Spasskaya Tower(until 1658 - Frolovskaya) - the most famous of the 20 towers Moscow Kremlin, goes to Red Square close Execution Place And Intercession Cathedral. The tower's tent is decorated with a chiming clock, which has made the Spasskaya Tower a collective symbol of the Kremlin and Moscow as a whole.
The tower was built in 1491 according to the design of a Milanese architect Pietro Antonio Solari, subsequently built on by an English architect Christopher Galovey together with the Russian master Bazhen Ogurtsov. Initially built from red brick, in different years depending on aesthetic preferences.
The shape of the base of the tower is a quadrangle, which is crowned with a multi-tiered hipped roof with a chiming clock and rich decorative design. Top part The quadrangle is decorated with a lace arched belt with turrets at the corners and figures of fantastic animals; also in the carved design of the belt you can find images of flowers and shells, and above the chimes - figures of peacocks. Above the chimes there is a belfry, the tower is crowned with a tent with a red star on top.
The total height of the Spasskaya Tower with the star is 71 meters. The tower is adjacent to a massive diversion arch with a drive-through gate.
History of the Spasskaya Tower
During the reign Ivan III In Moscow, a radical restructuring of the Kremlin began, during which in 1485-1495, instead of the old white stone walls and towers, new ones were erected - from baked bricks. The construction of the Spasskaya Tower, designed by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari from Milan, became initial stage construction of the eastern line of fortifications of the Moscow Kremlin; before it, the Frolovskaya strelnitsa was located in this place. Since a ditch was dug under the Kremlin walls, a bridge was built across it from the tower.
In memory of the construction of the tower, 2 white stone tablets with a commemorative inscription in Latin (from the Red Square side) and Russian (from the Kremlin side) were installed above the gate:
At the end of the 16th century, the tower was crowned with a wooden hipped top with a double-headed eagle, but in 1624-1625 another reconstruction was carried out: according to the design of the English architect Christopher Galovey with the participation of the Moscow master Bazhen Ogurtsov, a multi-tiered top in the Gothic style, decorated with nude figures, was erected over the tower - "boobs". The naked figures on the tower were perceived ambiguously, and by order of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, special caftans were sewn for them, however, the “blockheads” did not have long to live in any case - in 1628 they burned down in a fire. In the mid-17th century, the double-headed eagle - coat of arms - was re-installed on the top of the tower Russian state, subsequently installed on the Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya towers.
Before the Revolution of 1917, there were chapels to the left and right of the Spassky Gate - first wooden, then built in stone, but in 1925 they were demolished.
Initially, the tower, like the strelnitsa that preceded it, was called Frolovskaya - after the Church of Frol and Lavra on Myasnitskaya Street, where the road from the gate led - until 1658, when Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to call it Spasskaya, since icons of the Savior were placed above the Spassky Gate Smolensky (from the Red Square) and the Savior Not Made by Hands (from the Kremlin).
Savior of Smolensk and Savior Not Made by Hands
One of the features of the tower, thanks to which it received its modern name, was the icons of the Savior of Smolensk and the Savior Not Made by Hands placed above the passage gates.
Image Savior of Smolensky was written in 1514 in gratitude for the capture of Smolensk and placed above the gate from Red Square. In 1521, when Moscow managed to avoid a siege by the troops of Khan Mehmed-Girey, instead of the icon, a fresco was painted on the wall, depicting the Savior with the opened Gospel and the saints falling at his feet Venerable Sergius Radonezhsky and Varlaam Khutynsky. During the years of Soviet power, the image was plastered over and was considered lost for a long time, since official documents it was not recorded what happened to it, and experts did not have precise information about whether it was painted on the wall or was a separate element. When the issue of restoring the icon was raised in the 2000s, it was searched for a long time in the storerooms of art museums, but in the end the image was discovered under a layer of plaster in its rightful place: in 2010 it was cleared and restored.
Appearance of the image Savior Not Made by Hands on inside gate (from the Kremlin) is associated with the plague epidemic that swept through Russia in the mid-17th century. Moscow suffered greatly from the epidemic, but one of the cities - Khlynov (modern Kirov) - was spared; there were rumors that the reason for Khlynov’s recovery from the disease was miraculous image The Savior Not Made by Hands, to whom the inhabitants of the city prayed. In 1648, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the image was delivered to Moscow. Having placed the original icon in the Novospassky Monastery, two copies were made from it: the first was sent to Khlynov, the second was placed on the inside of the gate of the Spasskaya Tower. Unfortunately, in Soviet years the image was destroyed and the original icon disappeared; Today, the icon case on the inside of the gate of the Spasskaya Tower remains empty.
