The Spasskaya Tower is considered the most beautiful and slender tower. Built in 1491 under the leadership of the architect Pietro Antonio Solari, it marked the beginning of the construction of the eastern line of the Kremlin fortification. The Spassky Gate has always been the main front entrance. When built, the tower was quadrangular and twice as low. In the 17th century, a beautiful drawbridge on arches approached the gate, on which there was brisk trade. The façade still contains holes from the chains used to raise and lower the bridge. In 1624-25, architects Bazhen Ogurtsov and an English master erected a multi-tiered top on the tower and built a stone tent. This tent was the first on the Kremlin towers. But not only a tent was erected on the tower, the bottom was completed with a lacy white stone arched belt, turrets and pyramids. Fantastic figures (“booties”) appeared. In the 50s of the 17th century, the coat of arms of the Russian Empire - a double-headed eagle - was placed on the top of the tent. Later, the same coats of arms were installed on the Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya towers. In 1935, a five-pointed star was installed on the top of the Spasskaya Tower. Later it was replaced by a new one (3.75 meters). The star rotates in the wind like a weather vane, and a 5,000-watt lamp burns inside. Initially, the tower was called Frolovskaya, since the Church of Flora and Lavra was located nearby. April 16, 1658 by decree of Alexei Mikhailovich. The new name is associated with the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The Senate Tower is 67.3 meters high (with a star - 71 meters). The first watches appeared in 1491, new watches were created in 1625 by the English master Christian Galovey, the Russian blacksmith Zhdan and Samoilov. Later, in 1706-1975, a Dutch clock was installed. The Kremlin chimes were installed in 1851 by the Butenop brothers.

photos around the Kremlin

Tsar's Tower

Built in 1680. It is a mansion placed on the wall. Once upon a time there was a small wooden tower from which Tsar Ivan the Terrible loved to watch Red Square. White stone belts on the pillars, high pyramids in the corners with gilded flags, a tent ending with a weather vane - all this gives the tower the appearance of a fairy-tale mansion.

The blind Alarm Tower was erected in 1495 in the northwestern wall of the Moscow Kremlin between two others - the Tsarskaya and Konstantino-Eleninskaya towers. Inside it is divided into two tiers. Its lower tier is a complex multi-chamber room connected to the running part of the walls by stairs. In 1676-1686, a hipped tetrahedral top was added.

Built by the architect Solari in 1940, on the site of the Timofeevsky Gate. Named after the Church of Constantine and Helena. At first the tower was a passage tower and had a drawbridge. In 1680, a tent roof was built. At the end of the 18th century, the bridge was broken and the gates were blocked. Even now the arch of the gate and the recess for the icons are clearly visible. Height 36.8 meters.


Located in the southeast corner. Built by the architect Mark Ruffo in 1487. In defense of the Kremlin, it took on the blow of enemy hordes. The architectural solution of the tower: a tall, slender cylinder placed on a plinth. A hearing cache was built in the basement to prevent undermining. In the seventeenth century a tent was erected. This tower has another name - Moskvoretskaya, because of the Moskvoretsky Bridge. The height of the tower is 46.2 meters.

The name of this tower comes from Peter's Church. The tower was destroyed by shells in 1612. In 1812, the tower was blown up by the retreating French. It was restored by the architect Beauvais. In 1818 it served the needs of Kremlin gardeners. The height of the tower is 27.15 meters.

First Nameless Tower

It was built in 1480. This tower has very sparse architectural forms. In the 15th and 16th centuries, gunpowder was stored in the tower. In 1547, a gunpowder explosion occurred in the tower. It was re-erected in the 17th century. They built a tent. Height - 34.15 meters.

Second Nameless Tower

The tower was built in the 15th century. It served only a defensive function. In 1680, a pyramidal tent with an observation tower was built above the tower. The tent is topped with a gilded weather vane.

Tainitskaya Tower is the oldest of the Kremlin towers. The name comes from the cache, which is located under the tower. Built in 1485 by architect P. A. Fryazin. At the end of the 17th century a tent was erected. In 1770 the tower was demolished, but three years later it was rebuilt. The height of the tower is 38.4 meters.


Annunciation Tower

Built 8 1487-88. Low, tetrahedral tower. At its base lies a white stone slab. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, there was a prison in the tower. At the end of the 17th century, a tent topped with a golden weather vane and a watchtower were erected. The name of the tower comes from the Annunciation icon and the church. In the depths of the tower there was a deep underground. The height of the tower is 30.7 meters, with a weather vane - 32.45 meters.

The tower is located in the southwestern corner of the Kremlin. The tower guards the Kremlin. Vodovzvodnaya Tower is one of the most the most beautiful towers Kremlin ensemble. Built in 1488 by the architect Gilardi. At first it was called Sviblovaya. The modern name appeared in 1633, since this tower housed a water-lifting machine. The tower itself was built in a classical style. The tower is completed by battlements. At the end of the 17th century, a tent was built over the tower.

The tower has a stepped shape. It got its name from the forest that used to cover the entire hill. Built in 1490 by the architect Solari. On April 16, 1658 it was renamed Predtechenskaya. But it has reached us like the Borovitskaya Tower. The Borovitsky Gate had a utilitarian purpose. In 1812, the top of her tent fell. The restoration was carried out by Beauvais in 1816-19.

Weapon Tower

It is a small, austere, dull building. Built in 1945. At first it was called Kolymazhnaya, since the Kolymazhny yard was located nearby. It received its current name in the 19th century because the commandant of Moscow lived next to the tower. In 1676-86 a tent and a tower were erected. The height of the tower is 41.25 meters.

Trinity Tower

This tower completed the construction of fortifications on the side of the Neglinnaya River. Built in 1495-1499 by Aleviz Fryazin. It has six floors, deep two-story basements. A clock was installed on the tower in 1585, but it burned down in 1812. Recently a new clock was installed on the tower. The name comes from the Trinity Metochion in the Kremlin. Before that, it was called Epiphany, Kuretnaya, Znamenskaya. This tower, topped with a star, is the tallest of all. Its height is 80 meters.

