| Moskow Kremlin: Corner Arsenalnaya and Nikolskaya Towers |
| Moskow Kremlin: Corner Arsenalnaya and Nikolskaya Towers |
 |
Type: Moscow Kremlin
A series: architecture
The country: Russia, 1491-1492
Scale: 1:250
Volume: 15 sheets A4
The instruction in English |
|
|
| The Corner Arsenalnaya Tower of the Kremlin. In 1492 the architect P. Solari completed with this tower the defense line of the Kremlin from the side of the Red Square. In the architect's concept, it had to become the strongest corner tower. Not far from the tower there was the mansion of the boyars Sobakiny, that is why the tower was primarily called Sobakina. Only in the beginning of the 18-th century after the construction of the Arsenal the tower received its contemporary name. The tower is notable for the wide foundation, massive walls of 4m height going deeply underground. Though the tower had not only defense function. Till nowadays there is a hidden underground well, that was used by the garrison of the fortress in case of siege. Besides, there was a hidden exit from the tower to the river Neglinnaya that was blocked up later.
The Nikolskaya Tower of the Kremlin. The tower was constructed by the architect P.Solari in 1491. Its name is connected with the icon of St. Nicolas the Miracle-Worker that was hung above the passage gates of the fire slit. Similarly to all other passage towers, this one had the drawbridge over the moat and the caging on the gates. In 1612, during the struggle with the invaders from Poland, the people's volunteer corps headed by Prince Dmitriy Pozharskiy and by Kuzma Minin stormed just these very gates and released the Kremlin. In the beginning of the 19-th century the tower was reconstructed, the previous superstructure was replaced with the Gothic top with tracery ornamentation. This ornamentation together with the four orderly turrets in the corners of the lower tetragon distinguishes the Nikolskaya tower from the other towers of the Kremlin. In 1812 the tower was blown up by the Frenchmen, retreating from Moscow. It was restored in 1816.
|
|
|
|  |