Chimes of the Spasskaya Tower
- probably the most famous watch in Russia, because it is with them that Russians greet New Year- the chiming of the Kremlin chimes has become one of the brightest New Year traditions in the world.
The chimes are installed on the upper quadrangle of the tower on all four sides and have impressive dimensions:
Dial diameter - 6.12 meters;
The length of the minute hand is 3.27 meters;
The length of the hour hand is 2.97 meters;
The height of Roman numerals is 0.72 meters.
The clock has a musical mechanism: the anthem is played at 00:00, 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00 Russian Federation, at 03:00, 09:00, 15:00 and 21:00 - the melody of the choir “Glory” from Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar”.
The clock on the Spasskaya Tower first appeared in the 16th century and almost nothing is known about it. In 1625, according to the project of Christopher Galovey, the old clock was replaced with new ones, which had a unique structure: the clock counted day and night time, indicated in Slavic letters and Arabic numerals, while the hand stylized as the Sun was motionless - the dial itself rotated. In 1705, by decree of Peter I, the clock was remade in the German style: with a dial at 12 o'clock, and in 1770 an English clock was installed on the tower. Modern chimes were made by brothers Nikolai and Ivan Butenop in 1851-1852.
Star of the Spasskaya Tower
The star on top of the Spasskaya Tower appeared in 1935, when the Soviet government wanted to install a new symbol on the Kremlin towers to replace the ideologically outdated double-headed eagle.
The first Kremlin stars were made of stainless steel and red copper; in the middle there was a gilded sickle and hammer, lined with Ural gems. The star on the Spasskaya Tower, among other things, was decorated with rays diverging from the middle. Unfortunately, the stars of 1935 quickly dimmed due to the weather, and in 1937 they were replaced by the glowing ruby ones that can still be seen today.
The span of the rays of the star on the Spasskaya Tower is 3.75 meters.
Spasskaya Tower Today it is one of the symbols of Moscow and a prominent landmark on tourist routes.
You can get to the Spasskaya Tower on foot from metro stations "Okhotny Ryad" Sokolnicheskaya line, "Theatrical" Zamoskvoretskaya and "Revolution square" Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya.
The Spasskaya Tower in Moscow is an outstanding architectural and historical monument of the late 15th century, an object of national and international significance, part of the historical ensemble of the Kremlin (north-eastern wall), facing Red Square - opposite the monument to Minin and Pozharsky. This is the most famous tower of the Kremlin, it houses the famous capital's chimes, and the top is decorated with five pointed star.
The historical name of the tower is Frolovskaya, since the road through its gates led to the church of Frol and Lavra that existed at that time.
The gate of the Spasskaya Tower is the current main entrance to the Kremlin.
History of the Spasskaya Tower
The Moscow Spasskaya Tower was erected in 1491 under Grand Duke Ivan III Vasilyevich on the site of the archery known as Frolovskaya. At this time, at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, the brick Moscow Kremlin was being comprehensively built; The walls and most of the towers from that period still form the appearance of the Kremlin today.
The architect of the Spasskaya Tower (at that time - Frolovskaya) is Pyotr Fryazin (Pietro Antonio Solari). The construction of the Spasskaya Tower in Moscow was carried out in the same style as other Kremlin buildings created with the participation of Italian craftsmen.
The wooden bridge from the tower across the Alevizov ditch was built by 1508.
The history of icons on the Spasskaya Tower in Moscow began in 1514: with the placement of the image of the Savior of Smolensk above the gate. In 1521, the icon was replaced by a fresco of the Savior of Smolensk, painted on the gate wall facing Red Square.
In the 16th century, the Spasskaya Tower was decorated with a wooden double-headed eagle. In 1624-1625, the decorative appearance of the tower was changed by the English architect Christopher Galovey together with the Russian architect Bazhen Ogurtsov: a multi-tiered Gothic top was built, which included sculptures in the style of mannerism, which spread in Western Europe. From this design, fantastic nude figures entered history (note - this is not the 16th, but the 17th century), which lasted until 1628. In Tsarist Russia, the nakedness of these sculptures was even covered with robes sewn for them, but they were removed from the tower not for national aesthetic reasons, but after a fire in which they were badly damaged.
