Why are the Kremlin towers round? Moscow Kremlin Towers: A Brief History. Who built the towers of the Moscow Kremlin
Question: "How many towers does the Moscow Kremlin have?" interests many. The answer is known - there are 20 of them in total. This article will consider all the buildings in order, present a photo of each of them with signatures, as well as a message for each with interesting features and facts. If you are interested in the question: "What is the purpose of the Moscow Kremlin towers?" - we will also answer it: defensive. In the old days, they played the role of defense units.
The architectural ensemble of the Kremlin, which is made up of bright walls and tall structures, is an old-timer. His age exceeded the bar of five centuries. Today it is impossible to imagine once a fortification without their spiers, and the appearance of Moscow would have lost its original flavor.
Prince Ivan III began construction work. The difference in size and shape in each case was determined by the location and protective capabilities. Each structure contained its own exits, which passed to the attached walls.
This made it possible to bypass the entire perimeter, and at the same time there was no need to go down to the ground. Merlons became the final decoration, otherwise they are called "swallow tails". Archers were hiding behind them on the upper parts of the structure.
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The history of the towers
At the moment, residents and visitors to the capital can see twenty towers. These structures have seen many historical events. The military actions of 1812 brought them special harm, when many defensive structures were completely destroyed by explosions.
Therefore, a tremendous amount of work has been done to restore it. The fortifications owe their present appearance to the excellent architectural skill of Boev.
During the restoration measures at the Kremlin complex, they were able to highlight its antiquity and even add to all this romantic notes and decor details in the manner of the Middle Ages. The bastions, built during the reign of Peter the Great, were liquidated, and the moat that crossed Red Square was buried.
Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) tower
The building has a rounded shape and is located next to the Moskvoretsky bridge. It can be seen wonderfully from Red Square. This defensive structure in those ancient times successfully resisted the onslaught of advancing enemies.
A cache was arranged in front of the fortress, and in the 18th century the pylon was decorated with a tent. This added harmony to the composition, and removed some serf harshness.
During the period of the battle with the Swedes, they built bastions and expanded the dimensions of the loopholes. In the middle of the last century, a major restoration was carried out, and the loopholes acquired their original forms.
Taynitskaya tower
During the construction of the Kremlin, this construction was completed one of the first. The structure got its name due to the presence of a hidden passage under the ground.
He connected the defensive structure with the river. It was used to deliver water in case of an enemy blockade.
The object rises almost forty meters. During its history, it has undergone many changes.
After the destruction caused by the Napoleonic army, the fortress was rebuilt. And closer to the middle of the last century, the arrow was completely dismantled, the well was poured and the gate for passage was laid.
Vodovzvodnaya tower
Another name for this building is Sviblova. It was formed by the name of the boyar, whose yard was located nearby, and the car that stood here and served to supply water.
Such a water supply system operated for a very long period until the mechanism ended up in St. Petersburg, where it filled the fountain with water.
Together with the star, the structure reaches a height of 62 meters. And during the restoration measures, elements of the classics and pseudo-Gothic were introduced into it.
Borovitskaya tower
Borovitsky Hill was once covered with a shadow from a pine forest. This 54-meter structure, crowned with a star, is also located here. In another way, the building is called the Forerunner.
At first, it served the needs of the Zhitny and Konyushenny dvor, located nearby. The gate for the passage played the role of the rear gate of the Kremlin.
The upper part of the piloton was decorated with an open octagon and a large stone tent.
Armory tower
Previously, in the vicinity of this building there were workshops engaged in the manufacture of weapons. Also, craftsmen here made dishes and items that serve as decorations.
The old name "Konyushennaya" was quickly replaced by "Armory", and this happened when the Armory appeared in this place. At that time, it became a treasury; uniforms and other things of Russian soldiers were preserved in it.
The structure is 32 meters high and is a storage place, and the extreme side of the Alexander Garden is its entrance.
Trinity Tower
In terms of defensive capabilities, this structure ranked second (the first belongs to the defensive structure of Spasskaya). It also has the highest height.
The four of six tiers has a basement at the base, which, in turn, is made in two tiers. Stairs help to move comfortably from tier to tier. Throughout its history, the name of this protective structure has changed several times.
It had the following names:
- Epiphany;
- Znamenskaya;
- Carriage.
In the end, the royal decree turned it into Trinity. The whole building is eighty meters high.
Kutafiev Tower
Many years ago there were two guard buildings, they guarded the entrance to the Kremlin. Only one has survived to this day.
It is also known as Predmostnaya, and it is the lowest of the entire list of Moscow Kremlin towers. It was located next to the Trinity Bridge, where it was surrounded by a moat and a river.
In a low pylon, one gate was built, which, if necessary, could be closed by the lifting side of the bridge, which created great difficulties for penetration from outside. The structure stood out for its special power.
