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 walls of the Kremlin saved lives. Inside the fortress, the nobility lived - the leadership, there was an arsenal and supplies, there was the main cathedral, a library and learned people. When the population increased, people settled on the outside of the walls - a settlement was formed. Posad was also then surrounded by fortifications. When attacked by enemies, everyone who could, took refuge behind the walls of the fortress. Each tower performed certain functions. The highest - watchdogs, the strongest - entrances, with gates, and there were also an arsenal, a water intake, a sentry (with a clock), a prison tower - a darkness ... The distance between the towers was such that all the space between them from the same towers was shot through .

The fortress on Borovitsky hill was built and rebuilt from 1156 (the date of the appearance of the first fortifications). But the towers and walls familiar to us began to be erected from the 1480s - during the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich (Ivan III). To equip the royal residence - a complex of choirs, churches and cathedrals - architects Pietro Antonio Solari, Antonio Gilardi (Anton Fryazin), Aloysio 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 is already accustomed to not noticing this beauty, then I suggest looking again at our main attraction.

Tainitskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin

The "oldest" tower is Taynitskaya, built by Anton Fryazin in 1485. The photo shows that once there was a gate in this tower, and now they are laid (in the 30s of the 20th century).

In general, the very first towers were built along the Moscow River, and Taynitskaya is the central one on this "embankment" (see the diagram above). "... a strelnitsa was laid on the Moskva River at the Sheshkov (Peshkov) gates, and a hiding place was brought out under it," the chronicle says. In every Russian fortress there was a "Tainitskaya" tower - with access to a spring that supplied the besieged with water, and to secret underground passages. Under the Tainitskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin is meant an underground passage to the Moscow River and a passage inside the fortress. There was also a well. 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 the underground passages in the Moscow Kremlin shows which of them are still preserved

The walls and towers of the Kremlin, which still stand today, were built under the Grand Duke of All Russia Ivan III Vasilyevich in 1485-1495. They were built by Italian architects Anton Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi), Marco Fryazin (Marco Ruffo), Pyotr Fryazin (Pietro Antonio Solari), Aleviz Fryazin Stary (Aloisio da Carcano). All these architects, oddly enough, are not brothers and not even namesakes. It’s just that in Russia at that time Italians were called “friags” or “friazins”.

  Kremlin towers are divided into round and quadrangular according to their configuration. This is not a whim of the architect, but a kind of fortification technique. Located on Borovitsky Hill, the Kremlin has an irregular triangle with an area of ​​27.5 hectares, washed by the Moskva River from the south, bounded by the Alexander Garden from the northwest, and Red Square from the east. At the corners of the triangle there were round towers - Corner Arsenalnaya, Vodovzvodnaya and Beklemishevskaya, which were the most durable and allowed round-robin shelling. In the place where important strategic roads approached the Kremlin, powerful quadrangular towers with passage gates were erected - Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya, Tainitskaya, Konstantin-Eleninskaya. From the outside they were protected by archers. The remaining towers were located between the corner and travel towers and were purely defensive in nature. Until the 17th century (when the tents appeared) the towers ended with battlements, under which there were machicols - hinged loopholes for close combat. They have survived to this day on almost all the towers.

  The total length of the Kremlin walls is 2235 m, the thickness is from 3.5 to 6.5 and the height is from 5 to 19 m. Outside, it is covered by 1045 two-horned teeth 2-2.5 m high and 65-70 cm thick, from the inside - a parapet wall. Once upon a time there was a gable wooden roof above the wall, which sheltered the archers in bad weather and protected the wall from rain, snow and wind. In the XVIII century. it burned down and was no longer restored as unnecessary. In 1973, large-scale repair and restoration work began in the Moscow Kremlin. Damaged masonry sections were replaced on some towers. On the Senate, Borovitskaya, Vodovzvodnaya and Beklkmishevskaya towers, the tiled covering of the tents was replaced with sheet copper made in the form of tiles.
  The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers. The "oldest" of them is Tainitskaya (1485), the "youngest" is Tsarskaya (1680).
  Let's look at the towers separately...

Vodovzvodnaya tower

In the southwestern corner of the Kremlin, the Vodovzvodnaya tower guards. This is one of the most beautiful buildings in the entire ensemble. The tower was built in 1488 by architect Antonio Gilardi. At first, it was called Sviblova, named after the Sviblov boyars, whose courtyard adjoined the tower from the Kremlin. The tower received its modern name in 1633 after the installation of a water-lifting machine in it and the installation of the first pressure water pipeline in Russia to supply water from the Moscow River to the Kremlin. As contemporaries testified, this machine, made under the guidance of the Englishman Christopher Golovey, cost several barrels of gold. At the end of the 17th century, a tent was erected over the tower. In 1812, French troops retreating from Moscow blew up the tower. He restored it in 1816-1819. O. I. Bove.

