In Moscow on Red Square we see the Kremlin towers and immediately notice how different they are. But at the same time, each of them is unique and beautiful in its own way. And, in addition, each tower has its own given name, and not accidental, but arose in the process of historical development and changes in the architectural appearance of the city.

A total of 20 towers are concentrated throughout the Kremlin in Moscow. Each of them has its own name and own story the buildings. According to the architectural features, the buildings are divided into round and square towers.

Moreover, only three towers have a circular cross-section - these are Vodovzvodnaya, Beklemishevskaya and Arsenalnaya Uglovaya. All other buildings are square in plan. Most of the towers are made in the same architectural style, which allows you to create a single building ensemble. The integrity of the ensemble was given by the decoration, which was made in the 17th century.

However, the Nikolskaya Tower, which was rebuilt in a pseudo-Gothic style at the beginning of the 19th century, stands out noticeably against this background. Let's look at the distinctive features of each tower, as well as the historical conditions for the construction of the structures.

Beklemishevskaya tower.

The second name of the Beklemishevskaya tower is Moskvoretskaya. It is located in the south-eastern corner of the Moscow Kremlin and is just over 46 meters high. The structure was built during the reign of Tsar Ivan III Vasilyevich in 1487 - 1488.

The tower project was developed and implemented by the Italian Marco Ruffo (Mark Fryazin). The Beklemishevskaya tower has a round shape in plan. At first, the tower received its name after the surname of the boyar Beklemishev, whose courtyard was located next to the tower. Later the building was renamed after the name of the nearby bridge.

Borovitskaya Tower.

This tower was built in 1490 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari during the reign of Tsar Ivan III Vasilyevich. The Borovitskaya Tower is located at the mouth of the Neglinnaya River. The tower got its name from the name of the hill on the slope of which it was built. In ancient times, there was a dense forest on the hill - a small pine grove. And probably. this was the reason for the name.

However, in 1658, by royal decree, the tower was given the name Predtechenskaya in honor of the nearby Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist. The height of the Borovitskaya Tower is 54 meters, and its spire at the top is decorated with a ruby ​​star. Today, the gates of the Borovitskaya Tower are used for the ceremonial passage of government motorcades.

Weapon tower.

The next one, the Armory Tower, is located next to the Armory Chamber, which is where its name originated in the mid-19th century. Once upon a time there was a passage gate in the lower part of the tower, and then it was called Konyushennaya, because the royal stable yard was located nearby, and from there horses could drive through the tower gate.

The armory tower was built in two years, from 1493 to 1495. The height of the structure reaches almost 39 meters. The building fits the overall style of the ensemble and harmoniously fits into the appearance of the Kremlin wall.

Commandant's Tower.

The Commandant's Tower began to be called that only in the 19th century. At that time, in the Kremlin Amusement Palace, next to the tower, the commandant of Moscow was located, and in ancient times it was called Kolymazhnaya, because nearby there was a Kolymazhnaya yard where the royal carriages, carts and rattles were parked.

The commandant tower was built in 1495 during the reign of Ivan III Vasilyevich. The height of the building is 41 meters.

Trinity Tower.

From a distance you can see the gigantic wall of the highest tower of the Kremlin - Trinity. Perhaps, like no other Kremlin tower, it amazes with its harsh power and inaccessibility. The Trinity Tower was built in 1495 by the Italian architect Aloisio da Milano (Aleviz Fryazin).

The Trinity Tower is the tallest Kremlin tower, because the height of the structure is 80 meters. Also, this tower also has an entrance and passage, and in terms of its importance it ranks second after Spasskaya.

The name of the tower changed many times, but it began to be called Trinity in 1658 after the Trinity courtyard, which was located near it on the territory of the Kremlin. But even earlier it had other names - Epiphany and Znamenskaya.

At the moment, the gates of the Trinity Tower are the main entrance to the Kremlin territory, and the elegant spire of the structure is decorated with a luxurious ruby ​​star.

Kutafya Tower.

In front of the Trinity Tower, right behind the bridge, the Kutafya Tower proudly protrudes forward. It is significantly smaller in height and size, but at the same time very solid, squat, stocky and strong. Its name is associated with the word “kut” - corner, but even more often historians associate the name of the structure with the word “kutafya”. This is how in some places in Russia they called a woman covered from head to toe or a clumsy woman.

