry of the XIV 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 murol architects (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 - a prong. The Kremlin was built by analogy with the best northern Italian fortresses of that time, in particular, with the Sforza castle in Milan.
Towers originally brick Kremlin were not as elegant and high as they are now, the fortress was more strict, but more powerful - a second, lower line of walls with brick bastions stretched from the south and east, from the east they were supplemented by the Alevizov moat 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 accustomed to the color red (especially since we know that in Moscow "red" is beautiful).
In the 17th century, the towers were built on with tall tents. A very expensive, complex, magnificent and completely optional work in practical terms - most of the superstructures are purely decorative. They determined 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 above the Spassky Gates) appeared earlier than the first stone memorial churches erected in memory of the Time of Troubles.
In 1767, by decree of Catherine the Great, the dilapidated walls began to be dismantled, the Kremlin was to undergo a global rebranding project by Vasily Bazhenov. But soon the empress changed her mind and - either out of harm, or out of foresight - she ordered the recently destroyed towers of the southern wall to be restored. Thus, in the row of towers along the Moskva River, only the one on the far right (Beklemishevskaya, also known as Moskvoretskaya) and the second one on the left (Blagoveshchenskaya) remained ancient. The left corner of Vodovzvodnaya also survived then, but was later blown up by order of Napoleon. Then, in 1812, the Nikolskaya and Sobakin (Angular Arsenal) towers were partially destroyed. Otherwise, the Kremlin walls are mostly ancient, but you can hardly see the medieval masonry on their surface. The walls were repaired and refaced a huge number of times, and only on the southern wall, closer to the Moskvoretskaya tower, one can find hallmarks of the 17th century.
The arches of the ancient gates can be seen on the facades of the Tainitskaya and Konstantin-Eleninskaya towers. The Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya towers are still travel cards, 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 footage of the interior of the Spasskaya Tower and the fighting 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 to 16:30.
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 Kutafya Tower and Trinity Gates to enter the Kremlin.
The nearest metro station to it is “Biblioteka im. Lenin" and "Alexander Garden". Next to the tower, on the right side, in the Alexander Garden.
cash desks are located. To enter the Kremlin, you must purchase a ticket. Visiting exhibitions and climbing the Ivan the Great Bell Tower are paid extra, and visiting cathedrals does not require a separate fee, this is included in the ticket price.
Entrance to the Kremlin through the Borovitskaya Tower - for those who have purchased an excursion to the Armory and / or Diamond fund. A fact that is not obvious to guests of the capital: the Borovitskaya Tower is located directly opposite the Borovitskaya metro station, but you won’t be able to walk straight - highway very wide, traffic is heavy, and there is no pedestrian crossing. It’s easier to get off at the metro station “Biblioteka im. Lenin” or “Alexander Garden”, walk to the ticket office to the right of the Kutafya Tower, from the ticket office another 300 meters along the Alexander Garden towards the Kremlin Embankment (that is, in the opposite direction from Red Square).
As a rule, excursion groups gather at the Borovitskaya Tower - getting into the Armory and the Diamond Fund just like that, by buying a ticket at the museum's box office, and even on a day off, is almost unrealistic. Travel agencies buy all tickets in advance. In the days school holidays you can not even try to break into these museums on your own, but best time for a relatively quiet visit - weekdays and not in the summer.
The length of the Kremlin walls is 2235 m. Compared to the world's largest fortress wall, the Great Chinese one, our Kremlin is small. Nevertheless, it is the largest active fortress in Europe. By the way, the title of the largest European fortress (according to total length fortifications, about 9 km) belongs to our Pskov.
The thickness of the Kremlin walls ranges from 3.5 to 6.5 m, height - from 8 to 19 m. The famous Kremlin battlements, made according to the Italian fashion of the 15th century, reach 2–2.5 m. high tower- Troitskaya (79.3 m).
Three towers, standing in the corners of the Kremlin triangle, have a round section, the rest are square. The Borovitsky Gates, placed on the bend of the wall, in the "fourth corner" of the Kremlin triangle, have an intricate polygonal layout.