Borovitskaya Tower

At the foot of one of the seven hills on which Moscow stands, there is a tower that differs from the others in its stepped shape. This is the Borovitskaya tower. Its name comes from the ancient forest that once covered the entire hill. The Borovitskaya Tower was built by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari in 1490. The Borovitskaya Tower has a very peculiar shape. A similar stepped pir mida can be seen in Kazan - at the tower of Queen Syuyumbek. A powerful, square base continues with three tetrahedrons decreasing upwards. The whole structure ends with an open octagon (part of the building, which has an octagonal shape in plan) with a high stone tent. The archer in this tower does not go in front, as in other towers of the Kremlin, but on the side, taking into account the rotation of the wall. Here you can see the hole through which the chains of the lifting drawbridge, dismantled in 1821, passed, and in the passage of the gate - vertical grooves for the protective lattice. Unlike the front doors of the Spassky and Trinity gates, the Borovitsky gates had a purely utilitarian purpose: they passed through them to the outbuildings - the Zhitnoy and Konyushenny yards. In 1812, during the explosion of the neighboring Vodozvodnaya Tower by the retreating French troops, the Borovitskaya Tower was damaged and the top of its tent fell. In 1816-1819 the tower was repaired under the leadership of O.I. Bove. In 1848, the throne of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist near Bor was transferred to the Borovitskaya Tower.

commandant's tower

This is a small deaf strict tower. Its construction was completed by 1495. Previously, it was called Kolymazhnaya - from the Kolymazhny yard in the Kremlin, where the royal wagons and carriages were kept. It got its current name in the 19th century: next to it in the Poteshny Palace lived the commandant of Moscow. Like all the towers of the Kremlin, it was built on in 1676-1686 with a tent with a tower. The height of the tower from the side of the Alexander Garden is 41.25 m.

weapon tower

This is a small tower. Its construction was completed by 1495. It received its modern name in the 19th century after the building of the Armory Chamber built on the territory of the Kremlin. Prior to that, it was called the Konyushennaya, since behind it in ancient times was the royal Stables Yard.

Trinity Tower

With this tower, the architect Aleviz Fryazin Stary completed the construction of fortifications from the side of the Neglinnaya River, later the Alexander Garden. The tower was built in 1495-1499. The significance of the tower for the western facade of the Kremlin is the same as that of the Spasskaya for the eastern one. The architect who built the tower in 1685 took this into account and gave its hipped top almost the same decorative decoration as that of Spasskaya. The tower is six-story, with deep two-story cellars that served for defense purposes, and later in the 15th-16th centuries were used as a prison. There is evidence that there was a clock on the tower in 1585, which lasted until the beginning of the 19th century, until it burned down in 1812. Recently, the clock on the Trinity Tower was reinstalled. The tower received its modern name in 1658 from the Trinity Compound in the Kremlin. Prior to that, it was called Bogoyavlenskaya, Znamenskaya, Karetnaya, after the churches located in the Kremlin and the Karetny yard. In 1516, a stone Trinity Bridge was built across the Neglinnaya River. The gates of the tower served as a passage to the mansions of the queen and princesses, to the court of the patriarch. Troitskaya Tower is the tallest tower of the Kremlin, its height with a star from the side of the Alexander Garden is 80 m.

Kutafya Tower

This is the only surviving of the Kremlin's bridge towers, which served to protect the bridges leading to the fortress. It was built in 1516 under the leadership of the Milanese architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and a river, with the only gate that was tightly closed in moments of danger, the tower was a formidable barrier for the besiegers of the fortress. The tower consisted of two combat tiers, on the upper platform there were hinged loopholes. In 1685, the tower was decorated with an openwork decorative top. Drawbridges across the moat that surrounded the tower led to the side tower gates. To this day, at the side gate, you can see the preserved slots for chains of lifting mechanisms. It is still not entirely known where the name of the tower came from. Most likely, the name of the tower comes from its shape: as Dahl's dictionary testifies, in Russian folk dialects, the word "kutafya" denoted "a clumsy, ugly dressed woman."

Nikolskaya tower

This tower was built by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari in 1491. Its name is sometimes associated with the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which was placed above the gate of the archer. Other sources associate this name with the Nikolsky Greek Monastery, which was once located on Nikolskaya Street. As in all travel towers, there was a drawbridge across the moat, and protective bars on the gates. In the 17th century, the Nikolsky Gate served mainly as an entrance to the boyar and monastery courtyards in the Kremlin. In 1612, during the struggle against the Polish-gentry invaders, the people's militia, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, burst through these gates and liberated the Kremlin. In 1812, the French, retreating from Moscow, blew up the tower. It was restored by architect O. Bove in 1816. In 1917, during the October battles, the tower was badly damaged by artillery fire. It was restored in 1918 by the architect N. Markovnikov.

Middle Arsenal Tower

On the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, stretching along the Alexander Garden, by 1495 the Middle Arsenal Tower had risen. It is located on the site of the corner tower of the Kremlin of the time of Dmitry Donskoy. The tower received its current name during the construction of the Arsenal building at the beginning of the 18th century. Previously, it was called Granena - from the facade dissected on the verge. In 1680 the tower was built on. It is crowned by a see-through observation tower with a tent. In 1821, during the laying out of the Alexander Garden at the foot of the tower, a pleasure grotto was built according to the project of O.I. Bove.

