Walls and towers of the Kremlin. Moscow Kremlin: towers and cathedrals. History and architecture of the Kremlin Who built the Kremlin wall

The Moscow Kremlin is located in the very center of Moscow, on the high bank of the Moscow River. Its powerful walls and towers, golden-domed temples, ancient towers and palaces rise above the Moscow River and form a beautiful architectural ensemble.

“Above Moscow there is the Kremlin, and above the Kremlin there is only sky,” says the old proverb. The Kremlin is the most ancient part Moscow, currently the residence of the highest government bodies of Russia and one of the main historical and artistic complexes of the country.

In plan, the Kremlin is an irregular triangle. Its southern wall faces the Moscow River, to the north is Red Square, and to the north-west is the Alexander Garden. In the 14th century, cathedrals and monasteries were already built here; the Kremlin was the center of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the 15th and 16th centuries Three gigantic cathedrals were built. There's a lot to see here! In the Annunciation Cathedral there are beautiful icons and an iconostasis; the bell tower of Ivan the Great with two golden domes is visible from a distance of 30 km, it rises next to the Assumption Cathedral, not far from the cathedral stands the largest bell of the Kremlin - the Tsar Bell; The Armory houses a wide variety of treasures, including royal crowns. In addition, here is the Amusement Palace, the Senate, in the premises of which the President’s office is located.

The most famous building on Red Square - St. Basil's Cathedral, its fabulous multi-colored domes topped with golden crosses, and above main tower a gilded dome rises. Near the Kremlin wall there is the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin, and people still line up to walk past his embalmed body. The space of Red Square, colorful churches and palaces, and the Kremlin walls will be remembered for a long time.

Initially, the Kremlin served as a fortification for the village that arose on Borovitsky Hill, a cape at the confluence of the Neglinnaya River with the Moscow River. Here was the oldest Moscow church - the Cathedral of the Transfiguration, or the Savior on Bor, built in 1330 for the millennium of Constantinople - “New Rome”. The temple was destroyed in 1933. Moscow princes and princesses were buried in it until the cathedral received the status of a court temple.

In 1812, Napoleon blew up the Vodovzvodnaya, Petrovskaya and First Nameless towers, seriously damaging Arsenal Tower, the extensions to the bell tower of Ivan the Great also collapsed. It took 20 years to restore. In the 30s of the 20th century, the double-headed eagles that crowned the main towers of the Kremlin: Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya and Vodovzvodnaya, were replaced by ruby stars with a diameter of 3-4 m. In 1941-1942, 167 German aerial bombs fell on the Kremlin, but it almost unharmed. Since 1955, the Kremlin has been open to the public, becoming an open-air museum.

The entrance to the Kremlin is through the Kutafya Tower, which was built in 1516. The name is also associated with her short and initially nondescript appearance: “kutafya” in Dahl’s dictionary is a clumsy, ugly dressed woman.

Behind the bridge is the mighty Trinity Tower. Having passed through it, we find ourselves on a bridgehead open to all the winds, surrounded by the spacious buildings of the Arsenal, the Senate and the Palace of Congresses.

Previously, there was a very complex structure here medieval city with cramped uneven streets, each block of which contained multiple temples and chambers, courtyards and passages. The only fragment of that incredible city is located in the passage on the right hand of the gate - this is the Amusing Palace of the mid-17th century, restored by restorers only at the beginning of this century. On its roof stands a golden-domed house church; once it was surrounded by open gardens and hanging apple orchards laid out on high stone terraces - the entire female half of the Sovereign's courtyard, which occupied the site of the current Palace of Congresses, was arranged in approximately the same strange way.

The Patriarchal Palace, which also has its own house church and probably also had a roof garden. Through its arch you can get to Cathedral Square. From here the square reveals itself in an ancient, bright and unexpected way: straight ahead - the bell tower of Ivan the Great, on the right - the Assumption Cathedral, one of the great Russian shrines, main temple Rus' from the 14th century until 1918, the tomb of ancient metropolitans and patriarchs. The current building was built in the 1470s by the Italian master Aristotle. The temple is small in size (in architecture textbooks there is a popular picture where the silhouette of the cathedral fits into the gigantic outlines of the Roman St. Peter, like a little doll), but at the same time incredibly strong and large-scale - both inside and outside: the Italians knew a lot about such illusions.

Also built by the Italians on the other side of the square, the Archangel Cathedral of 1505 produces a completely different impression - close to the Assumption Cathedral in size, on the outside it is much more playful and complex, but on the inside it is cramped and mysterious. Most of its floor is occupied by the tombstones of princes and kings who reigned from the 13th to the 18th centuries. All the tombstones are of the same type, only the carved canopy over the grave of Tsarevich Dimitri - one of the most tragic losses in Russian history - stands out.

On Cathedral Square, the nine-domed palace Annunciation Cathedral, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe with a small exhibition of ancient Russian wooden sculpture, and exhibition halls in the Assumption Belfry and the Patriarchal Palace are also open to the public. The archaeological exhibition in the basement of the Annunciation Cathedral and the lower tier of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower receive visitors for certain sessions.

The Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund are located in another part of the Kremlin, at the Borovitsky Gate, and to view them you must buy separate tickets in advance. Unfortunately, the Kremlin Palace is closed to public access, although theoretically excursions are held there, but with a very separate appointment and for a separate fee. The working population can be content with only an external view of the Faceted Chamber - the throne room of sovereigns from the end of the 15th century, as well as a fragment of the royal residential choir visible to the right, crowned with multi-domed house churches and the ponderous bulk of the Great Palace, built in the middle of the 19th century.

The Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell are also located on the territory. Many people, when mentioning the square, recall the saying “shout to the entire Ivanovskaya”, believing that it was here that the Tsar’s decrees were announced. However, there is another way to decipher this saying. The Ivan the Great Bell Tower was the main Russian bell tower; it had forty bells, each with its own name. All bells were rung only on very special occasions. So the expression “to the fullest extent of Ivanovskaya” means that some task must be accomplished with all strength and completeness.

The famous monuments of foundry art - the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon - are so huge that they have never been used for their intended purpose. But touching them with your hand is a good omen.

The ceremony of the horse and foot parade of the Presidential Regiment takes place on Saturdays at 12.00 on the Kremlin’s Cathedral Square and on the last Saturday of every month at 14.00 on Red Square.

And the most important thing: do not miss the first shrine of modern times, the mystical oak “Cosmos”, planted by Yuri Gagarin the day after the flight. Muscovites have long believed in its magical properties, remember: if someone goes around a tree three times, saying “Gagarin, Gagarin, fly with greetings, come back with an answer,” his children will certainly be born great cosmonauts.

By the way, the Moscow Kremlin, the main one of all Kremlins, is the only one written with capital letters. This is the largest active fortress in Europe. Its semi-regime status is explained by the fact that the entire complex is also a monument included in the World Heritage List. cultural heritage UNESCO, and official residence President of the Russian Federation.

Upon entering the Kremlin territory, visitors' personal belongings are searched. All unauthorized items will have to be handed over to the storage room located in the lower tier of the Kutafya Tower. Photography and videography, including amateur photography, is prohibited in cathedral museums. The Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund.

History of construction

Since the time of Dmitry Donskoy, Moscow has been decorated with a white stone Kremlin (built 1368). Over the past century, its walls had become so worn out that foreigners, due to the abundance of gaping bald spots filled with logs, sometimes mistook them for wood. And this Kremlin was built in those years when they had not yet heard of Italian masters in Rus'. Having the master Aristotle Fioravanti at court, Ivan III could well have thought about how to remake the fortress so that no one would not only be able to take it, but would not even dare to approach it. However, the name of Aristotle Fioravanti never appeared anywhere among the builders of the Moscow Kremlin. However, many historians are inclined to consider Aristotle as the true creator of the master plan, who outlined the general line of the Kremlin walls, outlined the positions of the towers, laid out secret dungeons and labyrinths, and his compatriots worked on individual sections. Work on the Moscow Kremlin was carried out in a way that no fortress had ever been built in Rus'. In an area with a radius of 100 fathoms, not a single building was left around. Even churches that had stood there for several centuries were demolished. The area beyond the Moscow River opposite the future Kremlin walls was also cleared of buildings. A similar approach to construction was required by the fortification rules of those times, which came from Europe.

In contact with

Kremlin wall - Brick wall, surrounding the Moscow Kremlin.

Total length walls - 2235 m, height from 5 to 19 m, thickness - from 3.5 to 6.5 m. In plan, the walls form an irregular triangle.

On the outside the walls are smooth, on the inside they are decorated with arched niches - a traditional technique designed to lighten and strengthen the structure of the structure.

Construction

Under Ivan III and his successor Vasily III, the construction of the Kremlin walls was led by the architects Anton Fryazin, Marco Fryazin, Pietro Antonio Solari and Aleviz Fryazin the Old.

The brick walls were placed along the line of the white stone ones, with a slight retreat outward. Starting from the Spasskaya Tower, the territory of the Kremlin was increased by east direction.

Lilya Dal (Biryukova), CC BY-SA 3.0

Approximately 20 years after construction Kremlin wall The Kitai-Gorod wall was attached to it, hugging the entire Kitai-Gorod.

Bricks

For the construction of walls and towers, large (30x14x17 cm or 31x15x9 cm) bricks weighing up to 8 kg each were used.

The front walls were made of brick and filled with white stone. The highest walls were erected along Red Square, where there was no natural water barrier.

Passages and hiding places

Initially, there was a through passage inside the wall through all the towers, covered with cylindrical vaults.

Benoist et Aubrun, Public Domain

Most of the passage was eventually covered with construction debris; the area between the Konstantino-Eleninskaya and Nabatnaya towers was preserved.

There were also hiding places and passages under the walls, in some cases extending far beyond the line of fortifications.

Wall in the 18th–20th centuries.

In 1702–36 To build the arsenal building, part of the wall was dismantled and later restored.

