The Moscow Kremlin is priceless architectural ensemble relating to the XV-XIX centuries. In its shape, it resembles an irregularly shaped triangle. The southern side of the ensemble faces the Moscow River. The fortress is surrounded by a brick wall with 20 towers of different architecture. Today we will briefly introduce you to the features of each of them.

Beklemishevskaya tower

The construction of this design dates back to 1487-1488. Its author was the Italian architect Mark Fryazin. The tower is round in plan. Its name comes from the court of the boyar Beklemishev, who adjoined it. Its height is 46.7 m. However, this is not the tallest building.

Konstantin-Eleninskaya Tower

Appeared in the Kremlin in 1490. It was built by the Italian architect Pietro Solari. Its name originates from the Church of Saints Helena and Constantine, located nearby. The height of the structure is slightly less than 37 m.

Nabatnaya tower

The Kremlin towers were built at different times. For example, Nabatnaya appeared in the fortress in 1495. It was named after the bells of the Spassky alarm located in it, which were part of the Kremlin's fire-fighting system. It rises to 38 meters.

Tsarskaya Tower

The towers of the Moscow Kremlin differ not only in architectural style, but also in size. For example, the Tsarskaya Tower has a rather modest size. It was installed directly on the wall. This happened in the 1680s. She is younger than her "sisters" by almost two centuries. Previously, in its place was a small tower made of wood. According to legend, Ivan the Terrible himself, the Russian Tsar, watched Red Square from it. That's where its name came from. Height - 16.7 m.

Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin

This is one of the most famous buildings of the Kremlin. First of all, because it refers to the towers overlooking Red Square.

The Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin has a gate of the same name; the famous clock, the Moscow Chimes, is installed in its tent.

This grand building more than 71 m high. The Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin appeared in the Kremlin during the reign of Ivan III (1491). The author of the project was the architect Pietro Solari.

Initially, a much smaller tower was erected than we see today. This is explained by the fact that in 1625 Christopher Galovey, an architect from England, in collaboration with the Russian architect Bazhen Ogurtsov, completed a large multi-tiered top above the tower. It was made in the Gothic style with some Mannerist elements. The tower ends with a stone tent. Fairy figurines are an original design element. They were covered with clothes made especially for this purpose.

At the end of the 17th century, the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin was decorated with the first double-headed eagle - the coat of arms of the Russian state. Much later, the symbols of the state appeared on the Trinity, Nikolskaya, Borovitskaya towers.

At all times, the gates of the tower were the central of all the Kremlin. Moreover, they were revered as saints. It was forbidden to ride through them, and men passing through them had to remove their hats. Anyone who did not follow the holy rule was obliged to make 50 prostrations to the ground.

The Spassky Gates became the main entrance to the territory of the Kremlin. Troops went to fight through them. Ambassadors of foreign states were also met here.

All the Kremlin processions went through these gates. Starting with Mikhail Fedorovich, all Russian tsars and emperors must pass through them before their coronation.

There is a legend that when the “invincible” Napoleon passed through the famous gates in devastated Moscow, his famous cocked hat was torn off by a gust of wind.

During the retreat, the French decided to burn the Spasskaya Tower, but the Don Cossacks who arrived in time were able to put out the already lit fuses.

There were chapels on both sides of the gate. On the left - Smolenskaya, on the right - Spasskaya. They were built of stone in 1802. In 1812 they were both destroyed and rebuilt according to a completely new project. At the end of October 1868, two new hipped chapels were solemnly consecrated. Both were demolished in 1925.

Kremlin chimes

Another attraction that the Spasskaya Tower is famous for is the chimes that have been decorating the tower since the 16th century. True, it should be noted that they are constantly changing. A completely new watch was made in 1625 by the English mechanic and watchmaker Christopher Galoway. They performed musical melodies, measured day and night time, which was indicated by numbers and letters. At that time, the hands on the dial did not exist.

Tsar Peter I (1705) issued a decree on the reconstruction of the Spassky Clock. They were remade in the German way. A dial appeared, which was divided into 12 sectors.

In 1770, they were replaced by an English clock, which was discovered in the Faceted Chamber. At first, they sang a simple song "Dear Augustine", referring to German folklore.

The chimes that are known to us were made by the Budenop brothers (1851-1852). They were installed on the eighth and tenth tiers of the tower. The chimes were sounded by the "March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment" at 6 and 12 o'clock. At 3 and 9 o'clock they sang the hymn "How glorious is our Lord" by D. Bortnyansky. These melodies sounded over Red Square until 1917. At first, the idea arose to dial the anthem of Russia on the playing shaft of the chimes, but Nicholas I did not allow this to be done.

In early November 1917, the clock was damaged during the Bolshevik assault. They were hit by a projectile, which interrupted one of the arrows and broke the rotation mechanism. The clock has been frozen for almost a year. In September 1918, V. I. Lenin issued a decree, according to which the clock was restored by master Nikolai Berens.

The chimes began to "sing" the "Internationale" at 12 o'clock, and "You fell a victim ..." at 24 o'clock. In 1938, the chimes fell silent for a long time. They only struck the hours and quarters.

After 58 years (in 1996), during the inauguration of the First Russian President B. N. Yeltsin, the Russians heard the "Patriotic Song" performed by the chimes, and every quarter of an hour - the melody of the "Glory" choir.

The last restoration of the chimes took place in 1999. The numbers and hands are gilded. The appearance of the upper tiers of the tower was completely restored. At the end of the year, the chimes were finally tuned. Now they sing the national anthem of Russia, which was officially approved in 2000.

The chimes have quite impressive dimensions - a diameter of 6.12 m. They "look" at four sides. Roman numerals are 0.72 m high, the hour hand is 2.97 m long, the minute hand is 3.27 m. Previously, the clock was wound manually, but after 1937 three electric motors are used for this.

Senate Tower

The towers of the Moscow Kremlin are not all equally popular and famous. For example, the Senate - it was erected in 1491 by Pietro Solari. It was named much later (1787), when the Senate Palace was built on the territory of the Kremlin. Its height is 34.3 meters.

Nikolskaya Tower

This design is also the work of Pietro Solari. The tower was built at the same time as its Senate "sister" (in 1491). She was named after the icon of St. N. Wonderworker, which was above the gate. The tower is crowned with a red star. The huge structure rises to 70.4 m.

Arsenal tower (corner)

The Kremlin towers, located at the corners of the fortress, are more massive. Arsenal built by Pietro Solari (1492). This is one of the most powerful towers. The name appeared at the beginning of the 18th century, when the Arsenal building was built on the territory of the Kremlin. The round tower has a well inside. The height of the structure is 60.2 meters.

Arsenal tower (middle)

The second tower, named after the Arsenal, was built in 1495. Its height is 38.9 m.

Trinity Tower

This tower was considered the second after Spasskaya in its significance. It was built by the Italian Aloisio da Milano in 1495. It was renamed several times, but in the end the name Troitskaya took root (after the name of the courtyard in the Kremlin). Today it is the main entrance for everyone who wants to visit the Kremlin. The building is crowned with a red star. It should be noted that the towers of the Kremlin differ in their size. The height of the tower exceeds 80 meters. There are buildings that are more than two times lower than it.

Kutafya tower of the Kremlin

It was built in 1516. The author of the project is the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin. This is a low tower surrounded by a deep moat and the Neglinnaya River. She had a single gate, which, at the slightest danger, was tightly closed by a drawbridge. It was a serious obstacle for enemies.

In the 17th century, with the help of dams, the water level in Neglinnaya was raised high. She began to surround the tower from all sides. At first, its height above ground level was 18 meters.

Why is the Kremlin's Kutafya Tower so named? There are two versions. One of them is from the word "kut" (corner, shelter) or from the word "kutafya", which means a clumsy, full woman.

The Kutafya tower never had a top cover. In 1685, she received an openwork "crown" with spectacular white stone details.

Its height is 13.5 meters.

Komendantskaya tower

This name was given to the tower in the 19th century, when the nearby Poteshny Palace became the official residence of the commandant of Moscow. And the tower was built much earlier, in 1495. Its height is 41.25 m.

weapon tower

I must say that at the end of the 15th century, many towers of the Kremlin appeared. So the Armory was built in the Kremlin in 1495. It was named much later (1851), when the Armory was built nearby. The height of the building is 38.9 m.

Borovitskaya Tower

As a rule, the Kremlin towers got their name from the location or in honor of the building located nearby. The Borovitskaya Tower appeared on the map of the Kremlin in 1490. Created by Pietro Solari. They named it in honor of Borovitsky Hill. It was on its slope that the tower was built. Today it is the main passage for the motorcades of the government and the president. The tower is crowned with a red ruby ​​star. Its height is 54 meters.

Vodovzvodnaya tower

This building was erected by the Italian architect Antonio Gilardi in 1488. The tower was round in shape, inside it there was a well, and a secret passage was dug in it, which led to the Moscow River. It got its name from the water pump installed in it in 1633, which supplied water to the gardens of the Kremlin. The beautiful structure is crowned with a ruby ​​star. The height of the tower is 61.25 m.