The only surviving bridgehead tower. Built in 1516 by architect Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and a river, it has two tiers and a gate. In 1685, an openwork decorative top was added. One version of the name is as follows: because of its strange shape it was called Kutafya. (Kutafya is a clumsy, ugly dressed woman.)

Middle Arsenal Tower

Located in the north-west of the Kremlin. Built in 1495. It received its name during the construction of the Arsenal. The tower is crowned with a through observation tower. In 1812, a grotto was built at the foot of the tower in honor of the victory over Napoleon.

Corner Arsenal Tower

What did the Kremlin, the fortress, mean to the people of that era? The Kremlin is the military and intellectual core of the city. And in dangerous situations, the Kremlin walls saved lives. Inside the fortress lived nobility - leadership, there was an arsenal and supplies, there was main cathedral, library and learned people. When the population increased, people settled on the outside of the walls - a settlement was formed. The settlement was also later surrounded by fortifications. When attacked by enemies, everyone who could took cover behind the walls of the fortress. Each tower performed specific functions. The tallest ones were guard towers, the strongest ones were entrance towers, with gates, and there was also an arsenal tower, a water intake tower, a sentry tower (with a clock), a prison tower - a dark room... The distance between the towers was such that the entire space between them could be shot through from the same towers .

The fortress on Borovitsky Hill has been built and rebuilt since 1156 (the date of the appearance of the first fortifications). But the towers and walls familiar to us began to be erected in the 1480s - during the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich (Ivan III). To furnish the royal residence - a complex of mansions, churches and cathedrals - the architects Pietro Antonio Solari, Antonio Gilardi (Anton Fryazin), Aloisio da Milano (Aleviz Fryazin), Aristotle Fioravanti were invited from Italy (this part of our history is well reflected in the series about, wife of Ivan Vasilyevich). Construction was carried out in Russian traditions, in compliance with all the canons of church and residential architecture. But the result turned out to be unusual; where else can you find such elegant and at the same time majestic towers? And if the eye has already become accustomed to not noticing this beauty, then I suggest taking another look at our main attraction.

Tainitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin

The “oldest” tower is Tainitskaya, built by Anton Fryazin in 1485. The photograph shows that there was once a gate in this tower, but now it has been blocked (in the 30s of the 20th century).

In general, the very first towers were built along the Moscow River, and Tainitskaya is the central one on this “embankment” (see diagram above). “... an archer was laid on the Moscow River at the Sheshkov (Peshkov) Gate, and a cache was found under it,” the chronicle says. Each Russian fortress had a “tainitskaya” tower - with access to a spring that supplied the besieged with water, and to secret underground passages. The Tainitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin means underground passage to the Moscow River and the passage inside the fortress. There was also a well there. The existence of the well and passages is confirmed by documents. Until 1674, the tower had a striking clock, and until 1917, a cannon shot was fired from the tower every noon.

In terms of underground secrets, the Moscow Kremlin is one of the most interesting objects in the world. Scheme You can't see the link about underground passages in the Moscow Kremlin shows which of them are still preserved

"Who knew that Moscow would be a kingdom,
who knew that Moscow was considered a state?"
(Chronicle of the 17th century, author unknown)

In the summer from the creation of the world 6666, the Grand Duke of Kiev Yuri Vladimirovich, nicknamed Dolgoruky, the son of the Grand Duke Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh, traveled with his retinue from the capital Kiev to his son Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky in the city of Vladimir-on-Klyazma, where he reigned father's will.
And suddenly, in the middle of one vast swamp, Prince Yuri Vladimirovich saw a huge wonderful beast. That beast had three heads and motley fur of many colors. And the whole squad, and all the prince’s companions saw this beast and stood up in amazement. Having appeared to people, the wonderful beast then disappeared, melting away like morning fog.

Then Prince Yuri Vladimirovich asked one of his companions, a learned Greek philosopher:
- What does the appearance of this wonderful beast signify?
“Elementary, Grand Duke,” answered the learned Greek. “This phenomenon signifies that a great triangular city will arise near these places and a great kingdom will spread around it. And the diversity of the animal’s skin means that people of different tribes and nations will come here.

The prince thought for a moment, then asked again:
- Is your interpretation true, learned philosopher?
“True,” answered the learned philosopher, “because even at the founding of the great city of Rome there was a sign.” When they began to dig a ditch under the city wall, they dug up a human head as if it were alive, and this meant that Rome would be the head of many cities. Which came true. And when they were building Constantinople, a serpent crawled out of the hole, and at that same moment an eagle fell on him from above, and they began to fight. And the wise man of books therefore said: “The city of Constantine will be king over other cities, just as the eagle is king over all birds, and it will be subject to the invasions of the infidels.” Which also came true. Therefore, the sign shown to you today will also come true.
(The previous text is taken from "The Tale of Bygone Years", "The All-Beautiful Place of Moscow", author unknown).

Then there were a lot of different historical events, about them another time, but in the end Dolgoruky erected a wooden fortress on Borovitsky Hill, and named it after the local river - Moscow. This is how it appeared best city on the ground. Huge, colorful from all nationalities, and the Kremlin has a triangular shape, as can be seen in the pictures above and below. The two photos below are not mine, the first one belongs to Marina Lystseva photografersha
But why exactly “Moscow” and not, say, Komsomolsk-on-Amur? Everything is simple here. Tradition says that at the first meeting of the prince with the local boyar Kuchka, the following conversation took place:
- What is the name of this river? - asked the prince.
- Moscow.
- What does this name mean?
“It was not named by us, but by those who lived before us,” answered Kuchko, “but we don’t know what it means.” It’s been this way since centuries: we say “Moscow” - and that’s it.
“So, you say, the name was given by those who lived before you,” said the prince, and thought to himself: “You once replaced those who lived here before you, and now it’s your turn to give way to me. And Moscow, not Moscow, what the hell is the difference? and I will command the name of the city."