Ruby stars on five Kremlin towers appeared in the 1930s. Prior to this, the Trinity, Spasskaya, Borovitskaya and Nikolskaya towers were crowned with symbols of Russian statehood - golden double-headed eagles. In 1935, all the eagles were melted down, their place was taken by five-pointed stars. The fifth, Vodovzvodnaya, was added to the four "chosen" towers. Initially, the stars were made of gilded steel and decorated with gems, but soon began to fade and were replaced with illuminated rubies.
The Kremlin stars went out twice: the first time during the German air raids of 1941, the second - in 1997 for the sake of filming 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 Galloway installed on the tower famous watch without moving hands (the dial itself rotated), they were located not in their present place, but in a large kiot on the quadrangle of the tower. Under Peter I, a new clock with music was installed, playing the German melody "Ah, my dear Augustine." The chimes known to us, made by 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 the personal instructions of Lenin - the chimes performed "The Internationale" (at 12 o'clock) and "You fell a victim" (at midnight). Since 1938, the music on the Spasskaya Tower stopped playing - the clock only beat the chime 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 "Life for the Tsar", and at noon and midnight - the Russian anthem.
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 Trinity Bridge leads through the Alexander Garden from Kutafya towers, serve as the main entrance to the Kremlin for visitors to the fortress.
The tower was built in 1495-1499 under the direction of an Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (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 Alexander Garden and 69.3 meters from the Kremlin. The different heights are due to the difference in ground level inside and outside the Kremlin wall.
Outwardly, the Trinity Tower resembles the Spasskaya Tower, but is distinguished by its greater height and less elegant decoration. The shape of the base of the tower is a quadrangle, which is crowned with a multi-tiered tent completion with rich decorative design; the upper part of the quadrangle is decorated with a lacy arched belt with turrets at the corners and figures of animals and birds, among which one can recognize bears and peacocks. Under the tent there is a belfry, the red star-weather vane crowns the tent. A massive diverting archer with the Trinity Gate adjoins the tower, to which the Trinity Bridge approaches from the Kutafya Tower.
History of the Trinity Tower
Trinity Tower was built in 1495-1499 under the guidance of an Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Old) and has changed several names over the years: Epiphany(original name) Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya And Karetnaya. The tower received its first 3 names in honor of the cathedrals located on the territory of the Kremlin, while Karetnaya was named after Karate yard. Own modern name- Trinity - the tower received in 1658 according to the nearby courtyard Trinity Monastery.
Initially, like other towers of the Kremlin, the Trinity Tower was built without a hipped roof, which appeared only at the end of the 17th century. Since the tower was of great defensive importance, during the preparation of Moscow for the Swedish invasion in 1707, by decree Peter I the turret loopholes were expanded to accommodate modern heavy cannons at the time. The next reconstruction awaited the Trinity Tower in 1870, when its defensive significance was lost, and the interior was adapted to accommodate the Archives of the Ministry of the Imperial Court.
In the past, in the icon case over the Trinity Gates, there was an icon of the Kazan Mother of God, damaged during the storming of the Kremlin in 1917 and missing in the Soviet years. 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 already 2 years later - in 1937 - was replaced with a ruby one.
The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest among the other towers of the Kremlin - manufactured in 1870 - and prefabricated on bolts, so when dismantling it, it had to be dismantled right at the top of the tower and lowered down in parts.
Interestingly, in the 16-17 centuries, a prison was located in the two-story base of the tower.
Today, the Trinity Tower houses Presidential Orchestra of Russia: its interior houses recording studios, offices and a rehearsal room. In addition, the Trinity Gates are the main entrance to the Kremlin for citizens and tourists: passing kutafyu tower And trinity bridge, visitors pass through the Trinity Tower inside the fortress.
Trinity Tower overlooks the Alexander Garden. It can be reached on foot from metro stations. "Lenin's Library" Sokolnicheskaya line and "Alexander Garden" Filevskaya.
Moscow Kremlin - a unique fortress in the center of Moscow and the oldest part 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, great importance has been attached to the protection of the Kremlin at all times.