In 1771–73 for the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the design of V. I. Bazhenov, part of the south wall between and the Annunciation Tower, which was later restored. The bombing of the Kremlin by the French (1812) caused heavy damage to the walls, especially the walls along Neglinnaya. Repairs and restoration of the fortifications were carried out from 1817 to 1822.

In 1866–70 The walls and towers of the Kremlin were restored by architects N.A. Shokhin, P.A. Gerasimov, F.F. Richter, who sought to give the buildings their original appearance. However, many authentic details were then lost and replaced by inaccurate copies.

Heidas, CC BY-SA 3.0

A survey and partial restoration of the walls was carried out in 1931–36. The next restoration of the Kremlin walls and towers took place in 1946–53. During its course, the walls were cleaned and repaired, loopholes and parapets were restored. The restoration commission included prominent scientists and restorers: I. E. Grabar, V. N. Lazarev, M. V. Alpatov, P. D. Korin, D. P. Sukhov and others.

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Moscow Kremlin

Towers of the Kremlin wall

There are 20 located along the walls. 3 towers standing in the corners of the triangle have a circular cross-section, the rest are square.

The tallest tower is Troitskaya, it has a height of 79.3 m. Most of the towers are from the second half XVII V. designed in the same architectural style.

Necropolis

The north-eastern section of the wall facing northern part Red Square, serves as a columbarium for urns with the ashes of figures of the communist movement and the Soviet state. Many of them are also buried in the ground along this section of the wall.

In the post-Soviet period, the question of the need to move the necropolis to another location was repeatedly raised for political, religious and other reasons.

The Kremlin wall between the Annunciation and Tainitskaya towers has a vertical ledge and a reduced pitch of two teeth, as if during construction from different sides there was a mistake in joining. This “error” divides the wall between the towers in an approximate ratio of 1 to 2, counting from Blagoveshchenskaya.

The oldest center of Moscow - the Moscow Kremlin- was founded as a fortification of a small settlement located on Borovitsky Hill, when its history began.

The first mentions of Moscow were found in chronicles for 1147. They also report that the wooden walls of the Kremlin were erected by order of Yuri Dolgoruky. Initially, the size of the fortress was small, the length of the wall reached 1200 meters.

Versions of origin There are several words for “Kremlin”.

According to one of them, this name comes from the name of the central part of ancient cities, called “Krom”. Another version suggests that this word could also come from “kremlin”, a very durable tree used to build fortress walls. There is even an assumption that the roots of this word are Greek, i.e. “kremnos” - steep mountain, steepness over a ravine or shore. Judging by where the fortress was built, this version has every right to exist.

But all this does not change the essence, which is that the Moscow Kremlin is the largest surviving fortress in Europe.

And at first it was a small fortification on an area of about nine hectares, where residents of the villages located outside the walls of the fortress could take refuge in the event of the threat of an enemy attack. Over time, the settlements grew, and the fortress grew along with them.

New Kremlin walls were erected during the reign of Ivan Kalita. They were made of stone inside, and outside were made of wood and coated with clay.

It is noteworthy that even during the difficult years of the yoke in Rus', the Moscow princes rebuilt existing fortresses and built new ones. Thus, under Dmitry Donskoy, the Kremlin, damaged in a fire in 1365, was rebuilt. White stone was used to build the walls, which became about two kilometers long, and the Kremlin towers. Since then, Moscow began to be called white-stone in chronicles.

At the very beginning of the 18th century, Peter I ordered government institutions to be moved outside the Kremlin. All dilapidated buildings are demolished, and the Arsenal building is built. It was built from 1702 to 1736. From 1776 to 1788, the Senate building with a spectacular round hall covered with a dome was built in the Kremlin.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the idea of building the Grand Kremlin Palace appeared. There were many projects, but it was built according to the drawings of the architect K.A. Tones. Years of construction - 1839-1849.

Significant damage was caused to the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin in 1812.

Napoleon, during his retreat from Moscow, ordered the Kremlin to be blown up. Mines were laid under buildings, walls and towers. Some explosions were prevented, thanks to Russian patriots, but, nevertheless, significant destruction still occurred. After the French emperor was expelled from the country, they began to restore the destroyed palaces, towers and walls, then completed the construction of the Armory Chamber and the Grand Kremlin Palace. In those days, the Moscow Kremlin was accessible to visitors. Visitors entered the territory through the open Spassky Gate, having first bowed to the icon of the Savior.

The Kremlin in Moscow after the 1917 revolution

In 1917, there were cadets on the territory of the Kremlin. As a result of the shelling carried out by the revolutionary troops, the Moscow Kremlin was partially destroyed: the walls, the Small Nikolaevsky Palace, almost all the cathedrals, Beklemishevskaya, Nikolskaya and Spasskaya towers were damaged.

In 1918, V.I. moved to the Kremlin. Lenin and the entire government of Soviet Russia, as the capital is moved to Moscow. Because of this, the bells in the Kremlin fall silent, churches are closed, and Muscovites are deprived of free access to the territory.