The walls and towers of the Kremlin form an irregular triangle. There are twenty towers in the Kremlin, three round towers are located in the corners. Each such tower protected a corner of the fortress and both walls adjacent to it. The remaining towers are square.
Almost all of them are made in the same architectural style of the 17th century; only Nikolskaya, which was rebuilt in the pseudo-Gothic style at the beginning of the 19th century, is out of order.
The walls and towers of the Kremlin, which still stand today, were built under the Grand Duke of All Rus' Ivan III Vasilyevich in 1485-1495. They were erected by Italian architects Anton Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi), Marco Fryazin (Marco Ruffo), Pyotr Fryazin (Pietro Antonio Solari), Aleviz Fryazin the Old (Aloisio da Carcano). All these architects, oddly enough, are not brothers or even namesakes. It’s just that in Rus' at that time the Italians were called “Fryags” or “Fryazins”.
We will walk around the Kremlin clockwise, starting from the metro.

Corner Arsenal Tower

Height - 60.2 m.
The most powerful tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Its lower mass consists of 18 faces, and the base is greatly expanded. This gives it greater stability. In the upper part there are hinged loopholes - machikuli. The walls reach 4 meters in thickness. Built in 1492 by Pietro Antonio Solari.
A well was dug in the tower, which in case of a siege could be used by the garrison of the fortress (it has survived to this day). From the Corner Arsenal Tower there was a secret passage to the Neglinnaya River (later it was laid). In the 15th-16th centuries, the tower was strengthened with an additional wall that went around it in a semicircle.

Nikolskaya Tower

Height with star - 70.4 m.
Built in 1491 according to the design of Pietro Antonio Solari. It is named after the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, located above the passage gate of the diversion arch. According to the existing tradition, at this tower in front of the icon of St. Nicholas - the holy saint of God, the most revered in Rus' - the townspeople resolved their controversial issues.
In 1612, it was through the gates of the Nikolskaya and Spasskaya towers that the people's militia, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, solemnly entered the Kremlin on November 1. Muscovites and residents of surrounding villages greeted the winners with jubilation. (On October 27, an agreement on the surrender of the Polish garrison was signed).
In 1702-1736 the Arsenal building was built. The building is adjacent to the Kremlin wall between the Nikolskaya and Corner Arsenal towers. The Nikolskaya Tower acquires Baroque decor, just like the original design of the Arsenal.

In 1812, it was blown up by the French retreating from Moscow, the tent collapsed, part of the passage gate was damaged, but part of the quadrangle with the gate icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisky was not touched. In the book by Alexey Remizov you can find a mention: “It exploded so hard that it broke the windows and doors of all the houses in the area. All that remains of the Arsenal are ruins. And half the tower collapsed. But Nikola - with sword and hail - resisted! Even the glass on the icon did not crack. Even the lantern with the candle continued to hang.”
News of the miracle soon reached the emperor. Arriving in Moscow, Alexander I personally became convinced of the safety of the icon and ordered, first of all, to restore the tower, and to hang a marble plaque under the icon, the words for which he himself had inscribed. It was later dismantled.

During the battles in October 1917, the gate image of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisk was riddled with bullets and shrapnel, but the face itself was not damaged, which was perceived as a miracle by believing Muscovites.
At the end of April 1918, before the first official celebration of the proletarian May Day, the facade, including the icon, was completely draped in red calico. By official version strong gusts of wind, twisting the panels, cleared the view of the image. However, according to people’s recollections, the weather was calm and the red canvas tore as if it had been cut with a sword.

Senate Tower

Height - 34 m.
Built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The tower received its name after the construction of the Senate Palace on the Kremlin territory was completed in 1787. In 1680, a stone tent was built over the tower, ending with a golden weather vane. In front of the tower is the Lenin Mausoleum.
In 1948, a passage was made from the tower to the Mausoleum so that members of the CPSU Central Committee could enter the stands directly from the Kremlin, bypassing Red Square.

Spasskaya Tower

Height with star - 71 m.
Built in 1491 during the reign of Ivan III by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The name is associated with the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, placed above the gate on the Red Square side. The icon itself has not survived, but the place where it hung is clearly visible. With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the gate image, as well as the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands itself, were lost. However, in June 2010, icon painter Dmitry Vinokurov wrote an accurate list of the famous miraculous icon.
If the enemy penetrated inside the archery, the iron bars were lowered, and the enemy found himself locked in a kind of stone bag. He was fired at from the upper gallery of the archery.
Fantastic figurines - an element of decor - under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, their nakedness was bashfully covered with specially sewn clothes. In the mid-17th century, the first double-headed eagle was installed on the main tower of the Kremlin.

The Spassky Gate was revered as saints. It was forbidden to ride through them on horseback, and men passing through them had to remove their headdresses in front of the image of the Savior, which was illuminated by an unquenchable lamp. Anyone who disobeyed the holy rule had to make 50 prostrations.
There is a legend that when Napoleon was passing through the Spassky Gate in captured Moscow, a gust of wind pulled the famous cocked hat from his head. During the retreat of the French army from Moscow, the Spasskaya Tower was ordered to be blown up, but the Don Cossacks arrived in time and extinguished the already lit wicks.
They were also the main entrance to the Kremlin, from here regiments left for battle, and here they met foreign ambassadors. All religious processions from the Kremlin went through these gates, all the rulers of Russia, starting with Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, solemnly passed through them before his coronation.

The famous chiming clock has existed since the 16th century. They were made in 1625 under the direction of the English mechanic Christopher Galovey. In 1705, by decree of Peter I, the Spassky clock was converted into a German style with a dial at 12 o'clock. Modern chimes were made by brothers Nikolai and Ivan Budenop in 1851-1852 and installed on 8-10 tiers of the Spasskaya Tower. From that time on, the chimes played the “March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment” at 12 and 6 o’clock, and at 3 and 9 o’clock the hymn “How Glorious is Our Lord in Zion.” After the revolution of 1917, the clock began to read “Internationale” at 12 o’clock, and “You have fallen a victim...” at 24 o’clock. Nowadays, at 12 and 6 o'clock the chimes play National anthem Russian Federation, and at 3 and 9 - the melody of the choir “Glory”.