Corner Arsenal Tower

In 1492, Solari completed the defense line of the Kremlin from Red Square with this tower. As conceived by the architect, it was to become the most powerful corner tower. Not far from the tower were the mansions of the boyars Sobakin, so the tower was originally called Sobakin. Only at the beginning of the 13th century, after the construction of the Arsenal, the tower received its modern name. The tower is distinguished by a wide base, powerful four-meter walls, going deep into the ground. However, the tower performed not only defensive functions. To this day, there is a secret well in the tower, which, in the event of a siege, could be used by the garrison of the fortress. In addition, there was a secret exit from the tower to the Neglinnaya River, which was subsequently laid down. During the Patriotic War of 1812, the tower was partially damaged by the explosion of the Nikolskaya Tower and the Arsenal. In 1816-1819, it was restored under the guidance of the architect O. Bove.

Senate Tower

The tower is located immediately behind the Spasskaya Tower, behind the Lenin Mausoleum. The tower was built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The Senate Tower performed a purely defensive function and protected the Kremlin from Red Square. For a long time she was nameless. The tower got its name after the building of the Senate was built on the territory of the Kremlin in 1787 by M. Kazakov, the dome of which is clearly visible from Red Square. Inside the main volume of the tower there are three tiers of vaulted rooms. The deaf, square tower in 1860 was built on with a stone tent, it is crowned with a gilded weather vane. In 1918, a memorial plaque was unveiled by V.I. Lenin on the tower in honor of the first anniversary of the October Revolution (sculptor S. Konenkov). During the restoration of the tower in 1950, the board was removed and transferred to the Museum of the Revolution. The height of the tower is 34.3 m.

Spasskaya Tower

It is rightfully considered the most beautiful and most slender tower of the Kremlin. The architect Pietro Antonio Solari, who built it in 1491, in fact, laid the foundation for the construction of the eastern line of the Kremlin fortification with the Spasskaya Tower. From time immemorial, the gates of the Spasskaya Tower have been the main front entrance to the Kremlin. They were especially revered by the people and were considered "saints". It was forbidden to pass through them on horseback and to pass with bare head. Through them, regiments marching on the march entered and exited. Tsars and ambassadors were met at these gates. In 1624-1625, the Russian architect Bazhen Ogurtsov and the English master Christopher Galovey erected a multi-tiered top over the tower, ending with a stone tent. It was the first tent decoration in the Kremlin towers. In the 50s of the XXVII century, on top of the tent of the main tower of the Kremlin, the coat of arms of the Russian Empire, the double-headed eagle, was hoisted. Later, similar coats of arms were installed on the highest towers - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya. Initially, the tower was called Frolovskaya, due to the fact that the church of Frol and Lavr was located nearby. By decree of April 16, 1658, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered her to be called Spasskaya. The new name was associated with the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, placed above the gate from the side of Red Square. The icon itself has not been preserved, but the place where it hung is clearly visible. The Spasskaya Tower has 10 floors. Three floors are occupied by the mechanism of the Kremlin chimes - the main clock of the state. The height of the tower is 67.3 m (with a star 71 m).

Royal tower

This is the youngest and smallest tower. It was built in 1680. More precisely, this is not a tower, but a stone tower, a tent placed on the wall. Once upon a time there was a small wooden turret from which, according to legend, Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) liked to watch the events taking place on Red Square - hence the name of the tower. White-stone belts on pillars, high pyramids at the corners with gilded flags, a tent ending with an elegant gilded weather vane, all this gives the tower the appearance of a fairy-tale chamber.

alarm tower

This tower was built in 1495. It got its name from the alarm bell, which alerted Muscovites of impending events or danger. The tower was placed on a hill and from it a view of the southern environs was opened. On the tower, guards were on duty around the clock, watching the roads. Noticing fire or columns of smoke, which was a sign of the approach of an enemy army, the watchman sounded the alarm, and the inhabitants of the surrounding villages hurried to take refuge in a fortress or behind the walls of monasteries. The last bell for the disclosure of "bad news" was severely "punished" by Catherine II. In 1771, the Plague Riot broke out in Moscow. The rebellious citizens sounded the alarm, calling the people to the Kremlin. After the suppression of the uprising, Catherine II, who did not know who exactly rang the alarm, ordered to pull out the tongue from the bell. For more than 30 years, a dumb bell hung on the tower. In 1803, it was removed and transferred first to the Arsenal, and then in 1821 to the Armory.

Konstantin-Eleninskaya Tower

This tower was built by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari in 1490 on the site of the Timofeevsky Gates of the white-stone Kremlin, through which Dmitry Donskoy went to the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. The tower got its name from the nearby church of Constantine and Helena. At first, the shnya was a travel one, had a diversion archer and a drawbridge. In the 17th century, the passage was closed, and a torture chamber was set up in the outlet archer. In 1680, a tent top was built on the tower, and at the end of the 18th century the archer and the bridge were broken, and then the gates were also laid. Now the arch of the gate is clearly visible, above it there is a recess for the over-gate icon and traces of vertical slots for the bridge lifting mechanism. The height of the tower is 36.8 m.