Annunciation Tower

In our article, we published a photo of the Kremlin. Its towers are all very different in style, shape, and size. At the same time, they surprisingly create a very harmonious ensemble. Look at the Annunciation Tower. It was built at the end of the 15th century (1488), but it still amazes guests of the Kremlin with its splendor. She received her name in honor of the icon of the Annunciation, located in the tower. Its height is 32.45 m.

Taynitskaya tower

The building was built in 1485. This is not the highest tower - Taynitskaya. Previously, it was a travel card, but later the gates were laid. It was named after the secret well located in it and the secret passage that led to the Moscow River. The Tainitskaya Tower rises 38.4 meters above the Kremlin.

Unnamed towers

Two not very high towers. Both were built in the 80s of the XV century. Their height is 34.15 and 30.2 meters respectively.

Petrovskaya Tower

In honor of the nearby church of Metropolitan Peter and the courtyard of the Ugreshsky monastery, another construction was named. The Petrovskaya Tower is 27.15 meters high.

Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

This is another attraction, dear to the heart of every Russian. Thousands of tourists from different parts of the Earth annually come to see the miracle of Nizhny Novgorod.

The length of the Kremlin is about 2 kilometers, the height is from 18 to 30 meters. When the towers of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin were being built, there were 13 of them. Only 12 have survived to this day. At the beginning of 2010, the restoration and reconstruction of the lost Zachatievsky tower began.

Each of the 12 structures has its own history, which, as a rule, is reflected in their names - Borisoglebskaya, Georgievskaya, Belaya, Zachatievskaya, Ivanovskaya, Severnaya, Chasovaya, Tainitskaya, Koromyslova, Kladovaya, Dmitrievskaya, Powder, Nikolskaya.

The exit to the open wall of the Kremlin for walking is in the Kladovaya Tower. During its long history, the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin has experienced many rebuildings and reconstructions. It is the most valuable monument of history, architecture and culture of Russia. The towers of the Kremlin attract the interest of researchers and scientists from all over the world.

Towers and walls of the Kremlin

The second half of the 15th century is the time of the formation of the Russian national state. Ivan III united the Russian lands. By this time, the white-stone Kremlin had partially collapsed and no longer corresponded to the international position and wealth of the Moscow state.
For the first time, the white stone was replaced with red. They baked it in ovens like bread. And he weighed eight kilograms. A half-pound stone was taken with two hands.

Ivan III commissioned the construction in the Kremlin Vasily Dmitrievich Ermolin. Italian architects also built a lot in the Kremlin, but according to primordially Russian motives. The Kremlin was conceived by Ivan III not only as a reliable fortress, but also had to become the main place of Muscovite Russia. The architects were inspired by these ideas. And the walls, churches, towers rose ...
Everything in the Kremlin was then provided for protection from enemies. The plan is polygonal in order to see the enemy from different sides, the distance between the loopholes does not exceed the range of a projectile weapon. The towers interrupt the progress on the wall. And they themselves are either round or polygonal, so that it would be more difficult to destroy them with battering rams.
First, fortifications were built: thick brick walls and watchtowers, and this was in the spring of 1485. The length of the entire building is 2235 meters. The walls were very thick, in some places their thickness reached 3.5 meters. The height of the walls was also different, reaching in some places up to 14 meters. This was probably due to the fact that Moscow "stands on seven hills." At the top, the walls were made in the form of a forked "dovetail", resembling the letter "M", they were equipped with loopholes. This gave the thick walls originality and decorativeness. On top of the battlements was a plank gable roof, covering the defenders of the Kremlin from rain and snow.
There were 20 towers, in ancient times they did not look the same as they do now, elegant and tall. The tents appeared two centuries later. Under Ivan III, they were built as formidable impregnable bastions. All of them are completely different from each other.
For four centuries, the Kremlin remained the only fortress in Moscow that protected Muscovites during the days of invasions. But in the 6th century, the overgrown and rapidly growing Moscow could no longer get by with these walls alone. The wall of Kitay-gorod joined the walls of the Kremlin, and these walls merged into one fortification unprecedented power and size. The new walls and towers took up the architectural motif set by the Kremlin. Now the length of the walls has reached 15 km, and there are 50 towers!

Spasskaya (Frolovskaya) Tower

The main tower of the Kremlin is Frolovskaya, named after the neighboring church of Flora and Lavra. During the repair of the tower in 1464-1466, the architect V.D. Yermolin installed on it white-stone relief images of the patrons of the Moscow princes - St. George the Victorious and Dmitry Solunsky. The tower was built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The Frolovsky Gates were the main entrance to the Kremlin: in the 16th-17th centuries, tsars traveled through them, on holidays the patriarch went out with a procession of the cross, and foreign ambassadors who arrived in Moscow were met at the gates. In 1624 - 1625, the architects Bazhen Ogurtsov and the Englishman Christopher Galovey crowned the tower with a complex superstructure and a high stone tent. So this tower was the first to get its characteristic pointed silhouette. Clocks were built into the superstructure - the predecessors of the Kremlin chimes. In 1658, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the Frolovskaya Tower was renamed into Spasskaya (in honor of the icons of the Savior of Smolensk and the Savior Not Made by Hands), which were placed on the outside and inside of the Kremlin. The Spassky Gates were especially revered by the people and were considered "holy": men, entering the Kremlin through them, bared their heads, and the riders dismounted and led their horses on a leash.

Taynitskaya tower

According to the time of birth, this is the tower number 1. Over the long history, this guard of the Kremlin had many different names - Potainitskaya, Water Gates, Cheshkovy, Sheshkovy, Chushkovy Gates. In the 15th century, the court of Cheshka, the boyar Danil of Galitsky, stood nearby, hence the last three names, and Vodyanyye and Taynitsky - because there was an ancient well-hiding place here. It was also possible to enter the Kremlin through the Tainitskaya Tower. The Tainitskaya tower was large, it had not only a passage, but a clock and a bell. The watchmaker lived right on it, having built two wooden huts at the top. As the inventory of 1647 tells: "And there is a wooden closet on the tower, and a clock in the closet. Two wooden huts were placed on the same tower. And the watchmaker said that he put those huts on his own money and put them up without hitting his brow, without a decree." That is, he built huts without receiving official permission. The watchmaker's life was hard, the roof of the huts collapsed. Apparently, in the middle of the 17th century, the dilapidated tower was demolished and rebuilt. The tower stands, having risen in five tiers with a tent at 38.4 meters.

Nikolskaya tower

The Nikolskaya Tower resembles a Gothic cathedral. A slender red-white spire with lancet slit-like openings rises up from a rectangular, squat base. From red brick and white stone, Russian craftsmen built something like a bell tower with narrow window slits. On its sides there are four small turrets of the same type. This Gothic spire adorned the tower relatively recently, after 1812, when the Kremlin was being restored after a fire. It was then that the Nikolskaya Tower was built on with a high top. In the old days, disputes were resolved at the Nikolskaya Tower, which often arose on retail space. Disputants came here and kissed the cross, calling for witnesses the image of Nikolai Ugodnik hanging on the gate - "the intercessor and comforter of all those who mourn", who, as they believed, punishes perjurers. But this has happened as well. Once, during a religious procession in front of hundreds of people, a fearless rebel, captured and tried, threw a stick at this image. "Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti" reported that "the blasphemer and iconoclast of the Shuya district Vasily Zmiev, the peasant Ivashka Krasny, was burned on the square." And on the Nikolskaya tower, "watchmen" were on duty, and in the past there was a clock on it, last mentioned in 1612. Then, after the expulsion of the Polish interventionists, "the whole army and all the Orthodox peoples in the city of the Kremlin entered through this gate in a lot of joy."

Trinity Tower

The most massive tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Its bulk is best felt when you look at it from the foot in the Alexander Garden. A brick colossus rises up from the ground like a mountain. Asymmetric windows cut through the thickness of the walls, there are six of them in the upper tier. And although the tower is decorated at the top with white stone columns, figurines, arches like the Spasskaya Tower, it still has not lost its medieval severity. The height from the foot to the star is 80 meters. One meter below the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, nine meters above the Spasskaya Tower. When you enter this gigantic tower, you find yourself in a multi-storey building. He is inhabited. Musicians come here to serve with trumpets, clarinets, saxophones. The tower is full of sounds, like the orchestra pit of a theatre. Until now, well-known musicians and composers come to the Trinity Tower to listen to new works, to give them a start in life. In the same tower is the control panel of the Moscow stars. A shield similar to those found in power plants. Five switches, like five ruby ​​stars. A constant voltage of 80 volts is maintained. They burn day and night, in any weather.