In terms of the plan, the fortress is an irregular triangle: the Kremlin acquired such a shape during the Ivan III the Great, in which they began to build new red brick walls to replace the old white stone ones built during Dmitry Donskoy. Simultaneously with the erection of the walls, new towers were erected, which formed the defense lines of the new Moscow fortress. The main array of walls and towers was built in 1485-1495, partially the fortifications of the Kremlin were completed until 1516, when the king was already Basil III. Initially, the towers were erected without tiered tent completions - they were built on only in the 17th century.
In total, there are 20 towers along the Kremlin wall.
Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) Tower
Architect: Marco Ruffo.
Years of construction: 1487-1488.
Height: 46.2 meters.
Completion: weather vane flag.
Name given to the building Arsenal built in the early 18th century.
Trinity Tower
Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old).
Years of construction: 1495-1499.
Height: 80 meters.
Completion:
It is located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Middle Arsenal and Commandant towers. Outwardly, it resembles the Spasskaya Tower; is a quadrangle, which is crowned with a multi-tiered tent completion with a rich decorative design. It has a retractable archer with the Trinity gates. Unlike other travel towers of the Moscow Kremlin, it has retained the Trinity Gate Bridge, connecting it with the Kutafya Tower.
The name is given by the nearby farmstead 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, this 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 across the Neglinnaya River, leading from the Kutafya Tower to the Trinity Gate. Compared to other towers, it resembles an elegant festive Easter cake. Currently, the main checkpoint for visitors to the Moscow Kremlin is equipped in the Kutafya Tower.
The name probably comes from an old word "kutafya", meaning a fat, clumsy, slovenly dressed woman.
Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) Tower
Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old).
Years of construction: 1493-1495.
Height: 41.2 meters.
Completion: weather vane flag.
commandant's tower located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between Troitskaya and Armory towers. It is an elongated quadrangle with a base expanding towards the bottom and a parapet with machicolations at the top, crowned with a hipped top.
The name is given after the residence of the commandant of Moscow in the Poteshny Palace.
Armory (Stable) tower
Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old) - perhaps.
Years of construction: 1493-1495.
Height: 32.6 meters.
Completion: weather vane flag.
weapon tower located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Commandant and Borovitskaya towers. It is a quadrangle with a base expanding towards the bottom and a parapet with machicolations at the top, topped with a tiered hipped top.
The name is given by the building of the Armory.
Borovitskaya (Predtechenskaya) Tower
Architect: Pietro Antonio Solari.
Years of construction: 1490.
Height: 54 meters.
Completion: luminous ruby weather vane star.
Borovitskaya tower located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Armory and Vodovzvodnaya towers. It represents 4 quarters decreasing towards the top, stacked on top of each other and crowned with a stone tent; on the side, a diversion archer with the Borovitsky gates was attached. Despite the rather poor decoration, the Borovitskaya tower stands out from the rest due to its stepped (pyramidal) shape.
On the outer side of the Borovitsky Gates are the coats of arms of the Lithuanian and Moscow principalities carved from white stone; when and why they appeared there is unknown.
The name is given by the ancient forest, which covered Borovitsky Hill in past.
Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower
Architect: Anton Fryazin.
Years of construction: 1488.
Height: 61.2 meters.
Completion: luminous ruby weather vane star.
It is located on the southwestern corner of the Kremlin wall near the Kremlin embankment of the Moskva River between the Borovitskaya and Blagoveshchenskaya towers. It is an elongated cylinder with a complex tent completion. The parapet of the tower is crowned with "dovetail" teeth, it is equipped with machicolations for circular firing. The decoration of the tower draws attention: up to the middle of the height it is lined with alternating belts of protruding and sinking masonry, above which there is an arched 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 designed according to the project Christopher Galoway- the first water supply system in Moscow from tanks installed on the upper tiers of the tower to supply water from the Moscow River to the Kremlin. Later it was dismantled and transported to St. Petersburg, where they began to use it to fill fountains with water.
The name is given by the water-lifting machine of Galoway.
Annunciation Tower
Architect: ?
Years of construction: 1487-1488.
Height: 32.4 meters.