The dissatisfaction of believers with the closure of cathedrals was quickly stopped by Yakov Sverdlov, who was not slow to declare the primacy of the interests of the revolution over all prejudices. In 1922, more than thirty kilograms of gold, about five hundred kilograms of silver, the shrine of Patriarch Hermogenes and more than a thousand different precious stones were seized from the religious buildings of the Moscow Kremlin.

The Kremlin architectural ensemble suffered more during Soviet rule than in the entire previous history of its existence.

Of the 54 structures marked on the Kremlin plan at the very beginning of the last century, less than half remain. Monuments to Alexander II and Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich were demolished. Congresses of the Soviets began to be held in the large Kremlin Palace, a public dining room was set up in the Faceted Chamber, and a kitchen was installed in the Golden Chamber. The Catherine Church of the Ascension Monastery was adapted into a sports hall, and the Kremlin hospital was located in the Chudov Monastery. In the thirties, the Small Nicholas Palace and all the monasteries and buildings were demolished. Almost everything turned into ruins East End Moscow Kremlin. The Soviet government destroyed 17 churches.

Many years passed before the Moscow Kremlin began to be restored.

To celebrate the eight hundredth anniversary of Moscow, a thorough restoration of the towers and walls was carried out. Palekh artists discovered a mural from 1508 in the Annunciation Cathedral. A large amount of restoration work was carried out in the Archangel Cathedral (wall paintings were restored). A major restoration has also been carried out in the Assumption Cathedral.

The ban on living in the Kremlin has been in place since 1955, and the ancient architectural ensemble becomes a museum, partially open to the public.

In modern, diverse Moscow, the Kremlin remains historical place, which millions of tourists strive to visit, in the hope of touching, feeling and understanding the history of the white-stone capital.

The Moscow Kremlin to this day is the main socio-political, artistic, historical, religious and spiritual center of Russia. In addition, the Moscow Kremlin is the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.

In 1990, UNESCO included the Moscow Kremlin, whose history continues, on the list of world cultural heritage.

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

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

Kremlin construction techniques and fortress plan

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

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

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

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

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

Spasskaya Tower and Kremlin chimes

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

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

Famous Kremlin towers and the history of their names

Let's take a closer look at the history of some of the towers. As already mentioned, the most important for defense and for the composition in general are the corner towers. The Vodovzvodnaya Tower was built by Anton Fryazin in 1488. In the 17th century the tower was equipped with a water-lifting machine, which is why it got its name. Its other name - Sviblova Tower - comes from the boyar family of the Sviblovs, who had a courtyard on the territory of the Kremlin. In 1812 it was blown up by the French, after which it was restored by O.I. Beauvais. Thanks to him, its appearance is emphatically classic: rustication (horizontal lines) in the lower part, columns, decorative design of dormer windows. Decoration comes first, not functionality; the hand of the architect of the early 19th century is felt.

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

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

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

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

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

His Majesty - Moscow Kremlin. Part 13. Walls and towers

The Kremlin Wall is a brick wall surrounding the Moscow Kremlin. It was erected on the site of the white stone wall of Dmitry Donskoy in 1485-1516 by Italian (“Fryazhsky”) architects. The total length of the walls is 2235 m, height from 5 to 19 m, thickness - from 3.5 to 6.5 m. In plan, the walls form an irregular triangle.

The top of the wall, according to the Lombard tradition, is decorated with battlements in the shape of a swallowtail; the total number of battlements along the top of the wall is 1045. Most of the battlements have slit-like loopholes. The walls have wide embrasures covered with arches. On the outside the walls are smooth, on the inside they are decorated with arched niches - a traditional technique designed to lighten and strengthen the structure of the structure.

The existing walls and towers were built in 1485-1516. The total length of the walls is 2235 m, height from 5 to 19 m, thickness - from 3.5 to 6.5 m.

In plan, the walls form an irregular triangle. The top of the wall is decorated with battlements in the shape of a swallowtail; the total number of battlements along the top of the wall is 1045. Most of the battlements have slit-like loopholes. The walls have wide embrasures covered with arches. On the outside the walls are smooth, on the inside they are decorated with arched niches - a traditional technique designed to lighten and strengthen the structure of the structure.

Kivshenko Alexey d. (1851-96). Ivan the Great

Under Ivan III and his successor Vasily III, the construction of the Kremlin walls was led by the architects Anton Fryazin, Marco Fryazin, Pietro Antonio Solari and Aleviz Fryazin the Old.

Moscow Kremlin at the beginning of the 17th century.

The brick walls were placed along the line of the white stone ones, with a slight retreat outward. Starting from the Spasskaya Tower, the Kremlin territory was expanded eastward. About 20 years after the construction of the Kremlin wall, the Kitay-Gorod wall was added to it, hugging the entire Kitay-Gorod.