Now this building, made in two colors, rises to thirteen meters, and becomes an organic addition to the entire architectural ensemble.
Corner Arsenal Tower
The lower massive part of the structure consists of sixteen faces, which are widened by the base.
Downstairs, underground, there is a basement, which can be accessed by an internal staircase. There is also an underground well. It contains clean drinking water.
Boyar Sobakin used to live next to the building, and because of him, the structure had a second name - Sobakin. The Arsenal building began to be called after the Arsenal was erected.
Arsenal tower
The described structure was included in the number of Kremlin buildings in the 15th century. A little later, a grotto was built next to it, which became a landmark in the Alexander Garden.
The outer side of the pylon is divided by niches. The upper part has four corners and they are decorated with mashiculi.
Inside, the structure consists of three tiers that overlap the cylindrical vaults.
Alarm tower
This object was built "tightly". It is distinguished by a special fortress, and is located between the Constantine-Helen and Tsar structures.
The basement and the premises located in it together represent a complex multi-chamber network.
In former times, the hipped four-sided top sounded like the play of bells. Like the Spassky alarm, these sounds became a signal of some kind of distress. The alarm bell installed here weighs 150 pounds. This is the creation of the hands of the craftsman Ivan Motorin.
Tsar tower
This building is comfortably located between Nabatnaya and Spasskaya. In structure, it resembles a tower. This addition was erected to the Kremlin in the 60s of the nineteenth century.
Four pillars, similar to domes, hold an octagonal tent, which in turn was decorated with a weather vane with gilding. Previously, the bells of the fire protection could be heard from it.
This is one of a small number of buildings that has not changed much. This structure is seventeen meters high.
Konstantino-Eleninskaya (Timofeevskaya) tower
It appeared in the middle of the fifteenth century and is located instead of the former passage building. She let a large number of people pass through her.
Regiments passed through here, and even Dmitry Donskoy himself set off this way to the Battle of Kulikovo. In addition, the building played the role of a combat guard object, protecting the Great Posad and the paths passing from the pier on the river.
From this object, all the paths from the adjacent streets were clearly visible. The pylon was equipped with a gate for passage and an arrow. It became possible to penetrate here by means of a lifting overhead bridge. The building got another name because of the nearby Church of Constantine and Helena.
Senate tower
Since the fifteenth century, it has been decorating the complex surrounded by the Nikolskaya and Frolovskaya fortifications.
For a long time it was not called in any way. And at the end of the eighteenth century, the Senate settled in the Kremlin. And it was used in the title.
The interior of the building is divided into three tiers with vaulted rooms. The deaf building that was built was later supplemented with a tent and weather vane. These details were complemented by beautiful gilding. All this is 35 meters high.
Nikolskaya tower
The building is located in the northern part of the complex. The high-power quadrangle was previously equipped with a gate for passage. It was also complemented by a strelnitsa and a ferry, operating in lifting mode.
The name uses the image of St. Nicholas, which was installed above the roadway. Judging by information from Wikipedia and numerous memoirs and historical information, amazing events took place in all historical times, as evidenced by St. Nicholas of Mozhaisky, whose image was lost, restored and solemnly consecrated in 2010.
The "lace" octagon is considered the decoration of the structure, and the additional part (tent) reflects the Gothic style of architecture.
During the battle with the Napoleonic army, the building was partially damaged, but was restored a little later. And during the restoration, the tent was decorated with white stone turrets.
Petrovskaya tower
The need for this object arose at the stage of improving the protective system of the complex. The nearby church of Metropolitan Peter gave him its name.
After the building was blown up with a gunpowder charge in 1812, extensive restoration work was carried out.
The erected twenty-seven-meter building was used for the household needs of the gardeners who followed the improvement of the Kremlin territory.
Kolymazhnaya or Commandant's tower
An almost deaf and austere building, which is shifted to the southern side of the Trinity defense building.
Like most other objects, it appeared in the fifteenth century. And the name "Kolymazhnaya" was given because of the close location of the Kolymazhny yard.
After the commandant moved to Poteshin (this happened in the nineteenth century), the building was renamed.
Annunciation tower
This object has its own secret - it is a deep underground. If you believe the legends, the name was given to it by the icon "Annunciation", which hung here in ancient times.
Historians are also inclined to believe that the name is tied to the Church of the Annunciation built nearby, which was demolished during the Soviet era. Back in the seventeenth century, near the pylon, the Portomoy Gate was built, through which local laundresses hurried to the river to rinse the linen here.
Over time, this gate was built up. The building, together with the weather vane, rises thirty-two meters.