Beklemishevskaya tower

This tower is located in the southeast corner of the Kremlin triangle. It was built in 1487 by the Italian architect Marco Ruffo. Its name is associated with the name of the boyar I. Bersenya-Beklemishev, whose court adjoined it from the Kremlin. His fate was tragic. In 1525, he was executed for speaking out against the policy of Grand Duke Vasily III, his court was transferred to the treasury and, like the tower itself, was turned into a prison. In the defense of the Kremlin, the Beklemishevskaya Tower performed a very responsible function. She was the first to take the blow of the enemy hordes, as she was at the junction of the Moskva River with a moat. In the basement of the tower, a rumor hiding place was arranged to prevent undermining. In the 17th century, the tower was built with a multifaceted high tent, which adorned and softened its severity. At the beginning of the 18th century, in anticipation of a possible offensive by the Swedes, on the orders of Peter I, earthen ramparts were poured at the foot of the tower and its loopholes were cut out to install more powerful guns. During the restoration of the tower in 1949, the loopholes were restored in their original form. The tower has another name - Moskvoretskaya. It appeared, apparently, from the Moskvoretsky bridge, which is located nearby. The height of the tower is 46.2 m.

Petrovskaya tower

The tower got its name from the church of Metropolitan Peter, located in the courtyard of the Ugreshsky monastery, located in the Kremlin, next to the tower. In its architecture, the Petrovskaya Tower differs sharply from neighboring towers. A second one was placed on the lower two-tier quadruple with false hinged loopholes. It is divided into two tiers by cornices and thin semi-columns at the corners. From above, the tower ends with an octagonal pyramidal tent. The Petrovsky Tower was destroyed by cannon shots during the Polish intervention in 1612 and then rebuilt. In 1771, it was broken in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace, but soon restored in 1783. In 1812, the retreating French troops blew up the tower. It was rebuilt by the architect O.I. Bove in 1818 and since then it has not been changed. The Petrovsky Tower, erected "for a better appearance and strength," served for the household needs of the Kremlin's old people. Tower height - 27.15 m.

First Nameless Tower

In the 1480s, the First Nameless Tower was built next to the Tainitskaya Tower, which is notable for its stingy architectural forms. She has always performed purely defensive functions. The tower ends with a tetrahedral pyramidal bar. The architectural proportions of the tower indicate that it was built later than the Second Nameless Tower. In the 15th-16th centuries gunpowder was stored in this tower. The tower has a difficult fate. In 1547, the tower was destroyed by a gunpowder explosion, and in the 17th century it was rebuilt. Then it was built on with a hipped tier. In 1770-1771, the tower was dismantled to make room for the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the project of V.I. Bazhenov. When the construction of the palace was stopped, the tower was built again in 1783, somewhat closer to the Taynitskaya tower. In 1812, the retreating French troops blew up the shnu, but soon it was restored in its former forms by the architect O.I. Bove. In this form, she has survived to this day. The height of the tower is 34.15 m. The Second Nameless Tower. The tower was built in the middle of the 15th century. She has always performed purely defensive functions. In 1680, this tower was built on, adding an upper quadrangle and a high pyramidal curtain with an observation tower. The tower is crowned with a small octagonal tent with a weather vane. In ancient times, this tower had a gate, later laid down. In 1771, in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace, it was demolished, and after the cessation of construction, it was restored anew. Inside the quadrangle there are two tiers of vaulted rooms.

Taynitskaya tower

The "oldest" tower of the Moscow Kremlin is Taynitskaya. The construction of the Kremlin fortifications began with it. Under the tower was dug a hiding place-well, to which the tower and its gates owe their name. In the event of a siege, it was possible to supply the Kremlin with water through this well and underground passage. The tower was built in 1485 by Peter Anthony Fryazin. At the end of the 17th century, a tent was erected over the tower. Unfortunately, the tower, built in the 15th century, has not reached us. In 1770, it was demolished, as the Kremlin started the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the project of V. Bazhenov. However, already in 1771-1773, the tower was restored according to the measured drawings of M. Kazakov, followed by the addition of a tent top. In the 60s of the last century, a retractable archer was attached to the tower, where the guns of the self-propelled battery were located. In 1930, the archer was dismantled, and the gates and hiding places were laid. Its height is 38.4 m.

Annunciation tower

The tower was built in 1487-1488. This is a low four-sided tower. At its base are slabs of white limestone. They have been preserved from the ancient white-stone Kremlin of the XIV century. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, the tower was used as a prison. At the end of the 17th century, a stone tent with a decorative watchtower was built on the Annunciation Tower. The name of the tower comes from the miraculous icon of the Annunciation that was once placed here, and is also associated with the Church of the Annunciation, attached to the tower at the beginning of the 18th century. At the same time, a bell tower was built in the watchtower, where seven bells were placed, and the weather vane was replaced with a cross. The tower served as an chapel of the church, ancient loopholes were hewn into large windows. In the 17th century, Port-washing gates were built next to the tower for the passage of palace laundresses to the Port-washing raft on the Moscow River to rinse the ports - linen. In 1813, the Portomoynye Gates were laid down, but their traces have survived to this day and are clearly visible from the inside of the Kremlin. In the depths of the tower was a deep underground. The height of the tower is 30.7 m (with a weather vane - 32.45 m).