Corner Arsenalnaya (Sobakina) Tower

Before the Arsenal appeared here, this tower was called Sobakina, because here was the courtyard of the boyar Danila Sobaka. When the Kremlin exploded in 1812, half of the Arsenal flew into the air, and this tower only cracked. This is the strongest tower of the Kremlin. A feature of the architecture of the tower is its faces, there are eighteen of them, they merge into one powerful rounded pillar. It protected not only the walls of the Kremlin (located just at the corner of two walls), but also a source of water, so the tower was built doubly impregnable. At the end of the last century, researchers tried to find out what kind of water it was. For days they pumped it out with pumps and did not drain it - which means that the underground key is inexhaustible. Through a stone gutter, water from the spring flows into the Neglinka, which flows in a pipe underground. This spring is called one of the "miracles of the ancient Kremlin", and in order to see it, we open the iron door to the tower. We take a step forward - and the summer heat is replaced by darkness, eternal coolness and the breath of living water. She makes herself felt as soon as we cross the threshold. However, there is no moisture on the walls. And this made it possible in the last century to place a large archive inside the tower. The papers did not suffer from such a neighborhood. Before going down deeper, we stop at the window - loopholes. Standing near it, you see the incredible thickness of the masonry - four meters. The staircase that Peter Antonio Solario laid out in the thickness of the stone leads to the source. She goes down steeply. Its width is such that it allows you to pass one at a time without bending. After counting about forty steps, we carefully descend. The beam of the lantern highlights from the darkness underfoot a brick pipe growing out of the ground. Large bricks, excellent masonry, five meters in diameter. Above the head is a vault, as if we were in an underground temple. There is a round opening in the center of the vault. And on the side there is a narrow slot designed for overhead light. At the bottom of the pipe, bluish water, quiet and calm, sleeps in this underground vault guarded by a tower. How old is this spring? It is not known, perhaps he is the same age as Moscow itself. The water is delicious, cool and clear, purified by nature itself. There is another secret in the Corner Arsenal Tower. If you go along the same stairs that lead to the key, then turn to the side - we will find ourselves in a narrow side passage. Another turn - again a corridor in the thickness of a brick. In the beam of a lantern, a vaulted hall protrudes from the darkness. No windows, not even a narrow gap, reminiscent of the existence of light. Even a strong sound does not reach here. It's a dungeon to hide something in. When this dungeon was dug up, they hoped to find the library of Ivan the Terrible here. But it did not turn out, although there are still many possible secrets in the thickness of the walls and towers of the Kremlin.

Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) Tower

This tower stands near the Moscow River. S.P. Bartenev writes about her like this: "The most elegant in proportions. With its beauty in general impression The Kremlin, in the symphony of its architectural forms, the Beklemishev Tower gives a charming consonance. "It was not so harmonious right away, at first its height was 10 meters lower. Then it was built on. Mashikuli - openings for shelling the enemy from top to bottom - appeared much higher than the previous ones, laid with brick Admiring the beauty of the tower, Bartenev was also amazed that for hundreds of years it had not undergone major repairs! The tower got its name from the courtyard of the boyar Vasily Beklemishev, located near it before. The tower stands under a cliff in a strong wind, so it even leaned a little. The second name, naturally received from the proximity of the tower to the Moscow River.

Annunciation tower

This is a big tower, there was a passage here, a "port washing gate". Through them they went to the river to wash clothes. The name of the tower comes from the nearby Church of the Annunciation, and the tower itself at one time was its chapel and bell tower. There were seven bells on it. All this appeared at a later time, when the Kremlin lost its role as a city fortress. In the 16th century, under Ivan the Terrible, there was a prison in the tower, where, according to legend, a miracle happened: the Mother of God appeared to one of the prisoners with the good news, advising him to file a petition to the tsar. After that, pilgrims began to come here, the Church of the Annunciation appeared.

Borovitskaya Tower

Another star tower. By royal decree, it was given the name Predtechenskaya, but this name did not take root, they could not erase the old name from the consciousness of Muscovites at the location near Borovitsky Hill. It is not known why, but the builder of the Borovitskaya Tower built it unlike all the other corner and walk-through towers. This Kremlin archer is laid out according to the plan of a stepped pyramid. Above its lower rectangular main mass rise one another less than three more of the same form of volume. S.P. Bartenev called it the most original tower of the Kremlin. You enter the Borovitskaya tower and find yourself in a spacious house: eight floors with deep spacious cellars. On the lower floors there are whitewashed chambers flooded with light. We go to one, then we go up to another. Even on a gloomy day, it is light in it, because it is two-light, the rays enter through two tiers of windows. The Borovitsky Gate is the ancient door of the Kremlin, it served as a convenient exit to the river, where they went for water. Also, these gates were used when it was necessary to secretly pass to the Kremlin.

Vodovzvodnaya tower

This tower went down in history by building the first water pipeline in Moscow. This is a corner tower, so it is much higher, smarter, larger than the other towers. Suffice it to say that its height to the star is 57.7 meters, that is, almost twice as high. "Vodovzvodnaya tower is an integral, completely finished work, its proportions are excellent, architectural processing is rich and at the same time moderate," - this is how S.P. Bartenev characterizes this Kremlin peak. In appearance, it is very reminiscent of the architectural buildings of Italy. The tower stands almost at the very river, in the place where the Neglinka, which goes around the Kremlin, flows into the Moscow River, now hidden in a pipe, underground. The tower got its name from the fact that in 1663 it served as a water station. A water-driven machine appeared in it, the mechanisms of which pumped water from the well up, where there was a pond lined with lead. From here, water flowed by gravity through lead pipes to the Kremlin Palace. This overseas car cost several barrels of gold. The first Kremlin water supply system served until the fire in 1737.

Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) Tower

The tower got its name because the commandant lived in the building next to it. This tower is taller than the Armory. Its foundation is located at the level of the Neglinnaya River, so it suffered the most from water. I had to strengthen it, so that the wall here lost its straightness, it thickens towards the base.

Armory Tower (Konyushenny)

This low tower stands on a high coastal hill. It has four tiers. Previously, it was called the Konyushenny - after the stables that stood here. This tower was also a travel tower. It began to be called the Armory from being near the Armory.

Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) Tower

Unlike others, it has an octagonal top that crowns this four-story building. This is a tower-warrior, tower-watchman. On its second tier was the church of Metropolitan Peter, which belonged to the courtyard of the Ugresh monastery standing next to it. Therefore, the tower was also called Ugreshskaya, and even Nameless.

Senate Tower

Behind this tower is the building of the former Senate, hence the name. The somewhat elongated shape of the tent gives the Senate Tower an air of severe inaccessibility.

Kutafya Tower

The name of the Kutafya Tower comes from the word kutafya, which means clumsy, unsightly. But the word kut has a different meaning - a corner, hence - a nook (V. Dal). The tower stood somewhat away from the Kremlin, which is why it was called Kutafya. And then she did not seem clumsy, unsightly. Once it looked like everyone else, and it was very similar to Troitskaya. But later they did not build a tent over it, the only one, moreover, even the vault that appeared later was dismantled, so that it stands uncovered by anything. This tower is a bridgehead - a bridge is thrown to it from the river.

20 towers and they are all different, no two are the same. Each tower has its own name and its own history. Only two towers did not get names, they are called that First Nameless And Second Nameless. Behind them is the Petrovsky Tower, but the rightmost tower has two names at once. Nowadays it is called Moskvoretskaya and once called Beklemishevskaya by the name of the person next to whose yard it was laid. Somehow it turned out that the enemies most often attacked from the direction of the Moskva River, and the Moskvoretskaya Tower had to be the first to defend itself. Therefore, it is so formidable and with so many loopholes. Its height is 46.2 m.

The first tower, which was laid during the construction of the Kremlin, was Taynitskaya. Taynitskaya tower so named because a secret led from it to the river underground passage. It was intended to be able to take water in case the fortress was besieged by enemies. The height of the Tainitskaya tower is 38.4 m.

Vodovzvodnaya tower- so named because of the car that was here once. She raised water from a well, arranged at the bottom to the very top of the tower into a large tank. From there, water flowed through lead pipes into royal palace in the Kremlin. Thus, in the old days, the Kremlin had its own water supply system. He worked for a long time, but then the car was dismantled and taken to another city - St. Petersburg. There it was used for the device of fountains. The height of the Vodovzvodnaya tower with a star is 61.45 m.

At the Vodovzvodnaya Tower, the Kremlin wall turns away from the river. Here on the corner stands another tower - Borovitskaya. This tower stands near Borovitsky Hill, on which a Pinery. From him came its name. The height of the tower with a star is 54.05 m.

Next to Borovitskaya is weapon tower. Once upon a time, ancient weapons workshops were located next to it. They also made precious dishes and jewelry. The ancient workshops gave the name not only to the tower, but also to the wonderful museum located nearby behind the Kremlin wall -. 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 m.

Kutafya and Trinity towers of the Moscow Kremlin

If we go a little further along the walls of the Kremlin, we will see the Trinity Bridge. It was thrown across the Neglinnaya River many centuries ago, even before it was hidden underground. Troitsky Bridge leads to the gates of one of the tallest Kremlin towers - Trinity. The bridge connects the Trinity Tower with another - a low and wide tower. This . In the old days, this was the name of a clumsily dressed woman. The tower was decorated already in the seventeenth century. Prior to this, Kutafya was very harsh, with drawbridges at the side gates and hinged loopholes. She guarded the entrance to the Trinity Bridge. Previously, there were more such bridge towers. But only one has survived to this day. The height of the Trinity Tower with a star is 80 m. This is the highest tower of the Moscow Kremlin. The Kutafya Tower is only 13.5 m high. This is the lowest tower of the Kremlin.