For the construction of walls and towers, large (30x14x17 cm or 31x15x9 cm) bricks weighing up to 8 kg each were used. The front walls were made of brick and filled with white stone. The highest walls were erected along Red Square, where there was no natural water barrier

Fedor Alekseev. View of the Kremlin at the Spassky Gate. Around 1800
Initially, there was a through passage inside the wall through all the towers, covered with cylindrical vaults. Most of the passage was eventually covered with construction debris; the area between the Konstantino-Eleninskaya and Nabatnaya towers was preserved. There were also hiding places and passages under the walls, in some cases extending far beyond the line of fortifications

View of Zamoskvorechye from behind the wall in 1848

At the beginning of the 18th century, the Neglinnaya River was diverted further from the western wall, along which it originally flowed.

At the same time, the originally existing plank roofs of the walls burned down. In 1702-1736, for the construction of the arsenal building, part of the wall was dismantled and later restored.

Modern chimes were made by brothers Nikolai and Ivan Budenop in 1851-1852 and installed on 8-10 tiers of the Spasskaya Tower. From that time on, the chimes played the “March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment” at 12 and 6 o’clock, and at 3 and 9 o’clock the hymn “How Glorious is Our Lord in Zion” by Dmitry Bortnyansky, which sounded over Red Square until 1917. Initially, they wanted to play the Russian anthem “God Save the Tsar” on the playing shaft of the chimes, but Nicholas I did not allow this, stating that “the chimes can play any songs except the anthem.”

In 1771-1773, for the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the design of V.I. Bazhenov, part of the southern wall between the Beklemishevskaya and Annunciation towers was also dismantled, which was later restored. The bombing of the Kremlin by the French (1812) caused heavy damage to the walls, the walls along Neglinnaya were especially damaged. Repairs and restoration of the fortifications were carried out from 1817 to 1822.

A survey and partial restoration of the walls was carried out in 1931-1936. The next restoration of the walls and towers of the Kremlin took place in 1946-1953. During its course, the walls were cleaned and repaired, loopholes and parapets were restored. The restoration commission included prominent scientists and restorers: I. E. Grabar, V. N. Lazarev, M. V. Alpatov, P. D. Korin, D. P. Sukhov and others

"Inconsistency" of the Kremlin wall. 2012

“Inconsistency” of the Kremlin wall between the Blagoveshchenskaya (far) and Tainitskaya (near) towers. 2012

The Kremlin wall between the Annunciation and Tainitskaya towers has a vertical ledge and a reduced pitch of two teeth, as if during construction from different sides there was a mistake in joining. This “error” divides the wall between the towers in an approximate ratio of 1 to 2, counting from Blagoveshchenskaya.

The northeastern section of the wall, facing the northern part of Red Square, serves as a columbarium for urns with the ashes of figures of the communist movement and the Soviet state. Many of them are also buried in the ground along this section of the wall. In the post-Soviet period, the question of the need to move the necropolis to another location was repeatedly raised for political, religious and other reasons.

The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers. Three towers (Beklemishevskaya, Vodovzvodnaya and Corner Arsenalnaya), standing in the corners of the triangle, have a circular cross-section, the rest are square.
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 in early XIX century was rebuilt in Gothic style

The list is compiled starting from the south-eastern corner of the Kremlin wall, counterclockwise.
3 towers standing in the corners of the triangle have a circular cross-section, the rest are square. The tallest tower is Trinity, it has a height of 79.3 m.
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The walls had access to the Spasskaya, Nabatnaya, Konstantino-Eleninskaya, Troitskaya, Borovitskaya, Blagoveshchenskaya and Petrovskaya towers. Initially, there was a through passage inside the wall through all the towers, covered with cylindrical vaults. Most of the passage was eventually covered with construction debris; the area between the Konstantino-Eleninskaya and Nabatnaya towers was preserved. There were also hiding places and passages under the walls, in some cases extending far beyond the line of fortifications.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Neglinnaya was moved further away from the walls. To install new cannons, loopholes were cut out on the towers. At the same time, the original plank roofs of the walls burned down.

In 1702-1736, part of the wall was dismantled for the construction of the Arsenal and later restored. In 1771-1773, for the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the design of V.I. Bazhenov, part of the southern wall between the Beklemishevskaya and Annunciation towers was also dismantled, which was later restored.

The hem of the Moscow Kremlin in the 17th century Painting by Sergei Glushkov

In 1802-1805, a major overhaul of the towers was carried out, during which almost all of the outlet arches were dismantled. The War of 1812 caused heavy damage to the walls, especially the Nikolskaya Tower, towers and walls along Neglinnaya. Repair and restoration of the fortifications were carried out from 1817 to 1822. During the renovation work, pseudo-Gothic decorative details were added to the external appearance of the Borovitskaya and Vodovzvodnaya towers

In 1866-1870, the walls and towers of the Kremlin were restored by architects N.A. Shokhin, P.A. Gerasimov, F.F. Richter, who sought to give the buildings their original appearance. During the restoration process, pseudo-Gothic decorative details disappeared from the Borovitskaya Tower, but many elements of the original details of the walls and towers of the Kremlin were lost and replaced with inaccurate copies. Damage to the towers and walls was caused during alterations in the second half of the 19th century during the adaptation of their premises for economic needs

The Nikolskaya and Beklemishevskaya towers, damaged during the revolution, were repaired in 1918. A survey and partial restoration of the walls was carried out in 1931-1936. In 1935-1937, ruby five-pointed stars were installed on five towers.

