This tower, one of the twenty that make up the architectural complex of the Moscow Kremlin, has many features. It is the only one heated and has interiors with decent acoustics.

There are gates in it, through which the main flow of visitors to the main building of the Russian capital passes. And the Trinity Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is the highest.

Fryazin means Italian

Among the masters whom Ivan III attracted for the construction of the main Moscow were Italians. Among them was an architect who went down in Russian history under the name Aleviz Fryazin (Milanese). Studies of domestic and foreign historians have revealed that this is how Aloisio de Caresano, a stone craftsman from Piedmont, a region of Italy located at the foot of the Alps, was called in Rus'. It was he who is considered the builder of the section of the Kremlin fortress, which went along the coast. In 1495, he began, and four years later completed the construction of the tower, which later became the second largest (after Spasskaya).

Multiple names

Troitskaya received its current name in the middle of the 17th century, according to the name of the nearby monastery. Previously, the name for the tower was chosen by the name of the adjacent Kremlin cathedrals. She was both Epiphany, and Rizopolozhenskaya, and Znamenskaya. There were other options among the people: Karetnaya (the carriage house was located nearby), Patriarchy (through it the supreme shepherd went to the city) or Women's (through it women got to the Kremlin, to bow to the queen).

Height

As already mentioned, this is Troitskaya 9 meters higher than Spasskaya. Due to the features of the relief, the tower has different parameters outside and inside the wall. From the side of the Kremlin, the height of the tower with a star is 69.3 m. The building has 6 above-ground floors and 2 lower levels of deep basements.

From the outside - from the Alexander Garden - the current height of the Trinity Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, together with the star crowning the hipped top, reaches 80.1 m.

Purpose and design

Initially, the Kremlin was built as the most powerful fortress in Europe. The Kremlin towers served as defensive nodes. Their loopholes expanded over time to carry out cannon fire. The Trinity Tower of the Moscow Kremlin was also subjected to these improvements. A photo of it in its current state shows the result of numerous reconstructions, the last of which was completed in the fall of 2015.

During this restoration, the lower part of the building was examined. It turned out that at the base of the tower lie huge blocks of granite, bound with limestone. Undermining and violating the stability of such a foundation is an unlikely matter. This once again confirmed the high fortification qualities of both the entire Kremlin and its individual elements. The Trinity Tower is one of the four citadels that could continue to defend even after the capture of the Kremlin walls.

In terms of architecture, Troitskaya is in many ways reminiscent of the Spasskaya Tower. On the square main volume there is a multifaceted superstructure with a white stone decor, topped with a high tent. The tower also had its own chimes, which were destroyed after the French invasion of 1812.

Barbican

Another feature of this architectural monument is the presence nearby of the only surviving wall-mounted defensive object - the Kutafya Tower. Such a structure was called a gate fortification (barbican) and served to protect the entrance to the tower gates.

The highest - Trinity - tower of the Moscow Kremlin is connected to the lowest, Kutafya (13.5 m). Today it is a spectacular architectural design of the entrance area. Previously, without later decor, it was a powerful defense center that covered the heart of the Russian capital from an attack from the Neglinnaya River.

Eagles and stars

The last time they performed defensive functions was during the storming of the Kremlin by Bolshevik detachments during the October Revolution of 1917. During the shelling, one of the most affected was the Trinity Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. The history of those days tells about the loss of an important Orthodox shrine - the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which for a long time was in a kiot over the Trinity Gates. Now this niche is empty, and from the side of the Alexander Garden, the Trinity Tower is decorated with a clock.

Until 1935, the Kremlin towers were crowned with double-headed eagles, and Troitskaya was decorated with the oldest, which was about half a century old. The Soviet government replaced the royal coat of arms with symbols of the new time - five-pointed stars. At first they were gold, but quickly faded and were replaced by ruby ​​ones. The Troitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, the photo of which is always present on the gadgets of numerous guests of Moscow, also has a red star top, which is clearly visible from afar.

Musical stuffing

The tower, through which crowds of people want to see the Kremlin, get into its palaces and museums, has another function. Unlike the others, it is inhabited.
The Presidential Orchestra of Russia, which is part of the Federal Security Service, is an obligatory participant in all official ceremonies. Meetings and farewells of distinguished guests, award ceremonies are not complete without it. The residence of this musical group is the Trinity Tower of the Moscow Kremlin.