Has 20 towers. The list of towers is made, starting from the southeast corner of the Kremlin wall, counterclockwise. Many Moscow Kremlin towers, in addition to the modern name indicated by the first, they also have a second name, as a rule, more ancient.

southeast corner

Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) Tower Moscow Kremlin.
Konstantin-Eleninskaya (Timofeevskaya) tower Moscow Kremlin.

Built in 1492 by Pietro Antonio Solari. Round, the most powerful tower of the Kremlin. The first name was given at the beginning of the 18th century after the construction of the Arsenal building on the territory of the Kremlin, the second comes from the nearby estate of the Sobakin boyars. There is a well inside the tower. The height of the tower is 60.2 meters.

Western wall

Along the western wall of the Kremlin, on the site of the Neglinnaya River, which was buried under the ground, the Alexander Garden was laid out.

Built in 1493-1495. The name comes from the building of the Arsenal. The height of the tower is 38.9 meters.

Trinity Tower Moscow Kremlin.

Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower. It was built in 1488 by the Italian architect Anton Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi). Round. A well and a secret passage to the Moscow River were arranged in the tower. The first name comes from a lifting machine installed in the tower in 1633, which supplied water to the Kremlin gardens. The second name of the tower is associated with the boyar surname Sviblo, or the Sviblovs, who were responsible for its construction. The tower is crowned with a red star. The height of the tower is 61.25 meters.

The age of the architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin, consisting of bright walls and high slender towers, has exceeded 500 years. At one time, its construction was started by Prince Ivan III. The difference in the size and proportions of the towers depended on the location of the structures themselves and their role in protecting the city. Each of them had its own exits to the adjacent wall spans, which made it possible to bypass all the walls without descending to the ground. Merlons - the so-called dovetails - became the crowns of the Kremlin structures. They protected the shooters hiding on the upper platforms of the buildings. Today, residents and guests of Moscow can see 20 towers.

All the towers had to endure a lot of historical events. They suffered especially in the war of 1812, when explosions continually turned defensive structures into piles of stones. A lot of work has been done to restore them. The appearance that residents and guests of Moscow contemplate, the buildings owe to the competent actions of the architect O.I. Bove.

When working on the restoration of the Kremlin complex, the masters managed to emphasize its antiquity and make it romantic. The decor of some towers was made in the medieval style. The bastions, equipped under Peter I, were liquidated, and the ditch crossing Red Square was buried.

Taynitskaya tower

During the construction of the Kremlin, it was laid first. And the structure got its name because of the underground secret passage that connected it with the river. The move itself was needed to supply water to the fortress in case of a long siege by enemies.

The tower stretches up almost 39 m. Its design has undergone many changes due to the restoration due to the devastating flight of the Napoleonic army. In the 40s of the XX century. the archer was finally dismantled, the well was filled up, and the passage gates were laid.

Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower

So she was named because of the boyar Sviblov and because of the mechanism that raised water from the well. Life-giving moisture came from the underworld into a huge tank, standing at the very top of the pylon. The water supply worked for quite a long time until the car was dismantled and transported to St. Petersburg. In this city, it was used to fill fountains. The length of the structure, together with the star, is 61.45 m. During its restoration, pseudo-Gothic and classical components were introduced - rustication, decorative machicolations and huge windows.

Borovitskaya Tower

On Borovitsky Hill, which in ancient times was covered with the shadow of a pine forest, there is a 54-meter building with a star. Its second name is Predtechenskaya. The tower was intended to meet the needs of the Konyushenny and Zhitny yards located nearby.

She had a travel gate, but they played the role of the back gate of the great Kremlin. The top of the pylon is equipped with an open octagon and an impressive stone tent.

weapon tower

In ancient times, weapons workshops were adjacent to it. Here, craftsmen made jewelry and dishes. The former name of the tower - Konyushennaya, is explained by its former proximity to the Tsar's Stable Yard. It was named the Armory in 1851, when the Armory Chamber appeared at the Kremlin - a repository of treasures, ancient things and uniforms of ancient Russian warriors. You can approach the 32-meter object from the extreme part of the Alexander Garden.

Trinity Tower

After Spasskaya, it was listed as the second most serious defense and was the highest among all the towers. At the base of the 6-tier quadruple of this pylon lies a 2-tier basement with strong walls. Stairs are provided for easy movement between tiers. This tower has several names. From Epiphany, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya, by royal decree, it turned into Troitskaya because of the neighboring courtyard of the Trinity Monastery. Together with the star, the structure rises to 80 m.

Kutafya (Bridge) Tower

Surrounded by a moat and a river, it rises near the Trinity Bridge. The low pylon had one gate, which, as necessary, was closed by the lifting section of the bridge. So the design created a barrier to the siege of the fortress.

Its power consisted in the presence of loopholes of the plantar battle and machicolations. To get to the territory of the tower from the city streets, Muscovites had to pass through an inclined bridge. Now the two-tone 13-meter turret organically complements the Kremlin ensemble.

Corner Arsenalnaya (Sobakina) Tower

Its lower array is represented by 16 faces and an extended base. There is a basement under the tower, which can be reached by an internal staircase. In the dungeon there is a well with potable water. The dog design was named because of the near court of a boyar with the surname Sobakin. In the XVIII century. after the construction of the Arsenal, the tower with the well was renamed the Corner Arsenal.