Completion: weather vane flag.
Annunciation Tower located on the south side of the Kremlin wall between the Vodovzvodnaya and Taynitskaya towers. It is a quadrangle with a built-in tetrahedral tent and an observation tower. There are machicolations in the parapet of the tower. Under Ivan the Terrible, it was used as a prison, in 1731-1932 - as the bell tower of the Church of the Annunciation (demolished in the Soviet years).
The name is given by the icon of the Annunciation, which, according to legend, miraculously appeared 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: weather vane flag.
Taynitskaya tower 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 quadruple with a built-in tetrahedral tent and an observation tower. There are machicolations in the parapet of the tower. In the past, the tower housed the Tainitskiye gates, a well-spring and a secret passage to the Moscow River.
The first tower of the Moscow Kremlin in time of construction - it was from it that the construction of modern walls and towers began.
The name is given by the secret exit to the Moscow River.
First Nameless Tower
Architect: ?
Years of construction: 1480s.
Height: 34.1 meters.
Completion: weather vane flag.
First Nameless Tower located on the southern side of the Kremlin wall between the Tainitskaya and the Second Nameless towers. It is a quadrangle with a built-in tetrahedral tent and an observation tower. During its history it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. In the past, a powder warehouse was located inside the tower, after which the tower was called the Powder Tower.
The modern name is given for a reason that is not entirely clear.
Second Nameless Tower
Architect: ?
Years of construction: 1480s.
Height: 30.2 meters.
Completion: weather vane flag.
Second Nameless Tower is located on the south side of the Kremlin wall between the First Nameless Tower and the Petrovsky Tower. It is a quadrangle with a built-in tetrahedral 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 a reason that is not entirely clear.
Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower
Architect: ?
Years of construction: 1485-1487.
Height: 27.1 meters.
Completion: weather vane flag.
Petrovskaya tower located on the south side of the Kremlin wall between the Second Nameless and Beklemishevskaya towers. It consists of 3 fours stacked on top of each other, crowned with an octagonal tent. There are false machicolations in the parapet of the tower. Over the years of its existence, it has been rebuilt several times.
The name is 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 Moscow River, the Neglinka and the Alevizov moat, from the travel towers to " big land"bridges were thrown - only the Trinity Bridge has survived to this day;
The very first in time of construction is the Taynitskaya tower, erected in 1485;
Of the 20 towers, 5 are crowned with ruby stars (Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya and Vodovzvodnaya), 1 - with a decorative top (Tsarskaya), 1 - does not have a top (Kutafya Tower), flags-weather vanes are installed on the 13 remaining towers;
Red ruby stars on the tops of the towers rotate from 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;
Double-headed eagles crowned the tower to the stars, except for Vodovzvodnaya - on it state symbols not posted;
To prevent the stars from overheating from the operation of the lamps, they are equipped with a ventilation system;
Troitskaya Tower - the highest tower of the Kremlin (80 meters);
Kutafya tower - the lowest tower of the Kremlin (13.5 meters);
Kutafya tower - the only surviving bridge barbican of the fortress;
The chimes of the Spasskaya Tower are a symbol of the New Year in Russia;
In past , however, some of the towers - including Spasskaya, Nikolskaya and Troitskaya - could be 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 the same. Each tower has its own name and its own history. And for sure, many do not know the names of all the towers. Let's meet?
