
Russia Photos Prints - Moscow
Photographer Charles Pfeil
Spasskaya (Savior) Tower
of Kremlin
The Kremlin is currently
the location of the office of the President and other presidential officials.
The word "Kremlin" means "walled city" and as such many cities throughout Russia
have a Kremlin.
Additional comments
provided by Julia Ekimova
Ekimova Yulia
The 70 m (230 ft) high Saviour Tower is the most magnificent of the
Kremlintowers, the very symbol and emblem of Moscow. From time immemorial it has
been the principal entrance to the Kremlin. The tower, like its two neighbors to
the north, was built in 1491 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari.
The tower was given its name in 1658, when an icon of Christ was set up over the
entrance. Before the October Revolution, men were required to take their hats
off when passing through the gate. Up to 1658, it was called the Frolovskaya
Tower. It was not tall originally, but then it was added to in 1624-1625 by the
architect Bazhen Ogurtsovand adorned with white-stone sculptures.
The first clock was set into the tower in the 16th century. In the 17th century,
it was replaced by a chiming clock, made by the English master Christopher
Halloway. Subsequently, the clock's mechanism has been changed repeatedly. The
Kremlin chimes that adorn the tower today were made in 1851-1852 by the brothers
N. and P. Butenop. The gigantic mechanism (about 25 tons) of the carillon
occupies three storeys of the tower. Until the October Revolution the carillon
played the tsarist national anthem, and between 1917 and 1941 it played the "Internationale".
The clock now only strikes the hours. The ruby star was installed in 1937.
account executive
Mmd Public Relations Russia