home · Attractions · What was the name of the commandant's tower of the Kremlin. Where did the Kremlin towers get their name from? Next to Commandant's

What was the name of the commandant's tower of the Kremlin. Where did the Kremlin towers get their name from? Next to Commandant's

Moscow Kremlin - a unique fortress in the center of Moscow and the oldest part of the city. The Kremlin is considered the heart of Russia - both because the Russian capital began its journey from here, and because the center of the state has long been located within the walls of the fortress: first the royal chambers, and now the residence of the President of Russia.

And, of course, great importance has been attached to the protection of the Kremlin at all times.

In terms of the plan, the fortress is an irregular triangle: the Kremlin acquired such a shape during the Ivan III the Great, in which they began to build new red brick walls to replace the old white stone ones built during Dmitry Donskoy. Simultaneously with the erection of the walls, new towers were erected, which formed the defensive lines of the new Moscow fortress. The main array of walls and towers was built in 1485-1495, partially the fortifications of the Kremlin were completed until 1516, when the king was already Basil III. Initially, the towers were erected without tiered tent completions - they were built on only in the 17th century.

In total, there are 20 towers along the Kremlin wall.

Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) Tower

Architect: Marco Ruffo.

Years of construction: 1487-1488.

Height: 46.2 meters.

Completion: weather vane flag.

Name given to the building Arsenal built in the early 18th century.

Trinity Tower

Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old).

Years of construction: 1495-1499.

Height: 80 meters.

Completion:

It is located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Middle Arsenal and Commandant towers. Outwardly, it resembles the Spasskaya Tower; is a quadrangle, which is crowned with a multi-tiered tent completion with a rich decorative design. It has a retractable archer with the Trinity gates. Unlike other travel towers of the Moscow Kremlin, it has retained the Trinity Gate Bridge, connecting it with the Kutafya Tower.

The name is given by the nearby farmstead Trinity Monastery.

Kutafya Tower

Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old).

Years of construction: 1516.

Height: 13.5 meters.

Completion: absent.

Located on the western side of the Kremlin wall opposite the Trinity Tower, this is the only tower of the Moscow Kremlin that is located away from the wall and is actually the only surviving barbican of the fortress. In the past, it was surrounded by water and was used to defend the Trinity Bridge across the Neglinnaya River, leading from the Kutafya Tower to the Trinity Gate. Compared to other towers, it resembles an elegant festive Easter cake. Currently, the main checkpoint for visitors to the Moscow Kremlin is equipped in the Kutafya Tower.

The name probably comes from an old word "kutafya", meaning a fat, clumsy, slovenly dressed woman.

Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) tower

Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old).

Years of construction: 1493-1495.

Height: 41.2 meters.

Completion: weather vane flag.

commandant's tower located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between Troitskaya and Armory towers. It is an elongated quadrangle with a base expanding towards the bottom and a parapet with machicolations at the top, crowned with a hipped top.

The name is given after the residence of the commandant of Moscow in the Poteshny Palace.

Armory (Stable) tower

Architect: Aleviz Fryazin (Old) - perhaps.

Years of construction: 1493-1495.

Height: 32.6 meters.

Completion: weather vane flag.

weapon tower located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Commandant and Borovitskaya towers. It is a quadrangle with a base expanding towards the bottom and a parapet with machicolations at the top, topped with a tiered hipped top.

The name is given by the building of the Armory.

Borovitskaya (Predtechenskaya) Tower

Architect: Pietro Antonio Solari.

Years of construction: 1490.

Height: 54 meters.

Completion: glowing ruby ​​weather vane star.

Borovitskaya Tower located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Armory and Vodovzvodnaya towers. It represents 4 quarters decreasing towards the top, stacked on top of each other and crowned with a stone tent; on the side, a diversion archer with the Borovitsky gates was attached. Despite the rather poor decoration, the Borovitskaya tower stands out from the rest due to its stepped (pyramidal) shape.

On the outer side of the Borovitsky Gates are the coats of arms of the Lithuanian and Moscow principalities carved from white stone; when and why they appeared there is unknown.

The name is given by the ancient forest, which covered Borovitsky Hill in past.

Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower

Architect: Anton Fryazin.

Years of construction: 1488.

Height: 61.2 meters.

Completion: glowing ruby ​​weather vane star.