We go further along the Kremlin wall. She turns again. There is another tower here. From a distance, it seems round, but if you get closer, it turns out to be not so at all, because it has 16 faces. This corner arsenal tower. Once she was called Sobakina, by the name of a person who lived nearby. But in the 18th century, it was erected next to it, and the tower was renamed. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal tower. He is over 500 years old. It is filled from an ancient source and therefore there is always clean and fresh water in it. Previously, there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. The height of the tower is 60.2 m.

Middle Arsenal Tower. It was built in 1493-1495. After the construction of the Arsenal building, the tower got its name. Near the tower in 1812 a grotto was erected - one of the attractions of the Alexander Garden. The height of the tower is 38.9m.

alarm tower. Once upon a time, sentinels were constantly on duty here. From a height, they vigilantly watched - if the enemy army was coming to the city. And if danger was approaching, the sentinels had to warn everyone, strike the alarm bell. Because of him, the tower was called Nabatnaya. But now there is no bell in the tower. Once, at the end of the 18th century, a riot began in Moscow at the sound of the alarm bell. And when order was restored in the city, the bell was punished for disclosing bad news - they were deprived of the language. In those days, it was a common practice to remember at least history. 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 m.

To the right of the Nabatnaya Tower is Royal Tower. It is not at all like other Kremlin towers. There are 4 columns directly on the wall, and on them there is a peaked roof. There are no powerful walls, no narrow loopholes. But they are of no use to her. Because the tower was not built for defense at all. According to legend, Tsar Ivan the Terrible liked to look at his city from this place. Later, the smallest tower of the Kremlin was built here and called it the Tsarskaya. Its height is 16.7 m.

Constantino - Yeleninskaya Tower (Timofeevskaya). It was built in 1490 and used for the passage of the population and troops to the Kremlin. Earlier, when the Kremlin was made of white stone, another tower stood in this place. It was through her that Dmitry Donskoy with the army went to the Kulikovo field. The new tower was built for the reason that there were no natural barriers on its side outside the Kremlin. It was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful diversion archer and a passage gate, which after, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. were disassembled. The tower got its name from the church of Constantine and Helena, which stood in the Kremlin. The height of the tower is 36.8m.

Senate Tower at first it did not have a name, and received it only after the construction of the Senate building. After that, they began to call her the Senate. The tower was built in 1491, its height is 34.3 m.

Nikolskaya tower. It was built in 1491. architect Pietro Antonio Solari to strengthen the northeastern part of the Kremlin, not protected by natural barriers. It had a gate, it had a retractable archer with a drawbridge. Retractable shooter or a barbican was a tower outside the fortress walls, guarding the approaches to the gate or bridge. For example, the barbican is the Kutafya Tower. The name of the Nikolskaya Tower comes from the name of the icon of St. Nicholas, installed above the gates of her barbican. This icon resolved controversial issues. In ancient times, a clock was also installed on the tower. Now they are not there, but the top of the tower is crowned with a red star. The height of the tower with a star is 70.4m.

Petrovskaya Tower along with two nameless ones was built to strengthen the southern wall, as the most frequently attacked. Like the two nameless ones, the Petrovsky Tower did not have a name at first. She received her name from the church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky Compound in the Kremlin. In 1771 During the construction of the Kremlin Palace, the tower, the church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshskoe metochion were dismantled. In 1783 the tower was rebuilt, but in 1812. the French during the occupation of Moscow destroyed it again. In 1818 The Petrovsky tower was restored again. It was used for their needs by the Kremlin gardeners. The height of the tower is 27.15m.

Commandant's Tower (Kolymazhnaya). It was built in 1495. Its first name - Kolymazhna - received from the Kolymazhny courtyard of the Kremlin. In the 19th century, when the commandant of Moscow began to live in the Kremlin, not far from it, they began to call it Komendantskaya. The height of the tower is 41.25m.

Annunciation tower. According to legend, the miraculous icon of the Annunciation was previously kept in this tower, as well as 1731. the Church of the Annunciation was attached to this tower. Most likely, the name of the tower is associated with one of these facts. In the 17th century for the passage of laundresses to the Moscow River, a gate was made near the tower, called Portomoyny. In 1831 they were laid down, and in Soviet times the Church of the Annunciation was dismantled. The height of the Annunciation Tower with a weather vane is 32.45 m.

Spasskaya Tower (Frolovskaya) was erected on the site where in ancient times the main gates of the Kremlin were located. It, like Nikolskaya, was built to protect the northeastern part of the Kremlin, which had no natural water barriers. The passage gates of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya, were considered “holy” by the people. They did not pass through them on horseback and did not pass with their heads covered. Regiments marching on the march passed through these gates, tsars and ambassadors were met here. In the 17th century the coat of arms of Russia was erected on the tower - a double-headed eagle, a little later the coats of arms were hoisted on other high towers of the Kremlin - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya. In 1658 The Kremlin towers have been renamed. Frolovskaya turned into Spasskaya. It was named so in honor of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, located above the gate of the tower from the side of Red Square, and in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, located above the gate from the Kremlin.

In 1851-52. a clock was installed on the Spasskaya Tower, which we still see. Kremlin chimes. Chimes are called large clocks that have a musical mechanism. At the Kremlin chimes, bells play music. There are eleven of them. One large one, it marks the hours, and ten smaller ones, their melodious chime is heard every 15 minutes. There is a special device in the chimes. It sets the hammer in motion, it strikes the surface of the bells and the sound of the Kremlin chimes sounds. The mechanism of the Kremlin chimes occupies three floors. Previously, the chimes were wound by hand, but now they do it with the help of electricity. The Spasskaya Tower occupies 10 floors. Its height with a star is 71 m.

The Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is a symbol of the sovereign power of the state. Troitskaya is the highest tower, its height is 80 meters, Vodovzvodnaya is very beautiful, Nabatnaya is graceful.

Borovitskaya tower. The name of the tower comes from the ancient forest that once covered one of the seven hills on which Moscow stands. The tower was built by the Italian architect Pietro Solari in 1490. By decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1658, the Borovitskaya tower was renamed the Predtechenskaya - after the Church of the Nativity of the Forerunner in the Kremlin (subsequently dismantled during the construction of the Armory), but the old name of the tower has survived to this day. The Borovitskaya tower has a peculiar stepped shape, in addition, the archer is not in front, as in other towers, but on the side, taking into account the turn of the wall. 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 Zhitny and Konyushenny yards.

Annunciation tower. The low four-sided tower was built in 1487-1488. At its base are white limestone slabs, which have been preserved from the white-stone Kremlin of the XIV century. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, the tower was used as a prison. 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 and destroyed in 1932. Simultaneously with the construction of the temple, a bell tower was built in the watchtower of the tower, where seven bells were placed, and the weather vane was replaced with a cross. In the 17th century, the Port Washing Gate was 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 (these gates were laid in 1813). The height of the tower is 30.7 meters (with a weather vane installed instead of the cross in 1932 - 32.45 m).

From the southwest, the Kremlin guards Water tower. 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 kegs of gold. The tower was built in the classical style. The turret is completed with dovetail crenellations with slots for shooting. At the end of the 17th century, a tent was erected over the tower. In 1812, the tower was blown up by the French retreating from Moscow and restored in 1816-19.

The "oldest" tower of the Moscow Kremlin - 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, did not reach us: in 1770 it was demolished, as the Kremlin began to build the Kremlin Palace according to the project of V. Bazhenov. However, already in 1771–1773, the tower was restored, followed by the addition of a hip roof. In 1930, the archer was dismantled, and the gates and hiding places were laid.

Beklemishevskaya tower. This tower was erected in 1487 by the Italian architect M. Ruffo. Its name is associated with the name of the boyar I. Bersenya-Beklemishev, whose court adjoined it from the Kremlin. In the defense of the Kremlin, the Beklemishevskaya Tower performed a very responsible function. She was the first to take the blow of the besiegers, as she was at the junction of the Moskva River with a moat. This probably explains the very simple architectural design of the tower. In the basement, a hiding place was arranged to prevent digging. In the 17th century, the tower was built on with a multifaceted high tent, which decorated and softened its severity. During the shelling of the Kremlin in 1917, the top of the tower was hit by a shell and subsequently restored. Another name for the tower is Moskvoretskaya (by the name of the nearby bridge). The height of the tower is 46.2 m.

In the 1480s, next to the Taynitskaya tower, a First Nameless tower, characterized by stingy architectural forms. She has always performed purely defensive functions. In 1547, the tower collapsed from the explosion of a gunpowder warehouse, equipped in it, and in the 17th century it was erected again. In 1770, the tower was dismantled to make room for the construction of the Kremlin Palace. 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 tower, but soon the architect O.I. Bove restored it to its former forms. In this form, she has survived to this day. Second Nameless Tower was built in the middle of the 15th century. Always performed purely defensive functions. In 1680, this tower was built on, adding an upper quadrangle and a high pyramidal tent 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 construction was stopped, it was restored anew. In appearance, the Nameless Towers resemble Petrovsky?

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. 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. In 1818, it was rebuilt by the architect O.I. Bove, and since then it has not been changed. The Petrovsky Tower, erected "for a better look and strength", served for the household needs of the Kremlin gardeners. The height of the tower is 27.15 m.

Konstantin-Eleninskaya. This tower was built by the architect P. 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 tower was a travel tower, had a retractable 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. Outwardly, the Konstantin-Eleninskaya Tower resembles the Petrovsky and Unnamed Towers, only it looks more “stocky”.