The Kutafya Tower is so different from all the others in the features of its architecture that it cannot be confused with any of the other towers of the Kremlin ensemble. It was built in 1516 by the architect Aleviz Fryazin during the reign of Vasily III.

The height of the tower is small - only 13.5 meters, and today it is the only surviving Kremlin tower that is free-standing and not built into the wall. In the old days, similar bridgehead towers served to guard bridges through which one could enter the fortress. The Kutafya Tower is located opposite the Trinity Tower, and between them there is an inclined bridge.

Corner Arsenal Tower.

In 1492, in the northern corner of the Kremlin wall, the architect Pietro Antonio Solari built a round tower, which was called the Arsenalnaya. This structure is the most powerful tower of the Kremlin, although it reaches only 60 meters in height.

The Arsenal Tower received its name at the beginning of the 18th century after the Arsenal building, the “Arms House,” was built on the territory of the Kremlin. The second name - Dog Tower - was obtained as a result of the fact that not far from the structure there was an estate of the Sobakin boyars. Distinctive feature The cornerstone of the Arsenal Tower is that there is a well inside it.

Middle Arsenal Tower.

The second name of the Middle Arsenal Tower is Faceted. The building received it thanks to some characteristic features the buildings. The tower was erected in 1493 - 1495 during the reign of Ivan III Vasilyevich.

The height of the structure reaches almost 39 meters. The middle Arsenal Tower is located on the northwestern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, which stretches along the Alexander Garden. It is noteworthy that the Faceted Tower was built on the site where the corner tower, built during the time of Dmitry Donskoy, was previously located.

Nikolskaya Tower.

One of the most beautiful towers of the Moscow Kremlin is Nikolskaya with the Nikolsky Gate. Once upon a time, an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed above them, and even earlier, not far from here, there was the monastery of St. Nicholas the Old.

The Nikolskaya Tower is located on the eastern wall of the Kremlin in Moscow. It was built in 1491 under Tsar Ivan III Vasilyevich. Architect Pietro Antonio Solari designed a structure with a height of just over 70 meters.

At the same time, the Nikolskaya Tower is also a travel pass - through its gate you can enter the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. The architectural appearance of the Nikolskaya Tower is somewhat different from all other buildings, because in the 19th century it was rebuilt in a pseudo-Gothic style. Today, the majestic spire of the Nikolskaya Tower is also crowned with a ruby ​​star.

Senate Tower.

Immediately behind the mausoleum of V.I. Lenin rises the Senate Tower with the building of the former Senate located behind it. This tower was built on the eastern part of the Kremlin wall in 1491 during the reign of Ivan III Vasilyevich.

The height of the tower reaches 34 meters, and it was built under the direction of the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. Yours modern name the tower received only three hundred years after its construction. This happened after the Senate Palace was built on the territory of the Kremlin in 1787.

Spasskaya Tower.

A little further there is a tower that everyone knows. This is the Spasskaya Tower with the Spassky Gate, the spire of which is crowned with a ruby ​​star. It has been called Spasskaya since 1658 thanks to the icons of the Savior, which used to be on both sides above the gate. Currently, the gate is decorated with only one restored image of the Savior.

The second name of the Spasskaya Tower is Frolovskaya. The building received it in honor of the nearby Church of Frol and Laurus. The most important clock in the country is installed on the Spasskaya (Frolovskaya) Tower - the Kremlin chimes, to the melodious chime of which Russians say goodbye to the outgoing year and welcome the new year.

The Spasskaya Tower was built on the eastern wall of the Kremlin and is the main entrance to the Kremlin. The height of the tower reaches 71 meters, and therefore it is one of the tallest buildings in the Kremlin ensemble. And at the same time one of the most beautiful towers in the entire territory of the Moscow Kremlin.

The development of the project and the construction process of the structure was led by the architect from Italy Pietro Antonio Solari. The Spasskaya Tower was built in 1491 during the reign of Tsar Ivan III Vasilyevich. Today the building is one of the most recognizable symbols of Russia.