It is located on the southwestern corner of the Kremlin wall near the Kremlin embankment of the Moskva River between the Borovitskaya and Blagoveshchenskaya towers. It is an elongated cylinder with a complex tent completion. The parapet of the tower is crowned with "dovetail" teeth, it is equipped with machicolations for circular firing. The decoration of the tower draws attention: up to the middle of the height it is lined with alternating belts of protruding and sinking masonry, above which there is an arched belt, emphasized by a thin strip of white stone. Interestingly, the star at the top of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower is the smallest among the other Kremlin towers (3 meters in diameter).

In the past, the tower housed a water-lifting machine designed according to the project Christopher Galoway- the first water supply system in Moscow from tanks installed on the upper tiers of the tower to supply water from the Moscow River to the Kremlin. Later it was dismantled and transported to St. Petersburg, where they began to use it to fill fountains with water.

The name is given by the water-lifting machine of Galoway.

Annunciation Tower

Architect: ?

Years of construction: 1487-1488.

Height: 32.4 meters.

Completion: weather vane flag.

Annunciation Tower located on the south side of the Kremlin wall between the Vodovzvodnaya and Taynitskaya towers. It is a quadrangle with a built-in tetrahedral tent and an observation tower. There are machicolations in the parapet of the tower. Under Ivan the Terrible, it was used as a prison, in 1731-1932 - as the bell tower of the Church of the Annunciation (demolished in the Soviet years).

The name is given by the icon of the Annunciation, which, according to legend, miraculously appeared on the northern wall of the tower during the reign of Ivan the Terrible.

Taynitskaya tower

Architect: Anton Fryazin.

Years of construction: 1485.

Height: 38.4 meters.

Completion: weather vane flag.

Taynitskaya tower located in the central part of the southern side of the Kremlin wall between the Annunciation and the First Nameless towers. It is a massive quadruple with a built-in tetrahedral tent and an observation tower. There are machicolations in the parapet of the tower. In the past, the tower housed the Tainitskiye gates, a well-spring and a secret passage to the Moscow River.

The first tower of the Moscow Kremlin in time of construction - it was from it that the construction of modern walls and towers began.

The name is given by the secret exit to the Moscow River.

First Nameless Tower

Architect: ?

Years of construction: 1480s.

Height: 34.1 meters.

Completion: weather vane flag.

First Nameless Tower located on the southern side of the Kremlin wall between the Tainitskaya and the Second Nameless towers. It is a quadrangle with a built-in tetrahedral tent and an observation tower. During its history it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. In the past, a powder warehouse was located inside the tower, after which the tower was called the Powder Tower.

The modern name is given for a reason that is not entirely clear.

Second Nameless Tower

Architect: ?

Years of construction: 1480s.

Height: 30.2 meters.

Completion: weather vane flag.

Second Nameless Tower is located on the south side of the Kremlin wall between the First Nameless Tower and the Petrovsky Tower. It is a quadrangle with a built-in tetrahedral tent and an observation tower topped with an octagonal tent. In the past, there was a gate in the tower.

The name was given for a reason that is not entirely clear.

Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower

Architect: ?

Years of construction: 1485-1487.

Height: 27.1 meters.

Completion: weather vane flag.

Petrovskaya tower located on the south side of the Kremlin wall between the Second Nameless and Beklemishevskaya towers. It consists of 3 fours stacked on top of each other, crowned with an octagonal tent. There are false machicolations in the parapet of the tower. Over the years of its existence, it has been rebuilt several times.

The name is given by courtyard of the Ugreshsky monastery with the church of Peter the Metropolitan, which was located on the territory of the Kremlin near the tower in the 15-17 centuries.

Interesting facts about the Kremlin towers

There are 20 towers along the walls of the Kremlin;

In the past, when the Kremlin was located on an island formed by the Moscow River, the Neglinka River and the Alevizov Moat, bridges were thrown from the travel towers to the "mainland" - only the Trinity Bridge has survived to this day;

The very first in time of construction is the Taynitskaya tower, erected in 1485;

Of the 20 towers, 5 are crowned with ruby ​​stars (Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya and Vodovzvodnaya), 1 - with a decorative top (Tsarskaya), 1 - does not have a top (Kutafya Tower), flags-weather vanes are installed on the 13 remaining towers;

Red ruby ​​stars on the tops of the towers rotate from the wind like a weather vane;

Initially, in 1935, gilded semi-precious stars were installed on the tops of the towers, but they quickly faded, and already in 1937 they were replaced with luminous ruby ​​ones;

Double-headed eagles crowned the towers to the stars, except for Vodovzvodnaya - state symbols were not placed on it;

To prevent the stars from overheating from the operation of the lamps, they are equipped with a ventilation system;

Troitskaya Tower - the highest tower of the Kremlin (80 meters);

Kutafya tower - the lowest tower of the Kremlin (13.5 meters);

Kutafya tower - the only surviving bridge barbican of the fortress;

The chimes of the Spasskaya Tower are a symbol of the New Year in Russia;

In past , however, some of the towers - including Spasskaya, Nikolskaya and Troitskaya - could be left red for aesthetic reasons;

The ensemble of walls and towers of the Moscow Kremlin is one of the most popular architectural sights of Moscow.

