Towers of the Moscow Kremlin: photos and names. Towers of the Moscow Kremlin: a brief history Old name of the commandant tower

22.09.2022

The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers and they are all different, no two are alike. Each tower has its own name and its own history. Only two towers did not get names; they are called the First Nameless and Second Nameless. Behind them comes the Petrovskaya Tower, but the rightmost tower has two names at once. Nowadays it is called Moskvoretskaya, but once it was called Beklemishevskaya after the name of the man next to whose yard it was founded.

Somehow it turned out that enemies most often attacked from the side of the Moscow River, and the Moskvoretskaya Tower had to be the first to defend itself. That is why it is so formidable and with so many loopholes. Its height is 46.2 m.

The first tower that was founded during the construction of the Kremlin was Tainitskaya.

Plan of the Kremlin towers:

TAINITSKAYA TOWER

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

BOROVITSKY GATE AND TOWER

They are located on the highest hill, where all of Moscow came from. This tower stands near Borovitsky Hill, on which a pine forest grew a long time ago. This is where its name comes from. The height of the tower with the star is 54.05 m.

BEKLEMISHEVSKAYA (MOSKVORETSKAYA) TOWER

Located in the south-eastern corner of the Kremlin. It was built by the Italian architect Marco Fryazin in 1487-1488. The courtyard of boyar Beklemishev adjoined the tower, for which it received its name. Beklemishev's courtyard, together with the tower, served as a prison for disgraced boyars under Vasily III.

The current name - "Moskvoretskaya" - is taken from the nearby Moskvoretsky Bridge. The tower was located at the junction of the Moscow River with a moat, so when the enemy attacked, it was the first to take the blow. Related to this is architectural solution towers: a tall cylinder is placed on a beveled white stone plinth and separated from it by a semicircular ridge. The surface of the cylinder is cut through by narrow, sparsely spaced windows. The tower is completed by a machicolli with a battle platform, which was higher than the adjacent walls.

In the basement of the tower there was a hidden rumor to prevent undermining. In 1680, the tower was decorated with an octagon carrying a tall narrow tent with two rows of dormitories, which softened its severity. In 1707, expecting a possible attack by the Swedes, Peter I ordered bastions to be built at its foot and the loopholes to be expanded to install more powerful guns. During Napoleon's invasion, the tower was damaged and then repaired. In 1917, the top of the tower was damaged during shelling, but it was restored by 1920. In 1949, during the restoration, the loopholes were restored to their previous form. This is one of the few Kremlin towers that has not been radically rebuilt.

ANNUNATION TOWER

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

WATER TOWER

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

WEAPONS TOWER

Once standing on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, now enclosed in an underground pipe, it was named after the nearby Armory Chamber. Once upon a time there were ancient weapons workshops located next to it. They also made precious dishes and jewelry. Ancient workshops gave the name not only to the tower, but also to the wonderful museum located nearby Kremlin wall- The Armory Chamber. Many Kremlin treasures and simply very ancient things are collected here. For example, helmets and chain mail of ancient Russian warriors. The height of the Armory Tower is 32.65 m.

COMMANDANT'S TOWER

It got its name in the 19th century because the commandant of Moscow was located in the building nearby. The tower was built in 1493-1495 on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. It was formerly called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny yard located near it in the Kremlin. In 1676-1686 it was built on.

In the 19th century, the tower received the name “Komendantskaya”, when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Kremlin, in the Poteshny Palace of the 17th century. The height of the tower from the Alexander Garden side is 41.25 m.

TRINITY TOWER

It is named after the church and the Trinity Compound, which were once located nearby on the territory of the Kremlin. Trinity Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The height of the tower at present, together with the star from the side of the Alexander Garden, is 80 m.

The Trinity Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower. The tower gate serves as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin. Built in 1495-1499. Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanz (Italian: Aloisio da Milano).

At the end of the 17th century, the tower received a multi-tiered hipped superstructure with white stone decorations. In 1707, due to the threat of a Swedish invasion, the loopholes of the Trinity Tower were expanded to accommodate heavy cannons. Until 1935, an imperial double-headed eagle was installed at the top of the tower. By the next date of the October Revolution, it was decided to remove the eagle and install red stars on it and the other main towers of the Kremlin.

KUTAFYA TOWER

(Connected by a bridge with Troitskaya). Its name is associated with this: in the old days, a casually dressed, clumsy woman was called a kutafya. Indeed, the Kutafya tower is not high, like the others, but squat and wide.