Nabatnaya. The tower was built in 1495. It got its name from the alarm bell, which warned of impending danger. The tower was placed on a hill, and from it an overview of the southern environs was opened. There were sentinels 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 so that the inhabitants of the surrounding villages would hasten to take refuge in the fortress. 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, without knowing who exactly rang the alarm, ordered to pull out the tongue from the bell.

Royal tower. This youngest and smallest tower was built in 1680. 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) 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 a graceful gilded weather vane - all this gives the tower the appearance of a fairy-tale terem.

The most famous tower of the Kremlin - Spasskaya. She is also considered to be the most beautiful tower Kremlin. It was built by the architect P. Solari in 1491. Initially, the tower was called Frolovskaya, and later it was renamed Spasskaya in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, placed above the entrance gate. and it was forbidden to ride through the Spassky Gates. Regiments went to battle from here, foreign ambassadors were met here. When built, the tower was about half as high. In 1624–25, the Russian architect Bazhen Ogurtsov and the English master Christopher Galovey erected a multi-tiered top over the tower, ending in a stone tent. Fantastic figurines - an element of decor - under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich were bashfully covered with specially sewn clothes. In the middle of the 17th century, main tower The Kremlin hoisted the first Kremlin eagle. Subsequently, double-headed eagles appeared on the Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya towers. The first clock was installed in 1491, and the current Kremlin chimes were installed in 1851–1852 by the Butenop brothers. The diameter of the dial is 6.12 m, the height of the numbers is 72 cm, the length of the hour hand is 2.97 m, the minute hand is 3.28 m. The height of the tower is 67.3 meters (with a star, first installed in 1935, 71 m ).

Senate. The tower was built in 1491 by the architect P. Solari and performed purely defensive functions - it protected the Kremlin from Red Square. For a long time she was nameless. The tower received its name after M. Kazakov built the Senate building on the territory of the Kremlin in 1787, the dome of which is visible from Red Square. Inside the main volume of the tower there are three tiers of vaulted rooms. A deaf, square tower in 1860 was built on with a stone tent, it is crowned with a gilded weather vane. The height of the tower is 34.3 m. In appearance, the tower resembles the Nameless Towers.

Nikolskaya. The tower was built by the architect P. Solari in 1491. Its name is associated with the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which was placed above the gate of the archer. As in all travel towers, there was a drawbridge across the moat, and protective bars on the gates. In 1612, during the struggle against the Polish interventionists, the people's militia, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, burst into battle through this very gate and liberated the Kremlin. At the beginning of the 19th century, the tower was rebuilt, the former superstructure was replaced by a Gothic top with openwork decorations. These decorations and four slender turrets at the corners of the lower quadrangle distinguish the Nikolskaya Tower from other Kremlin towers. In 1812, the tower was blown up by the French retreating from Moscow, restored in 1816.

Middle Arsenal. 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 Granyonoy - 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 grotto in the antique style was built according to the project of O.I. Bove. In appearance, the tower resembles the Unnamed and Senate towers.

Corner Arsenal. In 1492, the architect P. 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 18th 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.

Command 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 carts 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. The appearance of the tower, you guessed it :) resembles the Nameless, Nabatnaya and Senate towers.

Trinity tower. With this tower, the architect Aleviz Fryazin the Elder in 1495-1499 completed the construction of fortifications from the side of the Neglinnaya River. Deep two-story cellars served for defense purposes, and later in the 15th-16th centuries they were used as a prison. The tower received its modern name in 1658 from the Trinity Compound in the Kremlin. Previously, it was called Bogoyavlenskaya, Znamenskaya, Karetnaya after the names of the churches located in the Kremlin and the Karetny yard. In 1516, a stone Trinity Bridge was built across the Neglinnaya River, and the gates of the tower served as a passage to the mansions of the queen and princesses, to the court of the patriarch. The clock on the Trinity Tower, installed in 1585, burned down in a fire in 1812 and was restored at the end of the 20th century. The six-story Trinity Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. Its height with a star from the side of the Alexander Garden is 80 m.

Armory. The construction of this small tower 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.

Kutafya tower- the only surviving of the bridgehead towers of the Kremlin, 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 serious obstacle for the besiegers. The tower consisted of two combat tiers, on the upper platform there were hinged loopholes. To this day, at the side gate, you can see the preserved slots for chains of lifting mechanisms.

Kremlin towers. Secrets and secrets. 1 part.

It's great to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. It would seem that the majority of Russians were in the Kremlin and Red Square. What's new there? Tourists, pavement, zero kilometer. In fact, the Kremlin is full of mysteries. For example, each of the towers of the complex is fraught with its own secrets.

1. Taynitskaya tower

The Tainitskaya Tower The Tainitskaya Tower is a tower of the Kremlin, a former passageway, the middle one on the southern wall.

It was from the south that the Tatars attacked Moscow, and this tower controlled the fords and Vasilyevsky Spusk, and at the mouth of the Neglinka. According to the cache laid in it - a secret well in case of a siege - the tower was named Taynitskaya. As can be seen on the map, the original tower was a powerful entrance complex with a stone bridge and a diversion (retracted from the fortress at a distance) archery. The modern tower is a remake of the 18th century, built after Catherine II abandoned the idea of ​​the Grand Kremlin Palace.

The first tower, which was laid during the construction of the Kremlin, was Taynitskaya. In the last quarter of the 15th century, Ivan III launched a grandiose reconstruction of the walls and towers of the Kremlin.

The beginning of new construction is closely connected with the name of the Italian architect Anton Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi). The Italian "architect" arrived in Moscow back in 1469 as part of the embassy of Cardinal Vissarion to prepare the marriage of Grand Duke Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog. In 1485, Anton Fryazin laid the foundation stone for the Tainitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin and for the first time used brick for fortification construction. This marked the beginning of the renovation of the Kremlin fortifications.

The Tainitskaya tower had two combat tiers, on the upper platform there were loopholes for hanging battles (mashikuli). From the side of the river, the gate was covered by a second tower, connected to the Taynitskaya tower by a stone arched bridge.

A cache-well and an underground passage to the river (hence the name) were arranged in the Tainitskaya tower. At the end of the XVII century. The Taynitskaya tower is crowned with a tent. In 1770, it was dismantled in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the project of V.I. Bazhenov. Restored in the 1770s.

In 1862, a diversion archer was attached to the Tainitskaya tower, on the upper platform of which guns of a saluting battery were installed. In 1930-33, the archer was dismantled, the gates were blocked, and the hiding place was filled up. The current height of the tower is 38.4 m. Moscow. (Encyclopedic reference book. - M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia 1992)

2. Vodovzvodnaya tower

Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower is the southwestern corner tower of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located on the corner of the Kremlin Embankment and Alexander Garden, on the banks of the Moskva River. Erected in 1488 by the Italian architect Anton Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi). The name Sviblov Tower comes from the boyar surname Sviblo (later Sviblov), whose courtyard adjoined the tower from the Kremlin

A year later, the right flank of the southern wall was covered by the Sviblova tower. The map shows that the Kremlin is protected from the south by a double wall. It was dismantled as a result of the post-fire reconstruction of Moscow.

It received its modern name in 1633 after the installation of a water-lifting machine in it, made under the direction of Christopher Galovey, to supply water from the Moscow River to the Kremlin.

It was the first water supply system in Moscow from tanks placed in the upper tiers of the tower. Water from it was carried out "to the Sovereign Sytny and Stern Palace", and then to the gardens.

On the Moskva River, near the Vodovzvodnaya Tower, there was a washing raft for rinsing clothes. On the bank of the river there was a port-washing hut with accessories for the raft. In the Kremlin wall, small port-washing gates were arranged, through which linen was carried.

The water tower was built in the classical style. Up to the middle of the height, it is lined with alternating belts of protruding and sinking masonry.

A narrow strip of white stone, covering the tower in its middle part, as if emphasizes the arched belt. The turret is completed with dovetail crenellations with slots for shooting. Arcature belt, mashikuli, "dovetails" had not previously been found in Russian architecture of fortifications and were used here for the first time. The tent over the tower was erected at the end of the 17th century. In 1805, due to dilapidation, it was dismantled and rebuilt.

In 1812, the army of Napoleon Bonaparte, retreating from Moscow, blew up the tower. Restored in 1817-1819 by the architect Osip Ivanovich Bove. The walls are treated with rustication, the loopholes are replaced by round and semicircular windows. Dormer windows are decorated with Tuscan porticoes with columns and pediments.

Sviblova tower on a hundred rubles
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Unlike other towers with ruby ​​stars, Vodovzvodnaya did not previously have an eagle-shaped top. A star with a diameter of 3 meters was installed on the tower in 1937 and is the smallest of the Kremlin stars.

Interesting Facts.

In 1633, an unprecedented construction project was started in the Kremlin. Royal plumbing. And they made it - according to Roman custom, from lead. Through lead pipes, the water of the Moskva River, with the help of a horse-drawn pump, was pumped into large tanks located in the upper part of the tower (already - Vodovzvodnaya). These tanks were lined with a thin lead sheet for tightness. Through the same lead pipes, water from the tanks was diluted to kitchens, soaps, for watering the royal gardens, as well as to the Konyushenny, Khlebny, Kormovaya and other courtyards of the Kremlin. Each consumer had his own water-folding chest. For a long, long time (from 1633 to 1706), the royal palace was supplied with “impotent”, lead-poisoned water.