The details of the life of the main builder of the tower, Aleviz Fryazin, have been lost, its defensive functions have long been left in the past, but even today the Trinity Tower is one of the most recognizable objects of the Kremlin, the main architectural landmark of Moscow.

The height of the tower to the star from the side of the Kremlin is 65.65 m, with the star - 69.3 m. The height of the tower from the Alexander Garden side is 76.35 m, with the star - 80 m.

The Trinity Tower is connected with the Trinity Bridge. The gates of the tower serve as the main entrance to the Kremlin.

The Presidential Orchestra of Russia is based in the Trinity Tower.

History reference

The Trinity Tower was built in 1495 - 1499 by the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanets (Italian: Aloisio da Milano).

In the 16th-17th centuries, the Trinity Gates were considered the second most important after the Spassky ones - they served to get to the Kremlin to the courts of the patriarch, queens and princesses. The tower received its modern name in 1658 from the Trinity Compound in the Kremlin (by decree of the tsar). Prior to that, it was called Epiphany, Rizpolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya, Kuretnaya, after the churches located in the Kremlin and the Carriage Yard.

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. At the end of the 19th century, the restoration of the tower was carried out by the architect N. A. Shokhin. Above the Trinity Gates in an icon case was the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, damaged during the storming of the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks in 1917. At present, on the site of the icon located earlier above the Trinity Gate, there is a clock from the side.

Until 1935, the top of the tower was crowned with the state emblem of Russia (double-headed eagle). By the day of the October Revolution, it was decided to remove the eagle and install gilded semi-precious stars on it and the rest of the main Kremlin towers. 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.

Trinity Tower

Trinity Tower (formerly Epiphany, Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya, Karetnaya) is a tower with a gate in the middle of the northwestern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, facing the Alexander Garden.

Trinity tower and bridge. Ser of the 19th century. Unknown artist.

Troitskaya Tower is the tallest tower in the Kremlin. The height of the tower at present, together with the star from the side of the Alexander Garden, is 80 m.

The Trinity Bridge, 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.

Kutafya and Troitskaya towers of the Moscow Kremlin. 1900s.

The Presidential Orchestra of Russia is based in the Trinity Tower. Trinity Tower was built in 1495-1499. Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanets (Italian: Aloisio da Milano). The tower was called differently: the original name was Bogoyavlenskaya, then Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya (in honor of the cathedrals located on the territory of the Kremlin) and Karetnaya (in honor of the Karetny yard)
.

It received its current name in 1658 by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich according to the nearby courtyard of the Trinity Monastery. 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.

Trinity and Kutafya towers, 1905

Trinity and Kutafya towers, 2012

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.

Kremlin. Trinity and Kutafya towers. On the right is the Church of St. Nicholas in Sapozhka. Watercolor. Fedor Alekseev.

Kutafya

Moscow. View of the Trinity Gate and the Kutafya Tower 2009Sergey Glushkov

The Kutafya (Bridgehead) Tower is the only surviving diversion tower-shooter (barbican) of the Moscow Kremlin. Located opposite the Trinity Tower, at the end of the Trinity Bridge.

The Kutafya Tower is a diversion archer of the Moscow Kremlin. The end of the XV - the beginning of the XVI century.

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 that was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge in moments of danger, the tower was a formidable barrier for the besiegers of the fortress. She had loopholes of the plantar battle and machicolations.

Trinity bridge near Kutafya tower and Vasnetsov drawbridge

The Kutafya Tower has never been covered. In 1685, it was crowned with an openwork "crown" with white stone details. 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 original height above ground level was 18 meters (now 13.5 meters). It was possible to enter the tower from the side of the city only on an inclined bridge.

View of the Manezh, the Kutafya Tower and the Church of St. Nicholas in Sapozhki. 1817.

There are two common versions of the origin of the name "Kutafya": from the word "kut" - shelter, corner, or from the word "kutafya", denoting a full, clumsy woman. However, the first one seems very doubtful, since the name “Kutovaya” would have formed from the word “kut”, and not “Kutafya”.

In 2011, the construction of modern pavilions began on the sides of the tower, which, according to the fears of specialists in the preservation of cultural heritage, will distort the historical appearance of the monument

commandant's tower

Commandant (Deaf, Kolymazhnaya) tower on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, today stretching along the Alexander Garden. It was formerly called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny yard in the Kremlin, which was located near it. In the 19th century, the tower was called “Komendantskaya”, when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Kremlin, in the Poteshny Palace of the 17th century.

