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The following is a list of towers of Moscow Kremlin
Borovitskaya
The Borovitskya Tower (Russian: Боровицкая башня) is a corner tower with a through-passage on the west side of the Kremlin. It is named after Borovitsky Hill, one of the seven hills Moscow is standing on. The tower was constructed in 1490 on the spot of an old Kremlin gate by Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari (Petr Fryazin, from fryaz or fryag as Italians were called at that time) by order of Vasili III of Russia. In 1658 by orders of tzar Aleksey I of Russia the tower was renamed to Predtechenskaya (from the Russian word предтеча — predtecha, the forerunner) after the Church of John the Forerunner, which was later destroyed during the construction of the Armory (Oruzheynaya Palata). The new name, however, never became popular. In 1812, the tower was damaged by an explosion staged by the retreating French army. In 1817-19, the tower was restored by an architect Osip Bove. In 1935, the Soviets installed a red star on top of the tower. Together with the star, its height is 54.05 m.
Blagoveschenskaya
Vodovzvodnaya
The Vodovzvodnaya Tower (Russian: Водовзводная башня) is a corner tower on the southwestern side of Kremlin, overlooking the Moscow River. It was built in 1488 by an Italian architect Antonio Gilardi (also known as Anton Fryazin). Initially, the tower was called the Sviblov Tower (Свиблова башня) after the Sviblov boyar family, who had lived in a house adjacent to the tower from the Kremlin's side. The tower was renamed to Vodovzvodnaya in 1633 after the installation of a water-supplying machine inside the tower ("vodovzvodnaya" may be translated as "water-lifting"). In 1805, The Vodovzvodnaya Tower was dismantled due to its dilapidation and built once again. In 1812, the retreating French army blew it up. The tower was restored in 1817-1819 by an architect Osip Bove. Its height is 61.85 m.
Taynitskaya
The Taynitskaya Tower (Тайницкая башня in Russian; it was also called Водяная башня, or the Water Tower) is a middle tower on the south side of the Moscow Kremlin. It was built in 1485 by Antonio Gilardi on the spot of the gates to Dmitry Donskoy's whitestone Kremlin. The Taynitskaya Tower had a secret well and an underground tunnel leading to the Moscow River (hence, the name "Taynitskaya", or "secret"). In 1770, the tower was dismantled due to the construction of the Kremlin Palace by Vasili Bazhenov. It was rebuilt in the 1770s. In 1930-1933, the Soviets bricked up the gateway and filled up the well. The Taynitskaya Tower is 38,4 m in height.
Beklemishevskaya
The Beklemishevskaya Tower (Беклемишевская башня in Russian, also known as Москворецкая башня, or Moskvoretskaya Tower) is a corner tower on the southeastern side of the Moscow Kremlin on the Moscow River. The tower was built in 1487-1488 by an Italian architect Marco Ruffo (known as Mark Fryazin in Russia). It was named after a boyar Ivan Bersen-Beklemishev, whose house had been adjacent to the tower from the Kremlin side. The Beklemishevskaya Tower was constructed for protecting the ford and the crossing over the Moscow River. There was the so called "listening" vault underneath the tower, which was used for preventing the enemy from sapping his way to the Kremlin. The Beklemishevskaya Tower is 46.2 m in height. During the October Revolution of 1917, the top of the tower was damaged by a shell. It was restored a year later by an architect I.V.Rylsky.
First Unnamed
Second Unnamed
Petrovskaya
Konstantino-Eleninskaya
The Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower (Константино-Еленинская башня in Russian) is a tower on the eastern wall of the Kremlin, overlooking the so-called Vasili's Slope (Васильевский спуск), which begins at the Red Square and ends at the Moscow River. The tower was built in 1490 by an Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari on the spot of gates to the whitestone Kremlin. It was named after the Church of Konstantine and Elena in the Kremlin (second half of the 17th century), which would be demolished by the Soviets in 1928. The Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower had its own gates and a lift bridge, protected by guards at all times. In the late 18th century - early 19th century the gates were bricked up and the bridge was dismantled. The tower's height is 36.8 m.
Nabatnaya
The Nabatnaya Tower (Набатная башня in Russian) is a tower in the southeastern section of the Kremlin wall, built in 1495. It is 38 m in height. Traditionally, there has always been a bell on top of the Nabatnaya Tower, used for notifying citizens of fires and other misfortunes in the Kremlin or on the Red Square (hence, the name Nabatnaya, which derives from the old Russian word набат - nabat, or "alarm"). In 1680, a bellmaker Feodor Dmitriev cast the so-called Nabatny bell (alarm bell) weighing 150 poods (2.45 metric tons) and installed it on the tower. The bell subsequently broke and was re-cast by Ivan Motorin on July 30, 1714. The sound from this bell served as a signal for the spontaneous uprising of the Muscovites during the plague outbreak in 1771, which would later be called the Plague Riot (Чумной бунт). By the order of Catherine the Great, the tongue of the bell was removed after this incident. The tongueless bell remained on top of the tower for 30 more years. In the early 19th century, it was removed and transferred to the Arsenal. In 1821, the bell was moved to the Armoury, where it remains to this day in the vestibule.