This is approximately how Napoleon found the Kremlin

The next restoration of the walls and towers of the Kremlin was carried out in 1946-1953, during which the walls were cleaned and repaired, loopholes and parapets were restored, details on a number of towers were revealed, the tops of the Spasskaya, Trinity and Nikolskaya towers were upholstered in sheet copper. The restoration commission included prominent scientists and restorers: I. E. Grabar, V. N. Lazarev, M. V. Alpatov, P. D. Korin, D. P. Sukhov and others.

Beklimishevskaya

It is also known as Moskvoretskaya - a tower of the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. Located in the southeastern corner of the Kremlin triangle, near the Moskva River and Moskvoretsky Bridge. The name comes from the courtyard of boyar I.N. Beklemishev, which was located inside the Kremlin near the tower. After the execution of Beklemishev by Vasily III, the courtyard along with the tower was used as a prison for disgraced boyars. Located near the junction of the Moscow River with a moat, the tower performed an important defensive function, covering, among other things, the ford and crossing of the Moscow River.

The tall round tower was built in 1487-1488 according to the design of the Italian architect Marco Ruffo. The main cylinder is located on a white stone base with a semicircular roller at the joint.

The tower has four tiers with the possibility of all-round firing: three tiers of round vaulted rooms and the upper tier, where the machicolations and combat platform are located. A well and a secret hiding place were installed in the tower to prevent undermining. In 1680, an octagon with a narrow tent and two rows of dormer was built over the main cylinder. The tower tent has no internal coverings.

Under Peter I in 1707, the tower was converted for defense against the Swedes. In particular, the loopholes of the tower were cut to accommodate more powerful guns (restored to their original form during restoration in 1949).

View of the Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) tower 1890-1900

The Beklemishevskaya Tower is one of the few Kremlin towers that have practically not been rebuilt. After Napoleon's invasion, the Beklemishevskaya tower was repaired. Also, during the storming of the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks in 1917, the upper tent was hit by a shell (in 1920 it was restored by the architect I.V. Rylsky).
Eastern Wall The Eastern Wall of the Kremlin runs along Red Square

Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower

Previously, Timofeevskaya was a tower of the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. Located on the eastern side of the Kremlin, above the Beklemishevskaya Tower.

The tower was built in 1490 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari (Petr Fryazin) on the site of the Timofeevsky Gate of the white stone Kremlin of Dmitry Donskoy. The tower received its modern name after the Church of Constantine and Helen was built nearby in the Kremlin in the 17th century (the church was dismantled in 1928).

Moscow dungeon. The end of the 16th century (Konstantin-Eleninsky gate of the Moscow dungeon at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries)

The tower was intended to protect the entrances to the pier on the Moskva River and the nearby streets of Veliky Posad, going towards Zaryadye: Vsekhsvyatskaya (now Varvarka) and Velikaya (later became Mokrinsky Lane, and has now completely disappeared). Initially, the Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower was a passageway, with a drawbridge across the moat and a diversion arrow (an additional tower connected to the main bridge). After 1508, the second diversion arrow was completed.

In the 1680s, an arched quadrangle with a slender hipped roof was built over the main square quadrangle. After Velikaya Street lost its significance at the end of the 17th century, the gates were closed, and the outlet archway and the lower tier of the tower were turned into a prison. In 1707, the loopholes of the Konstantino-Eleninskaya tower were cut out for more powerful cannons. In the 18th century, the diversion arrows and the bridge were demolished.

Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower 1882-1996 photographer Barshchevsky I.F.

The arch of the blocked gate, partially covered by later layers, is still clearly visible on the façade of the tower from the side of Vasilyevsky Descent, as well as the recess for the gate icon and traces of vertical slots for the levers of the drawbridge.

On the upper platform of the main quadrangle there are machicolations; inside it is divided into two tiers, covered with brick vaults. The first tier was previously used for travel, and the second was used for office premises. The ascent to the upper platform of the tower is via a narrow staircase located deep in the wall.

Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower from the Kremlin wall

The tower was restored in the 1950s and 1970s.
Through the Timofeevsky Gate, located in ancient times on the site of the Konstantin-Eleninskaya Tower, Dmitry Donskoy

Alarm tower

The Alarm Tower is a tower on the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. Located on the slope of the Kremlin hill opposite St. Basil's Cathedral. The name comes from the Spassky alarm bell hanging on it, which served as a fire alarm.

This tower, which has preserved its ancient forms, was built in 1495. The main quadrangle ends with machicolations with a parapet. Its interior consists of two tiers: the lower one with a flat ceiling and numerous rooms, with stairs and openings providing access to the walls, and the upper one with a closed vault.

Alarm tower of the Moscow Kremlin. 1882-1896

In 1680, an upper arched quadrangle and a tent with an observation tower were added to the tower. The quadrangle is open into the cavity of the tent. The details and decoration of the upper quadrangle and tent (brick semi-columns of the quadrangle and observation tower with white stone capitals and belts) are reminiscent of the completion of the Arsenal Tower.
In total, there were three alarm bells in the Kremlin: Spassky (on the Alarm Tower), Troitsky and Tainitsky.