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 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 m.

weapon tower

The Armory (Konyushennaya) tower is located between the Borovitskaya and Komendantskaya towers on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. At the beginning of the 17th century, it had a passage gate to the Konyushenny yard in the Kremlin. Hence its ancient name.

The tower was built in 1493-1495. It is possible that the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Old) took part in its construction. In 1676-1686 the tower was built on with a tent top and to this day it has well preserved its medieval forms. The tower received its modern name in the 19th century after the building of the Armory built on the territory of the Kremlin.

Its architectural solution is close to the neighboring Commandant's Tower - a massive, square-shaped quadrangle, completed with a combat platform with a parapet, above it an open quadrangle topped with a tent with an observation tower. Inside the main volume of the tower there are two tiers of vaulted rooms, the entrance from the Kremlin leads to the lower one.

Borovitskaya

The Borovitskaya (Predtechenskaya) tower is one of the southeastern towers of the Moscow Kremlin. It overlooks the Alexander Garden and Borovitskaya Square, located next to the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge. The name of the tower, according to legend, comes from an ancient forest that once covered one of the seven hills on which Moscow stands. According to another legend, the tower got its name from the builders of the white-stone Kremlin under Dmitry Donskoy - this part was built by the inhabitants of Borovsk.

Borovitskaya tower. 1839. André Durant.

View of the Borovitskaya Tower 2010
Before the construction of the modern Borovitskaya tower, there was another one in its place, which had the same name. This is evidenced by a record about the construction in 1461 of the Church of John the Baptist "on the forest", where it was written that this church stood at the "Borovitsky gates"

The new Borovitskaya Tower was built by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari during the renovation of the Kremlin in 1490, by order of Ivan III (the architect arrived from Milan to Moscow in 1490). At the same time, Solari also erected a wall from Borovitskaya to the corner Vodovzvodnaya tower.

In the XVI-XVII centuries. through the Borovitskaya tower they entered the economic part of the Kremlin - to the Zhitny and Konyushennomuyards, isolated from the front part of the fortress by a wall built in 1499.

In 1493 the tower was seriously damaged by fire.
By decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, on April 16, 1658, the Borovitskaya Tower was renamed the Predtechenskaya - after the Church of the Nativity of the Forerunner in the Kremlin (later dismantled during the construction of the Armory), however, the new name did not take root.

Borovitsky Gates of the Moscow Kremlin Watercolor I. Weiss 1852

Above the Borovitsky Gates in the icon case was the icon of St. John the Baptist. The lampada was looked after by the parable of the temple of St. Nicholas Streletsky, located on Borovitskaya Square. The temple was destroyed in 1932 during the construction of the Sokolnicheskaya subway line. The icon was lost in Soviet times. Her place above the gate is occupied by a clock.

In the autumn of 1935, the Soviet authorities installed a five-pointed star 3.35 m high on the Borovitskaya Tower (the span of the rays was 3.2 m). Prior to this, the tower was crowned with a two-headed royal eagle. In addition to the Borovitskaya tower, stars crown the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Vodovzvodnaya towers. In 1937, the star was replaced with a new one, which is still on the tower.

The five-pointed star was erected in the autumn of 1935.

Today, the Borovitsky Gates are the only permanent gates of the Kremlin. Visitors to the Armory also pass through the Borovitskaya Tower.

The Borovitskaya Solari tower was based on a quadrangle, which crowned a wooden tent. Then in 1666-1680s. the wooden tent was removed and three more quadrangles, one octahedron and a stone tent were built on. Therefore, the Borovitskaya Tower has a peculiar stepped (or pyramidal) shape. In addition, a diversion archer with a passage gate was attached to the side of the tower. The gate had an iron grate, and a drawbridge was thrown across the Neglinnaya River.

In the XVIII century. the tower was repaired and decorated with white stone details in pseudo-Gothic style. When the French army led by Napoleon entered Moscow in 1812, many architectural monuments of Moscow were damaged or destroyed as a result of fires and explosions. So, they also blew up the Vodovzvodnaya tower adjacent to Borovitskaya. During the explosion, the top of the tent fell from the Borovitskaya tower.