Tsar's Tower.

The smallest of the Kremlin towers, Tsarskaya, is located south of Spasskaya. This small turret was installed on the eastern Kremlin wall in the 80s of the 17th century, during the reign of Peter I and then Ivan V.

The Tsar's Tower reaches almost 17 meters in height, which is significantly smaller than all tower structures. It was built in the 1680s on the site of a wooden tower with the alarm bell “Vspolokh” and was previously called “Vspolokh”.

The Tsar's Tower was built almost 200 years later than all the other towers on the site of a small wooden tower, in which Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched the city and admired the view. That is why the erected structure of elegant design got its name.

Alarm tower.

The Alarm Tower received its name due to the Spassky Alarm bells located in it. This tower at one time had an important practical purpose. It served as an observation tower from which fire safety in the city was monitored.

The Alarm Tower is square in cross-section, and its height is 38 meters. The building was built in 1495 during the reign of Ivan III Vasilyevich.

First of all, the Alarm Tower owes its name to the largest bell, which used to hang in its upper part. This bell is famous for the fact that, by order of Catherine II, it was deprived of its tongue as punishment for the fact that the Muscovites who rebelled in 1771 called on the people to a “plague riot” by ringing this bell. Now this bell is kept in the Armory Chamber.

Konstantino - Eleninskaya Tower.

The Eleninskaya Tower also has a second name - Timofeevskaya. It is located on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin and reaches a height of just over 36 meters. Konstantino - Eleninskaya Tower was built in 1490, during the reign of Tsar Ivan III Vasilyevich.

The square-section tower was erected by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. At first, the tower was named after the nearby Church of Saints Constantine and Helena. But later it was renamed in honor of the Timofeevsky Gate, which was part of the white stone Kremlin in the 14th century.

Petrovskaya Tower.

On the southern part of the Kremlin wall is the Petrovskaya, or Ugreshskaya Tower. Both of its names can be explained very simply: here, in the Kremlin, in the former courtyard of the Ugreshsky Monastery, there was the Church of Metropolitan Peter.

The Petrovskaya Tower was also built during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, and its construction dates back to the 80s of the 15th century. The height of the tower is 27 meters. Its roof is crowned with a tent-shaped octagonal dome.

Nameless towers.

But for many centuries they could not come up with a name for the next two towers, but this does not mean that they were left without a name. That's why these towers are called: First Nameless and Second Nameless Towers. Both of them were built in the 80s of the 15th century during the reign of Ivan the Terrible.

The height of the First Nameless Tower is 34 meters, and the Second is just over 30 meters. Both buildings have square section in plan, and the buildings end with a tent-shaped dome. Only the First Tower has a dome with four sides, while the Second Tower has eight.

Tainitskaya Tower.

The height of the Taynitskaya tower is just over 38 meters. It is noteworthy that this tower, built in 1485 by the architect Anton Fryazin, is the very first in the Kremlin ensemble. Previously, this tower was a passage point, but today its gates have been blocked.

The Taynitskaya Tower received its name due to the secret passage passing through it and leading to the bank of the Moscow River. There was also a well with water in the tower, which would have helped, if necessary, to withstand a long siege of the enemy. There is also the Taynitsky Garden in the Kremlin.

Annunciation Tower.

Immediately behind Tainitskaya there is the Annunciation Tower. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, it was used as a prison building where rebels and criminals were kept. The Annunciation Tower was built in 1487 - 1488, and its height is more than 32 meters.

The tower got its name thanks to the icon of the Annunciation, which, according to legend, unexpectedly appeared on one of the walls of the tower. The Annunciation Tower is located between the Vodovzvodnaya and Tainitskaya towers in the southern part of the Kremlin wall, which runs along coastline Moscow - rivers.

Vodovzvodnaya tower.

This tower was erected as one of the very first in the ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin. The Vodovzvodnaya Tower was built in 1488 by the Italian architect Antonio Gilardi (Antonio Fryazin).

The structural features of the tower are that there was a well located in it, and also a secret passage leading to the bank of the Moscow River. The height of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower is 61 meters.