The tower was built in 1516 under the direction of the Milanese architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya River, with a single gate, which in moments of danger was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for those besieging the fortress. It had plantar loopholes and machicolations. In the 16th-17th centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that water surrounded the tower on all sides. Initial height its height above ground level was 18 meters.

The only way to enter the tower from the city was via an inclined bridge.

PETROVSKAYA TOWER

Together with two unnamed ones, it was built to strengthen the southern wall, as it was most often attacked.

Like the two nameless ones, the Petrovskaya Tower at first had no name. She received her name from the Church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky Metochion in the Kremlin. In 1771 During the construction of the Kremlin Palace, the tower, the Church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshsky courtyard were dismantled. In 1783 the tower was rebuilt, but in 1812. The French destroyed it again during the occupation of Moscow. In 1818 The Petrovskaya Tower was restored again. Kremlin gardeners used it for their needs. Tower height 27.15m.

MEDIUM ARSENAL TOWER

It rises from the side of the Alexander Garden and is called so because there was a weapons depot right behind it. It was built in 1493-1495. After the construction of the Arsenal building, the tower got its name. A grotto was erected near the tower in 1812 - one of the attractions of the Alexander Garden. The height of the tower is 38.9 m.

CORNER ARSENAL TOWER

Located further away, in the corner of the Kremlin. Once upon a time she was called Sobakina, after the name of a person who lived nearby. But in the 18th century, the Arsenal building was erected next to it, and the tower was renamed. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal Tower. It is more than 500 years old. It is filled from an ancient source and therefore it always has clean and fresh water. Previously, there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. Tower height 60.2 m.

NIKOLSKAYA TOWER

Located at the beginning of Red Square. In ancient times, there was a monastery of St. Nicholas the Old nearby, and above the gate of the tower there was an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The gate tower, built in 1491 by the architect P. Solari, was one of the main defensive redoubts of the eastern part of the Kremlin wall.

The name of the tower comes from the Nikolsky Monastery, which was located nearby. Therefore over travel gates The icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed on the archer. Like all towers with entrance gates, Nikolskaya had a drawbridge over the moat and protective grilles that were lowered during the battle.

In 1812, the Nikolskaya Tower, along with many others, was blown up by Napoleon's troops retreating from Moscow. The upper part of the tower was especially damaged. In 1816, it was replaced by the architect O.I. Bove with a new needle-shaped dome in the pseudo-Gothic style. In 1917, the tower was damaged again. This time from artillery fire. In 1935, the dome of the tower was crowned with a five-pointed star. In the 20th century, the tower was restored in 1946-1950s and in 1973-1974s. Now the height of the tower is 70.5 m.

SENATE TOWER

It rises behind the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin and is named after the Senate, whose green dome rises above the fortress wall. The Senate Tower is one of the oldest in the Kremlin. Built in 1491 in the center of the north-eastern part of the Kremlin wall, it performed only defensive functions - it protected the Kremlin from Red Square. The height of the tower is 34.3 m.

SPASSKAYA (FROLOVSKAYA) TOWER

This name comes from the 17th century, when an icon of the Savior was hung over the gates of this tower. It was erected on the spot where the main gates of the Kremlin were located in ancient times. It, like Nikolskaya, was built to protect the northeastern part of the Kremlin, which had no natural water barriers. The passage gates of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya, were considered “holy” by the people. No one rode through them on horseback or walked through them with their heads covered. The regiments setting out on a campaign passed through these gates; kings and ambassadors were met here.

In 1658 the Kremlin towers were renamed. Frolovskaya turned into Spasskaya. It was named so in honor of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, located above the passage gate of the tower from the side of Red Square, and in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, located above the gate from the Kremlin.

In 1851-52 A clock was installed on the Spasskaya Tower, which we still see today - the Kremlin chimes.

Chimes are large clocks that have a musical mechanism. The bells play music at the Kremlin chimes. There are eleven of them. One large one, it marks the hours, and ten smaller ones, their melodious chime is heard every 15 minutes. The Kremlin chimes mechanism occupies three floors. Previously, chimes were wound manually, but now they do it using electricity. The Spasskaya Tower occupies 10 floors. Its height with the star is 71 m.

