Commandant's tower of the Moscow Kremlin. History and secrets of the Kremlin towers Commandant Tower
When we look at the Kremlin towers, we immediately notice how beautiful and different they are. But in addition, each of them has its own name, and it is not accidental.
The Borovitskaya Tower is located at the mouth of the Neglinnaya River, and it is called so because once upon a time, when there was no Moscow yet, a forest, a small pine grove, grew here.
The next one, the Armory Tower, is located next to the Armory Chamber, hence its name. Once upon a time there was a passage gate at the bottom of the tower, and then it was called Konyushennaya, because the royal stable yard was located nearby. And from there it was possible to ride horses through the gates of the tower.
The Commandant's Tower began to be called that only in the 19th century. At that time, the commandant of Moscow was located in the Kremlin Amusement Palace, next to the tower. And in ancient times it was called Kolymazhnaya, because nearby there was a kolymazhnaya yard where the royal carriages, carts and kolymags stood.
From a distance you can see the gigantic wall of the highest tower of the Kremlin - Trinity. It, perhaps, like no other Kremlin tower, amazes with its stern power and inaccessibility. This tower 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, Znamenskaya.
In front of it, right behind the bridge, the Kutafya Tower protrudes forward; it is smaller in size, but very solid, stocky and strong. Its name is also associated with the word “kut” - corner, but even more often 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 Middle Arsenal Tower rises above the Alexander Garden, and a little further, at the turn of the Kremlin wall towards Red Square, the Corner Arsenal Tower. It is located next to the Kremlin Arsenal, which is why it is called that.
One of the most beautiful towers of the 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 a monastery of St. Nicholas the Old.
Immediately behind the mausoleum of V.I. Lenin rises the Senate Tower with the building of the former Senate located behind it.
A little further there is a tower that everyone knows. This is the Spasskaya Tower with the Spassky Gate and the famous Kremlin chimes, the battle of which we look forward to every day New Year. It has been called Spasskaya since 1658 after the name of the icon of the Savior that used to be on it.
The smallest of the Kremlin towers is Tsarskaya, south of Spasskaya. It was built in 1680 on the site of a wooden tower with a “vsplokh” alarm bell and was previously called Vspoloshnaya. And it began to be called Tsarskaya because, according to legend, from the wooden Vspoloshnaya turret, Tsar Ivan the Terrible loved to watch what was happening on Red Square.
The next one, the Alarm Tower, also owes its name to the bell that used to hang on it. 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, by ringing this bell, called everyone to a plague riot. Now this bell is kept in the Armory Chamber.
The Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower is named after the Church of Constantine and Helena, which used to be located not far from this tower in the Kremlin.
In the name of the corner Beklemishevskaya tower, the surname of the boyar Beklemishev, whose courtyard adjoined it, remained in history.
On the southern part of the Kremlin wall is the Petrovskaya, or Ugreshskaya, tower. Both of its names are explained simply: here, in the Kremlin, in the former courtyard of the Ugreshsky Monastery, there was the Church of Peter the Metropolitan.
But for many centuries they could not come up with names for the next two towers, but this does not mean that they were left without a name. These towers are called: 1st Nameless and 2nd Nameless Towers.
The Taynitskaya Tower has such a mysterious name, but it is explained simply: in ancient times it had a secret exit and housed a hiding place - a well. There is also the Taynitsky Garden in the Kremlin.
Immediately behind Tainitskaya there is the Annunciation Tower. During the time of Ivan the Terrible it was used as a prison. And they named it in honor of the icon of the Annunciation, which hung inside the tower.
And the Kremlin circle concludes with another round corner tower- Vodovzvodnaya. It got its name because in the 17th century a water-lifting machine was installed inside it, which supplied water from the Moscow River to the upper Kremlin gardens and palaces. It, like many other Kremlin towers, had another name - Sviblova Tower, named after the boyar Sviblov, whose house was nearby.
20 majestic towers surround the Moscow Kremlin, and each of them has its own amazing history.
The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers and they are all different,
No 2 are alike.