In 1816-1819. the tower was repaired by O. I. Bove. Apparently, at the same time, a clock appeared on the tower, at least on the drawings that have survived from that time, the gate and the clock are indicated.
In 1848, after the destruction of the Church of the Nativity of the Forerunner near Bor, the tower was turned into a church. The throne was moved there from the church and the pseudo-Gothic decorations were destroyed.
Many other decorative elements of the Borovitskaya Tower were destroyed during the next renovation in the 1860s.
In the 1970s white stone decorations were restored, and a shield with the coat of arms of Moscow was placed over the gate.
In the summer of 2006, the next repair work of the Borovitskaya tower was carried out. During the week, government motorcades traveled through the Spassky Gates

From the outer side of the Kremlin wall, on the folds of the gate, coats of arms carved from white stone are visible, clearly of ancient origin - Lithuanian and Moscow. Experts still have not given an answer about the time and reasons for their appearance on the Borovitskaya Tower. Noteworthy is the dialectic of the three coats of arms of the Borovitskaya Tower

At the beginning of the XVI century. the Neglinka river flowed along the western wall of the Kremlin and had rather swampy and swampy banks. In addition, from the Borovitskaya Tower, it turned sharply to the southwest, moving away from the Kremlin walls. Near the Borovitsky Gate, a stone arched bridge was thrown across the river.

In 1510, they decided to straighten the channel and bring it closer to the walls. A canal was dug from the Borovitskaya Tower to the Moskva River past the Vodovzvodnaya Tower. This made this section of the Kremlin difficult to access militarily, but also forced the construction of a drawbridge to the Borovitskaya Tower, which has a gate. The lifting mechanism was located on the second tier of the tower.
In 1821, Neglinka was taken into the pipe, the Alexander Garden was laid out in its place, and the drawbridge of the tower lost its significance and was dismantled.

On January 22, 1969, near the Borovitskaya Tower, Viktor Ilyin carried out an unsuccessful attempt on L. I. Brezhnev.
. There is an opinion that an underground passage passes under the Borovitsky Gates.
. If a flag of a foreign state is flying on a building near the Borovitsky Gate, this means that a foreign president is currently in the Kremlin
. Borovitskaya, Vodovzvodnaya, Moskvoretskaya and Nikolskaya towers are located on the same circle with the center at the Assumption Cathedral.
. One of the towers of the Kazan Kremlin, the tower of the Tatar queen Syuyumbike, is similar to the Borovitskaya tower.

Vodovzvodnaya tower

Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located on the corner of the Kremlin Embankment and Alexander Garden, on the banks of the Moskva River. Erected in 1488 by the Italian architect Anton Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi). The name Sviblov Tower comes from the boyar surname Sviblov, whose courtyard adjoined the tower from the Kremlin side.

One of the most beautiful buildings in the Kremlin. It received its modern name in 1633 after the installation of a water-lifting machine in it, made under the direction of Christopher Galovey, to supply water from the Moscow River to the Kremlin.

Lithograph from a watercolor by D.Indeytsev, 1850s.

It was the first water supply system in Moscow from tanks placed in the upper tiers of the tower. Water from it was carried out "to the Sovereign Sytny and Stern Palace", and then to the gardens.

On the Moskva River, near the Vodovzvodnaya Tower, there was a washing raft for rinsing clothes. On the bank of the river there was a port-washing hut with accessories for the raft. In the Kremlin wall, small port-washing gates were arranged, through which linen was carried.
The water tower was built in the classical style. Up to the middle of the height, it is lined with alternating belts of protruding and sinking masonry. A narrow strip of white stone, covering the tower in its middle part, as if emphasizes the arched belt.

The turret is completed with dovetail crenellations with slots for shooting. Arcature belt, mashikuli, "dovetails" had not previously been found in Russian architecture of fortifications and were used here for the first time. The tent over the tower was erected at the end of the 17th century. In 1805, due to dilapidation, it was dismantled and rebuilt.

In 1812, the army of Napoleon Bonaparte, retreating from Moscow, blew up the tower. Restored in 1817-1819 by the architect Osip Ivanovich Bove. The walls are treated with rustication, the loopholes are replaced by round and semicircular windows. Dormer windows are decorated with Tuscan porticoes with columns and pediments.

Unlike other towers with ruby ​​stars, Vodovzvodnaya did not previously have an eagle-shaped top. A star with a diameter of 3 meters was installed on the tower in 1937 and is the smallest of the Kremlin stars.