By decree of Alexei Mikhailovich in 1668, alarm signals were regulated:
. in the event of a fire in the Kremlin, “ring all three alarm bells in both directions, quickly”
. in the event of a fire in Kitai-Gorod, “to ring the Spassky alarm bell in one direction, soon”
. in the event of a fire in the White City - “sound the Spassky alarm at both ends and sound the alarm, which is quieter at both ends on the Trinity Bridge”
. In the event of a fire in Zemlyanoy Gorod, it is a “quiet custom” to sound the alarm on the Tainitskaya Tower
In 1771, during the Plague Riot, the rebels sounded the Spassky alarm and thus gathered Muscovites to the Kremlin. At the end of the riot, Catherine II ordered the removal of the tongue from the bell. For over 30 years the bell hung on the tower without a tongue. In 1803, the bell was moved to the Arsenal, and in 1821 - to the Armory, where it still hangs in the lobby.
The inscriptions on the bell say: “On the 6th day of July 1714, this alarm bell poured out from the old alarm bell which broke the Kremlin of the city to the Spassky Gate. It weighs 150 poods”, “The master Ivan Motorin ran this bell”.
In the 1970s, the Alarm Tower began to tilt due to the loss of soil density and a cracked foundation. After bracing the base of the tower with metal hoops and strengthening the soil, the tilt was stopped. However, the tower still deviates from the vertical by one meter.
Tsar's Tower

The Tsar's Tower is the youngest and smallest tower of the Moscow Kremlin, built in 1680.
Strictly speaking, this is not a tower, but a stone tower, a tent placed on the wall. Once upon a time there was a small wooden tower from which, according to legend, Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) loved to watch the events taking place on Red Square - hence the name of the tower.
White stone belts on the pillars, high pyramids in the corners with gilded flags, a tent ending with a gilded elegant weather vane - all this gives the tower the appearance of a fairy-tale mansion

A small turret was placed directly on the wall in the 80s of the 17th century (that is, almost two centuries later than the other towers) between the Spasskaya and Nabatnaya towers of the Kremlin. Its octagonal tent on jug-shaped pillars resembles the porch lockers of stone residential mansions that were common at that time.

The name of the tower is associated with a legend according to which it served as a kind of canopy over the royal throne, from where the sovereign of all Rus' could observe the events taking place on Red Square from the walls of the Kremlin (hence the name of the tower).

Senate Tower

The Senate Tower is one of the towers of the Moscow Kremlin wall. Located on the eastern side of the Kremlin between the Spasskaya and Nikolskaya towers.

Built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The tower received its name after the construction of the Senate Palace on the Kremlin territory was completed in 1787. Until that time it had no special name. In 1680, a stone tent was built over the tower, ending with a golden weather vane. Inside the tower has three tiers of vaulted rooms. Tower height 34 meters

In 1918, a plaque “To those who fell for peace and brotherhood of peoples”, made by sculptor S. T. Konenkov, was installed on the tower. In the 1920s, the board was removed and moved to the Russian Museum. In 1924, the Lenin Mausoleum was built in front of the tower on Red Square. In 1948, a passage was made from the tower to the Mausoleum so that members of the CPSU Central Committee could enter the stands directly from the Kremlin, bypassing Red Square.
NIKOLSKAYA TOWER

Gate icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisk

Built in 1491 according to the design of the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. It is most likely that the tower received its name from the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which was located on the eastern facade. A number of researchers believe that the tower was named after the monastery of St. Nicholas the Old, located nearby on ancient Nikolskaya Street.

Nikolsky Gate of the Kremlin and Alevizov Row. Alekseev, students. 1800s.

In 1612, it was through the gates of the Nikolskaya and Spasskaya towers that the people's militia, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, solemnly entered the Kremlin on November 1 (an agreement on the surrender of the Polish garrison was signed on October 27). In ancient times, a clock was placed on the tower, the last mention of which dates back to 1614.

In the fire of 1737, the Nikolskaya Tower burned down and after restoration under the leadership of I. F. Michurin acquired a baroque decor, like the original design of the Arsenal. By 1780 the tower was built on. I. Blank round top with a low tent.

In 1805-1806, the tower was completely rebuilt by the architect A. I. Ruska, together with A. N. Bakarev: the previous superstructure over the quadrangle was replaced by a Gothic octagonal top with a high white-stone tent and openwork decorations. The Gothic appearance is the main difference between the Nikolskaya Tower and other Kremlin towers.

In 1812, the Nikolskaya Tower was damaged in the explosion of the Arsenal by the French leaving Moscow: the tent collapsed, part of the passage gate was damaged, but part of the quadrangle with the gate icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisky was not touched

Nikolskaya Tower, 1883

News of the miracle soon reached the emperor. Arriving in Moscow, Alexander I personally became convinced of the safety of the icon and ordered, first of all, to restore the tower, and hang a marble plaque under the icon, the words for which he himself wrote: “In 1812, during the enemy invasion, this stronghold was almost all destroyed by the enemy’s explosion; but by the miraculous power of God St. The image of the great saint of God, St. Nicholas, here inscribed on the stone itself, and not only the image itself, but also the glass itself that covered it, the lantern with the candle remained unharmed. Who is God as great as our God! You are God, work miracles: God is marvelous in His saints.”