BEKLEMISHEVSKAYA (Moskvoretskaya) tower is located in the south-east corner of the Kremlin. It was built by the Italian architect Marco Fryazin in 1487-1488. The courtyard of the boyar Beklemishev adjoined the tower, for which it got its name. Beklemishev's courtyard, together with the tower under Vasily III, served as a prison for 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 the moat, so when the enemy attacked, it was the first to take the hit. The architectural solution of the tower is also connected with this: a high cylinder is placed on a beveled white stone plinth and separated from it by a semicircular roller. The surface of the cylinder is cut through by narrow, rarely spaced windows. The tower is completed by machicolas with a combat platform, which was higher than the adjoining walls. In the basement of the tower there was a hiding place-a rumor to prevent undermining. In 1680, the tower was decorated with an octagon, carrying a tall narrow tent with two rows of eaves, which softened its severity. In 1707, expecting a possible offensive by the Swedes, Peter I ordered to build bastions at its foot and expand the loopholes to install more powerful guns. During the Napoleonic invasion, the tower was damaged and then repaired. In 1917, during the shelling, the top of the tower was damaged, which was restored by 1920. In 1949, during the restoration, the loopholes were restored in their original 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 KONSTANTINOV-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 made of white stone, another tower stood in this place. It was through her that Dmitry Donskoy with the army went to the Kulikovo field. new tower built for the reason that on her part, not the Kremlin had no natural barriers. It was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful diversion archer and a passage gate, which after, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. were disassembled. The tower got its name from the church of Constantine and Helena, which stood in the Kremlin. The height of the tower is 36.8 meters.
The alarm tower got its name from the large bell - the alarm that hung above it. Once upon a time, sentinels were constantly on duty here. From a height, they vigilantly watched - if the enemy army was coming to the city. And if danger was approaching, the sentinels had to warn everyone, strike the alarm bell. Because of him, the tower was called 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 bad news - they were deprived of the language. In those days it was a common practice to remember 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.
TSAR tower. It is not at all like other Kremlin towers. There are 4 columns directly on the wall, and on them there is a peaked roof. There are no powerful walls, no narrow loopholes. But they are of no use to her. Because they were built two centuries later than the rest of the towers and not at all for defense. Previously, there was a small wooden tower at this place, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched the Red Square. Previously, there was a small wooden tower at this place, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched the Red Square. Later, the smallest tower of the Kremlin was built here and called it the 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 an icon of the Savior was hung over the gates of this tower. It was erected on the spot where in ancient times the main gates of the Kremlin were located. It, like Nikolskaya, was built to protect the northeastern part of the Kremlin, which had no natural water barriers. The passage gates of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya, were considered “holy” by the people. They did not pass through them on horseback and did not pass with their heads covered. Regiments marching on the march passed through these gates, tsars and ambassadors were met here. In the 17th century, the coat of arms of Russia, the double-headed eagle, was hoisted on the tower, and 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 turned into Spasskaya. She was so named 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 Kremlin. In 1851-52. a clock was installed on the Spasskaya Tower, which we still see. Kremlin chimes. Chimes are called large clocks that have a musical mechanism. At the Kremlin chimes, bells play music. There are eleven of them. One large one, it 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 the hammer in motion, it strikes the surface of the bells and the sound of the Kremlin chimes sounds. The mechanism of the Kremlin chimes occupies three floors. Previously, the chimes were wound by hand, but now they do it with the help of 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 protected the Kremlin from 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 in the eastern part of the Kremlin wall. The name of the tower comes from the St. Nicholas Monastery, located nearby. Therefore, an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed over the travel gates of the archer. Like all towers with entrance gates, Nikolskaya had a drawbridge across the moat and protective bars that were lowered during the battle. The Nikolskaya Tower went down in history in 1612, when militia troops led by Minin and Pozharsky broke 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 O.I. Bove with a new needle-shaped dome in pseudo-Gothic style. In 1917 the tower suffered again. This time from artillery fire. In 1935, the dome of the tower was crowned with a five-pointed star. In the 20th century, the tower was restored in 1946-1950s and in 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. It received its first name 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 nearby estate of the Sobakin boyars. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal tower. He is over 500 years old. It is filled from an ancient source and therefore there is always 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 because right behind it there was a warehouse of weapons. It was built in 1493-1495. After the construction of the Arsenal building, the tower got its name. Near the tower in 1812 a grotto was erected - one of the attractions of the Alexander Garden. The height of the tower is 38.9 meters.
The TROITSKAYA tower is named after the church and the Trinity Compound, which were once nearby on the territory of the Kremlin. Troitskaya Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The height of the tower at present, together with the star from the direction of the Alexander Garden, is 80 meters. The Trinity Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower. The gates of the tower serve as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin. Built in 1495-1499. Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanets. The tower was called differently: Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 after the name of the Trinity Compound of the Kremlin. The two-storey base of the tower housed a prison 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 tent 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 on 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 towers of the Kremlin. The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest - manufactured in 1870 and prefabricated on bolts, therefore, when dismantled, it had to be dismantled at the top of the tower. In 1937, the faded semi-precious star was replaced with a modern ruby one.