Officially, the gates were named Spassky much later - under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who signed the corresponding decree on renaming in 1658. With him, a copy of the icon “Savior Not Made by Hands” is fixed above the gate on the Kremlin side.
Until the 17th century, the Spasskaya Tower housed preserved historical reliefs of the Strelnitsa, made of white stone- like most of the previous Kremlin buildings.
In the mid-17th century, the state symbol - the double-headed eagle - was re-established on the top of the Spasskaya Tower. Afterwards, other large Kremlin towers - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya - were decorated in a similar way.
Historically, on both sides of the tower gate there were operating chapels of St. Basil's Cathedral - Smolenskaya and Spasskaya, built in stone in 1802. In 1812, the chapels were destroyed during the retreat of Napoleonic troops. Miraculously, the tower itself survived - the explosion was prevented by the Don Cossacks, who extinguished the wicks in time. The chapels were rebuilt according to a completely different design. They were rebuilt again in 1868 during the comprehensive restoration of the Spasskaya Tower. The chapels were demolished without restoration in 1925.
In 1895, the gate fresco of the Savior of Smolensk was restored. During the Soviet years, this image turned out to be lost (no written evidence of its fate was preserved), like the list from the icon “Savior Not Made by Hands,” and was considered as such until 2010. The image was discovered under a layer of plaster, approximately 80% preserved - cleaned and restored by restorers. The gatehouse on the Kremlin side, where the “Savior Not Made by Hands” was previously located, is now empty.
Large-scale restoration work inside and outside the tower was carried out in 1999, the last time in 2014.
Gate of the Spasskaya Tower
The Spassky Gate has always been revered as sacred, as well as the main gate of all the Kremlin towers.
It was from these gates that military regiments left Moscow; the route of religious processions from the Kremlin certainly ran through the gate; foreign ambassadors entered through them to meet the monarch. The Spassky Gate is still used for the main entrance.
Interestingly, historically it was not allowed to enter the gates of the Spasskaya Tower on horseback. In addition, until the 19th century, men were supposed to take off their hats in front of the Savior, consecrated by a lamp, located on the outer wall of the tower, in front of the entrance.
Clock on the Spasskaya Tower
The diameter of the chimes is 6.12 m, the height of the gilded Roman numerals on the tower dial is 0.72 m. The length of the minute hand of the clock on the Spasskaya Tower is 3.27 m, the hour hand is 2.97 m. There is one of these on all sides of the tower dial - the chimes are clearly visible from afar and from different angles.
The chimes on the Spasskaya Tower, immortalized more than once in art, first started working in the 16th century, which is confirmed by historical evidence of the work of the Kremlin clockmakers. Over the past centuries, the main clock of the Kremlin has been modified several times.
Thus, it is known that in 1625 the clock on the Spasskaya Tower was replaced: the old ones were purchased by the Spaso-Yaroslavl Monastery, and new ones were installed on the tower with the participation of Christopher Galovey. An improved and very original model of a mechanical watch could play music, indicate night and day time, the dial was rotating, and the hand in the form of a sun with a long beam was static. The clocks were located on two sides of the tower: the first dial was facing the Kremlin, the second - towards Kitay-Gorod. The first unusual clock did not last long: Galovey had to restore it after a fire in 1626, the next repair was carried out in 1668.
In 1705, Peter the Great ordered the installation of a Dutch clock on the tower with a converted German standard dial. These chimes were also musical, but they often broke down and could not survive the fire of 1737.
The English chimes from the Chamber of Facets are attached to the tower by 1770. The work was supervised by the German master Fatz, and by his will the chimes were set to play the German song “Ah, my dear Augustine.” In the entire history of the Kremlin chimes, this is the only period when they played foreign music. The clock was damaged in a fire in 1812. Master Yakov Lebedev managed to repair them by 1815.
