The Kremlin that we are all used to today (with its walls and towers) was built during 1485-1495 on the site of a white-stone fortress from the time of Dmitry Donskoy, which had completely dilapidated by that time. For our contemporaries, the walls and towers of the Kremlin are not only a stunning historical monument, they are also "living" evidence of the high level of development of the fortification art of the Russian people in the 15th century.
The Kremlin towers are interconnected by fortress walls. The goal pursued by their creators was the ability to fire from towers in different directions. To do this, the architects pushed these buildings a little forward beyond the line of walls. Round towers appeared where the walls of the Kremlin met at an angle. They were the most durable and practical, because they allowed firing around the circle. Among them are Corner Arsenalnaya, Beklimishevskaya and Vodovzvodnaya. Their peculiarity was also the fact that inside they were equipped with hiding places-wells, which could supply the Kremlin with water for a long time under conditions of a long siege. All the towers of the Kremlin had several floors and practical through passages that allowedthe defenders of the fortress to move quickly and imperceptibly from the enemy from one wall of the fortress to another. These passages in the towers have survived to this day.
The height of the Kremlin walls, depending on the terrain, ranges from 5 to 19 meters. Their thickness reaches 6.5 meters! The thinnest ones are 3.5 meters. The total area of the Kremlin fortress is approximately 28 hectares. The towers of the Kremlin, in the amount of 20 pieces, are evenly spaced along the entire perimeter of the fortress walls. Five of them are passes. Including the most beautiful - the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower.
Today she is a visiting card of Moscow. The most famous attraction not only of the capital, but also of Red Square, which it overlooks. It is in it that the main gates of the Kremlin with the same name are located - Spassky. The famous chimes, under which the whole of Russia has been meeting every New Year for so many years, are also located on this building. Its dome is decorated with a red star - the symbol of the USSR, which is still associated by all foreigners primarily with Moscow.
This Kremlin tower is about 71 meters high. It was built in 1491 under Ivan III. Its author is the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. This is evidenced by the inscription on white stone slabs, which are installed directly on the structure. The construction of the tower was the beginning of the construction of defensive structures on the eastern side of the Kremlin. During the construction it was called Frolovskaya. The fact is that very close, on Myasnitskaya Street, was the church of Frol andLavra, which, however, has not survived to this day. The road to it from the Kremlin went through this tower.
The tower owes its current name - Spasskaya, to the image of the Savior, which was painted over its gates in 1658 from the side of Red Square. Then they renamed not only the tower, but also the Frolovsky Gates of this structure. Since then, they have become known as Spassky. And until today they are considered the main gates of the Kremlin, Moscow and Russia.