Each tower has its own name and its own history.
And probably many people don’t know the names of all the towers.
Most of the towers are made in a single architectural style, given to them in the 2nd half of the 17th century.
The Nikolskaya Tower, which at the beginning of the 19th century was rebuilt in the Gothic style, stands out from the general ensemble.
Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya)
The tower is located in the southeastern corner of the Kremlin.It was built by Italian architect Marco Fryazin
in 1487-1488.
The courtyard of boyar Beklemishev adjoined the tower,
for which it received its name.
Beklemishev's courtyard 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 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 is 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.
There was a rumor cache in the basement of the tower
to prevent undermining.
In 1680, the tower was decorated with an octagon carrying a tall narrow tent with 2 rows of rumors, which softened its severity.
In 1707, anticipating a possible Swedish offensive,
Peter I ordered to build bastions at its foot and
expand the loopholes to install more powerful weapons.
During Napoleon's invasion, the tower was damaged and then repaired.
In 1917, the top of the tower was damaged during shelling.
which was restored by 1920.
In 1949, during restoration, they were in their previous form
loopholes have been restored.
This is one of the few Kremlin towers
which was not radically rebuilt.
Tower height 62.2 m.
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Konstantino-Eleninskaya (Timofeevskaya)
The tower owes its name to the Church of Constantine and Helena, which stood here in ancient times, in the Kremlin.The tower was built in 1490 by an Italian architect
Pietro Antonio Solari and used for the passage
population and troops to the Kremlin.
Previously, when the Kremlin was white stone,
another tower stood in this place.
It was through it that Dmitry Donskoy and his army left
on the Kulikovo field.
New tower built for the reason
that the Kremlin had no natural barriers on its part.
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 height of the tower is 36.8 m.
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Nabatnaya
The tower got its name from the large bell - the alarm,hanging over 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 named 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.
This was common practice in those days.
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.
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Tsar's 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 no powerful walls or narrow loopholes, but she doesn’t need them.
Because they were built 2 centuries later than the other towers
and not at all for defense.
Previously, at this place there was a small wooden tower, from which, according to legend, he watched Red Square
1st Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible.
Later, the smallest tower of the Kremlin was built here
and they called her Tsarskaya.
Its height is 16.7 m.
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Spasskaya (Frolovskaya)
The tower was 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.
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.
Passage gates of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya,
were popularly considered “saints.”
No one rode through them on horseback or walked through them.
with his head covered.
Through these gates passed the regiments setting out on a campaign,
Kings and ambassadors were met here.
In the 17th century, the coat of arms of Russia was installed on the tower - a 2-headed eagle,
a little later the coats of arms were placed on other tall towers Kremlin - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya.
In 1658 Kremlin towers renamed.
Frolovskaya turned into Spasskaya.
It was named so in honor of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, located above the passage gates of the tower from Red Square,
and in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, located
above the gate from the Kremlin side.
In 1851-52 a clock was installed on the Spasskaya Tower,
which we still see today are the Kremlin chimes.
Chimes are large clocks that have
musical mechanism.
At the Kremlin chimes the music is played by bells, there are 11 of them.
1 is large, it marks the hours, and 10 is smaller, their melodic chime is heard every 15 minutes.
There is a special device in the chimes, it sets the hammer in motion, it hits the surface of the bells and the Kremlin chimes sound.
The Kremlin chimes mechanism occupies 3 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
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Senate
The tower was built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari, 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.
Tower height - 34.3 m
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Nikolskaya
The tower is 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 Pietro 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.
The upper part of the tower was especially damaged.
In 1816, it was replaced by the architect O.I. Bove with a new needle-shaped dome in the pseudo-Gothic style.
In 1917 the tower was damaged again,
this time from artillery fire.
In 1935, the dome of the tower was crowned with a 5-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.
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Corner Arsenalnaya (Sobakina)
The tower was built in 1492 by Pietro Antonio Solari and is located further away, in the corner of the Kremlin.The first name was received 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 estate of the Sobakin boyars located nearby.