7.

Scientists who calculated the level of saturation of water with lead, argue that lead in the water should have contained more than one hundred current maximum allowable standards. According to the calculations of scientists, the water in this water supply system was especially poisonous in the morning, after it had been infused in lead water-folding chests all night. People were poisoned by lead. And the service people of the Kremlin, and its inhabitants. Poisoned with lead and the king. Signs of chronic lead poisoning are memory loss, apathy, lethargy. People look older than their age and degrade mentally and physically. All these signs were observed by contemporaries of Tsars Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676), Fyodor Alekseevich (1661-1682) and Ivan V (1666-1696). According to contemporaries, Alexei Mikhailovich did not know how and did not like to work, he was "much quiet."

8.

His character was lethargic and incapable of decisive actions and creativity. About himself, he himself said: "To me, a sinner, the local honor is like dust." He had a rather contemplative nature, preferring to observe the activities of others - to work itself. In general - the clinical picture of chronic lead poisoning, starting from childhood, and not just a quiet character.

About Fedor Alekseevich they said "Not a tenant." He lived little, was always lethargic, was often unhealthy and died young, while looking much older than his years. Ivan V was weak in body and mind, incapable of vigorous activity, was constantly in prayer and fasting. By the age of 27 he looked like an old man. By the age of 30, he was paralyzed and died - as imperceptibly as he lived.

If Alexei Mikhailovich was subjected to lead poisoning from childhood, then his children were poisoned with lead even in the womb. They were already the second generation of lead-poisoned tsars of Russia. What saved Peter the Great? Opala! It turns out that opal sometimes saves life and health. He spent his childhood and adolescence not in the Kremlin. He was the first son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second wife, Natalya Naryshkina. And he was born not in Moscow, but in one of the estates. They say that either in Kolomenskoye, or in Izmailovo. Peter was still small when his father died and his mother fell into disgrace. This is what saved the life of the future emperor. He did not consume powerless water and was not poisoned constantly with lead since childhood.

The life of young Peter passed outside the Moscow Kremlin, and this saved him from the fate of his father and brothers. True, having already become king, in 1706 Peter ordered the lead pipes to be removed from the Kremlin for their transportation to Piterburh. Lead pipes and other things were dismantled and sent to St. Petersburg, but ... It is known that the first water supply system in St. Petersburg, which supplied palaces and fountains with water from the Neva summer garden, had pipes from drilled tree trunks. Most likely, Peter just needed lead for bullets and buckshot. And he seized the much-needed metal. After all, he was the one who melted the bells into cannons, although this caused a much stronger reaction!

Against this background, the melting of pipes into bullets and buckshot remained completely unnoticed by contemporaries. And the fact that by this Peter saved so many inhabitants and servicemen of the Kremlin from lead poisoning remained completely unknown to people. How often it turns out that over time, people's actions are evaluated in a completely different way than when they were performed.

3. Borovitskaya tower

The Borovitskaya Tower (Predtechenskaya) is located in the southwest of the Moscow Kremlin. It is easily visible from the Alexander Garden and Borovitskaya Square. The building offers a wonderful view of the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge.

Borovitskaya Tower
1490, Pietro Antonio Solari

As you can see on the map, the gates were originally built in the tower itself (compare with the modern photo, where the gate is in the retractable shooter). A wooden bridge was thrown across the Neglinka.

The first quarter of the tower (height 16.68 meters) is divided into two tiers, which are covered with barrel vaults. From the first tier there is a passage to the partially filled basement of the tower. In the second tier, elements of church decor were partially preserved, and the tower church itself was destroyed in 1917. The second quadrangle is low - only 4 meters, its closed arch has stripping for windows. The third and fourth quarters (3.47 and 4.16 meters, respectively) make up a single volume and are also covered with a closed vault with window formwork. An octagon (4.16 meters) with a tent (18.07 meters) are also combined into one room: their walls are cut through by long narrow dormer windows. All levels communicate with each other by means of stairs located in the thickness of the eastern and northern walls. A spiral staircase runs from the basement to the second quarter in the southeast corner of the tower.

On the side of the tower, taking into account the turn of the wall, a retractable archer was attached to cover the gate. The gates were closed with iron bars. In plan, the archer has the shape of a triangle. Strelnitsa communicates with the basement of the main quadrangle. Until now, in the passage of the gate, you can see the longitudinal grooves for the gate grate.

Retractable shooter

According to legend, it owes its name to its location - it was erected on Borovitsky Hill, from where the name came from. According to another legend, it was built by masters from Borovsk, and therefore it was named in memory of them.

Taking into account the star, the height of the Borovitskaya Bashi of the Moscow Kremlin is 54.05 meters, excluding - 50.7 meters. It was built the ninth in a row among all the towers of the Kremlin. Its construction was carried out by the architect Pyotr Fryazin by decree of Ivan III in 1490. At the same time, Pietro Solari (Peter Fryazin) built a wall between it and the Sviblova tower (Vodovzvodnaya). He also designed the Spasskaya Tower.

According to the chronicles, another structure was located in its place, but it was also called. In 1658 it was renamed Predtechenskaya. The name was given after the Church of the Nativity of the Forerunner. With this name, it did not last long and soon the former name was returned.

Church of John the Baptist, Borovitskaya Tower and Konyushenny Prikaz. 1800.
If earlier the Borovitsky Gate of the Kremlin was a kind of "back entrance" (used exclusively for economic purposes), now it is used as a front gate. President enters through the Borovitsky Gate Russian Federation, host international guests and guests of the Armory.

Initially, the tower, like most of the structures of the Moscow Kremlin, was made of oak. In 1340, Ivan Kalita built a mighty oak fortress, with walls from 2 to 6 m thick and over 7 m high. The oak citadel protected Moscow for almost three decades, but was destroyed as a result of a fire in Moscow in the summer of 1365. In 1367, thanks to Dmitry Donskoy, the construction of the Kremlin began from white stone, which was mined not far from Moscow (after which Moscow began to be called "White Stone"). In 1485-1495. the walls of the Kremlin acquired, familiar to us today, a dark red color. The Kremlin received the red brick after the grandiose reconstruction of Ivan III.

Above the Borovitsky Gates in the icon case was the icon of St. John the Baptist. The lampada was looked after by the parable of the temple of St. Nicholas Streletsky, located on Borovitskaya Square. The temple was destroyed in 1932 during the construction of the Sokolnicheskaya subway line. The icon was lost in Soviet times. Her place above the gate is occupied by a clock.

"The Church of St. Nicholas, called Streletskaya, near the Borovitsky Gates, in Moscow."

Year Built: Between 1682 and 1810.

Year of loss: 1932 (demolished)

In 2006, a memorial chapel was erected on the site of the temple.

There were up to 210 archery households in the parish. After the dissolution of the archers by Peter I, the temple became impoverished - in 1716 there were only 4 yards in its parish. In 1812 it was looted and burned, but after that it was restored and then completed and repaired several times by the city. During the laying of the Sokolnicheskaya metro line in an open way in 1932, the temple was demolished along with the foundations.

Chapel of Nicholas the Wonderworker on Borovitskaya Square

Church of St. Nicholas Streletsky.

The Borovitskaya Solari tower was based on a quadrangle, which crowned a wooden tent. Then in 1666-1680s. the wooden tent was removed and three more quadrangles, one octahedron and a stone tent were built on. Therefore, the Borovitskaya Tower has a peculiar stepped (or pyramidal) shape. In addition, a diversion archer with a passage gate was attached to the side of the tower. The gate had an iron grate, and a drawbridge was thrown across the Neglinnaya River.

At the beginning of the XVI century. the Neglinka river flowed along the western wall of the Kremlin and had rather swampy and swampy banks. In addition, from the Borovitskaya Tower, it turned sharply to the southwest, moving away from the Kremlin walls. Near the Borovitsky Gate, a stone arched bridge was thrown across the river.

In 1510, they decided to straighten the channel and bring it closer to the walls. A canal was dug from the Borovitskaya Tower to the Moskva River past the Vodovzvodnaya Tower. This made this section of the Kremlin difficult to access militarily, but also forced the construction of a drawbridge to the Borovitskaya Tower, which has a gate. The lifting mechanism was located on the second tier of the tower.

In 1821, Neglinka was taken into the pipe, the Alexander Garden was laid out in its place, and the drawbridge of the tower lost its significance and was dismantled.

During the construction of the Borovitskaya metro station, a very interesting discovery was made. When the builders were working, they found a brick house in almost perfect condition. It turned out that the house was built in the 16th century, and it got there because of the failure of the soil under the house. Surprisingly, all the furniture and things were preserved inside the house.

In the XVIII century. the tower was repaired and decorated with white stone details in pseudo-Gothic style. When the French army led by Napoleon entered Moscow in 1812, many architectural monuments Moscow suffered or were destroyed as a result of fires and explosions. So, they also blew up the Vodovzvodnaya tower adjacent to Borovitskaya. During the explosion, the top of the tent fell from the Borovitskaya tower.