Annunciation Tower

The Annunciation Tower is a tower of the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in the part of the Kremlin wall that runs along the Moskva River, between the Vodovzvodnaya and Taynitskaya towers. The name comes from the icon "Annunciation" that previously existed on the tower. The tower was supposedly built in 1487-1488; in the 1680s, a stone tetrahedral tent with a decorative watch tower was built over the main quadruple.

Panorama of the Kremlin G. Quarenghi 1786 Watercolor fragment

The lower quadrangle of the tower ends with machicolations, a platform for defense and a parapet. The inner space of the lower quadrangle has the shape of an irregular quadrangle and is covered with a closed vault. The middle arched quarter with wide windows is separated from the tent by a flat ceiling. The same flat ceilings separate the tiers inside the tent. In the old days, there was also an underground floor in the tower, now half-filled.

In 1731, the Church of the Annunciation was added to the tower according to the project of the architect G. Shedel. At the same time, the watchtower was converted into a bell tower with seven bells, and the weather vane was replaced by a cross. The tower was restored in 1866. From 1891-1892, the Annunciation Tower was used as an aisle of the church, while the loopholes were hewn into large windows.

In 1933, during the restoration of the tower by the architect N. D. Vinogradov, the Church of the Annunciation was dismantled, the hewn loopholes on the facades were narrowed, the cross was replaced by a weather vane.

Until 1831, near the Annunciation Tower (from the side of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower) in the Kremlin wall, there were the so-called Port Washing Gates, which provided access to the Moskva River to the Port Washing Raft for washing "ports" - linen. The remains of these gates, now laid down, are visible from the inside of the Kremlin wall.
Under Ivan the Terrible, a prison was located in the Annunciation Tower.

Taynitskaya tower

The Tainitskaya Tower is one of the 20 towers of the Moscow Kremlin. The central tower of the southern wall of the Kremlin. The construction of the existing Kremlin walls and towers began from the Tainitskaya Tower.
In the last years of the 15th century, Ivan III conceived the idea of ​​rebuilding the towers and walls of the Kremlin. The beginning of this construction is closely connected with the name of the architect with Italian roots Anton Fryazin. The Italian architect arrived in Moscow in 1469 as part of the retinue of the Polish cardinal Vissarion to prepare the marriage of Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog.

In 1485, Anton Fryazin laid a tower (“strelnitsa”) on the site of the Cheshkov (Chushkov) gates of the fortress of 1366-1368, providing a hiding place inside and a hidden exit to the Moskva River, in connection with which the tower was nicknamed Taynitskaya.

When erecting the tower, the architect for the first time used brick for fortification construction. This innovation marked the beginning of a complete renovation of the Moscow Kremlin.
. The tower played an important role in the defense of the Kremlin from the side of the river. It had a passage gate and a retractable archer, equipped with a lifting mechanism and connected to the tower by a stone bridge. Later, sentries were on duty on the tower, watching Zamoskvorechie and the bells signaling about the fire. Until 1674, the tower had a striking clock.

In 1670-1680, Russian craftsmen erected a stone top over the quadrangle of the tower - an open arched quadrangle, completed with a tetrahedral tent with an observation tower.
Until the 18th century, on the Moscow River, opposite the Tainitsky Gates, a Jordan was arranged on the feast of the Epiphany. The royal entry into the Jordan was one of the most magnificent ceremonies.

In 1770-1771, in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace according to the project of V.I. Bazhenov, the Taynitskaya tower was dismantled, and in 1783 it was restored, but without a retractable archer. In 1812, during the retreat of Napoleon's troops from the Kremlin, the tower was damaged by an explosion, repaired in 1816-1818.
In 1862, according to the project of one of the Campioni family of artists (A. S. Campioni), the archer was also restored.
Until 1917, the Kremlin’s signal cannon was fired daily from the archer of the Tainitskaya Tower, informing Muscovites of the onset of noon - similar to the tradition of firing the Peter and Paul Cannon in St. Petersburg.
In 1930 - 1933, the archer was again dismantled. At the same time, the passage gates were laid and the well was filled up.

First Nameless Tower

The First Nameless Tower (Powder Tower) is a tower of the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in the part of the Kremlin wall that runs along the Moskva River, next to the Tainitskaya Tower.

This architecturally simple tower has been rebuilt many times. The first time it was erected in the 1480s. In 1547, the tower was destroyed during the fire of Moscow from the explosion of a gunpowder warehouse arranged in it.