In the dungeon of the corner Arsenal tower there is a well,
it is more than 500 years old.
It is filled from an ancient source and therefore it always has clean and fresh water.
Previously, there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River.
Tower height 60.2 m.
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Average Arsenalnaya (Faceted)
The tower 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.
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Trinity
It received its current name in 1658 after the church and the name of the Trinity courtyard of the Kremlin.Trinity Tower is the tallest tower of the Kremlin.
The height of the tower at present, together with the star from the side of the Alexander Garden, is 80 m.
The Trinity Bridge leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower,
protected by the Kutafya Tower.
The tower gate serves 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.
In the 2-story base of the tower in the 16th-17th centuries
there was 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
The Trinity Tower was expanded to accommodate heavy cannons.
Until 1935, there was a
imperial 2-headed eagle.
By the next date of the October Revolution, it was decided to remove the eagle and install red stars on it and the other main towers of the Kremlin.
The 2-headed eagle of 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.
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Kutafya
The tower is connected by a bridge to 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 m.
The only way to enter the tower from the city was via an inclined bridge.
There are 2 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.
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Komendantskaya (Kolymazhnaya)
The tower 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 due to its location
near it is the Kolymazhny yard in the Kremlin.
In 1676-1686 it was built on.
The tower is made up of a massive quadrangle with machicolations (hinged loopholes) and a parapet and an open tetragon standing on it, completed with a pyramidal roof, an observation tower and an 8-sided ball.
In the main volume of the tower there are 3 tiers of rooms covered with cylindrical vaults; The completion tiers are also covered with vaults.
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.
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Armory (Konyushennaya)
It once stood on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, now enclosed in an underground pipe, and received its name from the nearby Armory Chamber; the second name comes from the nearby Konyushenny Dvor.Once upon a time there were ancient weapons workshops located next to it.
They also made precious dishes and jewelry.
Ancient workshops gave the name not only to the tower, but also to the wonderful museum located nearby Kremlin wall- The Armory Chamber.
Many Kremlin treasures are collected here and
just very ancient things.
For example, helmets and chain mail of ancient Russian warriors.
The height of the Armory Tower is 32.65 m.
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Borovitskaya (Predtechenskaya)
Built in 1490 by Pietro Antonio Solari.Travel card.
The first name of the tower is original, comes from Borovitsky Hill, on the slope of which there is a tower; The name of the hill apparently comes from an ancient pine forest that grew on this site.
The second name, assigned by 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.
Currently the main thoroughfare for
government motorcades.
The height of the tower is 54 m.
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Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower
Named so 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
V 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 St. Petersburg.
There it was used to construct fountains.
The height of the Vodovzvodnaya tower with a star is 61.45 m.
The second name of the tower is associated with the boyar surname Sviblo,
or the Sviblovs, who were responsible for its construction.
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Annunciation Tower.
According to legend, the miraculous icon of the Annunciation was previously kept in this tower, and in 1731 the Church of the Annunciation was added to this tower.Most likely, the name of the tower is associated with one of these facts.
In the 17th century, 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 era The Church of the Annunciation was also dismantled.
The height of the Annunciation Tower with a weather vane is 32.45 m.
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Taynitskaya
Tainitskaya Tower is the first tower founded 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 m.
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First Nameless Tower
Built in the 1480s.The tower ends with a simple 4-sided pyramidal tent.
The interior of the tower is formed by 2 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.
1 of 2 towers, which did not get a name.
Height 34.15 m.
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Second Nameless
Built in the 1480s.Above the upper quadrangle of the tower there is an 8-sided tent with a weather vane; the upper quadrangle is open into the tent.
The interior of the tower includes 2 levels of premises; the lower tier has a cylindrical vault, and the upper one is closed.
Height 30.2 m.
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Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya)
The Petrovskaya Tower, together with 2 unnamed ones, was built to strengthen the southern wall, as it was most often attacked.Like the 2 unnamed Petrovskaya Towers, at first there was no name.