In 1816-1819. the tower was repaired by O. I. Bove. Apparently, at the same time, a clock appeared on the tower, at least on the drawings that have survived from that time, the gate and the clock are indicated.

In 1848, after the destruction of the Church of the Nativity of the Forerunner near Bor, the tower was turned into a church. The throne was moved there from the church and the pseudo-Gothic decorations were destroyed.

From the outer side of the Kremlin wall, on the folds of the gate, coats of arms carved from white stone are visible, 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. Noteworthy is the dialectic of the three coats of arms of the Borovitskaya Tower

In Soviet times, it was crowned with a red star (1935) instead of a double-headed eagle, and on the star, as was customary at that time, there was an image of a sickle and a hammer. And two years later, a ruby ​​star shone at the top.

Today it has five tiers, connected by a system of stairs. A spiral staircase in the southeast corner permeates the entire quadrangle.

Near the tower is the Armory - state museum Moscow Kremlin. The building was built by K. Ton in 1547 (he also built the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in 1883). Previously, this building was called the Great Treasury. Like most of the buildings of old Moscow, the Armory burned during fires and, unfortunately, many valuable exhibits were lost.

The building of the Armory houses the Diamond Fund, which has collected unique precious stones and metals of historical value. The fund began to take shape during the reign of Peter the Great, and the doors of the exhibition Diamond Fund opened in 1967

Curious facts

Guests of foreign states on official visits are received in the Grand Kremlin Palace - the Guest Residence of the Kremlin. If you notice the flag of another country on the palace, this means that the President of the Russian Federation is receiving guests of honor.

On January 22, 1969, a misfortune occurred near the Borovitsky Gate - an attempt on the life of L. I. Brezhnev. The officer on duty, having penetrated the cordon at the gate, fired 11 shots at the motorcade of the general secretary. As a result, the driver of the car died and several people were slightly injured. The offender was caught and put on trial.

One of the towers of the Kazan Kremlin, the tower of the Tatar queen Syuyumbike, is similar to the Borovitskaya tower.

After the Church of the Nativity of the Forerunner near Bor was demolished in 1848, the Borovitskaya tower turned into a church. The throne of the temple was moved here, and the pseudo-Gothic decorations were destroyed. During the renovations carried out in 1860, many other decorative elements that adorned the tower were removed.

MOSCOW CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST IN THE KREMLIN

The legendary Kremlin Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist was the very first Moscow church founded in Moscow at the dawn of its history - in the 12th century, when Moscow itself appeared. It stood right in front of the Grand Kremlin Palace and was demolished in 1847 by the personal order of Emperor Nicholas I.

The foundation of this church is often associated with the struggle in Russia against paganism in the very first centuries after the adoption of Christianity. Feast of St. John the Baptist also coincided in date with the pagan festivities of the day of Ivan Kupala, and at that time the Christian Church often replaced the pagan folk with its holidays and customs to facilitate the conversion of the people to the true faith.
7.

The Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist - the very first Moscow church - was founded on Bor, where at the same time the first wooden fortress wall of the city appeared around the main Borovitsky hill - the future Moscow Kremlin. It is noteworthy that this church was built of wood, and, as ancient historians have long argued, from the same local tree, pine, with which the Kremlin hill was densely covered, which received its historical name from this forest - Borovitsky.
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Over time, the first Moscow church ended up next to the Borovitskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin, and in April 1658 the pious Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered that the tower be renamed Predtechenskaya after the temple. Only the new name did not take root - even in official documents the tower continued to be called Borovitskaya, and to this day it is the only Kremlin tower that bears the most ancient historical name.

Near the Forerunner Church, on the site between the temple and the Borovitskaya Tower, from the first year of the founding of Moscow, there was a princely court. Since then, the princely court has remained on this site for centuries. In the 1320s, it was given with honor to St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow. Having moved to Moscow, St. Peter founded the Assumption Cathedral here.

But before that, it was the Predtechenskaya Church that had the status of the All-Russian Metropolitan See. So for a short time she was not only the very first, but also the most important temple in Moscow, and with her - in all of Russia.

The wooden Baptist Church stood until 1461. Only the Grand Duke Vasily II the Dark ordered to build it for the first time in stone. But this church building turned out to be short-lived, and was soon replaced by another after a fire in 1493. Then, finally, the Forerunner Church acquired its final form - in 1509, the Kremlin court architect, Italian Aleviz Fryazin, built a new stone Forerunner Church.

It was this building that survived until the 19th century (!) and was demolished during the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace in 1846. The church in the tower was consecrated in May 1848. Service in the new building of the temple with a high five-tiered iconostasis took place only once a year - on the day of the patronal feast.

The demolition of the church did not add to the beauty of the place. An empty, unformed square with wastelands and various buildings that have not yet been brought into a single architectural ensemble has opened up. And in order to hide the impartiality of this, an elegant lattice with huge cast-iron gates was built as a facade. It still stands between the Grand Kremlin Palace and the building of the Armory, erected by the same architect K. Ton. If you look deep into this grating, then on the left, behind the building of the Armory, you can see a travel arch leading to the courtyard of this building - the sign "Beware of the car" is still placed there. In 1918, the Kremlin garage of the Auto-Combat Detachment was located in this courtyard, and on September 4, Fanny Kaplan, who attempted to kill Lenin, was secretly shot here: from the basement of the Grand Kremlin Palace, where Kaplan was kept on Sverdlov’s orders, she was taken to this arch, allegedly for to get into the car. There, without a verdict, the commandant of the Kremlin, Malkov, shot her in the back.

In November 1917, the Borovitskaya Tower with the Baptist Church was badly damaged during the battles for the Kremlin. Several bullets hit local icons. After the revolution, the temple in the tower was completely closed and dismantled. Only salt remained from it - and the chapel of St. Uara in the Archangel Cathedral.

4. Gun tower

To the north of the Borovitskaya Tower, on a hillock, rises the slender Armory Tower. It got its name in the last century from the Armory, built here in 1851. Prior to that, it was called the Konyushennaya, since in ancient times the royal Stables Yard was located behind it.

The height of the tower is 32.65 m.

The Kremlin of the 1880s in the photographs of Barshchevsky

It is possible that the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Old) took part in its construction.

The Armory or Konyushennaya Tower is 38.9 m high. It underwent architectural changes in the period from 1676 to 1686 - at that time it was supplemented with a tent top. In general, the design is represented by a massive square-shaped quadruple, the organic completion of which is a combat platform equipped with a parapet. This is followed by an open quadrangle, and its crown is a tent with an observation tower (the neighboring Commandant's Tower has a similar appearance).

The internal layout of the Armory Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is designed in the form of two tiers of rooms, which are joined by ceiling vaults. The entrance to the lower tier is from the side of the Kremlin.

Today, the Armory Tower is historical monument medieval Russia - it perfectly preserved the forms of that time. You can find it between

Commandant and Borovitskaya towers, located near Borovitskaya Square. And in order to get to these sights of Moscow faster, it is better to approach them from the direction of the Alexander Garden.

5. Kutafya and Trinity Towers

The Trinity Tower is a travel tower with a branch archer, the main one on the western side of the Kremlin.

Its construction in 1495-1499 completed the construction of fortifications from the side of the Neglinnaya River, later the Alexander Garden. In 1516, a stone Trinity Bridge was built from the Trinity Tower across the Neglinnaya River, and the Kutafya Tower was built behind it. In the 16th-17th centuries, the Trinity Gates were considered the second most important after the Spassky ones - they served to get to the Kremlin to the courts of the patriarch, queens and princesses.

View, Kutafya tower and church
Nicholas in Boots. 1817.

Trinity Tower (formerly Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya, Karetnaya according to the churches located in the Kremlin and Karetny Dvor) is a tower with a gate in the middle of the northwestern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, facing the Alexander Garden.

Troitskaya Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The height of the tower at present, together with a star from the side of the Kremlin, is 65.65 m, with a star - 69.3 m from the side of Alexander Garden - 76.35 m, with a star - 80 m. The Trinity Bridge, protected by Kutafya, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower tower. The gates of the tower serve as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin.

tower before restoration

Currently, it is the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin.

Built in 1495-1499. Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanets (Italian: Aloisio da Milano). It received its current name in 1658 by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on the nearby courtyard of the Trinity Monastery. The two-storey base of the tower housed a prison in the 16th-17th centuries. From 1585 to 1812 there were chimes on the tower, which were not restored after the fire of 1812. In the years 1870-1895, when the archive of the Ministry of the Imperial Court was transferred to the tower, it was rebuilt, while many ancient details were lost.

The tower is six-story, with deep two-story cellars that served for defense purposes, and in the 16th-17th centuries were used as a prison. All floors of the tower are connected by a system of stairs located along the perimeter of the tower. The archer in the second tier has a room with a flat ceiling.

The tower is completed by a small quadrangle, resolved in the character of the main volume, above which rises an octagon with a through viewing part crowned with a tall, slender tent.

Troitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Observation deck

Decorative turrets and pinnacles at the corners of the parapets, lancet arches form the basis of a rich decor. Previously, from the side of the entrance to the Kremlin, the tower looked even more elegant, since the archer had similar decorations.