The tower was restored in 1816-1819 according to the design of the architect Osip Ivanovich Bove. During the restoration, some changes were made to both the design and architecture of the tower.
At the suggestion of the architect F.K. Sokolov, the white-stone tent was replaced with an iron one on a frame, and four white-stone phial towers were installed at the corners of the quadrangle to complement the Gothic appearance. The architect V. A. Bakarev participated in the restoration of the tower. The tower was painted white.

Near the St. Nicholas Gate there were single-domed chapels. On the left was the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, on the right was the chapel of Alexander Nevsky. Initially wooden, then stone chapels were rebuilt several times, most recently in 1883. The chapels belonged to the Kazan Cathedral.

Destruction of the Kremlin in 1812. Nikolskaya Tower, Arsenal ruins, Arsenal Tower

The duties of the rectors of the chapels included caring for the unquenchable lamp at the gate icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisk. Above the entrances to the chapels there was an image of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Both chapels were demolished in 1925.

Watercolor.I.A.Weiss. 1852

At the end of October 1917, the tower and gates were heavily damaged as a result of artillery shelling; they were restored in 1918 by the architect N.V. Markovnikov. During the restoration in 1918, it was repainted from white to the common brick color of the Kremlin wall.

The marble plaque with the words of Alexander I was dismantled. On October 26, 1935, a semi-precious star was installed above the tent of the Nikolskaya Tower instead of a double-headed eagle. In 1937, the gem star was replaced with the modern ruby star. The star of the Nikolskaya Tower has the most a large number of There are 12 faces per beam.

Nikolsky Gate, November 1917

During the restoration of the tower in 1919, the gate image was renovated to the oldest design and the traces of bullets and shrapnel were repaired. In 1920-1922, on the initiative of the Restoration Department, the later paintings of angels on the sides of the central image were eliminated; the fresco of Nikolai Mozhaisky, as stated in 1925 in one of the documents, “is only partially preserved”

Until 2010, the gate icon was considered lost
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On May 11, 2010, the chairman of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation, Vladimir Yakunin, reported the discovery of ancient icons on the Spasskaya and Nikolskaya towers of the Kremlin, hidden by plaster in their icon cases during Soviet times

On July 5, 2010, restoration work began on the Nikolskaya Tower. In the future, to protect the gate icon from rain, snow and other negative influences, it is planned to install glazing with a natural ventilation system or icon cases.
On October 28, 2010, restoration work was finally completed.

Corner Arsenal Tower

Corner Arsenal Tower (Sobakina) is the most powerful tower of the Moscow Kremlin. It completed the defense line from Red Square and controlled the crossing of the Neglinnaya River to Torg

Built in 1492 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari (circa 1450-1493). From the moment of its construction, for a long time the tower was called Sobakina after the neighboring courtyard of the Sobakin boyars; modern name received after the construction of the Arsenal building in the 18th century. Initially, the Dog Tower was the most high tower Kremlin

In the past, it performed not only defense functions. There was a well dug in the tower, which the fortress garrison could use in the event of a siege. From the Corner Arsenal Tower there was a secret passage to the Neglinnaya River, and its sixteen-sided volume had seven rows of loopholes; the passage and loopholes were probably laid in the 1670s-1680s during the construction of a base widening downward, attached in a semicircle to the original wall

In 1672-1686, an octagonal tent was erected above the tower on a stepped base, which ended in an openwork octagon with a tent and a weather vane. In 1707, Peter I, in the course of preparing Moscow for defense against the Swedes, gave the order to clear away the remaining five tiers of tower loopholes to install artillery.

In 1812, during the explosion of the Arsenal by French troops, cracks formed in the walls of the tower and the watchtower collapsed.

Soon the tower was restored to its previous forms by the architect O. I. Bove. In 1894, the tower was repaired, the interiors were remodeled and it was adapted to house the Moscow provincial archive. In the 1948-1950s, during the restoration of the tower, the embrasures located in six levels were restored to their original forms

Middle Arsenal Tower

The Middle Arsenal Tower is a tower of the Moscow Kremlin, located on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, stretching along the Alexander Garden.

The tower was built in 1493-1495 on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, on the site corner tower time of Dmitry Donskoy. In the 15th-16th centuries there were dams near the tower on the Neglinnaya River. In the 1680s, it was completed - an open quadrangle with a tetrahedral tent, completed with a through watchtower with a tent.

The tower received its current name during the construction of the Arsenal building at the beginning of the 18th century. Previously, it was called Granena - from the facade dissected on the edge. In 1821, when laying out the Alexander Garden, a pleasure grotto was built at the foot of the tower according to the design of O. I. Bove.