The modern chimes of the Spasskaya Tower were manufactured by March 1852. By that time, the wear of English watches was determined to be critical. The creation of the most important clock mechanism of the Kremlin was entrusted to the Budenopov brothers' factory. The work began in December 1850, and it was possible to use part of the old mechanism and apply modern achievements watchmaking. The oak watch case is replaced with cast iron, and the mechanical parts are made of wear-resistant alloys, designed to withstand temperature changes throughout the year. The chiming of the chimes was ensured by the playing shaft, from which ropes were stretched to the 48 bells. Soon the melodies were chosen: “March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment” at 6 and 12 o’clock, the hymn “How Glorious is Our Lord in Zion” at 3 and 9. This music sounded from the Spasskaya Tower before the 1917 revolution.
During the storming of the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks on November 2, 1917, the clock hand was broken by a shell, and the clock did not work until September 1918. The mechanism was restored by watchmaker N. Behrens on the instructions of V. I. Lenin. Since 1937, the clock has been powered by three electric motors. Until 1938, the chimes played revolutionary anthems (“Internationale”, “You have fallen a victim...”), in next years Only the chime of the hours and quarters sounded.
During the inauguration of B. N. Yeltsin in 1996, the Spassky Astronomical Clock played a melody; from that time on, at 12 and 6 o’clock they played the “Patriotic Song”, and at 3 and 9 o’clock the melody of “Glory” by M. I. Glinka.
In 1999, a major restoration of the clock was carried out, with the appearance of the upper tier restored and the hands and numbers plated in gold. By the end of the year, the melody of the national anthem of the Russian Federation was tuned (instead of the “Patriotic Song”).
Star on the Spasskaya Tower
Before the star, the tower was crowned with a double-headed eagle: from the 17th century until 1935. By various reasons the eagle had to be updated several times.
The Soviet five-pointed star with a hammer and sickle, based on a sketch by Fyodor Fedorovsky, was installed on Spasskaya and other Kremlin towers in August 1935. These first stars were made of stainless steel and red copper, the image of the hammer and sickle was made of Ural gems and covered with gold. Another decoration of the star is the rays diverging from the center to the tops.
In practice, the semi-precious copper-steel stars proved to be a poor solution: they quickly faded, so it took less than two years to replace them. However, the first Spasskaya Star, unlike many of its contemporaries, has been preserved; now it crowns the spire of the capital's Northern River Station.
The glowing ruby star on the Spasskaya Tower lit up on November 2, 1937. The star with a ray span of 3.75 meters is double-layered, with a stainless steel frame: the inner layer is made of milky glass, the outer layer is made of ruby. Autonomous lamps are protected from overheating and were replaced with modern ones during a comprehensive restoration in 2014.
With the collapse of the USSR, the question of returning the double-headed eagle to the tower was repeatedly raised, and it still remains open.
Festival "Spasskaya Tower" in Moscow
The international military music festival, named after the Spasskaya Tower, has been held in Moscow since 2006. Time: late August - early September, before City Day. The duration of the festival changes every year. Tickets for the festival are sold by day, with the first and last ones being more expensive.
This major festival involves military bands, honorary guard units of the countries' top officials, and folk music and dance groups in national costumes.
The main event of the festival is a large-scale concert on Red Square, in front of the Spasskaya Tower. It is at this concert that you can see the best performances of military musical groups from Russia, the CIS countries, Europe, East and Southeast Asia.
How to get to the Spasskaya Tower in Moscow
A close-up view of the Spasskaya Tower open to tourists can be seen from Red Square, since access to the tower is not included in standard excursions to the Kremlin Museum-Reserve. Accordingly, it is advisable to get to Red Square, and not to the entrance to the Kremlin through the Trinity Tower.
Most quick way To get to the Spasskaya Tower overlooking Red Square, take the metro to the Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya or Ploshchad Revolyutsii stations. These stations are part of the same metro interchange hub, so you should choose the nearest exit - No. 7 of Okhotny Ryad, from there to the foot of the tower - less than 500 meters on foot.
By bus you need to get to the “Red Square” stop along Varvarka Street. Flights No. 158, M5 are suitable.
The Spasskaya Clock Tower is clearly visible and recognizable from afar, but we still recommend checking the layout of the Kremlin towers:
A convenient option for those who want to learn as much as possible about the history of the Spasskaya Tower without losing sight of other attractions is an overview of the Spasskaya Tower with a tour of the Kremlin and Red Square. Suggestions from guides - on the project.