The Kremlin is on fire! Painting by Vereshchagin

In the 17th century, it was rebuilt, and a second hipped tier was built on the main quadrangle.

The tower was dismantled in 1770 in preparation for the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace by V.I. Bazhenov. After the construction of the palace was completed in 1776-1883, the tower, together with the wall between it and the Second Nameless Tower, was rebuilt in a new place, closer to the Taynitskaya Tower. In 1812, the tower was blown up by the retreating French. In 1816-1835 it was restored under the supervision of the architect O. I. Bove.

The tower ends with a simple tetrahedral pyramidal tent. The inside of the tower is formed by two tiers of vaulted rooms: the lower tier with a cross vault and the upper tier with a closed vault. The upper quadrangle is open into the cavity of the tent.

Second Nameless Tower

The Second Nameless Tower is a tower of the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in the part of the Kremlin wall that runs along the Moskva River, east of the First Nameless Tower. The tower was built in the 1480s as an intermediate tower on the south side of the Kremlin. In the 1680s, a four-sided tent with a watch tower, an octagonal tent and a weather vane was built over the main quadrangle.

At the beginning of the 18th century, there were later gates in the tower. Like many other towers of the southern wall, the Second Nameless Tower was dismantled in 1771 in preparation for the construction of the Bazhenov Grand Kremlin Palace and, after the construction of the palace was stopped, it was rebuilt.

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

Petrovskaya tower

Petrovskaya Tower (also Ugreshskaya) is a tower of the wall of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in the part of the Kremlin wall that runs along the Moskva River, next to the Beklemishevskaya Tower. The name comes from the courtyard of the Ugresh Monastery with the Church of Peter the Metropolitan, which from the 15th to the 17th centuries was located inside the Kremlin near the tower. In 1771, in order to free up space for the construction of the Grand Kremlin Palace, the courtyard of the monastery was destroyed.

This tower, outwardly very different from the neighboring towers, was rebuilt many times. The time of the first construction of the Petrovsky Tower is not exactly known, it is assumed that it was erected together with other towers of the southern wall in the 1480s (some sources indicate 1485-1487).

Corner Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) and Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) towers. According to the Barshchevsky Catalog N 2004 1882-1896

During the Polish intervention of the Time of Troubles, the tower was destroyed by cannon shots in 1612, then rebuilt. In 1667 a church was built in the tower. In 1676-1686, two new quadrangles and a low tent were built on the main quadrangle of the tower.
The tower was dismantled in 1770 (according to some sources, in 1771) in preparation for the construction of the Bazhenov Grand Kremlin Palace; after the cessation of its construction, it was rebuilt again in 1783, but without a church.

In 1812 the tower was blown up by the retreating French; in 1818 it was restored by the architect O.I. Bove.
The tower ends with an octagonal pyramidal tent. The lower quadrangle ends with false machines, the upper ones are framed with cornices and semi-columns at the corners.

Although the Petrovsky Tower was erected "for the best appearance and strength", it was used for household needs by the gardeners of the Kremlin.
Spasskaya Tower (separate post part 15)
Literature

Architectural monuments of Moscow. Kremlin. China town. Central squares. - Moscow: Art, 1982. - S. 309.
Ivanov V.N. Moscow Kremlin. - Moscow: Art, 1971. - S. 32-36
. Goncharenko V.S. Walls and towers. Guide. — Moscow, 2001
. Ivan Zabelin 1 // Home life of Russian tsars in the 16th and 17th centuries. - Moscow: Transitbook, 2005.
Monuments of architecture in pre-revolutionary Russia, M., Terra, 2002
Photos of Ilya Varlamov from here-

Trinity Tower - the tallest tower of the Moscow Kremlin, located in the middle of the northwestern part of the Kremlin wall. The gate of the tower, to which the Trinity Bridge leads through the Alexander Garden from , serve as the main entrance to the Kremlin for visitors to the fortress.

The tower was built in 1495-1499 under the direction of an Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Old) and is the second most important tower of the Kremlin after .

The height of the tower together with the star is 80 meters from the Alexander Garden and 69.3 meters from the Kremlin. The different heights are due to the difference in ground level inside and outside the Kremlin wall.