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

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

Tainitskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin

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

In general, the very first towers were built along the Moscow River, and Taynitskaya is the central one on this "embankment" (see the diagram above). "... a strelnitsa was laid on the Moskva River at the Sheshkov (Peshkov) gates, and a hiding place was brought out under it," the chronicle says. In every Russian fortress there was a "Tainitskaya" tower - with access to a spring that supplied the besieged with water, and to secret underground passages. Under the Tainitskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin is meant an underground passage to the Moscow River and a passage inside the fortress. There was also a well. The existence of the well and passages is confirmed by documents. Until 1674, the tower had a striking clock, and until 1917, a cannon shot was fired from the tower every noon.

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

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

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

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

Taynitskaya tower

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

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

Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower

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

Borovitskaya Tower

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

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

weapon tower

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

Trinity Tower

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

Kutafya (Bridge) Tower

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

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

Corner Arsenalnaya (Sobakina) Tower

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

Middle Arsenalnaya (faceted) tower

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

Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) tower

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

Royal tower

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

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

Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower

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

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

alarm tower

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

Senate Tower

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

Spasskaya (Frolovskaya) Tower

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

Konstantin-Eleninskaya Tower

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

Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) Tower

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

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

Annunciation Tower

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

Nikolskaya tower

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

First Nameless Tower

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

Second Nameless Tower

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

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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, the white-stone Kremlin had partially collapsed and no longer corresponded to the international position and wealth of the Moscow state.
For the first time, the white stone was replaced with red. They baked it in ovens like bread. And he weighed eight kilograms. A half-pound stone was taken with two hands.

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


Spasskaya (Frolovskaya) Tower


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

Taynitskaya tower


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

Nikolskaya tower



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

Trinity Tower


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

Corner Arsenalnaya (Sobakina) Tower


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

Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) Tower



This tower stands near the Moscow River. S.P. Bartenev writes about it like this: "The most elegant in proportions. With its beauty in the overall impression of the Kremlin, in the symphony of its architectural forms, the Beklemishev Tower gives a charming consonance." It was not immediately so harmonious, at first its height was 10 meters lower. Then it was built up. Maschikuli - openings for shelling the enemy from top to bottom - appeared much higher than the former ones, laid 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 got its name from the courtyard of the boyar Vasily Beklemishev, located near it. The tower stands under a cliff in a strong wind, so it even leaned a little. The second name, of course, received from the proximity of the tower to the Moscow River.

Annunciation Tower


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

Borovitskaya Tower


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

Vodovzvodnaya tower


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

Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) tower


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

Armory Tower (Konyushenny)


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

Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower


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

Senate Tower


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

Kutafya Tower



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

The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers and they are all different, no two are the same. Each tower has its own name and its own history. And for sure, many do not know the names of all the towers. Let's meet?

BEKLEMISHEVSKAYA (Moskvoretskaya) tower is located in the south-east corner of the Kremlin. It was built by the Italian architect Marco Fryazin in 1487-1488. The courtyard of the boyar Beklemishev adjoined the tower, for which it got its name. Beklemishev's courtyard, together with the tower under Vasily III, served as a prison for disgraced boyars. The current name - "Moskvoretskaya" - is taken from the nearby Moskvoretsky Bridge. The tower was located at the junction of the Moskva River with the moat, so when the enemy attacked, it was the first to take the hit. The architectural solution of the tower is also connected with this: a high cylinder is placed on a beveled white stone plinth and separated from it by a semicircular roller. The surface of the cylinder is cut through by narrow, rarely spaced windows. The tower is completed by machicolas with a combat platform, which was higher than the adjoining walls. In the basement of the tower there was a hiding place-a rumor to prevent undermining. In 1680, the tower was decorated with an octagon, carrying a tall narrow tent with two rows of eaves, which softened its severity. In 1707, expecting a possible offensive by the Swedes, Peter I ordered to build bastions at its foot and expand the loopholes to install more powerful guns. During the Napoleonic invasion, the tower was damaged and then repaired. In 1917, during the shelling, the top of the tower was damaged, which was restored by 1920. In 1949, during the restoration, the loopholes were restored in their original form. This is one of the few Kremlin towers that has not been radically rebuilt. The height of the tower is 62.2 meters.