The name "Vodovzvodnaya" tower received in 1633, when a lifting mechanism was built in the building, with the help of which water was supplied to the Kremlin gardens. The second name - Sviblova Tower - comes from the surname of the boyar Sviblova, who was responsible for its construction.

Twenty majestic towers surround the Moscow Kremlin, and each of them has its own amazing story. Built in different time, the Kremlin towers, nevertheless, form a single harmonious ensemble, which at all times has been a source of pride for Muscovites and aroused the admiration of guests of the capital.

Publications in the Architecture section

Stone guards of the Kremlin

From wood to stone. Dmitry Donskoy also replaced the wooden walls of the Kremlin with white limestone. By decree of Ivan III, the fortress was built from more durable red brick. The work was supervised by masters from Italy. That is why Italian motifs can be traced in the architecture of the capital’s fortress. Twenty towers of the Kremlin wall. Like sisters: initially united architectural style, and each has its own story. We invite you to find out the most interesting ones together with Natalya Letnikova.

1. Taynitskaya Tower. It was built first on the site of the Chushkov Gate, which existed during the time of Dmitry Donskoy. The work was supervised by an Italian - Antonio Gilardi, or Anton Fryazin. The tower got its name because of the secret underground passage leading to the Moscow River - in case of a siege. Until the 18th century, the king marched from the Tainitsky Gate to the Epiphany Jordan. And right up to the revolution, at exactly noon, a cannon fired from the archer of the Tainitskaya Tower - just like in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

2. Alarm tower served to notify Muscovites about more dramatic events than the routine approach of noon. In 1771, the Spassky bell, which was ordered to notify about a fire, called for a plague riot. By order of Catherine II, the bell was stripped of its tongue. For thirty years he hung on the tower, voiceless, and was exiled to the Arsenal, and then to the Armory, where he remains to this day. The Alarm Tower itself matches the Leaning Tower of Pisa: it tilted one meter. In the 70s of the last century, the foundation cracked, but metal hoops at the base of the tower stopped the tilt.

3. Nikolskaya Tower remembers Minin and Pozharsky. In 1612, through the Nikolsky Gate, the people's militia solemnly entered the Kremlin after the surrender of the Poles. Two centuries later, the tower along with the Arsenal was blown up by the French, but the gate icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisky remained untouched. Half a century later, the story about the event for the memorial plaque was written personally by Alexander I. In October 1917, the tower was damaged by a shell, the icon was riddled with bullets, but the face itself was not damaged. So a new image appeared in icon painting - St. Nicholas the Wounded, depicting the shelled icon of the St. Nicholas Tower.

4. Spasskaya Tower. Named in honor of the gate icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands. Legend has it that in the 16th century, during the invasion of Khan Mengli-Girey, a blind nun of the Ascension Monastery had a vision of Moscow saints emerging from the gates. On the same day, the Tatars retreated from Moscow... Over the centuries, the tower was supplemented with 8 upper tiers. Over the years, the chimes at 12 and 6 o'clock have played various patriotic compositions: the guards march of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, “How Glorious is Our Lord in Zion,” the Internationale, “You have fallen as a victim,” and, finally, the Russian anthem.

5. Tsar's Tower. Below the others, but this does not affect the status. The stone tower was built at the end of the 17th century. At this place, according to legend, there was a wooden predecessor, with which Ivan the Terrible surveyed the Kremlin surroundings. The tower was built for completely peaceful purposes, which is why it is similar to the boyar mansions and is rich in architectural delights and white stone decorations. Instead of loopholes and powerful walls there are round columns. The Kremlin's most popular popular tower is crowned with a gilded weather vane, which gives it a resemblance to a fairy-tale tower.

6. Kutafya Tower. Predmostnaya. It is assumed that she received her name for her not entirely elegant appearance (“kutafya” - that is, “ridiculously dressed”). Built at the beginning of the 16th century; This is the only surviving archery tower. Initially, it had a purely practical and impregnable appearance: it was surrounded by Neglinnaya and a high moat. With its gates, which in moments of danger were tightly closed with a drawbridge, the tower reminded that the Kremlin was a real fortress. Its only decoration, an openwork crown, appeared towards the end of the 17th century.