ROYAL TOWER

It is not at all like other Kremlin towers. There are 4 columns right on the wall, and on them there is a peaked roof. There are neither powerful walls nor narrow loopholes. But she doesn’t need them. Because the tower was not built for defense at all. According to legend, Tsar Ivan the Terrible loved to look at his city from this place. Later, the smallest tower of the Kremlin was built here and called it Tsarskaya. Its height is 16.7 m.

ALARM TOWER

She got her name from the large bell - the alarm that hung above her. Once upon a time there were guards on duty here all the time. From above, they vigilantly watched to see if the enemy army was approaching the city. And if danger was approaching, the watchmen had to warn everyone and ring the alarm bell. Because of him, the tower was called Nabatnaya. But now there is no bell in the tower.

KONSTANTINE-ELENINSKAYA TOWER

It owes its name to the Church of Constantine and Helena that stood here in ancient times. The tower was built in 1490 and was used for the passage of the population and troops to the Kremlin. Previously, when the Kremlin was made of white stone, there was another tower in this place.

The new tower was built for the reason that there were no natural barriers from the Kremlin on its side. It was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful diversion gate and passage gates, which later, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. were dismantled. The tower got its name from the Church of Constantine and Helena, which stood in the Kremlin. Tower height 36.8 m

FIRST UNNAMED TOWER

It neighbors Taynitskaya and is a remote building.In the XV - XVI centuries. it served as a gunpowder storage. In 1547, the pylon completely burned down in a fire, but in the 17th century. it was rebuilt and supplemented with a tier with interesting name: "tent-shaped". When the government started building a luxurious Kremlin palace, the facility was liquidated. As soon as the work that was entrusted to the architect Bazhenov was completed, it was decided to work on the structure again. As a result, the beauty of the Kremlin was complemented by another object, the exact height of which is 34.15 m.

SECOND UNNAMED TOWER

The tower was built in the 1480s as an intermediate tower on the south side of the Kremlin.

Since 1680, the tower has acquired even greater attractiveness in an architectural sense, since it was completed with a 4-sided tent and equipped with an observation post-tower. The stone structure is neatly crowned with a tent with a weather vane.

At the beginning of the 18th century, a gate was built in the tower. Like many other towers of the southern wall, the Second Nameless Tower was dismantled in 1771 in preparation for the construction of the Bazhenov Grand Kremlin Palace and was rebuilt after the construction of the palace ceased.

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

A bunch of historical events All the towers had to survive. They suffered especially in the War of 1812, when explosions continually turned defensive structures into piles of stones. A lot of work was carried out to restore them. The appearance that Moscow residents and guests contemplate is due to the competent actions of the architect O.I. Bove.

When working on the restoration of the Kremlin complex, the craftsmen managed to emphasize its antiquity and add romance. The decor of some towers was made in a medieval style. The bastions built under Peter I were eliminated, and the ditch crossing Red Square was buried.

Taynitskaya Tower

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

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

Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower

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

Borovitskaya Tower

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

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

Weapon Tower

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

Trinity Tower

After Spasskaya, it was listed as the second most serious protection and was the tallest among all the towers. At the base of the 6-tier quadrangle of this pylon there is a 2-tier basement with strong walls. For convenient movement between tiers, stairs are provided. This tower had several names. From Epiphany, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya, by royal decree it turned into Trinity due to the neighboring courtyard of the Trinity Monastery. Together with the star, the structure rises 80 m.

Kutafya (Bridge) Tower

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

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

Corner Arsenalnaya (Dog) tower

Its lower mass is represented by 16 faces and an expanded base. There is a basement under the tower, which can be accessed via an internal staircase. In the dungeon there is a well with drinkable water. The design was named after the Dog because of the nearby courtyard of a boyar with the surname Sobakin. In the 18th century After the construction of the Arsenal, the tower with the well was renamed the Corner Arsenal.

Middle Arsenalnaya (Faceted) Tower

Entered the Kremlin complex in 1495. Later, a grotto was erected next to it - a landmark of the Alexander Garden. The outer edge of the pylon is divided by flat niches. The 4-cornered top is topped with machicolations and equipped with a parapet with caissons (recesses for carved decorations). The internal part of the structure is represented by 3 tiers, covered with cylindrical vaults. They have internal staircases. The entire structure is completed by an end-to-end observation tower and a tent.

Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) tower

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

Tsar's Tower

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

Four jug-like pillars support an octagonal tent, decorated with a gilded weather vane. Once upon a time, the ringing of fire service bells could be heard from it. The tower has not undergone significant changes. Its height is about 17 m including the weather vane.

Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower

It appeared as the Kremlin’s military defense system improved. The name of the building was given to the church of Metropolitan Peter, standing in the courtyard of the Ugreshsky Monastery. The tower was built on and restored after the explosion of a gunpowder charge made by the French in 1812.

The purpose of the 27-meter building was to satisfy the economic needs of gardeners who were beautifying the Kremlin territory.

Alarm tower

This solid, strong object stands between the Tsarskaya and Konstantino-Eleninskaya towers. Its basement level interior space It is represented by a complex multi-chamber system, combined with the running part of the walls through stairs. Bells once rang in the tent-topped tetrahedron. Like instruments of the Spassky alarm, they notified people about the fire. The 150-pound alarm bell was rung by a distinguished craftsman of that time, Ivan Motorin.

Senate Tower

Since 1491, the tower has stood on Red Square between the Nikolskaya and Frolovskaya defensive buildings. Until the end of the 18th century. it did not have any name until the Senate building appeared in the Kremlin in 1790. The internal volume of the tower is divided into 3 tiers of rooms with vaults. The initially square, solid structure was added in 1680 with a stone tent and a gilded weather vane. The total height of the building is 34.3 m.

Spasskaya (Frolovskaya) tower

It is located near the main gate, which in ancient times had a special passage to the Kremlin. The structure was erected to protect the northeastern corner of the ensemble, which had no water barriers. In the XVII century. the tower was decorated with the sovereign's coat of arms in the form of a double-headed eagle. The clock hung on the structure in the 60s of the 19th century adorns it to this day.. The architecture of the pylon differed from the plan of the surrounding buildings by the precision of proportions, luxury of facade decorations and figurines of mythical animals. The corners of the quadrangle are in harmony with the pleasing pyramids with shining weather vanes.

Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower

Built in 1490, it is located on the site of a former passage structure. The townspeople and regiments passed through it, and Prince Donskoy himself headed through this tower to fight on the Kulikovo Field, in the 2nd half of the 14th century. The structure acted as a security military facility, ensuring the safety of the Great Posad and the routes leading from the river pier. The tracks from the adjacent streets were also monitored. The pylon was equipped with a passage gate and a diversion arch. It was possible to get to it via a drawbridge that spanned over the moat. The object received a new name due to the proximity of the Church of Constantine and Helena.

Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) tower

The round-shaped tower is located near the Moskvoretsky Bridge and is clearly visible from Red Square. Once upon a time, the defender repelled the blows of advancing enemies. There was a hiding place underneath it. In the 17th century the pylon was built with a beautiful tent, which gave it slender forms and relieved it of the severity of a fortress.

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

Annunciation Tower

If you believe the legend, the structure with a deep underground received this name because of the “Annunciation” icon that supposedly hung in it in ancient times. Historians also link the name of the tower to the fact that the Church of the Annunciation was built next to it, which was destroyed by order of the Soviet government. In the XVII century. next to the pylon, the Porto-Wash Gate was built, through which the palace washerwomen hurried to the Moscow River to caress their linen. Over time, these gates were tightly sealed. Together with the weather vane, the tower structure extends 32 m into the sky.

Nikolskaya Tower

Located in the northern part of the Moscow Kremlin. In the old days, its powerful quadrangle was equipped with travel gates, a diversion arrow and a lifting crossing. The name of the tower comes from the image of St. Nicholas, hanging above the passage of the archery. The population passed through the gates to the Kremlin, heading to the monastery courtyards and courtyards of the nobility. The decoration of the tower is considered to be an octagon with a “lace” of white stone elements. The additional part with a tent conveys the Gothic style of architecture. During the battles with Napoleon's army, the tower was partially destroyed, but was subsequently restored. The newly built iron tent is decorated with white stone turrets in the corners.

First Nameless Tower

It neighbors Taynitskaya and is a remote building. In the XV - XVI centuries. it served as a gunpowder storage. In 1547, the pylon completely burned down in a fire, but in the 17th century. it was rebuilt and supplemented with a tier with an interesting name: “tent”. When the government started building a luxurious Kremlin palace, the facility was liquidated. As soon as the work that was entrusted to the architect Bazhenov was completed, it was decided to work on the structure again. As a result, the beauty of the Kremlin was complemented by another object, the exact height of which is 34.15 m.