The KONSTANTINOV-ELENINSKAYA tower owes its name to the church of Constantine and Helena that stood here in antiquity. The tower was built in 1490 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari and was used for the passage of the population and troops to the Kremlin. Earlier, when the Kremlin was made of white stone, another tower stood in this place. It was through her that Dmitry Donskoy with the army went to the Kulikovo field. The new tower was built for the reason that there were no natural barriers on its side outside the Kremlin. It was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful diversion archer and a passage gate, which after, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. were disassembled. The tower got its name from the church of Constantine and Helena, which stood in the Kremlin. The height of the tower is 36.8 meters.

The alarm tower got its name from the large bell - the alarm that hung above it. Once upon a time, sentinels were constantly on duty here. From a height, they vigilantly watched - if the enemy army was coming to the city. And if danger was approaching, the sentinels had to warn everyone, strike the alarm bell. Because of him, the tower was called Nabatnaya. But now there is no bell in the tower. Once, at the end of the 18th century, a riot began in Moscow at the sound of the alarm bell. And when order was restored in the city, the bell was punished for disclosing bad news - they were deprived of the language. In those days it was a common practice to remember at least 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 Nabatnaya tower is 38 meters.

TSAR tower. It is not at all like other Kremlin towers. There are 4 columns directly on the wall, and on them there is a peaked roof. There are no powerful walls, no narrow loopholes. But they are of no use to her. Because they were built two centuries later than the rest of the towers and not at all for defense. Previously, there was a small wooden tower at this place, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched the Red Square. Previously, there was a small wooden tower at this place, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched the Red Square. Later, the smallest tower of the Kremlin was built here and called it the Tsarskaya. Its height is 16.7 meters.

SPASSKAYA (Frolovskaya) tower. Built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari. This name comes from the 17th century, when an icon of the Savior was hung over the gates of this tower. It was erected on the spot where in ancient times the main gates of the Kremlin were located. It, like Nikolskaya, was built to protect the northeastern part of the Kremlin, which had no natural water barriers. The passage gates of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya, were considered “holy” by the people. They did not pass through them on horseback and did not pass with their heads covered. Regiments marching on the march passed through these gates, tsars and ambassadors were met here. In the 17th century, the coat of arms of Russia, the double-headed eagle, was hoisted on the tower, and a little later the coats of arms were hoisted on other high towers of the Kremlin - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya. In 1658 the Kremlin towers were renamed. Frolovskaya turned into Spasskaya. She was so named in honor of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, located above the gate of the tower from the side of Red Square, and in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, located above the gate from the Kremlin. In 1851-52. a clock was installed on the Spasskaya Tower, which we still see. Kremlin chimes. Chimes are called large clocks that have a musical mechanism. At the Kremlin chimes, bells play music. There are eleven of them. One large one, it marks the hours, and ten smaller ones, their melodious chime is heard every 15 minutes. There is a special device in the chimes. It sets the hammer in motion, it strikes the surface of the bells and the sound of the Kremlin chimes sounds. The mechanism of the Kremlin chimes occupies three floors. Previously, the chimes were wound by hand, but now they do it with the help of electricity. The Spasskaya Tower occupies 10 floors. Its height with a star is 71 meters.

The SENATE Tower was built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari, rises behind the Lenin Mausoleum 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 northeastern part of the Kremlin wall, it performed only defensive functions - it protected the Kremlin from Red Square. The height of the tower is 34.3 meters.

NIKOLSKAYA Tower is located at the beginning of Red Square. In ancient times, there was a monastery of St. Nicholas the Old nearby, and an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed above the gate of the tower. The gate tower, built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Solari, was one of the main defensive redoubts in the eastern part of the Kremlin wall. The name of the tower comes from the St. Nicholas Monastery, located nearby. Therefore, an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed over the travel gates of the archer. Like all towers with entrance gates, Nikolskaya had a drawbridge across the moat and protective bars that were lowered during the battle. The Nikolskaya Tower went down in history in 1612, when militia troops led by Minin and Pozharsky broke into the Kremlin through its gates, liberating Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders. In 1812, the Nikolskaya Tower, along with many others, was blown up by Napoleon's troops retreating from Moscow. The upper part of the tower was especially damaged. In 1816, it was replaced by the architect O.I. Bove with a new needle-shaped dome in pseudo-Gothic style. In 1917 the tower suffered again. This time from artillery fire. In 1935, the dome of the tower was crowned with a five-pointed star. In the 20th century, the tower was restored in 1946-1950s and in 1973-1974s. Now the height of the tower is 70.5 meters.