Tsar's Tower

Height with weather vane - 16.7 m.
This is the youngest and smallest tower of the Moscow Kremlin, built in 1680. Its octagonal tent on jug-shaped pillars resembles the porch lockers of stone residential mansions that were common at that time. Well preserved its original shape.
Strictly speaking, this is not a tower, but a stone tower, a tent placed on the wall. Once upon a time there was a small wooden tower from which, according to legend, Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) loved to watch the events taking place on Red Square - hence the name of the tower.

Alarm tower

Height - 38 m.
The name comes from the Spassky alarm bell hanging on it, which served as a fire alarm. Erected in 1495. The tower is placed very high - on a hill. It was a watchtower of the Kremlin fortress. Columns of smoke indicated the approach of the steppe enemy, which the watchmen announced by ringing bells. Muscovites from unprotected settlements hurried to take refuge, some behind the walls of the monastery, and some in the Kremlin.
In 1771, during the Plague Riot, the rebels sounded the Spassky alarm and thus gathered Muscovites to the Kremlin. At the end of the riot, Catherine II ordered the removal of the tongue from the bell. For more than 30 years, the bell hung on the tower without a tongue.
The tower deviates from the vertical by one meter.

Konstantino-Eleninskayatower

Height - 36.8 m.
Built in 1490 by Pietro Antonio Solari. It received its modern name after the Church of Constantine and Helen was built nearby in the Kremlin in the 17th century (it was dismantled in 1928).
Previously, in its place there was an ancient white stone tower from the time of Demetrius Donskoy, called Timofeevskaya. Through its gates, Dimitri Donskoy in 1380 rode with his squads to the famous Battle of Kulikovo.
At the end of the 17th century, when the former defensive role of the tower came to naught, the strelnitsa was turned into a prison, the dungeon was nicknamed “Torture”. The tower gates were closed.

Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) tower

Height - 46.2 m.
It is located near the junction of the Moscow River with a moat and performs an important defensive function. Built in 1487-1488 by Italian architect Mark Fryazin. The first name comes from the courtyard of boyar Beklemishev adjacent to the tower; later - from the nearby Moskvoretsky Bridge.
Ivan Beklemishev was nicknamed “Bersenem” for his caustic tongue, that is, gooseberry (hence Bersenevskaya embankment). He led the boyar opposition to the grand ducal power. Vasily III, who sought to rule alone without the boyars, ordered his head to be cut off, and his courtyard, along with the tower, was used as a prison for disgraced boyars.
This is one of the few Kremlin towers that were practically not rebuilt.

Petrovskaya Tower

Height - 27.15 m.
The Petrovskaya Tower received its name from the Church of Metropolitan Peter, which belonged to the courtyard of the Ugreshsky Monastery. Therefore, it was sometimes called Ugreshskaya.
This tower, which looks very different from the neighboring towers, was rebuilt many times. The exact time of the first construction of the Petrovskaya Tower is unknown; it is assumed that it was erected along with other towers of the southern wall in the 1480s.
It is not difficult to recognize it - it is the only tower that has a drainage pipe on its façade.

Second Nameless Tower

Height - 30.2 m.
Built in the 1480s as an intermediate tower on the southern side of the Kremlin.
In 1701 the tower had a gate, which was later blocked. In 1771, in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace, it was demolished and then restored.
There is nothing special to tell about it, as well as about the First Nameless Tower, otherwise they would have names.

First Nameless Tower

Height - 34.15 m.
This architecturally simple tower was rebuilt many times. It was first erected in the 1480s. In 1547, the tower collapsed during the fire of Moscow from the explosion of the gunpowder warehouse built in it (that’s why it was also called Porokhovaya). It was rebuilt in the 17th century.
The tower was dismantled in 1770 in preparation for the construction of the Bolshoi by V. I. Bazhenov Kremlin Palace. After the completion of the palace in 1776-1883, the tower, together with the wall between it and the Second Nameless Tower, was rebuilt in a new location, closer to the Tainitskaya Tower.

Taynitskaya Tower

Height - 38.4 m.
The central tower of the southern wall of the Kremlin, the construction of the existing Kremlin walls and towers began with it. The construction of the Kremlin fortifications began on the southern side, since from here, it is believed, the Kremlin was most often threatened by the Tatars, and the old white stone walls here were the most dilapidated.
Erected in 1485 by Anton Fryazin. There was a secret well inside and a hidden exit to the Moscow River, which is why the tower was nicknamed Tainitskaya.
It is very easy to recognize - it is the only tower on the side of the Moscow River on which the walled gates are visible.

The third “cache,” or rather a secret, is connected with the fact that even if the enemies broke through the gates with a battering ram, they ended up not in the Kremlin, but only in the annex - in the shooting gallery. And the entrance to the tower itself is around the bend. But in the close shooting, the enemy could neither turn around with a long ram nor run away properly.
When constructing the tower, the architect used brick for the first time for fortress construction. Until 1674, the tower had a striking clock.
Until 1917, the Kremlin signal cannon was fired daily from the archer of the Tainitskaya tower, notifying Muscovites about the onset of noon - similar to the tradition of firing the Peter and Paul cannon in St. Petersburg.

Annunciation Tower

Height with weather vane - 32.45 m.
The name comes from the “Annunciation” icon that previously existed on the tower, presumably built in 1487-1488, for which the tower served as a bell tower. In the old days, there was an underground floor in the tower, now half-buried, which served as a prison.
There is such a legend: once Tsar Ivan the Terrible put his governor in the Annunciation Tower. But the governor prayed so earnestly every day that the Mother of God appeared to him and promised to help. Soon the king’s servants came to free the governor, and froze in surprise: on the wall of the tower was an imprinted miraculous image of the Mother of God!