Frolovskaya or Spasskaya tower
It is located next to the main gate, which in the old days was equipped with a special passage to the Kremlin. During the construction, the task was to protect the northeastern corner of the complex, since it did not contain water barriers.
In the seventeenth century, the object was decorated with the coat of arms of the state (double-headed eagle). And the clock, which was placed here in the nineteenth century, is here and now.
Describing this structure, it should be noted that in this case the architecture was not the same as on other buildings. She was distinguished by precision in geometric shapes, luxurious jewelry and animal figurines. The corners of the quadrangle were decorated with attractive pyramids with iridescent weather vane.
First Nameless Tower
It stands next to Taynitskaya and is a completely deaf building. For almost two centuries (15th and 16th) it was used as a powder storage.
In the middle of the sixteenth century, the building was destroyed by fire, but after 150 years it was rebuilt again. Now it has already been supplemented by a new tier, which was called the tent-roofed one.
During the construction of the luxurious Kremlin palace, the building was dismantled. As soon as this was finished, the architect Bazhenov was instructed to build the object again. In the end, the beauty of the current complex is complemented by one spire that rises to 35 meters.
Second Nameless Tower
The building acquired its architectural appeal in the second half of the seventeenth century, when it was completed with a tent of four sides and an observation post was attached.
The crown of the construction was a stone tent with a weather vane. The Kremlin building delights with emerald tents, ruby stars and swallow tails.
The grandeur and beauty of this place is simply mesmerizing. This is the brightest and most recognizable symbol, familiar from childhood from pictures in books, textbooks, stamps and other images, dear to every Russian person.
For interesting information about the walls and towers of the Kremlin, see the following video:
The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers and they are all different, no two are alike. Each tower has its own name and its own history. Only two towers did not get the names, they are called the First Nameless and the Second Nameless.
They are followed by the Petrovskaya Tower, but at the most extreme right tower there are two names at once. Nowadays it is called Moskvoretskaya, and once it was called Beklemishevskaya by the name of the person next to whose yard it was laid.
Somehow it turned out that the enemies most often attacked from the side of the Moskva 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, which was laid during the construction of the Kremlin, was Taynitskaya.
TAYNITSKAYATOWER
It was named so because a secret underground passage led from it to the river. It was intended so that it was possible to take water in case the fortress was besieged by enemies. The height of the Taynitskaya Tower is 38.4 m.
BOROVITSKIE GATE AND TOWER
They are located on the highest hill, where all of Moscow came from. This tower stands near Borovitsky Hill, on which a pine forest grew long ago. From him came her name. The height of the tower with a star is 54.05 m.
BEKLEMISHEVSKAYA (MOSKVORETSKAYA) TOWER
Located in the southeastern corner of the Kremlin. It was built by the Italian architect Marko Fryazin in 1487-1488. The tower was adjoined by the courtyard of the boyar Beklemishev, for which it got its name. Beklemishev's courtyard, together with the tower under Vasily III, served as a prison for the 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 a moat, therefore, when the enemy attacked, it was the first to take the blow. The architectural solution of the tower is connected with this: a high cylinder is placed on a beveled white-stone base and is separated from it by a semicircular roller. Narrow, sparsely spaced windows cut through the smooth surface of the cylinder. The tower is completed with a mashikuli with a combat platform, which was higher than the adjoining walls.
In the basement of the tower there was a rumor-hiding place to prevent undermining. In 1680, the tower was adorned with an octagon bearing a tall narrow tent with two rows of rumors, which softened its severity. In 1707, expecting a possible offensive by the Swedes, Peter I ordered bastions to be built at its foot and the loopholes to be widened to accommodate more powerful guns. During the invasion of Napoleon, the tower was damaged and then repaired. In 1917, shelling damaged the top of the tower, which was restored by 1920. In 1949, during the restoration, the loopholes were restored in their former form. This is one of the few Kremlin towers that has not been radically rebuilt.
ANNUNCIATION TOWER
According to legend, this tower previously housed the miraculous icon "Annunciation", as well as 1731. the Church of the Annunciation was added to this tower. Most likely, the name of the tower is associated with one of these facts. In the 17th century. for the passage of laundresses to the Moskva River, a gate was made near the tower, called Portomoyny. In 1831 they were laid down, and in Soviet times the Church of the Annunciation was also dismantled. The height of the Annunciation tower with a weather vane is 32.45 m.
- so named because of the car that was here once. She raised water from a well, arranged at 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 organized its own water supply system. It worked for a long time, but then the car was dismantled and taken to another city - St. Petersburg. There it was used for fountains. The height of the Vodovzvodnaya tower with a star is 61.45 m.
... which once stood on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, now enclosed in an underground pipe, was named after the nearby Armory. Once upon a time there were ancient weapons workshops 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 remarkable museum located next to the Kremlin wall - the Armory. Here are collected many Kremlin treasures 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.