CORNER ARSENAL tower was built in 1492 by Pietro Antonio Solari and is located further away, in the corner of the Kremlin. It received its first name at the beginning of the 18th century, after the construction of the Arsenal building on the territory of the Kremlin, the second comes from the nearby estate of the Sobakin boyars. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal Tower. He is over 500 years old. It is filled from an ancient source and therefore there is always clean and fresh water in it. Previously, there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. The height of the tower is 60.2 meters.

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

The TROITSKAYA tower is named after the church and the Trinity Compound, which were once nearby on the territory of the Kremlin. Troitskaya Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The height of the tower at present, together with the star from the direction of the Alexander Garden, is 80 meters. The Trinity Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower. The gates of the tower serve as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin. Built in 1495-1499. Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanets. The tower was called differently: Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 after the name of the Trinity Compound of the Kremlin. The two-storey base of the tower housed a prison in the 16th-17th centuries. From 1585 to 1812 there was a clock on the tower. At the end of the 17th century, the tower received a multi-tiered tent superstructure with white stone decorations. In 1707, due to the threat of a Swedish invasion, the loopholes of the Trinity Tower were expanded for heavy cannons. Until 1935, an imperial double-headed eagle was installed on top of the tower. By the next date of the October Revolution, it was decided to remove the eagle and install red stars on it and the rest of the main towers of the Kremlin. The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest - manufactured in 1870 and prefabricated on bolts, therefore, when dismantled, it had to be dismantled at the top of the tower. In 1937, the faded semi-precious star was replaced with a modern ruby ​​one.

KUTAFYA tower (connected by a bridge with Troitskaya). Her 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 leadership of the Milanese architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya River, with the only gate, which in moments of danger was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for the besiegers of the fortress. She had loopholes of the plantar battle and machicolations. In the XVI-XVII centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that the water surrounded the tower from all sides. Its initial height above ground level was 18 meters. It was possible to enter the tower from the side of the city only on 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", denoting a full, clumsy woman. The Kutafya Tower has never been covered. In 1685, it was crowned with an openwork "crown" with white stone details.

The KOMENDANTSKAYA tower got its name in the 19th century, since the commandant of Moscow was located in the building nearby. The tower was built in 1493-1495 on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. It was formerly called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny yard located near it in the Kremlin. In 1676-1686 it was built on. The tower is made up of a massive quadrangle with machicolations (mounted loopholes) and a parapet and an open tetrahedron standing on it, completed with a pyramidal roof, an observation tower and an octagonal ball. In the main volume of the tower there are three tiers of rooms covered with barrel vaults; vaults are covered and tiers of completion. In the 19th century, the tower was called “Komendantskaya”, when the commandant of Moscow settled in the Poteshny Palace of the 17th century near the Kremlin. The height of the tower from the Alexander Garden is 41.25 meters.

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

Built in 1490 by Pietro Antonio Solari. Travel card. The first name of the tower - the original, comes from the Borovitsky hill, on the slope of which the tower stands; the name of the hill, apparently, comes from the ancient forest that grew on this place. The second name, assigned by the royal decree of 1658, comes from the nearby Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist and the icon of St. John the Baptist, located above the gate. At present, it is the main passage for government motorcades. The height of the tower is 54 meters.

WATER TOWER - so named because of the car that was here once. She raised water from a well, arranged at the bottom to the very top of the tower into a large tank. From there, water flowed through lead pipes to the royal palace in the Kremlin. Thus, in the old days, the Kremlin had its own water supply system. He worked for a long time, but then the car was dismantled and taken to St. Petersburg. There it was used for the device of fountains. The height of the Vodovzvodnaya tower with a star is 61.45 meters. The second name of the tower is associated with the boyar surname Sviblo, or the Sviblovs, who were responsible for its construction.

Blagoveshchenskaya 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 attached to this tower. Most likely, the name of the tower is associated with one of these facts. In the 17th century, for the passage of laundresses to the Moscow River, a gate was made near the tower, called Portomoinny. In 1831 they were laid down, 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.

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

Built in the 1480s. The tower ends with a simple tetrahedral pyramidal tent. The inside of the tower is formed by two tiers of vaulted rooms: the lower tier with a cross vault and the upper tier with a closed vault. The upper quadrangle is open into the cavity of the tent. One of the two towers which did not get a name. Height 34.15 meters.

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

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