Panorama of the Spasskaya Tower on Google Maps
Video “Spasskaya Tower and the Kremlin in the New Year”
Address: Moscow Kremlin, between the Senate and Tsar's towers
Date of construction: 1491
Tower height: with a star 71 m.
The tower has a ruby star and chimes
Coordinates: 55°45"09.2"N 37°37"17.0"E
The 10-story Spasskaya Tower was erected under Prince Ivan III by the Italian architect Pietro Solari. Since there was a temple of Frol and Laurus nearby, which has not survived to this day, the Spasskaya Tower was originally called Frolovskaya. The known exact date for the completion of the Spasskaya Tower is 1491.
View of the tower from the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge
Images above the travel gates
In total, 2 images were depicted above the passage gates - the Savior of Smolensk decorated the entrance to the Kremlin at the beginning of the 16th century, and already in the second half of the 17th century the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands appeared from the Kremlin side. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, by a special decree in 1658, ordered the name of the Frolovsky Gate to be changed to Spassky. The same year can be considered the year the tower was given a new name - “Spasskaya”.
Antique defensive structures
After the construction of the Spasskaya Tower (at a time when it was still called Frolovskaya), it was decided to protect the eastern side of the Kremlin with a defensive line. To protect the entrance to the Kremlin, a diversion archer, quite powerful for those times, was installed on the 4-corner Spasskaya Tower. Also, additional protection was provided by “gers” - iron bars covering the tower on both sides. As soon as the attackers penetrated the tower, the gers descended and isolated them from their army, and from a special gallery at the very top the enemy was mercilessly destroyed. The archery gates were additionally equipped with drawbridges.
View of the Spassky Gate
Spassky Gate is a holy place for every Muscovite
In ancient times, the Spassky Gate was a truly cult place - they were considered saints in the literal sense of the word. The male half of the population was required to remove their hats when passing through the Spassky Gate. If for some reason they refused to take off their headdresses or forgot to do so, then they had to atone for their guilt by 50 bows to the ground. Also, the Spassky Gate was a meeting place for Moscow princes and their representatives with foreign ambassadors. And, of course, not a single Kremlin procession could not pass the Spassky Gate; even kings also passed through them before being crowned.
One thing is connected with the Spassky Gate and its holy power. interesting story. This happened during the War of 1812. It was at that moment when the French Emperor Napoleon, having captured Moscow, decided to pass through the Spassky Gate, the cocked hat from his head was blown away by the wind. His entourage regarded this as a bad sign, and as it has long been known, the sign came true. Napoleon’s criminal decision to blow up this tower is also reliably known. The explosion was prevented thanks to the Don Cossacks who arrived in time - the “special forces” of that time, of whom the French were terribly afraid.
View of the tower from Red Square
Spasskaya Tower in the 17th century
The height of the Spasskaya Tower today is 67.3 meters without the Kremlin star and 71 meters with it. However, the Spasskaya Tower was not always so high - its original height was at least 2 times less. Only in the first half of the 17th century, the Russian architect Bazhen Ogurtsov and Christopher Galovey, an English architect, completed the tower with a multi-tiered top made in the Gothic style. A stone tent was built at the very top of the tower. Once upon a time, stone statues were installed at the top and they were even dressed in specially sewn robes. But, alas, the statues have not reached our time. In addition to statues, the facades of the Spasskaya Tower were decorated with white stone reliefs. One of them, a stone relief depicting St. George the Victorious, can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery.
Around the same time, an arched stone bridge was added to the Spasskaya Tower, spanning a protective moat. On this bridge, merchants sold the most miscellaneous goods. In the mid-17th century, a double-headed eagle was installed on the pavilion of the Spasskaya Tower., which is currently the coat of arms of the Russian Federation. True, at that time the eagle also symbolized autocracy.
Northeast facade of the tower
Double-headed eagles were subsequently installed on the remaining towers of the Moscow Kremlin - Borovitskaya, Troitskaya and Nikolskaya. The reason was their great height, since the eagles should have been clearly visible to most Moscow citizens.