COMENDANT TOWER
It got its name in the 19th century, because the commandant of Moscow was located in the building nearby. The tower was built in 1493-1495 on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. It was formerly called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny yard located nearby in the Kremlin. In the years 1676-1686 it was built on.
In the 19th century, the tower received the name "Commandant", when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Kremlin, in the Amusement Palace of the 17th century. The height of the tower from the side of the Alexander Garden is 41.25 m.
It is named after the church and the Trinity courtyard, which were once nearby on the territory of the Kremlin. Troitskaya Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The height of the tower, together with the star from the side of the Alexander Garden, is 80 m.
The Troitsky Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower. The tower gates serve as the main entrance for the Kremlin's visitors. Built in 1495-1499. by the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanese (Italian: Aloisio da Milano).
The tower was called differently: the Robe, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 after the Trinity courtyard of the Kremlin. A prison was housed in the two-storey base of the tower 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 hipped roof 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 at the top of the tower. By the next date of the October Revolution, it was decided to remove the eagle and install red stars on it and the rest of the main Kremlin towers.
The Troitskaya tower turned out to be the oldest - made in 1870 and prefabricated on bolts, so when dismantling it, it had to be disassembled at the top of the tower. In 1937, the faded semi-precious star was replaced with the modern ruby one.
KUTAFIA TOWER
(Connected by a bridge with Troitskaya). Its name is associated with the following: in the old days, a casually dressed, clumsy woman was called kutafya. Indeed, the Kutafya tower is low, like the others, but squat and wide.
The tower was built in 1516 under the direction of the Milan architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya river, with the only gates, which in moments of danger were tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for those who besieged the fortress. She had loopholes of the plantar and mashikuli. In the 16th-17th centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that the water surrounded the tower from all sides. Its original height above ground level was 18 meters.
The only way to enter the tower from the city side was via an inclined bridge.
There are two versions of the origin of the name "Kutafya": from the word "kut" - shelter, corner, or from the word "kutafya", meaning a plump, clumsy woman. The Kutafya tower has never been covered. In 1685 it was crowned with an openwork "crown" with white stone details.
PETROVSKAYA TOWER
Together with the two unnamed ones, it was built to strengthen the southern wall, as the most frequently attacked.
At first, like the two unnamed Petrovskaya Tower, it had no name. She received her name from the church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky courtyard in the Kremlin. In 1771. during the construction of the Kremlin palace, the tower, the church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshskoye 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. It was used for their needs by the Kremlin gardeners. The height of the tower is 27.15 m.
MEDIUM ARSENAL TOWER
It rises from the side of the Alexander Garden and is called so, since there was a weapons depot right behind it. It was built in 1493-1495. After the construction of the Arsenal building, the tower got its name. A grotto was erected near the tower in 1812 - one of the attractions of the Alexander Garden. The height of the tower is 38.9 m.
CORNER ARSENAL TOWER
Located further away, in the corner of the Kremlin. Once she was called Sobakina, by the name of a person who lived nearby. But in the 18th century, the Arsenal building was erected next to it, and the tower was renamed. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal Tower. It is over 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. The height of the tower is 60.2 m.
NIKOLSKAYA TOWER
Located at the beginning of Red Square. In ancient times, there was a monastery of St. Nicholas the Old nearby, and an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed above the gate of the tower. The gate tower, built in 1491 by the architect P. Solari, was one of the main defensive redoubts of the eastern part of the Kremlin wall.
The name of the tower comes from the Nikolsky monastery, which was located nearby. Therefore, an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed over the passage gate of the strelnitsa. Like all towers with entrance gates, Nikolskaya had a drawbridge over the moat and protective gratings that were lowered during the battle.
The Nikolskaya Tower went down in history in 1612, when the troops of the people's militia, led by Minin and Pozharsky, burst into the Kremlin through its gates and liberated 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 OI 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, a five-pointed star crowns the dome of the tower. In the 20th century, the tower was restored in the 1946-1950s and in the 1973-1974s. Now the height of the tower is 70.5 m.
SENATE TOWER
It 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 defended the Kremlin from the side of Red Square. The height of the tower is 34.3 m.
SPASSKAYA (FROLOVSKAYA) TOWER
This name comes from the 17th century, when the icon of the Savior was hung over the gate of this tower. It 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 travel gate of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya, was popularly considered "saints". They were not passed through on horseback and did not pass with their heads covered. The regiments that went on the campaign passed through these gates, here they met kings and ambassadors.
In the 17th century. the coat of arms of Russia - a two-headed eagle, was hoisted on the tower, 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 became Spasskaya. It was named so in honor of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, located above the gate of the tower from the side of Red Square, and in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, located above the gate from the side of the Kremlin.