She received her name from the Church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky Metochion in the Kremlin.
In 1771 during construction Kremlin Palace the tower, the church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshskoe metochion were dismantled.
The tower was rebuilt in 1783, but in 1812 the French destroyed it 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 27.15 m.
The Moscow Kremlin acquired its current appearance in the late 1400s thanks to the efforts of Italian craftsmen. Later, its walls and towers were further completed and gradually modified, but their foundation was formed precisely in the 15th century.
In plan, it is an irregular triangle with one very curved Western wall and two relatively flat ones - the Southern and Eastern. The walls of the Kremlin are guarded by 20 towers, different in design and purpose. Each of them has its own.
South wall
Tainitskaya is the main tower of the Southern Wall. It was built by the architect Antonio Gilardi (in the Russified version - Anton Fryazin). Height – 38.4 meters. The name comes from the secret well located in it. Passed through it secret passage to the Moscow River. At one time it had a gate, which is now blocked.
The Annunciation Tower is located to the left of Taynitskaya. Construction time: 1487-1488. Height – 32.45 meters. The name comes from the icon of the Annunciation that was placed on it.
The First Nameless Tower is one of two towers that have not been given their own name. Height – 34.15 meters. Construction time: 1480s. Covered with a simple tetrahedral pyramidal tent.
The Second Nameless, with a height of 30.2 meters, is slightly lower than the First. It was built at the same time as the First Tower, but has a slightly different design. The upper quadrangle is covered with an octagonal tent, on which stands a weather vane.
The Petrovskaya Tower received its name from Metropolitan Peter, which was located nearby. Its second name is Ugreshskaya, which comes from the Kremlin courtyard of the Ugreshsky Monastery.
Beklemishevskaya was erected by another Italian - Marco Ruffo (name - Mark Fryazin). Years of construction: 1487-1488. The cylindrical design completes the eastern part The southern wall is the top of the South-Eastern corner of the Kremlin. Its height is 46.2 meters. It got its name from the boyar Beklemishev’s courtyard adjacent to it. Later it was renamed Moskvoretskaya after the name of the bridge built nearby.
Eastern wall
Spasskaya is the main tower of the Eastern Wall, 71 meters high. Built by Pietro Antonio Solari in 1491. The name comes from two icons of the Savior, located on both sides of the gate. One of them has now been restored. Now the tower gate is the main entrance to the Kremlin. Spasskaya is the only Kremlin tower with a clock. The current ones (the fourth in a row) were installed in 1852.
Tsarskaya, the smallest and youngest of all, is located to the left of Spasskaya. It is installed straight and has a height of only 16.7 meters. It was built on the site of a small wooden tower from which Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched the life of Red Square.
The alarm was built in 1495. Its height is 38 meters. The name comes from the fact that the Spassky alarm bells, which belonged to the Kremlin fire service, were located on it.
Konstantino-Eleninskaya has already been built famous builder Spasskaya Tower by Pietro Antonio Solari in 1490. The height of the tower is 36.8 meters. The name comes from the Church of Saints Constantine and Helena, which stood nearby. It is also called Timofeevskaya, on behalf of the gate that was previously located on this site.
Senateskaya received its name in 1787 after the construction of the Senate Palace nearby, although it was built in 1491. Height - 34.3 meters.
Nikolskaya, erected in the same year as Senate, was rebuilt in the 19th century in Gothic style, and therefore stands out from the Kremlin tower ensemble. Named in honor of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisky, whose icon is placed above the gate.
Corner Arsenalnaya is a corner tower between the Eastern and Western walls. Located at the top of the northern corner of the Kremlin. Author: Pietro Antonio Solari. Year of construction – 1492. Height – 60.2 meters. The name was received after the completion of the Arsenal building at the beginning of the 18th century. Its second name (Dog Tower) was assigned to it on behalf of the Sobakin boyars, whose estate stood nearby.
