The Tower of the Moscow Kremlin

Probably, there are no people who would not have known about the Moscow Kremlin. This architectural complex has not only a large size, but also an interesting history. The Moscow Kremlin includes a huge number of historical buildings - monuments and towers. The last in the complex is more than ten. However, the most interesting story is the Watch Tower.

When was erected

The information about who was built The watchtower of the Moscow Kremlin, alas, was not preserved. It is not possible to find out such information. The tower was built at the end of the fifteenth century. To be more precise, in the distant 1495. There is a structure between other towers: Konstantin-Yelenin and Tsarskoy. Inside the building is divided into several tiers. The lower level is a rather complex room consisting of a number of chambers. It is associated with the chassis of the walls. From 1676 to 1686, the tower underwent some changes. During this period of time the structure was built-up. Its top became tetrahedral and hipped.

Of course, the construction performed not only aesthetic functions. On the tower was installed a bell, near which there were constantly on duty. Their job was to monitor everything that happens on the horizon. In case of danger, the bell rang. This made it possible to warn people about the approach of the enemy.

After suppression of "Plague of rebellion" Catherine II ordered to snatch the tongue of the bell. The alarm tower stood for about 30 years without sound.

History of the Plague Rebellion

In Russia, around the second half of the eighteenth century, the plague epidemic began. In addition, the population of the country suffered greatly from hunger, as well as from ill-treatment and bullying of the police. However, the main reason for the unrest was not the facts. The starting point was the transfer of the icon to the barbaric gate in secret from civilians. From that moment, a riot began. It was the ringing of the bell of the Alarm Tower that signaled the beginning of the action.

People gathered in the square. However, they were cruelly punished. Many were killed and maimed. The revolt is over as unexpectedly as it began. As a result, 4 people were hanged and 72 were beaten with a whip, and then sent to the galleys. After that, the Kremlin's Alarm Tower was silent for 30 years. Such a decree was issued by Catherine II.

The alarm tower in our days

This building stands still and reminds many of those terrible events. Of course, time does not save anything. In the 70 years of the last century, the foundation of the construction began to collapse. As a result, a rather large crack appeared. This was reflected in the building itself. The alarm tower tilted hard. It was possible to stop this process. This was the endeavor of many professional architects. However, nobody was engaged in leveling the structure.

The top of the structure as a result of the slope has moved away from its vertical axis by about one meter. Of course, this made the Clock Tower even more popular, as it was called the "Moscow Tower of Pisa".