In 1851-52. a clock was installed on the Spasskaya Tower, which we still see today - the Kremlin chimes.
A chime is a large clock that has a musical mechanism. Bells play music at the Kremlin chimes. There are eleven of them. One large, he marks the hours, and ten smaller ones, their melodious chime is heard every 15 minutes. The mechanism of the Kremlin chimes occupies three floors. Previously, the chimes were wound manually, but now they do it with the help of electricity. The Spasskaya Tower occupies 10 floors. Its height with a star is 71 m.
THE KING'S TOWER
It is not at all like other Kremlin towers. There are 4 columns right on the wall, with a peaked roof on them. There are no strong walls or narrow loopholes. But she doesn't need them. Because the tower was not built for defense. 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 named it Tsarskaya. Its height is 16.7 m.
ALARM TOWER
It got its name from the big bell - the alarm bell that hung over it. Once upon a time, sentinels were constantly on duty here. From a height, they vigilantly watched - whether the enemy army was marching towards the city. And if danger was approaching, the sentinels had to warn everyone, ring the alarm bell. Because of him, the tower was named 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 an unkind message - they were deprived of their language.
In those days it was a common practice to recall at least the history of the bell in Uglich. Since then, the alarm bell fell silent and remained idle for a long time until it was removed to the museum. The height of the Nabatnaya Tower is 38 m.
KONSTANTIN-ELENINSKAYA TOWER
It owes its name to the church of Constantine and Helena that stood here in antiquity. The tower was built in 1490 and was used for the passage of the population and troops to the Kremlin. Earlier, when the Kremlin was white-stone, another tower stood on this place.
It was through her that Dmitry Donskoy traveled with an army to the Kulikovo field.
The new tower was built for the reason that the Kremlin had no natural barriers on its side. It was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful diverter arrow 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 m.
FIRST NAMELESS TOWER
Adjacent to Taynitskaya and is a deaf building. In the XV - XVI Art. she served as a repository of gunpowder... In 1547 the pylon completely burned down in a fire, but in the 17th century. it was rebuilt anew and supplemented with a tier with an interesting name: "tent". When the government started to build a luxurious Kremlin palace, the facility was liquidated. As soon as the work that was entrusted to the architect Bazhenov was over, it was decided to work on the structure again. As a result, the beauty of the Kremlin was complemented by another object, the exact height of which is 34.15 m.
SECOND NAMELESS TOWER
The tower was built in the 1480s as an intermediate tower on the south side of the Kremlin.
Since 1680, the tower has acquired even greater architectural appeal, as it was completed with a four-sided tent and equipped with an observation post-tower. The stone structure is neatly crowned with a tent with a weather vane.
At the beginning of the 18th century, a gate was later laid in the tower. Like many other towers of the southern wall, the Second Nameless Tower was dismantled in 1771 in preparation for the construction of the Bazhenov Grand Kremlin Palace and, after the cessation of construction of the palace, was rebuilt.
The Moscow Kremlin is one of the main symbols of Russia and, perhaps, the most recognizable.
For a Russian, the word Kremlin is more than just a fortress, if only because it is associated with the Moscow complex. But there are kremlins in Rostov, Smolensk, Suzdal, Novgorod, Kazan.
The Kremlin is the heart of the capital and for many centuries the main residence of the country's leader, it was from here that it began to grow. We decided to collect the most interesting facts about the main symbol of Russia.
The tallest tower of the Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin complex is the largest active medieval fortress in the world, with an area of 27 hectares. The Kremlin includes 18 buildings (including 4 palaces, 3 cathedrals, several churches), surrounded by a wall with 20 towers, and 5 squares. And, of course, the Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell are located on the territory of the Kremlin.
The tallest tower of the Kremlin is Troitskaya. It was built at the end of the 15th century, the height of the building is 80 meters. This tower is where the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin is located. Once there was the Trinity Monastery next to it, and he gave the name to the tower.
By the way, it was here that the chimes were also installed: they were installed in 1585, and removed after the fire of 1812. By the way, today's chimes, familiar to every Russian, are installed on the most famous tower - Spasskaya (the first chimes on them also appeared at the end of the 16th century).
From eagles to stars
Until 1935, the Trinity Tower, as well as the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya and Borovitskaya, were crowned with the state emblem of Russia - a two-headed eagle.
For the solemn date of the October Revolution, they decided to dismantle the coat of arms, replacing it with stars, first with semi-precious ones, and later with stars made of ruby glass. Also, a new symbol was installed on the Vodovzvodnaya tower.