KUTAFYA tower (connected by a bridge with Troitskaya). Her name is associated with this: in the old days, a casually dressed, clumsy woman was called a kutafya. Indeed, the Kutafya tower is not high, like the others, but squat and wide. The tower was built in 1516 under the leadership of the Milanese architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya River, with the only gate, which in moments of danger was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for the besiegers of the fortress. She had loopholes of the plantar battle and machicolations. In the XVI-XVII centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that the water surrounded the tower from all sides. Its initial height above ground level was 18 meters. It was possible to enter the tower from the side of the city only on 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", denoting a full, clumsy woman. The Kutafya Tower has never been covered. In 1685, it was crowned with an openwork "crown" with white stone details.
The KOMENDANTSKAYA 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 northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. It was formerly called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny yard located near it in the Kremlin. In 1676-1686 it was built on. The tower is made up of a massive quadrangle with machicolations (mounted loopholes) and a parapet and an open tetrahedron standing on it, completed with a pyramidal roof, an observation tower and an octagonal ball. In the main volume of the tower there are three tiers of rooms covered with barrel vaults; vaults are covered and tiers of completion. In the 19th century, the tower was called “Komendantskaya”, when the commandant of Moscow settled in the Poteshny Palace of the 17th century near the Kremlin. The height of the tower from 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 nearby Armory, the second comes from the nearby Stables Yard. Once upon a time, ancient weapons workshops were located next to it. They also made precious dishes and jewelry. The ancient workshops gave the name not only to the tower, but also to a wonderful museum located next to the Kremlin wall - the Armory. Many Kremlin treasures and simply very ancient things are collected here. 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 forest that grew on this place. The second name, assigned by the royal decree of 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. At present, it is the main passage for government motorcades. The height of the tower is 54 meters.
WATER TOWER - so named because of the car that was here once. She raised water from a well, arranged at the bottom to 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. He worked for a long time, but then the car was dismantled and taken to St. Petersburg. There it was used for the device of 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.
Blagoveshchenskaya tower. According to legend, the miraculous icon of the Annunciation was previously kept in this tower, and in 1731 the Church of the Annunciation was attached 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, a gate was made near the tower, called Portomoinny. In 1831 they were laid down, and in Soviet times the Church of the Annunciation was also dismantled. The height of the Annunciation Tower with a weather vane is 32.45 meters.
TAYNITSKAYA tower - the first tower laid down during the construction of the Kremlin. It was named so because a secret underground passage led from it to the river. It was intended to be able to take water in case the fortress was besieged by enemies. The height of the Tainitskaya tower is 38.4 meters.
Built in the 1480s. The tower ends with a simple tetrahedral pyramidal tent. The inside of the tower is formed by two tiers of vaulted rooms: the lower tier with a cross vault and the upper tier with a closed vault. The upper quadrangle is open into the cavity of the tent. One of the two towers which did not get a name. Height 34.15 meters.
Built in the 1480s. Above the upper quadrangle of the tower is an octagonal tent with a weather vane; the upper quadrangle is open inside the tent. The interior of the tower includes two levels of rooms; the lower tier has a cylindrical vault, and the upper one is closed. Height 30.2 meters.
The PETROVSKAYA tower, together with two nameless ones, was built to reinforce the southern wall, as it was the most frequently attacked. Like the two nameless ones, the Petrovsky Tower did not have a name at first. She received her name from the church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky Compound in the Kremlin. In 1771, during the construction of the Kremlin Palace, the tower, the church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshskoye metochion were dismantled. In 1783 the tower was rebuilt, but in 1812 the French destroyed it again during the occupation of Moscow. In 1818, the Petrovsky Tower was restored again. It was used for their needs by the Kremlin gardeners. The height of the tower is 27.15 meters.
