Vodovzvodnaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Water supply of the Kremlin at the end of the 17th century Why is one of the towers of the Kremlin called water

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?

Most of the towers are made in a single architectural style, given to them in the second half of the 17th century. The Nikolskaya Tower stands out from the general ensemble, which was rebuilt in the Gothic style at the beginning of the 19th century.

BEKLEMISHEVSKAYA (MOSKVORETSKAYA)

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.

KONSTANTINO-ELENINSKAYA (TIMOFEEVSKAYA)

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.

alarm

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 the 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

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)

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. 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 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.

SENATE

The SENATE 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 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

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 (DOG)

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.

AVERAGE ARSENAL (FACETED)

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.

TRINITY

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.

KUTAFIA

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.

KOMENDANTSKAYA (KOLYMAZHNAYA)

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.

ARMORY(STABLE)

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.

BOROVITSKAYA (PREDTECHENSKAYA)

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.

VODOVZVODNAYA (SVIBLOV)

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.

BLAGOVESCHENSKAYA

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.

TAINITSKAYA

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.

PETROVSKAYA (UGRESHSKAYA)

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.

The history of the Kremlin stars

In the 17th century, Christopher Galloway's lifting machine was installed in the tower to supply the royal palaces with water. Horses lifted water into a pressure tank, and from where it went through lead pipes to utility buildings and gardens on the roofs of palaces. This mechanism gave the Kremlin tower a new name - Vodovzvodnaya.

The sovereign's plumbing worked until the fire of 1737. The fire broke out from a candle forgotten at the icon in the house of Prince Miloslavsky, and quickly engulfed other buildings - hence the expression "Moscow burned down from a penny candle."

Over time, the Vodovzvodnaya Tower fell into disrepair, and when Napoleon left Moscow, it was blown up. The building was restored under the leadership of Osip Bove in 1817-1819.

And even before 1831, there was a port-washing raft on the Moscow River near the Vodovzvodnaya Tower, where they rinsed clothes. There was a port-washing hut on the shore, and in the Kremlin wall there were Port-washing gates. Then they were laid down, but their remains can still be seen from the inside of the Kremlin wall.

Answers to embarrassing questions about the Kremlin towers.

The Moscow Kremlin has 21 towers. They are all different, but usually we do not notice it. Each tower has a name, but we don't remember them. And somehow it turns out that 20 sisters remain in the shadow of the Spasskaya Tower. Let's fix this injustice!

I have collected answers to questions that probably worried you, but somehow it is not customary to ask them.

water tower(height - 57.7 meters to the star) built in 1488 by architect Anton Fryazin. There was the first plumbing. This mechanism cost the royal treasury several barrels of gold, but served faithfully until it burned down in 1737.

Annunciation Tower(height - 30.7 meters to the cross) was built, probably in 1487-1488. It is easy to distinguish it from other Kremlin towers: the weather vane at the top is decorated not with a flag, but with a willow branch. The tower itself changed its purpose several times: it was a prison, a bell tower, and even a church chapel. And in the 16th century, the icon of the Annunciation was found here.

Taynitskaya(height - 34.8 meters to the weather vane) - the oldest of the Kremlin towers. It was built according to the design of Anton Fryazin in 1485. And until 1917, the Kremlin signal cannon was shot here every day at noon - similar to the shot of the Peter and Paul Cannon in St. Petersburg. But in 1930-1933 the archer was dismantled.

First Nameless Tower(height - 34.15 meters) was built in the 1480s. In fact, she had a name. They could call it Powder, but they didn’t get used to this name, since the tower could fly into the air at any moment. And these expectations turned out to be correct.

Second Nameless Tower(height - 30.2 meters) was built in the 1480s. And in 1771, the tower was dismantled due to the planned construction of the grandiose Kremlin Palace. Ironically, this project remained only in the plans, and soon the tower was restored.

Architect petrovsky tower(height 27.15 meters) is unknown. And they used it ... for the household needs of the Kremlin gardeners.

Beklemishevskaya tower(height - 46.2 meters) was built in 1487-1488 according to the project of Marco Ruffo. She was supposed to be the first to take the hit of the attackers from the water. But no one could have imagined that the tower would be used as a prison with a dungeon and a torture chamber.