Fire, water and copper pipes
Many trials fell to the lot of the Kremlin: there were floods and fires. Imagine, in the first 450 years of its existence, it burned more than a hundred times. And, of course, the Kremlin was also on fire, because it was from this fortress that the history of the city began. Considering that the first fortifications on the site of the modern Kremlin were built in 1156, and over two centuries its walls were wooden, during this period the fortress was burned down almost completely several times. She especially suffered during the attack of enemies (for example, during the attack of Khan Batu, the entire fortress was burnt out). And even after the white-stone walls were rebuilt under Dmitry Donskoy (by the way, after one of the devastating fires), the tragedy did not bypass the fortress anyway, one has only to recall the devastating Moscow fire of 1812.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the Kremlin has since been rebuilt many times from different materials.
He acquired features familiar to every Russian in the 15th century under Ivan III.
Secret passages of the Kremlin
There are many legends about secret tunnels under the Moscow Kremlin. So, in the Beklemishevskaya tower, according to rumors, there was a torture chamber created by order of Ivan the Terrible. Also known are secret passages from the Spasskaya to the Taynitskaya tower, and from the Troitskaya to Nikolskaya. They also talk about underground tunnels to St. Basil's Cathedral.
In fact, the underground passages were very often stumbled upon in the process of repair work, because the Kremlin is primarily a fortification, therefore, like many other medieval fortresses, it simply must have escape routes and places where you can hide during a siege. True, in most cases, after the discovery of secret tunnels, they were simply walled up and poured with concrete.
The ghosts of the Kremlin
Well, what a medieval fortress without ghosts) Believe it or not, there are legends about the ghosts of the Kremlin. So, they say that for many centuries the ghost of Ivan the Terrible has lived within its walls. Moreover, on the eve of his coronation, Nicholas II also saw the famous tyrant, about which he informed his wife.
In addition, the ghost of False Dmitry, who was executed near the walls of the Kremlin, as well as Vladimir Lenin was met here. The latter visited his office and former apartment.
Other curious facts about the Moscow Kremlin
Fact no. 1... The Tsar Bell is the largest bell in the world, created in 1733-1735 by order of Anna Ioanovna. Installed in the Kremlin as a monument to foundry skills.
Fact number 2... The Tsar Cannon is the largest artillery weapon on the planet. Its caliber is 890 millimeters. True, the cannon was never fired.
Fact no. 3... Under Dmitry Donskoy, the Kremlin was rebuilt from limestone; it was from that time that Moscow began to be called "white stone".
Fact no. 4... The limestone walls did not last long and began to collapse. The Kremlin was rebuilt by Ivan III already of red brick. It was then that the fortress was erected in accordance with all the rules of the fortification art; they even dug a moat around, filling it with water, thereby making the fortress impregnable.
Fact number 5... One of the oldest buildings in Moscow is the Assumption Cathedral, which is located on the territory of the Kremlin.
Fact no. 6... There are 1,045 battlements on the walls of the Moscow Kremlin, the height of the walls is from 5 to 19 meters, and their length is about 2.5 kilometers.
Fact number 7... The 18 towers of the Kremlin have names, except for two: they are called First Nameless and Second Nameless.
Fact no. 8... During the Great Patriotic War, the Kremlin visually disappeared. More precisely, it was disguised so that the German pilots would not find the main symbol of Moscow. Streets and buildings were depicted on the walls, the stars were extinguished and covered, the green roofs were repainted, and the mausoleum was covered with a fake two-story structure. Thanks to this, the Germans could not carry out targeted bombing, and all the bombs that hit the territory of the Kremlin and Red Square did not cause severe destruction to the heart of the capital.
Fact number 9... The Kremlin walls have characteristic dovetail barbs. The castles of the Italian ghibellines have the same distinctive feature. For example, the Castelvecchio castle in Verona.
Fact number 10... In 1947, Churchill called for an atomic bomb to be dropped on the Moscow Kremlin. He insisted that this was the only way to stop the spread of communism.
Fact no. 11... The newest building in the complex is the State Kremlin Palace. It was built in 1961.
Fact no. 12... Until the 1880s, the walls of the Kremlin were painted white.
Currently, they are periodically tinted with red paint.
The Moscow Kremlin is the heart of Russia, because our capital began its journey from here. The architectural ensemble of bright walls and tall slender towers gives it a special romance and unfading antiquity.
From the history of the Kremlin
At one time, the construction of the Kremlin was started by Prince Ivan the Third. The Kremlin walls and towers, made before his reign of white stone - limestone, the prince ordered to be replaced with more durable ones of fired brick. Many of them have remained unchanged to this day.
For the grandiose construction, the Moscow sovereign invited European architects - Italians. One of them, Antonio Fiorovanti, became the author of the general plan for the Kremlin's defenses.
Since then, only one large-scale construction work has been required here. This happened after the devastating French invasion of 1812. While retreating, leaving the city, they mined the Kremlin. The enemy's charges worked only partially, but it took 20 years to restore the destruction.