Vodovzvodnaya Tower

Height with star - 61.25 m.
Built in 1488 by Italian architect Anton Fryazin. The former name Sviblova Tower comes from the boyar family Sviblova, whose courtyard adjoined the tower from the Kremlin. It received its modern name in 1633 after the installation of a water-lifting machine to supply water from the Moscow River to the Kremlin. According to contemporaries, a similar machine, manufactured under the leadership of the Englishman Christopher Galovey, cost several barrels of gold. This was the first pressure water supply system in the history of Russia.
Unlike other towers on which ruby ​​stars are installed, Vodovzvodnaya did not previously have a top in the form of an eagle. The star, 3 meters in diameter, was installed on the tower in 1937 and is the smallest of the Kremlin stars.

Borovitskaya Tower

Height with star - 54.05 m.
The name of the tower, according to legend, comes from an ancient forest that once covered one of the seven hills on which Moscow stands. According to another legend, the tower got its name from the builders of the white-stone Kremlin under Dmitry Donskoy - this part was built by the residents of Borovsk.
Before the construction of the modern Borovitskaya tower, there was another one in its place, which had the same name. This is evidenced by the record of the construction of the Church of John the Baptist “on the forest” in 1461, where it was written that this church stood at the “Borovitsky Gate”.
The new Borovitskaya Tower was built by Pietro Antonio Solari during the renovation of the Kremlin in 1490, by order of Ivan III.

On the outside of the Kremlin wall, on the folds of the gate, you can see coats of arms carved from white stone, clearly of ancient origin - Lithuanian and Moscow. Experts still have not given an answer about the time and reasons for their appearance on the Borovitskaya Tower.
Another interesting fact- if a flag of a foreign state flies on a building not far from the Borovitsky Gate, this means that in the Kremlin in this moment there is a foreign president.
Today, the Borovitsky Gate is the only permanently operating travel gate in the Kremlin. Visitors to the Armory Chamber also pass through the Borovitskaya Tower. It is believed that they are the oldest of the Kremlin gates.

Weapon Tower

Height - 38.9 m.
Built in 1493-1495. At the beginning of the 17th century, it had a passage gate to the Stables Yard in the Kremlin. Hence her ancient name Konyushennaya. The tower received its modern name in the 19th century after the Armory Chamber building built on the territory of the Kremlin.
During its construction, extensive hydraulic engineering work was required; due to the swampy floodplain, it was necessary to strengthen the creeping soil of the slope and rebuild the fortress wall above the river bank.

Commandant's Tower

Height - 41.25 m.
Built in 1493-1495 under Ivan III, it was formerly called Glukha or Kolymazhnaya (after the nearby Kolymazhnaya yard, where the royal carriages were kept and stables were located). It received its current name in the 19th century, when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Poteshny Palace.
This photo is not mine.

Kutafya Tower

The height on the city side is 13.5 m.
The only surviving diversion tower. Built in 1516 under the leadership of Aleviz Fryazin.
It has only one gate, which in moments of danger was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that water surrounded the tower on all sides.

Such diversion towers are called “barbicans” (from the Arabic or Persian bab-khanah - “gate fortification”). Most often, the barbican was a tower placed outside the perimeter of the walls of a fortress or castle and guarding the approaches to a bridge or gate. The barbican was connected to the fortress by a passage bordered by walls (or a bridge if the barbican was located beyond the line of the moat).
There are two common versions of the origin of the name “Kutafya”: from the word “kut” - shelter, corner, or from the word “kutafya”, which meant a plump, clumsy woman.

Trinity Tower

Height with star - 80 m.
This is the most high tower Kremlin. The Trinity Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to its gates. The tower gate serves as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin. Built in 1495-1499. Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin.
During its history, it managed to change several names - Epiphany, Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya, Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich based on the nearby courtyard of the Trinity Monastery.
The two-story base of the tower housed a prison in the 16th and 17th centuries. A stone staircase led to it; a small hatch led from the upper rooms to the lower ones, through which only one person could crawl. This was the only way out of these “stone bags”. For air circulation, vents were made in them - special slots.
In 1870, it was adapted to house the Archives of the Ministry of the Imperial Household.

Above the Trinity Gate in the icon case there was an icon of the Kazan Mother of God, damaged during the storming of the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks in 1917. The fate of the gate icon during Soviet times is unknown. Currently, the place of the icon above the Trinity Gate on the side of the Alexander Garden is occupied by a clock, and on the side of the Kremlin - by the same empty architectural niche.
In terms of its administrative significance it was second only to Spasskaya. The tower gate served as the entrance to the metropolitan's mansion, to the chambers of the queen and princesses, as well as the exit to the Volotsk road leading to the north, along which the princes, and later the kings, went on campaigns. Ceremonial meetings of returning rulers also took place here.
Now the Presidential Orchestra of Russia is based here.

Middle Arsenal Tower

Height - 38.9 m.
Built in 1493 - 1495 on the site of the corner tower of the time of Dmitry Donskoy. Previously, it was called Granena - from the facade dissected on the edge.
In ancient times, it was connected by intra-wall passages with the Corner Arsenal and Trinity towers. The first move was unwalled in 1934. Another passage inside the wall was discovered in June 1974, when during the restoration of the Kremlin wall from the side of the Alexander Garden, an entrance arch was found in it, next to the Middle Arsenal Tower.

From the 1600s until 1935, the four towers were topped with gilded double-headed eagles. In August 1935, it was decided to replace the eagles (they were installed on the Borovitskaya, Spasskaya, Nikolskaya and Trinity towers) with five-pointed stars with a hammer and sickle (the star was also installed on the Vodovzvodnaya Tower). Sketches of the stars were developed by academician Fyodor Fedorovsky. The first ones were made of high-alloy stainless steel and red copper. In the middle of each star, a hammer and sickle covered with gold was lined with Ural gems. But they quickly faded, and even looked ridiculous in the overall composition of the Kremlin, they were bulky and greatly violated architectural ensemble. In 1937 they were replaced with ruby ​​and luminous ones. The power of the lamps in the star is 5000 watts.
Recently, social activists and the church are increasingly turning to the president with a request to replace the stars with eagles, but so far there have been no official statements on this matter.