Konstantin-Eleninskaya tower(height - 36.8 meters) was built according to the project of Pietro Antonio Solari in 1490 on the site of the Timofeevsky Gates of the white-stone Kremlin of 1366-1368. Through them, Dmitry Donskoy left with a squad for the Battle of Kulikovo. But the gloomy period of the history of this place, when there was a torture chamber, is better known.

alarm tower(height - 38 meters) was built in the 1490s. In 1771, during the Plague Riot, the rebels called the people to the Kremlin by striking the alarm bell on this tower. As punishment, Catherine II ordered to pull out his tongue. The “mute” bell hung like this for more than 30 years. Now it is stored in the Armory. And the Nabatnaya Tower can also be called the “Moscow Pisa” - it deviates from the vertical by 1 meter.

Royal Tower- this is the same tower on the wall of the Kremlin! Its height is 14.5 meters without a weather vane. And it was built in 1680 on the site of a wooden tower, from where, according to legend, Ivan IV watched the events on Red Square.

The Spasskaya Tower is familiar to almost everyone, because it is her chimes that count down the new year.

The Spasskaya Tower (height - 71 meters with a star) was built in 1491 according to the project of Pietro Antonio Solari. This is reported by a commemorative inscription in Latin - the first memorial plaque in Moscow. And the icon of the Savior of Smolensky, very revered in Moscow, hung over the gates of the tower. All religious processions from the Kremlin went through the gates of the Spasskaya Tower, all the rulers of Russia, starting with Mikhail Fedorovich, passed through them before the coronation. Until 2010, the gate icon of the Savior of Smolensk was considered lost, but turned out to be hidden.

Senate tower(height - 34.3 meters) was built in the 1490s according to the project of Pietro Antonio Solari. It was intended to protect the Kremlin from Red Square. Perhaps that is why there is a deep well in it, the purpose of which was legendary.

Nikolskaya tower(height - 67.1 meters to the star) was built according to the project of Pietro Antonio Solari in 1491. And it got its usual Gothic look after the restoration by Osip Bove in 1816-1819.Above the gate of the tower is the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. In the battles of 1917, it was riddled with bullets.After that, a new image appeared in icon painting - Nikola the Wounded, depicting a shelled icon.

Corner Arsenal Tower(height - 60.2 meters) was built in 1492 according to the project of Pietro Antonio Solari to protect the crossing over the Neglinnaya River. Moreover, there was a special well in the tower, which, in case of a siege, could be used by the garrison of the fortress.

At Middle Arsenal Tower(height - 38.9 meters) as many as three names (it is also called Granena and Grotskaya). But history has not preserved the name of the architect of the tower.

bridgehead Kutafya Tower- the lowest and widest tower of the Kremlin. Moreover, the height of the tower has been reduced by 7 meters due to archaeological deposits and is only 13 of the former 20 meters. This is the only surviving archery tower.

Trinity Tower- the second most important tower, after Spasskaya. Firstly, it is the highest tower of the Kremlin (the height with a star is 80 meters). Secondly, the presidential orchestra is now based in it. And, thirdly, solemn processions used to go through the Trinity Tower, and now it serves as a gateway to the Kremlin for many tourists.

commandant's tower(height - 41.25 meters) was built in 1493-1495 according to the project of Aleviz Fryazin. They say that next to her you can see a pale, disheveled woman with a gun. This is the ghost of Fanny Kaplan, who made an attempt on Lenin's life. She was hastily shot by the commandant of the Kremlin Malkov. But there are many blank spots in this story.

weapon tower(height - 38.9 meters) was built in 1493-1495 according to the project of the architect Aleviz Fryazin. Nearby you can see stone fragments. According to legend, these are the same rubble bricks of the old masonry, from which the white stone walls of the Moscow Kremlin were built. It is not surprising that sometimes these stones become souvenirs for tourists.

Borovitskaya tower(height - 50.7 meters without a star) was built by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari in 1490. At the same time, the tower has a twin sister in Kazan - the legendary tower of the Tatar queen Syuyumbike. Previously, the Borovitskaya Tower was used for household needs - for travel to the Zhitny and Konyushenny yards. And now the President gets to the Kremlin through it. And if a flag of a foreign state flutters on a building near the Borovitsky Gate, it means that a foreign president is “visiting” in the Kremlin.