The appearance of the Kremlin, which is contemplated by residents and guests of Moscow, the buildings owe to the competent actions of the architect Bove OI
Today the Moscow Kremlin is decorated with 20 towers. They are all different, no two are alike. Each of the towers has its own name and its own history. Only two names were missing, they are called that: First Nameless and Second Nameless.
From the history of the towers
The difference in the size of the towers depended on their role in defending the city. Each had its own exit to the adjacent walls. This allowed the sentinels to walk around all the walls of the Kremlin without descending to the ground. The riflemen, hiding on the upper platforms of the buildings, were protected by merlons - ledges that completed the fortress wall.
The first in the general ensemble was laid.
It got its name because of an underground secret passage that connected it to the river.
In case of a prolonged siege of the fortress by enemies, a secret passage to the river served to deliver water. The tower stretches 39 meters high.
The rightmost tower has two names at once. Nowadays she is called Moskvoretskaya... Beklemishevskaya was once called by the name of the person next to whose yard she was laid.
Enemies most often attacked from the side of the Moskva River, and the Moskvoretskaya Tower always had to be the first to defend itself. That is why she is so formidable, with a lot of loopholes. Its height is 46.2 meters.
The Vodovzvodnaya Tower is named so because of the machine that was once installed inside. She raised water from the well, arranged below, to the very top into a large tank. From there, water flowed through lead pipes to the royal palace in the Kremlin. The plumbing has been in operation for a long time. Then the car was taken to St. Petersburg for fountains. The height of the tower with a star is 61.4 m.
At the foot of Borovitsky Hill, once covered with a pine forest, stands. This is a gate tower, named from the proximity of the forest to it. It has a through passage to the territory of the Kremlin. Another name for it is the Forerunner. Today it is used for the main passage of the official motorcade. Height 54 m, its top is decorated with a ruby star.
Armory the tower was built in the 15th century, the height is 39 meters. It is a quadrangle tapering upwards with a square tiered roof. The Armory was built behind this tower in the Kremlin. It contains many Kremlin treasures - weapons, precious dishes, helmets, chain mail of ancient Russian warriors. This chamber gave its name.
Walking along the walls of the Kremlin, you can see the Trinity Bridge, which was thrown across the Neglinnaya River many centuries ago. This bridge leads to the gates of one of the tallest Kremlin towers - Troitskaya.
It got its name from the church located near the Kremlin. Until 1935, an imperial double-headed eagle was installed at the summit. For the next anniversary of the revolution, the eagle was removed and red stars were installed on it and the rest of the main Kremlin towers. The height of the tower with the star is 80 meters.
The bridge connects the Troitskaya tower with another - low and wide. This Kutafya tower. In the old days, this was the name of a fat, awkwardly dressed woman. A more ornate tower was made only in the 17th century.
Prior to this, Kutafya was very austere with drawbridges at the side gates and hinged loopholes. She guarded the entrance to the Troitsky Bridge. The Kutafya Tower is the lowest in the Kremlin. Its height is 13.5 meters.
Konstantino-Eleninskaya tower. It was built in 1490 and was used for the passage of the population and troops to the Kremlin. It owes its name to the church of Constantine and Helena that stood here in antiquity. They built it because the Kremlin had no natural barriers on its side. The structure was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful arrow and a passage gate. At the beginning of the 19th century, they were taken apart. Height 36.8 meters.
Built in 1491 to protect the northeastern part of the Kremlin, which had no natural water barriers. Its name comes from the 17th century, when the icon of the Savior was hung over the gate. The travel gate was considered holy. They were not passed through on horseback and did not pass with their heads covered. The regiments marched through the gates, and here they met kings and ambassadors.
In the 17th century, the coat of arms of Russia, a two-headed eagle, was placed on the top. In 1852, the clock was installed, which we still see today.
The Kremlin chimes are a large clock with a musical mechanism. Eleven bells produce a melodic chime every 15 minutes. The mechanism of the Kremlin chimes occupies three floors. Previously, it was started manually, now - with the help of electricity. The height of the tower with the star is 71 meters.
Senate the tower at first did not have a name and received it only after the construction of the Senate building, whose green dome rises above the fortress wall.
The tower rises behind the mausoleum of V.I. Lenin. She is the oldest in the Kremlin. Built in 1491 in the center of the northeastern part of the Kremlin wall, it performed only defensive functions. The tower reliably defended the Kremlin from the side of Red Square. Its height is 34.3 meters.
At the very beginning of Red Square is located. The name comes from the Nikolsky monastery located nearby. An icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed over the gate. A drawbridge over the moat and protective gratings made it inaccessible to the enemy.