Tsarskaya
Spasskaya
The Spasskaya Tower (Спасская башня in Russian) is the main tower with a through-passage on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, which overlooks the Red Square.
The Spasskaya Tower was built in 1491 by an Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. Initially, it was named the Frolovskaya Tower after the Church of Frol and Lavr in the Kremlin (it is no longer there). The tower's modern name comes from the icon of Spas Nerukotvorny (Divine Savior), which was placed above the gates in 1658 (no longer there). The Spasskaya Tower was the first one to be crowned with the hipped roof in 1624-1625 by architects Bazhen Ogurtsov and Christopher Holloway (an English architect). According to a number of historical accounts, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower appeared between 1491 and 1585. It is usually referred to as the Kremlin clock (Кремлёвские куранты).
In 1935, the Soviets installed a red star on top of the Spasskaya Tower. The height of the tower with the star is 71 m.
Senatskaya
Nikolskaya
The Nikolskaya Tower (Никольская башня in Russian) is a tower with a through-passage on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, which overlooks the Red Square not far from the State Historical Museum.
The Nikolskaya Tower was built in 1491 by an Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. It was named after Nikolaevsky (Nikolsky) Greek Monastery, which is no longer there. In 1806, the tower was rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style by an architect Karl Rossi. In 1812, the top of the tower was blown up by the retreating French army. It was restored in 1816 by an architect Osip Bove. The Nikolskaya Tower was once again severely damaged by the artillery fire in October of 1917 and was later restored by an architect Nikolai Markovnikov. In 1935, the Soviets installed a red star on top of the tower. Its current height with the star is 70.4 m.
Middle Arsenalnaya
Corner Arsenalnaya
The Corner Arsenalnaya Tower (Арсенальная Угловая башня in Russian) is a tower of the Moscow Kremlin. It was built in 1492 by an Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. The construction of this tower completed the Kremlin's line of defence from the side of the Red Square. It was called the Sobakin Tower until the early 18th century (named so after a boyar Sobakin, whose house had been adjacent to the tower from the Kremlin side). The Corner Arsenalnaya Tower received its current name after the constuction of the Arsenal. The tower still has a secret well. In 1707, due to a threat of Swedish invasion, the gun slots of the Corner Arsenalnaya Tower were enlarged to fit heavy cannons. In 1812, the tower was damaged by an explosion, set up by the retreating French army. It was restored in 1816-1819 by an architect Osip Bove.
The tower's current height is over 60 m.
Komendantskaya
Troitskaya
The Troitskaya Tower (Троицкая башня in Russian) is a tower with a through-passage in the center of the northwestern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, which overlooks the Alexander Garden.
The Troitskaya Tower was built in 1495-1499 by an Italian architect Aloisio da Milano (known in Russia as Aleviz Fryazin Milanets). The tower beared several names, including Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya, and Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 from the Troitskaya Coaching Inn (Троицкое подворье) in the Kremlin. The two-storey basement of the tower housed a prison in the 16th-17th centuries. There is the Troitsky Bridge, which is protected by the Kutafia Tower and leads to the gates of the Troitskaya Tower. There was also a clock on top of the tower between 1585 and 1812. In 1707, due to a threat of Swedish invasion, the gun slots of the Troitskaya Tower were enlarged to fit heavy cannons. In 1935, the Soviets installed a red star on top of the Troitskaya Tower.
The Troitskaya Tower is the highest tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Its current height on the side of the Alexander Garden together with the star is 80 m. Today, the gates of the tower is the main visitors entrance into the Kremlin.
Oruzheynaya
Kutafia
The Kutafia Tower (Кутафья башня in Russian) is a tower of the Moscow Kremlin. It was built in the early 16th century to protect the bridge over the Neglinnaya River leading to the Troitskaya Tower. The Kutafia Tower had two combat tiers (the divider between them was destroyed in 1780); the upper landing was equipped with gun-slots for plunging fire at the enemy at the foot of the tower. A delicate ornamental top was built in 1685. Initially, the tower was surrounded by a moat with lift bridges thrown over it, which led to the side gates. A through-passage to the Manezhnaya Street was constructed in 1867. At the same time, they built the arched apertures on the sides and a guard house on the south side, which would be dismantled during the restoration in 1974-1977. The height of the Kutafia Tower is 13.5 m.
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