The topic used materials from Moscow expert Tatyana Sykova.
P.S. Personally, the year of foundation of Moscow, 6666th from the Creation of the World, seems inaccurate to me. According to my calculations, this should be the year 6655.

The modern Kremlin was built at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries. The impregnable fortress was surrounded on all sides by water: from the south - the Moscow 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, height from 5 to 19 m, thickness 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 canopies protected 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, 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 to drive out the cadets from it. In 1945, the Germans bombed the city. However, fate preserved the Kremlin, and in our time it has become a symbol

Here is a diagram of the Kremlin, where all the towers are indicated. There are only 20 of them. They are all different in shape, history of construction and meaning.

The oldest tower of the Kremlin - Taininskaya. Its name is associated with a secret well and 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 mid-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; according to tradition, Russian tsars and emperors entered the Kremlin through it. According to legend, in 1521 During the invasion of Moscow by the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey, a blind nun of the Ascension Monastery had a vision: to the sound of bells, Moscow saints emerged from 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.

Tsarskaya The tower is located to the left of Spasskaya, right on the Kremlin wall. According to legend, it was from here that Ivan the Terrible watched the executions that took place on Vasilyevsky Spusk.

Corner -Arsenal (Sobakina) the tower was built in 1492.

Antonio Solari and had within herself a spring with clean water, which has survived to this day. Because of the boyar Sobakin’s courtyard, which was located nearby, the tower was called after his surname. 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, controversy continues over the mysteriously disappeared “liberea,” as the library was called in the Middle Ages.

In the 19th century, the commandant of Moscow settled in the Amusement 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 Borovitskaya and Commandant's towers located Armory, which used to be called Konyushennaya due to the proximity of the royal stables. The Armory Tower received its name 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 livestock and stable yard nearby. The name came from the forest forest on the site of which this tower was erected. The tower had a drawbridge over the Neglinnaya River and a lattice protecting the entrance. But when the Neglinnaya River was enclosed in pipes, the bridge was removed, only slits in the wall for chains remained. 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 times of trouble. Catherine the Great ordered his tongue to be torn out because the sound of the bell was the signal for the start of the Plague Riot in 1771.

Trinity 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 the fire of 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 gate was tightly closed. It was possible to get into it only 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 installed in it, which raised water through pipes for the entire Kremlin. In 1812 During the retreat of Napoleonic troops, the tower was blown up. But she is under the leadership of O.I. Beauvais was again built and restored.

Blagoveshchenskaya The tower has a solid structure and is located between the Taininskaya and Vodovzvodnaya towers. Chronicles say that the icon of the 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 a lancet with a drawbridge. The name is associated with the icon of St. Nicholas, which hung above the gate of this tower. There was a tradition of resolving disputes under this icon. In 1612, during the fight against the Polish-gentry invaders, troops led by Minin and Pozharsky burst through these gates and liberated the Kremlin. During the October Revolution, the tower was heavily damaged by shelling, but in 1918 it was restored. On Lenin's orders it was repaired.

The remaining towers: Konstantino-Eleninskaya, Senateskaya, Beklemishevskaya, Srednyaya-Arsenalnaya, 1st and 2nd Bezymyannye, 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 nearby constructed buildings. The towers served the role of protecting the Kremlin from enemies, and subsequently an aesthetic and cultural role, since they are very beautiful and eye-catching architectural forms.

The Kremlin fortress with its emerald tents, swallowtails and ruby ​​stars is one of the brightest, most recognizable and, as they always say in such cases, “dear to every Russian since 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 to confirm the postulate about the largest active fortress, in 2013, powerful plastic checkpoints were built on the sides of the Kutafya Tower, completely hiding the side facades of the monument, but taking the place of the ancient drawbridges and successfully reviving 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. From it counterclockwise: 2) Konstantino-Eleninskaya (Timofeevskaya), 3) Nabatnaya, 4) Tsarskaya, 5) Spasskaya (Frolovskaya), 6) Senateskaya, 7) Nikolskaya, 8) Corner Arsenalnaya (Sobakina), 9) Middle Arsenalnaya (Grenaya), 10) Troitskaya, 11) Kutafya, 12) Komendantskaya (Kolymazhnaya), 13) Armory (Konyushennaya), 14) Borovitskaya (Predtechenskaya), 15) Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova), 16) Blagoveshchenskaya, 17) Tainitskaya, 18) First Nameless, 19) Second Nameless, 20) Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya).

However, two of them are not quite towers: Kutafya is a separate bridgehead fortification (in European “barbican”), and Tsarskaya is a small stone gazebo on the wall. But if you count them too, the number comes out round and 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 new wall, were very upset by her inaccessibility and left. 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, white stone masonry from 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 muroli architects (from the Italian mura - wall). By the way, the word “Kremlin” itself, which replaced the Russian “detinets”, comes from the term “cremalier”, 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 the Sforza Castle in Milan.

Initially, the towers of the brick Kremlin were not as elegant and high as they are now, the fortress was more austere, but more powerful - a second, lower line of walls with brick bastions stretched from the south and east; from the east they were complemented by the 30-meter-wide Alevizov ditch, from the west - wide dams of the Neglinnaya River. 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” means beautiful).

In the 17th century, the towers were built with high tents. A very expensive, complex, magnificent and completely unnecessary work in practical terms - most of the add-ons are purely decorative. They defined a new image of the capital city, revived after complete devastation during the Time of Troubles - it was not without reason that the first tent (the clock tower over the Spassky Gate) appeared earlier than the first stone monument 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 facing a global rebranding according to the project of Vasily Bazhenov. But soon the empress changed her mind and - either out of spite, or out of foresight - ordered the recently destroyed towers of the southern wall to be restored. So, in the row of towers standing along the Moscow River, only the one on the far right (Beklemishevskaya, also known as Moskvoretskaya) and the second on the left (Blagoveshchenskaya) remained ancient. The left corner Vodovzvodnaya also survived then, but was later blown up by order of Napoleon. At the same time, in 1812, the Nikolskaya and Sobakina (Corner Arsenalnaya) towers were partially destroyed. Otherwise, the Kremlin walls are mostly ancient, but you can hardly see 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, can you find marks of the 17th century.