7. Trinity Tower. The highest is 80 meters. The main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin and the residence of the Russian Presidential Orchestra. It was called Epiphany, Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya, Karetnaya. Troitskaya became named after the Trinity courtyard of the Kremlin. Appearance the towers changed from century to century. At the beginning of the 18th century - for strategic reasons: due to the threat of invasion by the Swedes, the loopholes were expanded for heavy guns. The change of power led to a change of symbol at the top. For the next anniversary of the revolution, the double-headed eagle from 1870 was dismantled. The symbol of autocracy, held together with bolts, had to be dismantled right at the top and lowered down in parts.

8. Vodovzvodnaya tower. Once upon a time it was named after the boyar Sviblov, who lived across the wall. The facility was strategic and supplied water to the entire Kremlin. A special water cocking machine that was installed English engineer Christopher Galovey, lifted water from the well from the bottom up - into a giant tank. Prototype of a pressure water pipeline with a well and tanks. Lead pipes distributed the flows “to the sovereign’s Nourishing and Feeding Palaces,” and then to the gardens. Subsequently, the car was dismantled and taken to St. Petersburg for arrangement

10. Corner Arsenal Tower. It got its name because of the Arsenal located nearby. Considered the most powerful. The walls are four meters thick, the base is widened at the bottom for additional stability, and the foundation goes deep under the wall. In the dungeon there is a well that is about 500 years old. It was created as backup source water in case of siege by the enemy. In the first half of the 18th century, sexton Konon Osipov walked up and down the underground passage under the tower - in search of the mysterious library of Ivan the Terrible. “Liberea” haunts us to this day, and the underground passage is filled up.

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.

TAINITSKAYATOWER

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. The architectural design of the tower is also connected with this: the tall cylinder is placed on a beveled white stone plinth and separated from it by a semicircular ridge. The surface of the cylinder is cut through by narrow, sparsely spaced windows. The tower is completed by a machicolli with a battle platform, which was higher than the adjacent walls.

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

ANNUNATION TOWER

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

– so named because of a car that was once here. She lifted water from a well located below to the very top of the tower into a large tank. From there, water flowed through lead pipes to the 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 Vodovzvodnaya tower with a star is 61.45 m.

...which once stood on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, now enclosed in an underground pipe, received its name from the nearby Armory Chamber. Once upon a time there were ancient weapons workshops 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 - 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.

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 most high tower 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).

The tower was called differently: Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 after the Trinity courtyard of the Kremlin. In the 16th-17th centuries, the two-story base of the tower housed a prison. From 1585 to 1812 there was a clock on the tower.

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

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

KUTAFYA TOWER

(Connected by a bridge 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. Its original height above ground level was 18 meters.

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

There are two versions of the origin of the name “Kutafya”: from the word “kut” - shelter, corner, or from the word “kutafya”, which meant a plump, clumsy woman. The Kutafya Tower has never had a covering. In 1685, it was crowned with an openwork “crown” with white stone details.

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. The height of the tower is 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 fills from 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. 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, an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed above the passage gate of the strelnitsa. Like all towers with entrance gates, Nikolskaya had a drawbridge over the moat and protective grilles that were lowered during the battle.

The Nikolskaya Tower went down in history in 1612, when militia troops led by Minin and Pozharsky burst into the Kremlin through its gates, liberating Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders.

In 1812, the Nikolskaya Tower, along with many others, was blown up by Napoleon's troops retreating from Moscow. Particularly affected top part towers. 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 the 17th century The coat of arms of Russia, a double-headed eagle, was placed on the tower; a little later, coats of arms were placed on other high towers of the Kremlin - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya.

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. U Kremlin chimes The music is played by the bells. 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.

One day at the end of the 18th century, at the sound of the Alarm Bell, a riot began in Moscow. And when order was restored in the city, the bell was punished for divulging bad news - they were deprived of their tongue.

In those days it was a common practice to recall at least the history of the bell in Uglich. Since then, the Alarm Bell fell silent and remained idle for a long time until it was removed to the museum. The height of the Alarm Tower is 38 m.

CONSTANTINE-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.

It was through her that Dmitry Donskoy and his army went to the Kulikovo field.