Through its gates in 1612, troops of the people's militia entered under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky. They liberated Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders.
The tower, which suffered from Napoleon's troops and revolutionary artillery fire in 1917, was restored several times. Since 1935, its dome has been crowned with a five-pointed ruby star.
Commandant Tower got its name in the 19th century, since the commandant of Moscow was located nearby in the building. Located on the western side of the Kremlin wall between the Troitskaya and the Armory towers. It is an elongated quadruple with a base expanding to the bottom and hinged loopholes. It has a height of 41.2 meters.
There is another tower at the turn of the Kremlin wall. From a distance, it looks round. Up close, you understand that this is not so, because it has 16 faces. It's angular Arsenal tower.
Once she was called Sobakina, by the name of a person who lived nearby. But in the 18th century, the Arsenal building (military warehouse) was erected next door, and the tower was renamed. There is a well in her dungeon, which is more than 500 years old. It always has fresh and clean water. Earlier there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. Height 60.2 m.
It was built for observation and patrol. In the event of an approaching danger, everyone was warned from her about this, striking the alarm bell. Hence the name. 
At the end of the 18th century, at the sound of the alarm bell, a riot began in Moscow. For divulging an unkind message, the bell was punished by deprivation of the tongue. He remained idle for a long time, and then was removed to the museum. Height 38 m.
To the right of the Nabatnaya Tower is Tsarskaya tower. By her appearance, she stands out from the general ensemble because she is not at all like the others. There are four columns directly on the wall, and on them a peaked roof. There are no powerful walls or narrow loopholes, because it was not built for defense at all.
According to legend, Tsar Ivan the Terrible loved to watch what was happening on Red Square from this place. Later, the smallest turret was erected here and was named the Tsar's. Height 16.7 meters.
The tower was built on the site of the Donskoy wooden tower. She guarded the dams on Neglinnaya, kept a secret grotto inside. It is closely adjacent to the Arsenal building, so it is not difficult to guess the name. It used to be called Granena because of the architectural features of the facade. It is an elongated quadruple with a stepped superstructure. Height 38.9 meters.
V First Nameless the tower was a powder store. This explains the fact that it was destroyed more often than others. It was completely destroyed under Napoleon, then rebuilt.
Height 34.1 meters.
The Annunciation Tower is named after the miraculous icon that was kept in it. Later, a church was built for the icon, but the name remained.
The Vodovzvodnaya Tower is a corner tower and is so named because once there was a machine that pumped water from the river and supplied it through lead pipes to the royal palace of the Kremlin.
In the 17th century, the car was disassembled and transported to St. Petersburg for fountains. The height of the tower is 61.45 m.
Armory and Commandant Towers
Once the Armory Tower stood on the banks of the Neglinka, but then the river was “chained” into a pipe underground. The building owes its name to the nearby Armory, where weapons and jewelry workshops were once located. Now it houses a museum, which displays unique military and jewelry artifacts of antiquity. The height of the structure is 32.65 m.
The Commandant's Tower was erected in 1495, but it received its modern name only in the 19th century, when the commandant of the fortress moved to the nearby
Troitskaya, Kutafya and Petrovskaya towers
How many towers the Kremlin has, almost all of them were rebuilt by Italian craftsmen in the 15th century. So Troitskaya was built by Aloisio da Carezano in 1495-1499. This is the tallest building in the Kremlin. Its height is 80 m with a spire and a star crowning it. The building got its name from the nearby Trinity Church.
It is interesting to know: at one time this building bore different names, for example, the Robe Deposition, Karetnaya or Znamenskaya, until in 1658 it received its current name. There was once a prison at its two-story base. Until 1935, its spire was crowned with a royal eagle, which was replaced with a ruby star for the next anniversary of the revolution.
The Spasskaya Tower was built on the site of the former main gates of the Kremlin. An icon of the Savior was installed above the passage, and the entrance itself was revered by the people as a saint; it was necessary to enter it on foot with an uncovered head. In our time, the famous chimes are installed on it.
The rest of the Kremlin towers
The First and Second Unnamed Towers were of exclusively strategic importance, for example, one of them had a powder magazine.
Indeed, it was equipped with a bell and an observation deck, where the archers were on duty. In the 18th century, a riot began in the city at the ringing of the bell, and when it was suppressed, the "culprit" was deprived of the language. So the silent bell hung until it was sent to the museum.
The Tsar's one can hardly be called a tower, since it is just a tent-roofed superstructure, where Ivan the Terrible liked to come to look at the city.
The Konstantin-Eleninskaya tower was also named after the church of the same name. It was built in 1490 and is famous for the fact that it was through it that Russian soldiers went to war, for example, Dmitry Donskoy with the army.
This is how many towers adorn the Moscow Kremlin today.