On the sides of first the Frolovsky and then the Spassky gates, two chapels were erected - Smolenskaya and Spasskaya. Their second names are interesting: for example, the Spasskaya chapel was christened the Great Council Angel, and the Smolensk chapel - the Great Council Revelation. At the very beginning of the 19th century, the wooden chapels were demolished and new ones, but made of stone, were erected in their place. And then the War of 1812 broke out. As you know, Napoleon did not stand on ceremony with iconic Russian buildings and mercilessly destroyed them. Architect P.A. Gerasimov carried out work on the restoration of the Kremlin in 1862 and during their implementation these 2 chapels were restored: however, according to a completely new project. The newly built and consecrated chapels in October of the same year fell under the “jurisdiction” of the Intercession Cathedral. The Bolsheviks finally demolished the chapels in 1925 and never restored them.
View of the chimes and ruby star
About how the images of the Savior Not Made by Hands and the Savior of Smolensk appeared
In the 16th century, Moscow was liberated from the dictates of Khan Makhmet-Girey. In honor of this event, a fresco appeared above the Frolov Gate. The image was considered to be of unearthly origin, but no one can say for sure whether it was so. Then the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands was decorated with a gilded robe and placed in an icon case. The image was illuminated with the help of a special unquenchable lamp, the responsibility of maintaining the fire fell on the priests from St. Basil's Cathedral. And here Napoleon was also unlucky. When his soldiers climbed to steal the frame of the holy image, the ladder collapsed along with them, and they simply did not dare to climb for the precious relic a second time. The fresco of the Savior Not Made by Hands was restored for the last time in 1895.
As for the second fresco - the image of the Savior of Smolensk, his fate is shrouded in darkness. Historians know little about him. However, Patriarch Alexy II handed over several icons, made according to ancient prototypes, to the new President of the Russian Federation, Putin, in 2000. They even wanted to place these icons on the Spasskaya Tower, in the place where the image of the Savior of Smolensk was once painted, but historians doubted their authenticity, and along with them the entire Orthodox clergy. This idea never received material embodiment.
View of the tower from St. Basil's Cathedral
Relatively recently, in 2007, representatives of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation took the initiative to restore the images above the Spassky Gate. Interestingly, it was about searching for frescoes of these images as separate icons - however, time has shown that this was an erroneous version. An ancient image of the image was discovered in 2010, when a white plastered rectangular niche was found above the Spassky Gate. Under the white layer of plaster they discovered an ancient image of the Savior of Smolensk.
After a series of consultations with professional historians and restorers, it was decided to begin restoring the image of the Savior of Smolensk. It was almost completely revealed on July 5, 2010. It is believed that at least 80% of the original has been preserved. The official opening of the gate icon of the Savior of Smolensk took place on August 26, and the consecration took place on August 28 of the same 2010. On August 28, during the great church holiday of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, the image was consecrated. It should be noted that the image of the Savior of Smolensk is the very first gate image in the entire history of the existence of the Spasskaya Tower.
Chimes - the main attraction of Moscow and the Spasskaya Tower
Who hasn't heard about the chiming clock installed on the Spasskaya Tower? For most of our contemporaries, the chiming clock is one of the main symbols of two states: one of which is Russia, the second is the USSR. And, of course, the majority of those who caught the New Year celebration under the chime of these clocks try to hear it again on this wonderful holiday - on the radio or TV.
Chimes on the Spasskaya Tower
It is known that the most important master creator of these watches is the watchmaker and mechanic from England Christopher Galovey. Its mechanism showed surprisingly accurate time, worked without failure, and even played musical melodies. True, his watch displayed the exact time using numbers - there were no hands then.
The clock on the Spasskaya Tower acquired a dial only at the beginning of the 18th century - when Peter I ordered the replacement of the Galovey clock mechanism with chimes with a 12-hour dial and music. But again, these are not the same Chimes that are installed on the Spasskaya Tower in our time. Their history includes a number of replacements and modernizations. So, in 1851, the watchmaker brothers P. and N. Butentop carried out repairs, so thorough that the watch was practically replaced with new ones. Every 6 hours (when the hands showed 6 or 12 o’clock), the newly repaired chimes played “March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment”. When the chimes showed 9 and 3 o'clock, another melody was played - “How Glorious is Our Lord in Zion” by Russian composer Dmitry Bortnyansky. For some reason Russian Emperor Nicholas I did not want the clock to play the national anthem, although there were such proposals.