Western Wall
Trinity is the main tower of the Western Wall. The author is the Italian architect Aloisio da Milano (Russian version - Aleviz Fryazin). After Spasskaya, she was considered the second most important in the Kremlin. Year of construction – 1495. Height – 80 meters. It has a gate through which visitors can enter the Kremlin territory. The current name was received in 1658 after the construction of the Trinity Metochion.
The Kutafya Tower forms a single defensive complex with the Trinity Tower. It is the only surviving Kremlin bridgehead tower that previously guarded fortress bridges. Connected to Troitskaya by an inclined bridge. The builder is Aloisio da Milano. Construction time: 1516. Height – 13.5 meters. The name comes from the ancient Slavic word “kut”, meaning “corner”, “shelter”.
The middle Arsenalnaya was built in 1493-1495. Height – 38.9 meters. It got its name from the Arsenal building built nearby. The second name is the Faceted Tower.
The Commandant's Tower received its current name in the 19th century from the residence of the commandant of Moscow, located in the chambers of the Miloslavsky boyars. Construction time: 1495. Height – 41.25 m.
The 38.9 m high weapon tower was built in the same years. Previously, it was called Konyushennaya from the Konyushennaya yard, located nearby. The current name was given in the 19th century from the Armory Chamber built next to it.
Borovitskaya was built in 1490. Author: Pietro Antonio Solari. Height – 54 meters. It has gates through which government motorcades now pass. The name is tied to the hill on which a pine forest previously grew. Her second name Predtechenskaya comes from the name of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist, located nearby, as well as the icon of St. John the Baptist, which was located above the gate.
The Vodovzvodnaya Tower, round in plan, is located at the top of the South-Western corner of the Kremlin. Year of construction – 1488. Builder – Antonio Gilardi. Height – 61.25 meters. This is the main structure that supplied water to the Kremlin. The name was received in 1633 after a water-lifting machine was installed in it. There was a secret passage through the tower to the Moscow River. The second name of the Sviblov Tower is associated with the boyar family of the Sviblovs, who oversaw the process of its construction.
The Commandant's Tower of the Moscow Kremlin has a wall thickness of 1.7-3.3 m, rising 41.25 m from the side of the Alexander Garden. The length of the outer perimeter at the base is 30.5 m. It is located between the Trinity and Armory towers. Erected during the reign of Ivan III, in 1493-1495.
Names of the Commandant's Office
Throughout the history of the existence of the Commandant's Office, it had three names. In the 17th century it was called Deaf due to the lack of passage gates. It was also called Kolymazhnaya, since the Kolymazhny yard was located nearby - a kind of garage for the royal carriages and stables.
The current name, Commandant’s, was given in the 19th century, almost 4 centuries after its construction. That's what they called it when they went to the Amusement Palace, standing nearby The commandant of Moscow moved in with her.
Architect
The architect was, of course, the Italian architect from Milan - Aleviz Fryazin (Aloisio da Carcano). It was he who was invited to continue the construction of the Moscow Kremlin after the death of his compatriot Pyotr Fryazin (Pietro Antonio Solari).
Like its “sister”, Komendantskaya has a quadrangle at the base and a stone hipped top (it was erected in 1676-1686). It consists of 3 cylindrical tiers.
Near Komendantskaya
You can approach it through the Alexander Garden. Walking along it a little more, we will see in front of us the majestic Trinity Tower - the highest travel tower Moscow Kremlin, considered second in importance after
There are 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 that 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 and once upon a time they called Beklemishevskaya by the name of the man next to whose yard it was laid. Somehow it turned out that enemies most often attacked from the direction 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. Taynitskaya Tower so named 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.
Vodovzvodnaya Tower– 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.
At the Vodovzvodnaya Tower the Kremlin wall turns away from the river. Here on the corner there is another tower - Borovitskaya. 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.
Next after Borovitskaya is Weapon Tower. 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 -. Many Kremlin treasures and simply very ancient things are collected here. For example, helmets and chain mail of ancient Russian warriors. The height of the Armory Tower is 32.65 m.