Outwardly, the Trinity Tower resembles the Spasskaya Tower, but is distinguished by its greater height and less elegant decoration. The shape of the base of the tower is a quadrangle, which is crowned by a multi-tiered tent completion with rich decorative design; the upper part of the quadrangle is decorated with a lacy arched belt with turrets at the corners and figures of animals and birds, among which one can recognize bears and peacocks. Under the tent there is a belfry, the red star-weather vane crowns the tent. A massive diverting archer with the Trinity Gate adjoins the tower, to which the Trinity Bridge approaches from the Kutafya Tower.

History of the Trinity Tower

Trinity Tower was built in 1495-1499 under the guidance of an Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin (Old) and has changed several names over the years: Epiphany(original name) Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya. The tower received its first 3 names in honor of the cathedrals located on the territory of the Kremlin, while Karetnaya was named after Karate yard. Its modern name - Trinity - the tower received in 1658 according to the nearby courtyard Trinity Monastery.

Initially, like other towers of the Kremlin, the Trinity Tower was built without a hipped roof, which appeared only at the end of the 17th century. Since the tower was of great defensive importance, during the preparation of Moscow for the Swedish invasion in 1707, by decree Peter I the turret loopholes were expanded to accommodate modern heavy cannons at the time. The next reconstruction awaited the Trinity Tower in 1870, when its defensive significance was lost, and the interior was adapted to accommodate the Archives of the Ministry of the Imperial Court.

In the past, in the icon case over the Trinity Gates, there was an icon of the Kazan Mother of God, damaged during the storming of the Kremlin in 1917 and missing in the Soviet years. At present, the place of the icon from the side of the Alexander Garden is occupied by a small clock.

Until 1935, the top of the tower was crowned with the coat of arms of Russia - a double-headed eagle, instead of which a gilded semi-precious star was installed, which already 2 years later - in 1937 - was replaced with a ruby ​​one. The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest among the other towers of the Kremlin - made in 1870 - and prefabricated on bolts, so when dismantling it, it had to be dismantled right at the top of the tower and lowered down in parts.

Interestingly, in the 16-17 centuries, a prison was located in the two-story base of the tower.

Today, the Trinity Tower houses Presidential Orchestra of Russia: its interior houses recording studios, offices and a rehearsal room. In addition, the Trinity Gates are the main entrance to the Kremlin for citizens and tourists: passing kutafyu tower and trinity bridge, visitors pass through the Trinity Tower inside the fortress.

Trinity Tower overlooks the Alexander Garden. It can be reached on foot from metro stations. "Lenin's Library" Sokolnicheskaya line and "Alexander Garden" Filevskaya.

Trinity (Epiphany, Rizpolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya, Kuretnaya) tower

The construction of fortifications in the north-west of the Kremlin, from the side of the Neglinnaya River, and now the Alexander Garden, was completed in 1495 by the construction of the huge Trinity Tower by the architect Aleviz Fryazin. In ancient times, the Trinity Tower ended with battlements and was covered with a hipped wooden tent. In 1585, as the documents say, there was a clock on the Trinity Tower.

In 1516, a stone Trinity Bridge was built from the Trinity Tower across the Neglinnaya River, and the Kutafya Tower was built behind it. In the 16th-17th centuries, the Trinity Gates were considered the second most important after the Spassky Gates - they passed through them to the courtyards of the patriarch, queens and princesses.

The tower received its modern name in 1658 from the Trinity Compound in the Kremlin. Prior to that, it was called Bogoyavlenskaya, Znamenskaya, Kuretnaya, after the churches located in the Kremlin and the Karetny Dvor.

At the end of the 17th century, the tower was built on with a high tent, received an architectural decor similar to that of the Spasskaya Tower, and chimes, which were not restored after the fire of 1812. In 1870-1895, when the archive of the Ministry of the Imperial Court was transferred to the tower, the tower was rebuilt. In the 19th century, after the Neglinnaya River was taken into a pipe, the white stone ramp leading to the Kutafye Tower was replaced with a brick one. In 1901, a new Trinity Bridge was built.

The tower is six-story, with deep two-story cellars that served for defense purposes, and in the 16th-17th centuries were used as a prison. Stairs are located along the perimeter of the tower. The archer in the second tier has a room with a flat ceiling. The tower is completed by a small quadrangle, above which rises an octagon topped with a tall, slender tent. Previously, from the side of the entrance to the Kremlin, the tower looked even more elegant, since the archer had similar decorations.

The height of the tower to the star from the side of the Kremlin is 65.65 m, with the star - 69.3 m.

The height of the tower from the side of the Alexander Garden is 76.35 m, with a star - 80 m.