General view of the Spasskaya Tower
Chimes in the 20th century
The clock on the Spasskaya Tower is such a significant monument that it is difficult to talk about the history of the tower without also talking about the history of the chimes. In 1917, the watch was seriously damaged for the first time: it was hit by a shell, the mechanism was damaged and the hand was broken. For a year the chimes were not working. Lenin began repairing them - on his orders, mechanic Behrens and musician Cheremnykh were involved in the restoration of the Kremlin clock. The chimes started working again, and at 12 o'clock in the afternoon the International played instead of a battle, and at 12 at night - “You fell a victim in the fatal struggle.” In 1938, by decision of Stalin, the clock began to chime the hours and quarters, and without any music.
And only in 1996, during the inauguration ceremony of Russian President Boris Yeltsin, the Kremlin clock again began playing musical melodies. At every 3rd and 9th hour, the chimes played a fragment of the opera “Life for the Tsar” by the famous Russian composer Glinka - the melody “Glory”. And every 12th and 6th hour - “Patriotic song”. The last time the chimes were restored was in 1999. Now the "Patriotic Song" has been replaced by the anthem of the Russian Federation.
It is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the entire ensemble, and tourists from all over the world never tire of admiring its beauty and capturing it in millions of photographs.
The Spasskaya Tower, whose history dates back to the end of the 15th century, was built simultaneously with it. It was originally called Frolovskaya. These two strongholds were needed on the northwestern side of the Kremlin for the simple reason that there were no natural barriers there. It must be said that previously the main gate of the entire ensemble was located at this place.
In past centuries, the tower above the main gate of the city heart amazed visitors with its proportions, grace and harmony, exquisite white stone decorations of the facades - turrets, carved columns, columns, figures of fictional animals. At the corners of the quadrangle there were pyramids topped with gilded weather vanes.
It must be said that until the 17th century, the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin was decorated with white stone reliefs and had double walls made of unique large bricks. Between these walls there was a staircase that connected all five tiers of the tower. As for the gates of the stronghold, they were protected with the help of a diversion arrow, connected to the tower by a wooden bridge, and two side bastions.
People even considered the Nikolskaya and Frolovskaya towers of the Kremlin not just important, but almost sacred. So, for example, it was impossible to ride a horse through them or walk without a headdress. It was through these structures that kings, ambassadors, and also regiments that were sent on campaigns left the city and entered it. Above the gates themselves - inside and outside - inscriptions were made on white stone outlining the history of the building, and each inscription was also duplicated in Latin.
In the mid-17th century, the construction of the Kremlin towers began. The Kremlin - the main one - has become even more harmonious and impressive. The Frolovskaya tower was especially in harmony with which was built in the middle of the 16th century - to commemorate the glorious victory of Ivan the Terrible over the Kazan Khanate. Over time, the imperial coat of arms - a double-headed eagle - was installed on the tent of the Frolovskaya tower, and then the same coats of arms were fixed on Nikolskaya, Borovitskaya and
The Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin received its name in April 1658, when a royal decree was signed, renaming all Kremlin strongholds. This is how the Frolovskaya Tower turned into the Spasskaya Tower. The name appeared because of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, which was placed above the gates of the tower, overlooking and also fixed above the passage from the Kremlin.
At the top of the tower - in its tented part, which was designed and built by the craftsman Bazhen Ogurtsov - the main clock of the entire state was placed. Later, already under Peter the Great, they were replaced by huge Dutch clocks, equipped with music and decorated with a twelve-hour dial. However, they were ruined by a fire in 1737. The modern chimes, for which the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is so famous today, were installed in 1851 by the Butenop brothers. Later they were modernized and restored.
The beauty and uniqueness of the Spasskaya Tower make it the main decoration of the ensemble of the entire Kremlin.
It is also known as the Frolov Tower.
Built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. Its construction marked the beginning of the construction of the eastern line of the Kremlin fortifications. The tower is located on the site of the Frolovskaya strelnitsa of 1367-68. Its gates, facing Red Square, have always been the main main entrance to the Kremlin. They were especially revered by the people and were considered saints. The gate served for the tsar’s trips, the patriarch’s ceremonial exits, and meetings of foreign ambassadors.