Second Nameless Tower

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Towers of the Moscow Kremlin. Today it is difficult to imagine without their spiers the once fortification structure itself, and the appearance of the capital - Moscow - would lose some zest.

So how many towers are there in the Moscow Kremlin? Their total number is 20, and in this review we will give their names, former and existing, and also briefly tell about their interesting history.

Some facts from the history of the Kremlin towers in Moscow

Each tower in the Kremlin is unique. You won't find exactly the same ones here. Their names also differ, which have changed several times over many centuries. True, two of them - First And Second- and have remained Nameless to this day.

The very first tower of the Moscow Kremlin, the first stone of which was laid simultaneously with the construction of the Kremlin walls, became Taynitskaya Tower. This name is due to the fact that it was from it that it led to the Moscow River. secret passage, built underground. This was necessary in case of a siege, so that it would be possible to replenish the necessary supply of water.

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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 white stone Kremlin 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. The half-pound stone was taken with both hands.

Ivan III commissioned construction in the Kremlin Vasily Dmitrievich Ermolin. Italian architects also built a lot in the Kremlin, but according to original Russian motives. Ivan III envisioned the Kremlin not only as a reliable fortress, but also as a ceremonial place for Muscovite Rus'. The architects were inspired by these ideas. And 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 firing range of a throwing weapon. The towers interrupt the progress along the wall. And they themselves are either round or polygonal, so that they are more difficult to destroy with battering guns.
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 also varied, reaching up to 14 meters in some places. 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 “swallowtail”, reminiscent of the letter “M”; loopholes were arranged in them. This gave the thick walls originality and decorativeness. On top of the battlements there was a plank gable roof, covering the Kremlin defenders from rain and snow.
There were 20 towers; in ancient times they did not look as elegant and tall as they do now. Tents appeared two centuries later. Under Ivan III, they were built as formidable impregnable bastions. They are all completely different from one another.
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 expanded and rapidly growing Moscow could no longer get by with just these walls. The wall of Kitai-Gorod adjoined the walls of the Kremlin, and these walls merged into one fortification unprecedented power and size. New walls and towers followed 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

Main tower Kremlin - Frolovskaya, named after the neighboring Church of Flora and Lavra. During the renovation of the tower in 1464-1466, the architect V.D. Ermolin installed on it white stone relief images of the patrons of the Moscow princes - St. George the Victorious and Dmitry of Thessalonica. The tower was built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The Frolov Gate was the main entrance to the Kremlin: in the 16th - 17th centuries, tsars left through it, on holidays the patriarch came out with a procession of the cross, and foreign ambassadors who arrived in Moscow were greeted at the gate. 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 receive its characteristic pointed silhouette. A clock was built into the superstructure - the predecessors of the Kremlin chimes. In 1658, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the Frolovskaya tower was renamed Spasskaya (in honor of the icons of the Savior of Smolensk and the Savior Not Made by Hands), which were placed on the outer and inner sides of the Kremlin. The Spassky Gate was especially revered by the people and was considered “holy”: men, entering the Kremlin through it, bared their heads, and the riders dismounted and led their horses.

Taynitskaya Tower

Based on the time of birth, this is tower No. 1. Behind long history this guardian of the Kremlin had many different names - Potaynitskaya, Water Gate, Cheshkovy, Sheshkovy, Chushkovy Gate. In the 15th century, the courtyard of Czech, boyar Danil Galitsky, stood nearby, hence the last three names, and Vodyany and Tainitsky - because there was an ancient well-cache 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 on top. As the inventory of 1647 tells: “And on the tower there is a wooden closet, and in the closet there is a clock. On the same tower there are two wooden huts. And the watchmaker said that he erected those huts with his own money and installed them without beating his forehead, without decree.” That is, he built huts without receiving official permission. Life was difficult for the watchmaker; the roofs of the huts had collapsed. Apparently, in the middle of the 17th century, the dilapidated tower was demolished and rebuilt. The tower stands rising in five tiers with a tent at 38.4 meters.