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.

Vodovzvodnaya tower(Sviblova) - one of the most beautiful and concise , located on the southwestern corner of the fortress wall between the Borovitskaya and Annunciation towers.

The tower was built in 1488 by an Italian architect Antonio Gilardi(in the Russian tradition - Anton Fryazin) and had an important defensive function, since it protected the mouth and ford of the Neglinnaya River. A well was equipped in the lower tier of the tower, and subsequently a civilian function was added to the defense function: a water-lifting machine was installed in it to supply water to the Kremlin.

The height of the tower is 61.25 meters (to the star - 57.7 meters). The main volume has the shape of a cylinder, the base of which is made of white stone; on its top there is a combat platform with machicules - loopholes of vertical shelling, on top of which a tent completion with dormer windows is built on top. The tower is elegantly decorated on all tiers: in the lower part it is lined with alternating belts of protruding and sinking brickwork, which end with a narrow white stone strip and an arched belt, on the battlefield there are decorative teeth typical for the Kremlin with slots for firing, the dormer windows on the tent are decorated with rather elaborate porticos with columns and gables. The tower is crowned with a red ruby ​​star with a span of 3 meters (the smallest of the Kremlin stars).

In general, the Vodovzvodnaya tower resembles the one located at the opposite end of the southern fortress wall, however, it differs in a more squat cylindrical volume and surpasses it in decorative design.

History of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower

Initially, the tower was called Sviblova - after the courtyard of the Sviblov boyars, which adjoined it from the Kremlin. The Vodovzvodnaya Tower received its modern name in 1633, when a water-lifting machine was installed in it. Christopher Galoway to supply water to the Kremlin.

The Galoveya water-lifting machine is actually the first pressurized water supply system in Moscow with lead pipes. Water was supplied to it from a well located in the lower tier of the tower: with the help of a special platoon machine, it was pumped into tanks on the upper tiers of the tower, from where it flowed by gravity through lead pipes to the sovereign's Sytny and Kormovaya courtyards and the Kremlin gardens. There is an assumption that the Russian tsars received lead poisoning due to the use of this water, since during the period of the water supply they lived less than usual. In 1737, the lead plumbing was destroyed in a city fire, and the water-lifting machine was not preserved.

Among other things, in the past, on the Moskva River, next to the tower, there was a washing raft where linen (trousers) was rinsed, and on the shore there was a washing hut in which the accessories necessary for washing were stored. So that the path to the hut and the raft did not cause inconvenience, small port-washing gates were made in the Kremlin wall near the Vodovzvodnaya Tower, through which the laundresses carried linen.

Initially, the tower did not have a hipped top: the tent over the main volume was built on only in the 1680s.

It is interesting that the Vodovzvodnaya Tower became almost the most long-suffering among the Kremlin towers: by the 19th century it had become very dilapidated due to high humidity, and in 1805-1806 it had to be completely dismantled and rebuilt. However, after that, the tower stood for only 6 years: in 1812, French troops retreating from Moscow blew it up; the restoration of the tower took place in 1817-1819 according to the project of the architect Osip Bove. At the same time, its appearance changed somewhat: instead of loopholes, semi-circular windows were equipped in the newly built tower, and dormer windows were decorated with porticos.

In the Soviet years, a ruby ​​star was installed at the top of the tower. It is curious that, unlike the Spasskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya and Nikolskaya towers, which are also crowned with stars, Vodovzvodnaya did not have a double-headed eagle ending before the installation of the star. And the star did not appear on it immediately: in 1935, when other towers were decorated with semi-precious stars, it was bypassed. However, in 1937, when the semi-precious stars that quickly deteriorated under the influence of precipitation were replaced with ruby ​​ones, one was also installed on Vodovzvodnaya.

Today, the Vodovzvodnaya Tower is one of the Kremlin's most beloved towers. And not only because of the magnificent decoration, but also because it is it that opens the most picturesque panorama of the fortress from the Moskva River: for example, when viewed from .

Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower The Moscow Kremlin is located on the Kremlin embankment from the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge. It can be reached on foot from the metro station. "Borovitskaya" Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line.