The laid arches of the ancient gates can be seen on the facades of the Tainitskaya and Konstantino-Eleninskaya towers. Until now, Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya towers remain travel passes, but only the last two are open to the working population.

The inaccessibility of the Kremlin walls and towers for tourists and researchers is a separate problem. Photographs of the towers' interiors can only be found in books published before 1917. True, for last years Filming of the insides 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. The ticket office is open daily, except Thursdays, from 9:30 to 16:30.

Ordinary citizens can enter the Kremlin through the Trinity and Borovitsky gates (landmarks are the Kutafya Tower, “preceding” the Trinity, and the Borovitskaya Tower, respectively).

If you are looking for: Kremlin Palace, Cathedral Square, Kremlin temples, Ivan the Great bell tower. The Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell, then use the Kutafya Tower and the Trinity Gate to enter the Kremlin.

The nearest metro stations to it are “Biblioteka im. Lenin" and "Alexandrovsky 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 additionally, 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 Chamber 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 get there directly - highway very wide, traffic is dense, and pedestrian crossing No. It’s easier to get off at the metro station “Biblioteka im. Lenin" or "Alexandrovsky Garden", go 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 (i.e. in the opposite direction from Red Square).

As a rule, people gather at the Borovitskaya Tower excursion groups- it’s almost impossible to get into the Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund just by buying a ticket at the museum’s box office, and even on a day off. Travel agencies All tickets are purchased 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 small. However, it is the largest active fortress in Europe. By the way, the title of the largest European fortress (in terms of the total length of 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 in the Italian fashion of the 15th century, reach 2–2.5 m. The tallest tower is Trinity (79.3 m).

Three towers standing in the corners of the Kremlin triangle have a round cross-section, the rest are square. The Borovitsky Gate, placed on 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. Before 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, and five-pointed stars took their place. A fifth, 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 with backlit rubies.

The Kremlin stars went out twice: the first time during the German air raids of 1941, the second time 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 it. In 1625, the English master Christopher Galloway installed the famous clock on the tower without moving hands (the dial itself rotated); they were not located in the current location, but in a large icon case 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 Lenin’s personal instructions - the chimes played “The Internationale” (at 12 o’clock) and “You have fallen a victim” (at midnight). Since 1938, music on the Spasskaya Tower stopped playing - the clock only chimed 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 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 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 the Spasskaya Tower, but is distinguished by its greater height and less elegance of decorative design. The shape of the base of the tower is a quadrangle, which is crowned with 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 you can recognize bears and peacocks. Under the tent there is a belfry, and the tent is crowned with a red weather vane star. Adjacent to the tower is a massive diversion arch with the Trinity Gate, which is approached by the Trinity Bridge from the Kutafya Tower.

History of the Trinity Tower

The Trinity Tower was built in 1495-1499 under the direction of an Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Old) and over the years of its existence has changed several names: 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 Carriage yard. The tower received its modern name - Trinity - in 1658 after 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 important defensive significance, when preparing Moscow for the Swedish invasion in 1707, by decree Peter I The tower 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 Household.

In the past, in the icon case above the Trinity Gate there was an icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which was damaged during the storming of the Kremlin in 1917 and disappeared during the Soviet years. Currently, the place of the icon on 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 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 Kremlin towers - manufactured in 1870 - and prefabricated with bolts, so during dismantling it had to be dismantled right at the top of the tower and lowered down in parts.

Interestingly, in the 16th and 17th centuries, a prison was located in the two-story base of the tower.

Today the Trinity Tower houses Russian Presidential Orchestra: its interior contains recording studios, offices and a rehearsal room. In addition, the Trinity Gate is the main entrance to the Kremlin territory for citizens and tourists: having passed Kutafya tower And Trinity Bridge, visitors pass through the Trinity Tower into the fortress.

Trinity Tower overlooks the Alexander Garden. You can get to it on foot from metro stations "Lenin's Library" Sokolnicheskaya line and "Alexander Garden" Filevskaya.

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 probably many people don’t know the names of all the towers. Shall we meet?

BEKLEMISHEVSKAYA (Moskvoretskaya) tower is located in the south-eastern corner of the Kremlin. It was built by the Italian architect Marco Fryazin in 1487-1488. The courtyard of boyar Beklemishev adjoined the tower, for which it received its name. Beklemishev's courtyard, together with the tower, served as a prison for disgraced boyars under Vasily III. The current name – “Moskvoretskaya” – is taken from the nearby Moskvoretsky Bridge. The tower was located at the junction of the Moscow River with a moat, so when the enemy attacked, it was the first to take the blow. The architectural design of the tower is also connected with this: the tall cylinder is placed on a beveled white stone plinth and separated from it by a semicircular ridge. The surface of the cylinder is cut through by narrow, sparsely spaced windows. The tower is completed by a machicolli with a battle platform, which was higher than the adjacent walls. In the basement of the tower there was a hidden rumor to prevent undermining. In 1680, the tower was decorated with an octagon carrying a tall narrow tent with two rows of dormitories, which softened its severity. In 1707, expecting a possible attack by the Swedes, Peter I ordered bastions to be built at its foot and the loopholes to be expanded to install more powerful guns. During Napoleon's invasion, the tower was damaged and then repaired. In 1917, the top of the tower was damaged during shelling, but it was restored by 1920. In 1949, during the restoration, the loopholes were restored to their previous 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 KONSTANTINE-ELENINSKAYA tower owes its name to the Church of Constantine and Helena that stood here in ancient times. The tower was built in 1490 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari and was used for the passage of the population and troops to the Kremlin. Previously, when the Kremlin was made of white stone, there was another tower in this place. It was through her that Dmitry Donskoy and his army went to the Kulikovo field. New tower was built for the reason that there were no natural barriers on its side, not from the Kremlin. It was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful diversion gate and passage gates, which later, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. were dismantled. The tower got its name from the Church of Constantine and Helena, which stood in the Kremlin. The height of the tower is 36.8 meters.