Nikolskaya Tower

The Nikolskaya Tower resembles a Gothic cathedral. From a rectangular, squat base, a slender red-and-white spire with pointed slit-like openings rises upward. From red brick and white stone, Russian craftsmen built something like a bell tower with narrow window slots. On its sides there are four small white 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 high. In the old days, disputes that often arose at the Nikolskaya Tower were resolved. retail space. Disputants came here and kissed the cross, calling as witnesses the image of St. Nicholas the Pleasant hanging on the gate - “the intercessor and comforter of all those who mourn,” who, they believed, punished perjurers. But this also happened. Once, during a procession of the cross, in front of hundreds of people, a fearless rebel, who was captured and tried, threw a stick at this image. "St. Petersburg Vedomosti" reported that "the blasphemer and iconoclast of the Shuisky district Vasily Zmiev, the peasant Ivashka Krasny, was burned on the square." And “watchmen” were on duty on the Nikolskaya Tower, 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 these gates in great joy.”

Trinity Tower

The most massive tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Its enormity is best felt when you look at it from its base in the Alexander Garden. A brick colossus rises up from the ground like a mountain. The thickness of the walls is cut through by asymmetrical windows; there are six of them in the upper tier. And although the tower is decorated at the top with white stone columns, figurines, and arches like the Spasskaya Tower, it has not yet lost its medieval severity. The height from the base to the star is 80 meters. One meter lower than the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, nine meters higher than the Spasskaya Tower. When you enter this giant tower, you find yourself in a multi-story building. It's inhabited. Musicians come here for services with trumpets, clarinets, and saxophones. The tower is full of sounds, like the orchestra pit of a theater. Famous musicians and composers still come to the Trinity Tower to listen to new works and give them a start in life. In the same tower there is a control panel for 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 (Dog) tower

Before the Arsenal appeared here, this tower was called Sobakina, because the courtyard of the boyar Danila Soba was located here. When an explosion occurred in the Kremlin in 1812, half of the Arsenal flew into the air, and this tower only became covered with cracks. This is the strongest tower of the Kremlin. A feature of the tower’s architecture is its edges, there are eighteen of them, they merge into one powerful round pillar. It protected not only the walls of the Kremlin (located exactly at the corner of the two walls), but also the 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. They pumped it out for days and did not drain it - which means the underground spring is inexhaustible. Water from the spring flows through a stone gutter into Neglinka, which flows in a pipe underground. This spring is called “one of the wonders of the ancient Kremlin,” and to see it, we open the iron door to the tower. We take a step forward - and the summer heat gives way to darkness, eternal coolness and the breath of living water. It makes itself 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 proximity. Before going deeper, we stop at the window - a loophole. Standing next to it, you see the incredible thickness of the masonry - about four meters. The staircase that Peter Antonio Solario laid out in the thickness of the stone leads to the source. It goes down steeply. Its width is such that it allows you to pass one at a time without bending. Having counted about forty steps, we carefully descend. The beam of a flashlight reveals from the darkness underfoot a brick pipe growing out of the ground. Large bricks, excellent masonry, it is about five meters in diameter. There is a vault overhead, 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 slit intended for overhead light. At the bottom of the pipe there is bluish water, quiet and calm, sleeping in this underground vault guarded by the tower. How old is this spring? It is unknown, perhaps he is the same age as Moscow itself. The water is tasty, cool and clear, purified by nature itself. There is another secret in the Corner Arsenal Tower. If we walk 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 thick with brick. In the beam of a lantern, a vaulted hall emerges from the darkness. No windows, not even a narrow crack, reminiscent of the existence of light. Even a strong sound does not reach here. This is a dungeon so you can hide something in it. When they dug up this dungeon, they hoped to find the library of Ivan the Terrible here. But it was not there, 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 it this way: “The most elegant in proportions. With its beauty, the Beklemisheva Tower gives a charming consonance in the general impression of the Kremlin, in the symphony of its architectural forms.” It was not so harmonious right away; at first its height was 10 meters lower. Then it was built on. Maschikuli - openings for shelling the enemy from top to bottom - appeared much higher than the previous ones, blocked with bricks. Admiring the beauty of the tower, Bartenev was also amazed that for hundreds of years it had not undergone major repairs! The tower received its name from the courtyard of boyar Vasily Beklemishev, which was previously located near it. The tower stands under a cliff on strong wind, so I even leaned over a little. Naturally, it got its second name from the tower’s proximity to the Moscow River.