Trinity tower and bridge. Ser of the 19th century. Unknown artist.

At the end of the 17th century, the tower received a multi-tiered tent superstructure with white stone decorations. In 1707, due to the threat of a Swedish invasion, the loopholes of the Trinity Tower were expanded for heavy cannons. At the end of the 19th century, the restoration of the tower was carried out by the architect N. A. Shokhin.

Old photographs of Moscow 1883

Until 1935, an imperial double-headed eagle was installed on top of the tower. By the next date of the October Revolution, it was decided to remove the eagle and install red stars on it and the rest of the main towers of the Kremlin.

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.

Trinity bridge. It was thrown across the Neglinnaya River many centuries ago, even before it was hidden underground. The bridge connects the Trinity Tower with another - a low and wide tower. This is the Kutafya tower.

In 1870, the archives of the Ministry of the Imperial Court were transferred to the Trinity Tower. In order to accommodate it, the tower had to be rebuilt, and during the reconstruction, many ancient decorative details were destroyed.

The archive was located here until 1895. In the 19th century, the Neglinnaya River was hidden in a pipe, and the white stone ramp to the Kutafya Tower was replaced with a brick one. In 1901, a new Trinity Bridge was built.

The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest - manufactured in 1870 and prefabricated on bolts, so when dismantled, it had to be dismantled at the top of the tower. In 1937, the faded semi-precious star was replaced with a modern ruby ​​one.

The Presidential Orchestra of Russia is based in the Trinity Tower.

Tower from Alexander Garden

Kutafya (Bridge) Tower

Kutafya tower opposite Troitskaya, at the end of Troitsky bridge. The tower was built in 1516 under the leadership of the Milanese architect Aleviz Fryazin.

Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya River, with the only gate, which in moments of danger was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for the besiegers of the fortress. It had loopholes of the sole battle (loopholes of the lower level in the fortress walls and towers) and machicols (hinged loopholes located in the upper part of the fortress walls and towers).

In the XVI-XVII centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that the water surrounded the tower from all sides. Its initial height above ground level was 18 meters.

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Kutafya and Troitskaya towers. Right - Kremlin Palace of Congresses

It was possible to enter the Trinity Tower from the side of the city only on an inclined bridge passing through the Kutafya Tower.

There are two versions of the origin of the name "Kutafya": from the word "kut" - shelter, corner, or from the word "kutafya", meaning a full, clumsy woman. The Kutafya Tower has never been covered. In 1685, it was crowned with an openwork "crown" with white stone details.

The tower had no cover, 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.

40.1993. The reverse side of the banknote: 200 rubles

Church of the Saint in Boots

Saint Nicholas of Lycia is one of the most revered saints of the Orthodox Church. All over the world there are temples consecrated in the name of this saint. In Moscow, many churches with such a dedication have survived: in Kuznetsy, Pyzhy, Tolmachi, Klenniki, Khamovniki, Podkopayy, in Zayaitsky, on Three Mountains, on Bolvanovka ... Many churches were destroyed after the revolution, but it happened in the history of Moscow and this: temples dismantled, and the throne was transferred to the prosperous tsarist time. This happened to the temple, on the site of which, probably, every person who visited the Kremlin at least once was. Coming out of the metro and heading towards the Kutafya Tower, we pass through the square between the Manezh and house number 1 on Vozdvizhenka Street. It was on this square that there was once a temple in the name of St. Nicholas in Sapozhki (or "in the Sapozhka").

Fedor Alekseev. Kremlin wall, Trinity bridge, Troitskaya and Kutafya towers. On the right is the Church of St. Nicholas in Sapozhka. 1800s

Two pictures showing the Church of St. Nicholas in Boots. Her throne was transferred to a new church at the Manezh, and the icons and utensils were transferred to the former Holy Cross Monastery on Vozdvizhenka in the new chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Here we see the church in a rebuilt form - originally it was with a hipped bell tower.


V. Sadovnikov. Talyzin's house on Vozdvizhenka. 1840s. On the left is the Church of St. Nicholas in Boots.
In this place, near the Trinity Gates of the Kremlin, in the 15th century there was Semenovskaya Square, which got its name from the church of St. Simeon, built in 1470. In 1493, the church was probably damaged by fire and was demolished. In the middle of the 16th century, under Ivan the Terrible, the square began to be gradually built up. In 1648, on the site of the Simeonovskaya church, a stone church “on two tents” was erected with a dedication to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This temple became one of the last temples erected in the Moscow state, the main volume of which ended with tents, since in the same 1648, Patriarch Nikon banned the construction of tented churches, ordering them to return to the domed completion. The hipped form continued to be used only to complete the bell towers.

The history of the origin of the name "in Boots" is interesting. Usually the temples were named after the area, settlement, street where they were located: in the Kuznetskaya settlement - "in Kuznetsy", in Kadashevskaya - "in Kadashi". But there was no "shoemaker's" settlement in this area of ​​the city. The name “in a boot”, “with a boot”, later - “in boots” the church received from the temple icon, on which St. Nicholas was depicted in a robe, from under which the toe of his boot looked out. The surrounding quarter got its name from the temple, so already in the 17th century the tavern on the square was called “under the boot”.

In 1788, a new one was built to replace the dilapidated bell tower. The appearance of the temple at the beginning of the 19th century is beautifully conveyed in watercolors by Fyodor Alekseev and Maxim Vorobyov. In 1814, the St. Nicholas Church was assigned to the Vozdvizhensky Church of the abolished Exaltation of the Cross Monastery.

In 1817, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812, next to the Church of St. Nicholas in Sapozhki, on the site between Mokhovaya Street and Alexander Garden, a huge building, intended for military maneuvers and reviews - Exertsirgauz, now better known as the "Manege".

The project engineers A.A. Betancourt, L.Carbonier and A.Kashperov faced a difficult task: the building had to accommodate a freely maneuvering infantry regiment of 2,000 people, as well as large horse dressage. This meant that there were no internal supports, that is, the roof structure, spanning a 45-meter width, had to rest only on the outer walls of the building. To create unique rafters, huge larches were brought to Moscow, from which 30 roof trusses were assembled. The artistic appearance of the Manezh was created by one of the best Russian architects of the Empire era - the famous Osip Ivanovich Bove. The construction was carried out at an accelerated pace and was completed in 8 months, which may have affected the quality: over the next few years, the roof structure had to be corrected.

Photo from the 1890s In the middle of the Manezh building is the semi-rotunda of St. Nicholas Church

Post-fire Moscow received one of its best buildings, unique both in its technical design, and on a magnificent, subtly sustained stylistic decision. However, for the temple in Sapozhki, this grandiose construction was fatal: the already dilapidated temple building interfered with the movement of military units and crowded the square, so it was dismantled by imperial order. This was a great loss for the architectural appearance of the capital, where there were not so many temples with a hipped roof.

Icons and church utensils from the St. Nicholas Church were transferred to the newly built Nikolsky chapel of the Exaltation of the Cross Church, to which the church was assigned. However, the throne was not completely abolished. In 1838, work began on the construction of a house church at the Manege, where, in the language of the military ministry that controlled the Manege, the St. Nicholas Church in Sapozhki was to be “relocated”. Thus, the throne is preserved, but moved to the Exertsirhaus building.

Photo from the late 1900s. Semi-rotunda of St. Nicholas Church.
The belfry is visible on the right

The task of supplementing the grandiose building of the Manege with a church was by no means an easy one. Bove's authority was unconditional for Tyurin. It was unthinkable to cause any damage to the creation of a person under whose leadership he took his first steps in the profession. Tyurin treated the Beauvais building not just as a talented work, but as a masterpiece of a recently deceased teacher.

The surviving photographs show that the difficult task of adding a new volume to the Manezh monolith was solved very carefully, with minimal interference with the architectural design of Beauvais. A semi-rotunda of the church was added to the side facade facing the Alexander Garden, the roof of which is the same height as the roof of the Manege (to erect a dome here would not only be inappropriate, but also technically dangerous). A semicircular colonnade was placed inside the church, repeating the curve of the outer wall.

The solution of the outer wall of the semi-rotunda fully corresponds to the strict order decoration of the side facades of the Manezh, so that with a strictly frontal view, the protruding part of the attached church is almost unreadable.


Photo 1930 Demolition of St. Nicholas Church

St. Nicholas Church was consecrated in 1843, but, unfortunately, it did not last long in the new place either. After the October Revolution, the Manege began to be used as a garage of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It is hard to imagine that the Bolsheviks could allow the existence of a temple on the territory of such an institution, and even a stone's throw from the Kremlin. The church at the Manezh was closed in 1920, and in 1930 it was destroyed, since the semi-circular ledge in the plan, where the temple was located, allegedly interfered with the laying of tram tracks.

Here is the place on the facade of the Manege where the church was built.

For more than a hundred years, reviews and military exercises have not been held in the Manezh, for the sake of which the temple of the 17th century was dismantled. Trams have not been running along the square for a long time, and the house church at the Manege, which once overlooked the Alexander Garden, would not at all interfere with a trio of horses rushing somewhere from the bowels of the fountain and other bronzed representatives of folk tales, who for some reason settled opposite the walls of the Kremlin.