The Alarm Tower got its name from the large bell, the alarm, that hung above it. Once upon a time there were guards on duty here all the time. From above, they vigilantly watched to see if the enemy army was approaching the city. And if danger was approaching, the watchmen had to warn everyone and ring the alarm bell. Because of him, the tower was called Nabatnaya. But now there is no bell in the tower. One day at the end of the 18th century, at the sound of the Alarm Bell, a riot began in Moscow. And when order was restored in the city, the bell was punished for divulging bad news - they were deprived of their tongue. 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 Alarm Tower is 38 meters.

ROYAL Tower. It is not at all like other Kremlin towers. There are 4 columns right on the wall, and on them there is a peaked roof. There are neither powerful walls nor narrow loopholes. But she doesn’t need them. Because they were built two centuries later than the other towers and not for defense at all. Previously, there was a small wooden tower on this site, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched over Red Square. Previously, there was a small wooden tower on this site, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched over Red Square. Later, the smallest tower of the Kremlin was built here and called 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 an icon of the Savior was hung over the gates of this tower. It was erected on the spot 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 passage gates of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya, were considered “holy” by the people. No one rode through them on horseback or walked through them with their heads covered. The regiments setting out on a campaign passed through these gates; kings and ambassadors were met here. In the 17th century, the coat of arms of Russia - a double-headed eagle - was installed on the tower; a little later, coats of arms were also installed on other high towers of the Kremlin - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya. In 1658 Kremlin towers renamed. Frolovskaya turned into Spasskaya. It was named so in honor of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, located above the passage 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 today. Kremlin chimes. Chimes are large clocks that have a musical mechanism. The bells play music at the Kremlin chimes. There are eleven of them. One large one, it marks the hours, and ten smaller ones, their melodious chime is heard every 15 minutes. The chimes contain a special device. It sets the hammer in motion, it hits the surface of the bells and the Kremlin chimes sound. The Kremlin chimes mechanism occupies three floors. Previously, chimes were wound manually, but now they do it using electricity. The Spasskaya Tower occupies 10 floors. Its height with the star is 71 meters.

The SENATE Tower was built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari, rises behind the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin 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 north-eastern 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 above the gate of the tower there was an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. 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 above the passage gate of the strelnitsa. Like all towers with entrance gates, Nikolskaya had a drawbridge over the moat and protective grilles that were lowered during the battle. The Nikolskaya Tower went down in history in 1612, when militia troops 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 O.I. 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 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.

The 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 received 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 estate of the Sobakin boyars located nearby. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal Tower. It is more than 500 years old. It is filled from an ancient source and therefore it always has clean and fresh water. 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 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 Compound, which were once located nearby on the territory of the Kremlin. Trinity Tower is the tallest tower of the Kremlin. The height of the tower currently, together with the star from the side of the Alexander Garden, is 80 meters. The Trinity Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower. The tower gate serves 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 Trinity courtyard of the Kremlin. In the 16th-17th centuries, the two-story base of the tower housed a prison. 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 superstructure with white stone decorations. In 1707, due to the threat of a Swedish invasion, the loopholes of the Trinity Tower were expanded to accommodate 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 other main towers of the Kremlin. The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest - made in 1870 and prefabricated with bolts, so when dismantling it had to be dismantled at the top of the tower. In 1937, the faded gem star was replaced with a modern ruby ​​star.

KUTAFYA tower (connected by a bridge to Troitskaya). Its 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 direction of the Milanese architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya River, with a single gate, which in moments of danger was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for those besieging the fortress. It had plantar loopholes and machicolations. In the 16th-17th centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that water surrounded the tower on all sides. Initial height its height above ground level was 18 meters. The only way to enter the tower from the city 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”, which meant a plump, clumsy woman. The Kutafya Tower has never had a covering. In 1685, it was crowned with an openwork “crown” with white stone details.

The COMMANDANT'S Tower got its name in the 19th century because 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. The main volume of the tower contains three tiers of rooms covered with barrel vaults; The completion tiers are also covered with vaults. In the 19th century, the tower received the name “Komendantskaya”, when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Kremlin, in the Poteshny Palace of the 17th century. 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, received its name from the nearby Armory Chamber, the second comes from the nearby Stables Yard. Once upon a time there were ancient weapons workshops located next to it. They also made precious dishes and jewelry. Ancient workshops gave the name not only to the tower, but also to the wonderful museum located nearby Kremlin wall- The Armory Chamber. 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 is the original one, it comes from Borovitsky Hill, on the slope of which the tower stands; The name of the hill apparently comes from an ancient pine forest that grew on this site. The second name, assigned by 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. Currently, it is the main passage for government motorcades. The height of the tower is 54 meters.

WATER TOWER - so named because of the machine that was once here. She lifted water from a well located below to the very top of the tower into a large tank. From there, water flowed through lead pipes to royal palace in the Kremlin. This is how 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 to construct 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, the miraculous icon of the Annunciation was previously kept in this tower, 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, a gate was made near the tower, called Portomoyny. They were founded in 1831, 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.

TAINITSKAYA Tower is the first tower founded 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 Taynitskaya tower is 38.4 meters.

Built in the 1480s. The tower ends with a simple tetrahedral pyramidal tent. The interior 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 that did not get a name. Height 34.15 meters.

Built in the 1480s. Above the upper quadrangle of the tower there is an octagonal tent with a weather vane; the upper quadrangle is open into the tent. The interior of the tower includes two levels of premises; the lower tier has a cylindrical vault, and the upper one is closed. Height 30.2 meters.

PETROVSKAYA tower, together with two unnamed ones, was built to strengthen the southern wall, as it was most often attacked. Like the two nameless ones, the Petrovskaya Tower at first had no name. She received her name from the Church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky Metochion in the Kremlin. In 1771, during the construction of the Kremlin Palace, the tower, the Church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshsky 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. Kremlin gardeners used it for their needs. The height of the tower is 27.15 meters.