Annunciation Tower

This is a large tower, there was a passage here, a “port-washing gate”. Through them we went out 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. Seven bells hung 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 good news, advising him to submit a petition to the king. After this, pilgrims began to come here, and 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 stick; they could not erase the old name from the consciousness of Muscovites based on its location near Borovitsky Hill. It is not known why, but the builder of the Borovitskaya tower built it unlike all other corner and walk-through towers. This Kremlin archery is laid out according to the plan of a stepped pyramid. Above its lower rectangular main mass rise, one smaller than the other, three more volumes of the same shape. S.P. Bartenev called it the most unique tower of the Kremlin. You enter the Borovitskaya Tower and find yourself in a spacious house: eight floors with deep, spacious basements. On the lower floors there are whitewashed chambers filled with light. We go into one, then go up to another. Even on a gloomy day it is light in it, because it is double-lighted, the rays fall through two tiers of windows. Borovitsky Gate is an ancient door of the Kremlin; it served as a convenient exit to the river, where people went to fetch water. These gates were also used when it was necessary to secretly enter the Kremlin.

Vodovzvodnaya Tower

This tower went down in history with the construction of the first water pipeline in Moscow. This is a corner tower, so it is much taller, more elegant, and 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. “The Vodovzvodnaya Tower is an integral, completely finished work, its proportions are beautiful, the architectural treatment 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 right next to the 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 because in 1663 it served as a water station. A water-cocking machine appeared in it, the mechanisms of which pumped water from the well upward, where there was a reservoir lined with lead. From here, water flowed by gravity through lead pipes into 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 base is located at the level of the Neglinnaya River, so it suffered the most from water. We had to strengthen it, so that the wall here lost its straightness, it thickens towards the base.

Weapon Tower (Konyushennaya)

This low tower stands on a high coastal hill. It has four tiers. Previously, it was called Konyushennaya - after the stables that stood here. This tower was also a passage point. It began to be called the Armory because the Armory Chamber was located nearby.

Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower

Unlike others, it has an octagonal top, crowning this four-story building. This is a warrior tower, a watchtower. On its second tier there was the Church of Metropolitan Peter, which belonged to the nearby courtyard of the Ugreshsky Monastery. 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 the appearance of severe inaccessibility.

Kutafya Tower

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

What did the Kremlin, the fortress, mean to the people of that era? The Kremlin is the military and intellectual core of the city. And in dangerous situations The walls of the Kremlin saved lives. Inside the fortress lived the nobility - the leadership, there was an arsenal and supplies, there was a main cathedral, a library and learned people. When the population increased, people settled on the outside of the walls - a settlement was formed. The settlement was also later surrounded by fortifications. When attacked by enemies, everyone who could took cover behind the walls of the fortress. Each tower performed specific functions. The tallest ones were guard towers, the strongest ones were entrance towers, with gates, and there was also an arsenal tower, a water intake tower, a sentry tower (with a clock), a prison tower - a dark room... The distance between the towers was such that the entire space between them could be shot through from the same towers .
The fortress on Borovitsky Hill has been built and rebuilt since 1156 (the date of the appearance of the first fortifications). But the towers and walls familiar to us began to be erected in the 1480s - during the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich (Ivan III). To furnish the royal residence - a complex of mansions, churches and cathedrals - the architects Pietro Antonio Solari, Antonio Gilardi (Anton Fryazin), Aloisio da Milano (Aleviz Fryazin), Aristotle Fioravanti were invited from Italy (this part of our history is well reflected in the series about, wife of Ivan Vasilyevich). Construction was carried out in Russian traditions, in compliance with all the canons of church and residential architecture. But the result turned out to be unusual; where else can you find such elegant and at the same time majestic towers? And if the eye has already become accustomed to not noticing this beauty, then I suggest taking another look at our main attraction.
Tainitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin
The “oldest” tower is Tainitskaya, built by Anton Fryazin in 1485. The photograph shows that there was once a gate in this tower, but now it has been blocked (in the 30s of the 20th century).
In general, the very first towers were built along the Moscow River, and Tainitskaya is the central one on this “embankment” (see diagram above). “... an archer was laid on the Moscow River at the Sheshkov (Peshkov) Gate, and a cache was found under it,” the chronicle says. Each Russian fortress had a “tainitskaya” tower - with access to a spring that supplied the besieged with water, and to secret underground passages. The Tainitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin means an underground passage to the Moscow River and a passage into the fortress. There was also a well there. The existence of the well and passages is confirmed by documents. Until 1674, the tower had a striking clock, and until 1917, a cannon shot was fired from the tower every noon.
In terms of underground secrets, the Moscow Kremlin is one of the most interesting objects in the world. Scheme You can't see the link O underground passages in the Moscow Kremlin shows which of them are still preserved