Middle Arsenalnaya (faceted) tower

Entered the Kremlin complex in 1495. Later, a grotto was erected under her - a landmark of the Alexander Garden. The outer face of the pylon is divided by flat niches. The quadrangular top is crowned with machicolations and equipped with a parapet with caissons (recesses for carved ornaments). The inner part of the structure is represented by 3 tiers covered with barrel vaults. They have internal stairs. The entire structure is completed by a through observation tower and a tent.

Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) Tower

Deaf strict building, standing south of the Trinity Tower. Its appearance as part of the Kremlin dates back to 1495. The Kolymazhnaya tower was called because of the proximity of the Kremlin Kolymazhny yard. But when the commandant of the capital settled in the Poteshny Palace, and this happened already in the 19th century, the tower was renamed accordingly.

Royal tower

Conveniently located between the Spasskaya and Nabatnaya towers. A tower-like structure appeared on the Kremlin wall in 1860.

Four pitcher-like pillars hold up an octahedral tent, decorated with a gilded weather vane. Once from it came the ringing of the bells of the fire service. The tower has not undergone significant changes. Its height is about 17 m with a weather vane.

Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower

Appeared as the Kremlin's military-defense system improved. The name of the building was given by the church of Metropolitan Peter, standing in the courtyard of the Ugresh monastery. The tower was built on and restored after the explosion of a powder charge arranged by the French in 1812.

The purpose of the 27-meter building was to meet the household needs of gardeners who ennobled the Kremlin territory.

alarm tower

This deaf strong object stands between the Tsarskaya and Konstantin-Eleninskaya towers. The basement tier of its interior is represented by a complex multi-chamber system, combined with the running part of the walls by means of stairs. Bells once rang in the tetrahedral hipped top. As instruments of the Spassky alarm, they notified the people about the fire. The alarm 150-pood bell was poured by the noble craftsman of that time, Ivan Motorin.

Senate Tower

Since 1491, the tower has stood on Red Square between the Nikolskaya and Frolovskaya defensive buildings. Until the end of the XVIII century. she had no name until the Senate building appeared in the Kremlin in 1790. The internal volume of the tower is divided into 3 tiers of rooms with vaults. Initially square in plan, the blind construction was supplemented in 1680 with a stone tent and a gilded weather vane. The total height of the building is 34.3 m.

Spasskaya (Frolovskaya) Tower

It is located near the main gate, which in ancient times had a special entrance to the Kremlin. The construction was erected in order to protect the north-eastern corner of the ensemble, which had no water barriers. In the XVII century. the tower was decorated with the sovereign coat of arms in the form of a double-headed eagle. The clock, hung on the structure in the 60s of the XIX century, decorates it even now. The architecture of the pylon differed from the plan of the surrounding buildings in the accuracy of proportions, the luxury of facade decorations and the figurines of mythical animals. The corners of the quadrangle are in harmony with eye-pleasing pyramids with shining weather vanes.

Konstantin-Eleninskaya Tower

Erected in 1490, it is located in the place of the former passage structure. The townspeople and regiments passed through it, and Prince Donskoy himself went through this tower to take battle on the Kulikovo field, in the 2nd half of the 14th century. The structure acted as a security combat facility, ensuring the safety of the Great Posad and the paths leading from the river pier. Tracks from adjacent streets were also monitored. The pylon was equipped with a passage gate and a diversion archer. It was possible to get to it by a drawbridge, which was thrown over the moat. The new name of the object was due to the neighborhood of the Church of Constantine and Helena.

Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) Tower

The rounded tower is located near the Moskvoretsky bridge and is perfectly visible from Red Square. Once upon a time, the defender repelled the blows of advancing enemies. There was a hiding place under it. In the 17th century the pylon was built on with a beautiful tent, which endowed it with slender forms and relieved it of serf severity.

In connection with the unfolding of the actions of the Russian-Swedish war, bastions appeared around the structure, and the width of the loopholes was made larger. In 1949, a large-scale restoration of the tower also captured the loopholes - they were brought to their original form.

Annunciation tower

According to the legend, the building with a deep underground got its name because of the Annunciation icon, which allegedly hung in it in antiquity. Historians also link the name of the tower with the fact that the Church of the Annunciation was built with it, which was destroyed by decree of the Soviet government. In the XVII century. next to the pylon, the Port Washing Gates were equipped, through which the palace washerwomen hurried to caress their linen to the Moscow River. Over time, these gates were tightly sealed. Together with the weather vane, the tower structure goes up to 32 meters into the sky.

Nikolskaya tower

It is located in the northern part of the Moscow Kremlin. Its powerful quadruple in the old days was equipped with a travel gate, a diversion archer and a lifting ferry. The name of the tower came from the image of St. Nicholas, hanging over the passage of the archer. Through the gates to the Kremlin, the population was passing, heading to the monastery courtyards and the courtyards of the nobility. The decoration of the tower is an octagon with a "lace" of white stone elements. An additional part with a tent conveys the Gothic style of architecture. During the battles with Napoleon's army, the tower was partially destroyed, but later it was restored. The newly built iron tent is decorated with white stone turrets in the corners.