The tower has a tetrahedral shape and a powerful diversion arrow closely adjacent to it, which served to protect the passage gate. They were closed with special lowering iron gratings - gers. If the enemy penetrated inside the archery, the gers were lowered, and the enemy found himself locked in a kind of stone bag. He was fired at from the upper gallery of the archery. On the façade of the tower you can still see the holes through which chains were passed to raise and lower the special wooden deck of the bridge, and in the passage of the gate there are grooves along which a metal lattice ran. Drawbridges descended from the archery gates.
Above the gates of the diversion archer and the gates of the Spasskaya Tower from the Kremlin side, inscriptions in Russian and Latin languages, telling about the time of its construction: “In the summer of July 6999 (1491), by the grace of God, this archer was made by order of John Vasilyevich, the sovereign and autocrat of all Rus' and the Grand Duke of Volodymyr and Moscow and Novgorod and Pskov and Tver and Yugorsk and Vyatka and Perm and Bulgarian and others in the 30th year of his state, and Peter Anthony Solario did from the city of Mediolan (Milan).”
Initially, the tower was called Frolovskaya, due to the fact that the Church of Frol and Lavra was located nearby in the Kremlin. In 1516, a wooden bridge was built from the tower across the moat. Already at the end of the 16th century. above the tower there was a hipped roof topped with a double-headed eagle. By decree of April 16, 1658, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to call it Spasskaya. The new name was associated with the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, placed above the gate on the Red Square side. The icon itself has not survived, but the place where it hung is clearly visible.
In 1624-25. Russian architect Bazhen Ogurtsov and English master Christopher Galovey erected a multi-tiered top over the tower, ending with a stone tent. This was the first tent-roofed completion of the Kremlin towers. The lower part of the building was decorated with a white stone lace arched belt, turrets, and pyramids. Fantastic figures (“boobs”) appeared, whose nakedness, by order of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, was bashfully covered with specially tailored clothes. The tower rightfully began to be considered the most beautiful and slender tower of the Kremlin. Unfortunately, during the superstructure of the tower, the white stone reliefs of V.D. were removed from its facades. Ermolin, made for the Frolov Gate of the time of Dmitry Donskoy. They depicted the patrons of the Moscow princes - Saints George the Victorious and Dmitry of Thessalonica. (A fragment of the relief of St. George is kept today in the Tretyakov Gallery.)
In the 17th century A stone bridge on arches was thrown across the moat to the Spassky Gate, on which lively trade took place. In the 1650s. On top of the tent of the main tower of the Kremlin, the coat of arms of the Russian state was erected - a double-headed eagle. Later, similar coats of arms were installed on the highest towers - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya.
The first clock on the Spasskaya Tower was installed according to the design of Christopher Galovey. In 1707 they were replaced by Dutch chimes with music. In 1763 the clock was replaced again, and in 1851 these last chimes of the 18th century were replaced. overhauled by brothers N. and P. Butenop. In 1920, during the renovation of the Spasskaya Tower, musician M.M. Cheremnykh and mechanic N.V. Behrens, having repaired the clock, picked up the melody of the Internationale on the chimes.
The star on the Spasskaya Tower was first installed in 1935. In 1937, it was replaced by a new one with a wingspan of 3.75 m. Inside the star, a 5000 W lamp burns around the clock. The star rotates in the wind, like a weather vane.
Restoration of the gate icon. The last time the gate image was seen was in 1934. For a long time Only a white rectangle bordered by a frame reminded of the gate icon. The image above the gate was considered lost until a sounding of the gate icon case of the Spasskaya Tower, carried out at the end of April 2010, showed the presence of an image of Christ under the plaster. At the end of June 2010, restoration of the icon began. First, they cleaned off the plaster and dismantled the mesh that protected the icon of the Savior of Smolensk from external environment. By July 5, 2010, the icon of the Savior of Smolensk was completely opened. According to rough estimates by restorers, the icon is 80% preserved. Traces of shrapnel from the shelling of the tower and from the pins holding the net were noticeable. On August 24, 2010, the restoration of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk was completed. It was decided not to restore the gilding applied in 1895, but also not to open the earlier layers. Restorers precisely restored the paints and lost fragments. On August 26, 2010, after the scaffolding was removed, the gate icon of the Spasskaya Tower again appeared before visitors to Red Square. The consecration of the returned shrine by Patriarch Kirill took place on August 28, 2010, on the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.
The Spasskaya Tower has 10 floors. Tower height: up to the star - 67.3 m, with the star - 71 m.