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. The height of the tower is 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, exact value whose height 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, as 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, the tower had a later gate. 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 entire Kremlin, as we know, is built in an irregular polygon, the southern side of which faces the Moscow River. As a result of this irregularity, the Kremlin gates are located without particular correctness. In the old days there were six of them: Frolovsky (now Spassky), Konstantino - Eleninsky, Borovitsky, Kuryatny (now Troitsky), Taininsky (Tainitsky) and Nikolsky. Later, the Konstantino-Eleninsky Gate was blocked. They were located below Spasskikh towards the Moscow River. The gates of the Taynitskaya Tower were also laid. All these gates were led by stone bridges bearing the same name, spanning the ditches that surrounded the Kremlin.

Trinity Tower of the Moscow Kremlin.

As the historian and local historian I.K. wrote in his books. Kondratyev, the Chicken Gate was erected around 1500 and was called so because it was located behind the royal backyard, i.e. chicken coop. They were named Trinity later under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, who ordered them to be corrected and a clock with chimes installed on them. After the fire of 1812, the clock was removed. The name of the Trinity Gate was given to it from the image of the Holy Trinity, located on its inner side; on the outside there was an image of the Sign. But the most popular version now is that the name of the Trinity Tower was given after the Trinity Compound, which was located nearby on the territory of the Kremlin. The Trinity Bridge led to the tower, because the muddy and dirty Neglinnaya River flowed from this side of the Kremlin. The Trinity Bridge ends in a jagged through tower of an ancient building, erected, undoubtedly, to protect the Trinity Gate. It bears the name Kutafya Tower and was built under Ivan III Vasilyevich. This tower is round, open and with battlements. On its inner side, at the top, was a half-length portrait: according to some, Vladimir Monomakh, according to others, Prince Daniil Alexandrovich. This whole area and the Trinity Bridge itself awaken many memories. Many solemn processions passed through it, including Boris Godunov, who was coming from the Novodevichy Convent to be crowned king. For a long time There was a prison in the deep basements of the Trinity Tower.

Tainitskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin.

The Taininsky Gate (obsolete, now Tainitsky) got its name because during the sieges of the fortress, it served as a secret exit to the Moscow River. This gate is located in the middle of the southern facade of the Kremlin walls. In the part of the tower that protruded towards the river, forming a regular square, a deep, extensive well was visible for a long time, which subsequently became clogged and overgrown, which folk legend, served as a secret underground exit beyond the Moscow River. I.K. Kondratyev questions this hypothesis, since for such a descent there must have been a staircase or a slope in some direction. Most likely, this well supplied the city with water during the siege, being located near the river. From the inside of the tower there is a passage to the wall in both directions and to the platform of the upper part of this structure. Here, according to the chronicles, there used to be a cathedral of the Chernigov Wonderworkers, Prince Mikhail and his faithful boyar Fyodor, who were killed in the Horde at Batu. Their holy bodies, preserved and brought to the fatherland, were placed in the temple above the Taininsky Gate. In 1770, Empress Catherine II, with the intention of building a silver shrine for the relics, ordered them to be temporarily moved to the Sretensky Cathedral on Seny, from where in 1774 they were transferred to Cathedral of the Archangel, where they are.

Konstantino - Eleninskaya Tower. .

On the eastern wall of the Kremlin there was the Konstantin-Eleninsky gate, sealed under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. They were named after the church of the blessed Tsar Constantine located here, at which there was a cemetery. In 1689, “it was not ordered to lay the dead near that church.” The courtyard of the Nikolsky Monastery was also located here. In 1692, instead of this church, a new one was built - in the name of St. Konstantin and Elena were dependent on Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna and Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich. At the beginning of the 19th century, the church fell into disrepair and was restored in 1837. The Konstantino-Eleninsky Gate has a short, but nevertheless significant history. When Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy resolutely set out to resist Mamai, then the assembled army left the Kremlin precisely through these gates and there they received the blessing of the clergy and were sprinkled with holy water. This gate was then the main gate of the Kremlin, as it went out onto Velikaya Street (now the embankment) and directly to the bridge. The Grand Duke entered the Kremlin through these same gates after his famous victory on the Kulikovo field. If you pay attention to the lower part of the tower, you immediately understand where exactly these gates were. Do you realize the scale of the landscape change?