First Nameless Tower

Adjacent to Taynitskaya and is a deaf building. In the XV - XVI century. she served as a storehouse of gunpowder. In 1547, the pylon completely burned down in a fire, but in the 17th century. it was rebuilt and supplemented with a tier with an interesting name: "tent". When the government started the construction of the luxurious Kremlin Palace, the object was liquidated. As soon as the work that was entrusted to the architect Bazhenov ended, it was decided to work on the building again. As a result, the beauty of the Kremlin was supplemented by another object, the exact height of which is 34.15 m.

Second Nameless Tower

Since 1680, the tower has become even more attractive in the architectural sense, as it was completed with a 4-sided tent and equipped with an observation tower. A tent with a weather vane neatly crowns the stone structure.

← MOSCOW KREMLIN

MOSCOW →

• Today's buildings were built mainly in 1485-1495 years in place of the dilapidated white stone walls erected in 1366.
• Fortress with twenty towers, connected by walls, has a triangular shape.
• Three corner towers have a round shape for conducting circular fire, the rest are square, very different from one another.
• The length of the Kremlin wall is 2335 m, height is 8-19 m, and its thickness is 3.5-6.5 m.
• The towers have details characteristic of Italian architecture of that time, which is not surprising, since they were built by Italian architects.
• AT tower names reflected their history and the history of the place.

The towers of the Moscow Kremlin with pointed tents and walls with battlements in the form of "dovetails" are indispensable elements of the capital's panorama. On the site where the Kremlin stands, the settlement has been located since ancient times. This location is very advantageous: on the high Borovitsky hill, at the confluence of two rivers - the Moskva River and the Neglinnaya. The first fortifications that appeared here were wooden. And in 1366-1368, Prince Dmitry Donskoy built the first white-stone Moscow Kremlin. The walls and towers that appear before us now are basically fortifications built in 1485-1495. by Italian architects in place of the former, dilapidated white stone walls.

The technique of building the Kremlin and the plan of the fortress

Twenty Kremlin towers, connected by walls, form an irregular triangle with an area of ​​27.5 hectares. The fortifications were built taking into account the most modern military technologies of the 15th century. The towers protrude beyond the line of walls so that the soldiers can not only fire, but also control the situation in close proximity to the walls. Round towers (Vodovzvodnaya, Moskvoretskaya and Arsenalnaya) were erected at the corners - this form was chosen both because of their greater strength and for conducting circular fire. They also had the opportunity to arrange hidden wells with water. Most of the towers are square at the base, but quite different from each other, depending on their purpose. The travel towers (Spasskaya, Borovitskaya, Troitskaya and others), erected on the axes of the roads leading to the Kremlin, were the most powerful and well-fortified. The towers were also endowed with a symbolic meaning of protection, protection of the Kremlin from the penetration of evil, impure forces. Therefore, icons can still be seen above the gates of some towers.

Most of the towers were attached to the diversion archers - fortifications that were taken out of the fortress walls or beyond the moat for additional defense. This type of fortification fully met the requirements of the end of the 15th century. Of the archer towers, one has survived - Kutafya, covering Troitskaya and in our time serving as the main entrance for tourists to the Kremlin. During the construction of the fortifications, various measures were provided against the attack of the enemy. This, for example, is the device of secret underground passages leading outside the walls in order to protect the city from undermining. A through tunnel was built inside the walls for the rapid movement of the defenders.

The length of the walls of the Moscow Kremlin is 2235 meters, the thickness of the walls ranges from 3.5 to 6.5 meters, and the height is from 8 to 19 meters. The highest walls are located on the side of Red Square, where there was no natural oh water barrier. The walls were not built immediately, their construction began from the southeastern part (from the side of the Moscow River), continued to the east and west, and was completed in 1516. The oldest tower of the Kremlin, Taynitskaya, was also erected on the south side.

The construction technique itself is also interesting. The walls were built on the foundations of the former, white stone, the material was large red brick, which laid out the front walls, and the gaps were filled with the remains of the collapsed walls of the time of Dmitry Donskoy. So since 1485 the walls of the Moscow Kremlin acquired a recognizable color. The towers were erected by visiting Italian architects (Fryaz, as they were then called): Pietro Antonio Solari, Marco Ruffo, Aleviz di Carcano. This explains their unusual, strange appearance for that time. The fact is that the design of loopholes in the form of the famous “swallowtails” was a typical detail of northern Italian architecture, characteristic of buildings in cities where the ruling “party” was the Ghibellins, supporters of rapprochement with the emperor (unlike the Guelphs, supporters of the Pope, who decorated walls of their cities with battlements with a straight end). These battlements were not only decoration: they protected the upper battlefields.

Corner and passage towers after another fire were decorated in the 17th century with stone tents with weather vanes. They served as watchtowers, signal bells were also located there. In the second half of the XVIII century. the famous Russian architect V.I. Bazhenov completed the project of the Kremlin Palace - a large-scale building in the classic style, reminiscent of the architecture of French palaces. In the project, it was proposed to line the hill leading to the cathedrals with turf - this place would become one of the first "amusements" in Europe. For the construction of such a huge structure, it was necessary to demolish a third of the Kremlin walls. At one site, which is located near the Moskva River, work began on the dismantling of the fortifications, but soon, due to the colossal costs growing lumpy, this project was curtailed. In the 19th century During Napoleon's invasion of Moscow, serious damage was done not only to the palaces and temples of the Kremlin, but also to the Kremlin walls. The architect who was involved in the restoration of the damaged Kremlin towers was O.I. Beauvais (ironically also Italian).