Kutafya and Trinity towers of the Moscow Kremlin
If we walk a little further along the Kremlin walls, we will see the Trinity Bridge. It was thrown across the Neglinnaya River many centuries ago, even before it was hidden underground. Trinity Bridge leads to the gates of one of the tallest Kremlin towers - Trinity. The bridge connects the Trinity Tower with another low and wide tower. This . In the old days, this was the name given to a clumsily dressed woman. The tower was decorated already in the seventeenth century. Before this, Kutafya was very harsh, with drawbridges at the side gates and hinged loopholes. She guarded the entrance to the Trinity Bridge. Previously, there were more such bridgehead towers. But only one has survived to this day. The height of the Trinity Tower with a star is 80 m. This is the tallest tower of the Moscow Kremlin. The Kutafya Tower is only 13.5 m high. It is the lowest tower in the Kremlin.
Let's move on Kremlin wall. She turns again. There is another tower here. From a distance it seems round, but if you get closer, it turns out to be not at all, because it has 16 sides. This corner Arsenal Tower. Once upon a time she was called Sobakina, after the name of a person who lived nearby. But in the 18th century, a tower was built next to it, and the tower was renamed. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal Tower. It is more than 500 years old. It is filled from an ancient source and therefore it always has clean and fresh water. Previously, there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. Tower height 60.2 m.
Middle Arsenal Tower. 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.
Alarm tower. 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, just remember the story. Since then, the Alarm Bell fell silent and remained idle for a long time until it was removed to the museum. The height of the Alarm Tower is 38 m.
To the right of the Alarm Tower is Tsar's 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.
Konstantino - Eleninskaya Tower (Timofeevskaya). It 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 on its side from the Kremlin. 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.
Senate Tower At first it did not have a name, and received it only after the construction of the Senate building. After which they began to call her Senate. The tower was built in 1491, its height is 34.3 m.
Nikolskaya Tower. It was built in 1491. architect Pietro Antonio Solari to strengthen the north-eastern part of the Kremlin, not protected by natural barriers. There was a gate in it, it had a diversion arch with a drawbridge. Branch archer or a barbican was a tower outside the fortress walls that guarded the approaches to a gate or bridge. For example, the Kutafya Tower is a barbican. The name of the Nikolskaya Tower comes from the name of the icon of St. Nicholas, installed above the gates of her barbican. At this icon they decided controversial issues. In ancient times, a clock was also installed on the tower. Now they are not there, but the top of the tower is crowned with a red star. The height of the tower with the star is 70.4 m.
Petrovskaya Tower together with two unnamed ones, it was built to strengthen the southern wall, as it was most often attacked. Like the two nameless ones, the Petrovskaya Tower at first had no name. She received her name from the Church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky Metochion in the Kremlin. In 1771 During the construction of the Kremlin Palace, the tower, the Church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshsky courtyard were dismantled. In 1783 the tower was rebuilt, but in 1812. The French destroyed it again during the occupation of Moscow. In 1818 The Petrovskaya Tower was restored again. Kremlin gardeners used it for their needs. Tower height 27.15m.
Commandant's Tower (Kolymazhnaya). It was built in 1495. It got its first name - Kolymazhna - from the Kolymazhny yard of the Kremlin. In the 19th century, when the commandant of Moscow began to live in the Kremlin, not far from it, it began to be called Komendantskaya. Tower height 41.25m.
Annunciation Tower. According to legend, the miraculous icon of the Annunciation was previously kept in this tower, as well as in 1731. The Church of the Annunciation was added to this tower. Most likely, the name of the tower is associated with one of these facts. In the 17th century for the passage of laundresses to the Moscow River, a gate was made near the tower, called Portomoin. 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 m.
Spasskaya Tower (Frolovskaya) was erected on the site 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. Kremlin chimes. Chimes are large clocks that have a musical mechanism. The bells play music at the Kremlin chimes. There are eleven of them. One large one, it marks the hours, and ten smaller ones, their melodious chime is heard every 15 minutes. The chimes contain a special device. It sets the hammer in motion, it hits the surface of the bells and the Kremlin chimes sound. 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.