Borovitsky Gate of the Moscow Kremlin.

The Borovitsky Gate, called the Predtechevsky Gate under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, but still retaining its old name, is located in the mountain on the same line as the Trinity Gate. They are named after the forest that was once located here. From them there was a wooden bridge across the Neglinka, destroyed during the arrangement of the Alexander Garden. They were also built simultaneously with the Trinity Gate by Peter Fryazin. As many historians believe, at the place where the Borovitsky Gate was built, the nest of Moscow was first laid, the first initiative for its foundation was made. In 1848, the Church of John the Baptist, located on the square of the Grand Palace and also called “on Bor”, was moved to the tower of the Borovitsky Gate. Under Prince Dmitry Donskoy, a large street led from the gate to the Grand Duke's palace.

Twice at these gates the Lithuanian hordes of Olgerd camped and went back, frightened by the sight of the strong walls of the Kremlin. For the third time, Dmitry Ivanovich himself came out of these gates to meet Olgerd, and he, seeing in front of him an enemy equal to him in strength, offered the Grand Duke a truce, which was concluded.

Nikolskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin.

The Nikolsky Gate, located to the north, leads from the Kremlin past Red Square to Nikolskaya Street, named after this gate. They were rebuilt at the same time as Troitsky and Borovitsky under Ivan III by the architect Solarius Fryazin, and at the same time the image of St. Nicholas. The gate existed in its original form until 1812. That year, during explosions, the upper part of the gate collapsed right up to the image of St. Nicholas. The rest of the gate and even the glass of the image remained unharmed. The gate was restored by the architect Rossi in the Gothic style, very beautifully. And these gates many times witnessed the attack of enemies and the same many times gave the opportunity to the Russian army to defend with honor the Kremlin, sacred to the Russian people.

There is another travel tower, perhaps main tower Moscow Kremlin - Spasskaya, but I will write a separate post about it.

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

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

Kremlin construction techniques and fortress plan

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

Most of the towers had diversion arrows attached - fortifications that were carried outside the fortress walls or beyond the ditch for additional defense. This type of fortification fully met the requirements of the late 15th century. Of the archery towers, one has survived - Kutafya, which covers Trinity and in our time serves as the main entrance for tourists to the Kremlin. When constructing fortifications, various measures were taken against enemy attacks. This, for example, is the construction of secret underground passages leading outside the walls to protect the city from undermining. A through tunnel was built inside the walls to quickly move defenders.

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

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

Angular and travel towers after another fire, they were decorated in the 17th century with stone tents with weather vanes. They served as watchtowers, and signal bells were also located there. In the second half of the 18th century. famous Russian architect V.I. Bazhenov completed the design of the Kremlin Palace - a large-scale building in a classicist style, reminiscent of the architecture of French palaces. The project proposed to line the hill leading to the cathedrals with turf - this place would become one of the first “walks” in Europe. To build such a huge structure, it was necessary to demolish a third of the Kremlin walls. At one site, which is located near the Moscow River, work began on dismantling the fortifications, but soon due to the growing colossal costs, this project was curtailed. In the 19th century During Napoleon's invasion of Moscow, serious damage was caused not only to the palaces and temples of the Kremlin, but also to the Kremlin walls. The architect who was involved in the restoration of the damaged Kremlin towers was O.I. Beauvais (ironically, also Italian).

Spasskaya Tower and Kremlin chimes

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

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

Famous Kremlin towers and the history of their names

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

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

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

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

The Trinity and Kutafya towers were built by Aleviz Fryazin. Kutafya dates back to 1516, Troitskaya - 1495. These towers are connected by a bridge, both were travel, and in the Kutafya tower there was only one gate, which was closed with heavy forged bars. Today this is the main entrance to the Kremlin architectural and museum complex. The Trinity Tower is the largest, its height reaches 76.35 meters. Its structure is complex: it consists of six floors, two of which are underground, and in the 17th and 18th centuries. it was a place of detention for rebels. It received its name in 1658 from the Trinity Metochion, located nearby.

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