Spasskaya tower and Kremlin chimes

Special mention deserves the most famous of all the Kremlin towers - Spasskaya, built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari. Sovereigns entered the Kremlin through it and religious processions took place. From the 15th century only dedicatory white-stone slabs have come down to us, which tell in Cyrillic (from the side of the Kremlin) and in Latin (from the side of Red Square) about the order and construction of this tower. Its general appearance and decoration were then much more modest: it was almost half the size, and it was originally called Frolovskaya, after the Church of Flora and Laurus on. The Spassky Tower began to be called after the icon of the Savior, known throughout Russia, which was placed above the entrance in the middle of the 17th century. It was considered lost, but in 2010 it turned out that in Soviet times it was simply covered with plaster. In the 17th century the tower was one of the first to be built on with a multi-tiered elegant top. And the history of the clock on the Spasskaya Tower deserves a separate story.

The first clock on the Kremlin still white stone towers was installed in 1404 by Lazar Serbin. In the 17th century, thanks to Christopher Galoway, a native of Scotland, the Spasskaya Tower acquired a very unusual clock. They were a hand in the form of the sun with a rotating dial, on which 17 hours were marked. The famous Kremlin chimes, which can still be seen today, date back to the middle of the 19th century. They were made by watchmakers, brothers by the name of Butenop - the founders of the company of the same name. At different times, the chimes sounded different melodies. From 1770 it was the song "Ah, my dear Augustine", from the middle of the 19th century. ‒ “How glorious is our Lord in Zion”, after the revolution, the clock began to play “The Internationale”, and since 2000 you can hear the famous excerpt from Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar”. At present, the clock mechanism occupies three floors, and until 1937 this watch was wound manually with a cast-iron key.

Famous towers of the Kremlin and the history of their names

Let us dwell a little more on the history of some towers. As already mentioned, the corner towers are the most important for defense and for composition in general. The Vodovzvodnaya Tower was built by Anton Fryazin in 1488. In the 17th century the tower was equipped with a water-lifting machine, which is why it got its name. Its other name - the Sviblova Tower - comes from the boyar family of the Sviblovs, who had a courtyard on the territory of the Kremlin. In 1812, it was blown up by the French, after which it was restored by O.I. Beauvais. Thanks to him, its appearance is emphatically classic: rustication (horizontal lines) in the lower part, columns, decorative design of dormer windows. In the first place comes decorativeness, not functionality, one can feel the hand of the architect of the early 19th century.

The Beklemishevskaya Tower, built by Marco Ruffo in 1487, was named so because of the boyar I. Beklemishev, who lived during the reign of Tsar Vasily III, who fell into disfavor and was executed. From the name, one of the functions of this tower becomes obvious - a place of imprisonment for rebels. Its other name is Moskvoretskaya, as it is located on the banks of the Moscow River and occupies a strategically important position. It was from this side that the city was most often subjected to raids by the Tatars. A secret well was arranged in this tower. In 1707, loopholes for weapons of a new type were expanded in the tower, because at that time there were fears of Swedish intervention. This fact indicates that the tower did not lose its defensive significance until the 18th century.

The corner round tower, located on the north side of the Kremlin buildings, was erected by Pietro Antonio Solari c. 1492. Its other names come from the Sobakin boyars who lived nearby (Sobakina) and from the location next to the Arsenal (Arsenal). Thanks to the edges that form its volume, and the base that expands downwards, it gives the impression of particular stability and strength. She also had a strategic secret: it was a well inside, as well as an underground passage to the Neglinnaya River.

The Borovitskaya Tower got its name from a pine forest located on Borovitsky Hill in ancient times. The tower was built according to the project of Pietro Antonio Solari in 1490. Its design feature is the location of the archer on the side. It is also angular, but in plan it is not round, but resembles a pyramid, which is formed from quadruplets stacked on top of each other (volumes, quadrangular at the base) and crowned with an octagonal volume (octagonal at the base). Although this tower was located off the main roads and was used for household needs, it has retained its significance to this day: it is the only permanent gate to the Kremlin.

Trinity and Kutafya towers were built by Aleviz Fryazin. Kutafya dates back to 1516, Troitskaya - 1495. These towers are connected by a bridge, both were travel, and in the Kutafya tower there was only one gate, which was closed with heavy forged bars. Today it is the main entrance to the architectural and museum complex of the Kremlin. The Trinity Tower is the largest, its height reaches 76.35 meters. Its structure is complex: it consists of six floors, two of which are underground, and in the XVII and XVIII centuries. it was the place of detention for the rebels. It received its name in 1658 from the Trinity Compound, located nearby.

The Tainitskaya tower is called so because not only a secret well was built inside it, but also a secret passage to the Moscow River. This tower was built first, in 1485 - it was from this side that the Tatars usually attacked.