What was the name of the raft near the Kremlin? Water supply to the Kremlin at the end of the 17th century. Wash ports and dresses

Now even those who know what it looks like cannot pronounce the name correctly. Dairy, car wash? Or maybe a porto-washroom, a dress washroom, a laundry washroom? Everything is correct, everything about her, our dear rinse. It’s just that in different places this structure was called differently.

Wash ports and dresses

In Kostroma, the word “dress wash” (or “dress wash”) has long been preferred, and the Galicians, for example, liked the word “porto wash”. “Port” is a quite decent word, that’s what clothes were called in the old days. “Moinya” - because our ancestors usually said not “rinse”, but “wash”. But rafts were used more often on rivers with strong currents. Women with washed clothes were loaded onto a raft, which set sail from the shore. In the middle of the river, he rushed up, against the current, and the washerwomen stood at the edges of the log structure and lowered their sheets, shirts, and towels into the cold running water. The raft floats, the laundry is rinsed, the conversation flows, life flows...

« Washing ladies"from a rinsing plant

Local historian Andrei Anokhin in his book “Kostroma on Weekdays and Holidays” describes in detail local rinsing enterprises. It was a whole profitable trade, the workers of which rinsed clothes from lavas, rafts and other structures. The rinsers often “washed” not only their own linen, but also that of others, thereby earning a living.

The construction of the rinsing stations was carried out by entrepreneurs who won the auction in the city government. “In Kostroma,” writes A. Anokhin, “tenants got along with three types of dress washers. Warm - a long log house with windows, inside of which there was an ice hole with wooden flooring around it; a cold one - a planked shed with an ice hole and a flooring, and, finally, an ordinary open ice hole, fenced off with poles so that any tipsy car or dray driver would not fall into the linen hole. However, the landmarks provided little protection. There was a fee for using the first two types of washing facilities. The tenant coordinated it with the city government. In the 19th century, for example, it ranged from one to six kopecks per laundry basket, depending on the volume of the baskets. The amount is quite significant and not every average person can afford it. The tenant provided open ice holes for the services of the latter.”

The administration obliged entrepreneurs to monitor not only the arrangement of rinsing stations, but also the order in them. However, the tenants were often greedy, maintained the dress washers poorly, and the caretaker they hired (who also collects money from users) preferred not to interfere in the noisy women's squabbles. There were always enough quarrels and fights here. Sometimes, the researcher writes, the struggle for the best place ended with “some washing ladies taking ice-hole swims.” When the scandals went too far, the police intervened. The one with the “washing ladies”, among whom were mainly laundresses, cooks, and servants, did not stand on ceremony, drew up a report and fined as much as three rubles...

«… and got a good spanking on the raft.”

While there was a caretaker at the dress washer, the local kids didn’t dare go there. And when he left, they had plenty of freedom - dive, swim until you’re blue in the face... Our fellow countryman, the wonderful Russian poet Vladimir Leonovich, has a poem “Bow to the old women of Kostroma.” It contains a real episode from his life. As a boy, he almost drowned in the Volga, not far from the rinsing station where women “washed and honed shirts”:

"The river - then it was a river -

She blew me away, barely went up to my neck,

But I was saved by the woman of Kostroma

And on the raft he was spanked thoroughly...” writes the poet.

Dresses in the spring. Early 20th century

Dress washer for dress washer

Before the revolution, the public councils of Kostroma for a long time, but unsuccessfully, proposed making washrooms free and accessible to everyone, justifying this with the requirements of hygiene and sanitation. But fees for using rinses were abolished only in the Soviet years. But then there were no caretakers either. The water supply network became more and more extensive, and it came to the outskirts. But many still stubbornly went to the Volga to rinse. And this is not a matter of habit. And the fact is that otherwise the linen did not seem truly fresh to them. It was as if the river endowed him with some special - healthy, clean, strong and ancient - energy...

Back in the very late 90s - early 2000s, the then mayor of Kostroma Boris Korobov gave his subordinates from the housing and communal services real headaches for these dress washers.« People are demanding repairs, but you keep dragging on and on!» - he swore at the planning meeting. The rinses were repaired, and they continued to serve people.

Water and soap washed away the dirt from the carpet

True, they were used more and more not for washing bed linen, but for washing carpets. Then the Kostroma residents seemed to go crazy: in the spring all the river embankments, all the rafts were"decorated" drying carpets. You drive across the bridge and see on the slabs along the river a kind of patchwork of multi-colored woolen"patches". And nearby, their owners are guarding the washed clothes and sunbathing. It was a whole ritual, and the woman who did not comply with it was considered a bad housewife. Or she had recently lived in the city and was not familiar with this local custom that came from unknown origin. Moreover, no matter how much officials and environmentalists insist that this is harmful both for the river (washing powder gets into the water) and for the carpet (wool does not mix well with water), people stubbornly dragged and transported their carpets, rugs and rugs in cars for water treatments. . Sometimes several at a time.

Then this fashion passed. And carpeting is no longer in trend, and an alternative has appeared: you can wash carpets at a car wash. It's fast, easy and inexpensive.

Closed dress slaughterhouse at Milk Mountain

« You can only rinse on your knees»

Last year, Kostroma raft washers unexpectedly became an Internet hit. A wave of discussion arose after State Duma deputy Dmitry Gudkov posted a post on his Facebook page. “The document is 24 pages. Legal subtleties, electronic tricks - and a rinse with strings. Is this really Russia that has risen from its knees? No, you can only rinse clothes in the river on your knees,” he was indignant after reading about tenders for the arrangement of port washrooms in Kostroma (Bui) and other regions. “That is, when in the West people line up for a new smartphone, in Russia the same lines stand at the ice hole for rinsing clothes. This is not even the 19th century, it is much deeper,” the deputy wrote. Some bloggers immediately began to mock the “Kostroma nanotechnologies for maintaining cleanliness,” others were amazed that budget money was being spent on this, which could have been spent on something more progressive.

But I think the amazement was mutual. Residents who do not have running water, living in houses without amenities, were also surprised at how far the servants of the people are from these very people, how little they know their needs... In the same Buya, raft washers turned out to be so in demand that instead of seven rinsing stations, the local authorities had to At the request of the Buev residents, we will install two more...

A necessary thing or an anachronism?

And in Kostroma, dress washers seem to be living out their days, and perhaps we will witness the closure of the last of them. Recently, our reader Alexandra from Zaprudnya complained: for several months they could not repair the rinsing station at Belilka. After the winter, this structure fell into disrepair. Alexandra turned to officials for help. The answer she received shocked her: they were not going to repair the dressmaker. They say that the “greens” are protesting: river washing threatens nature with serious environmental problems, and officials agree with this. If this is so, then, perhaps, this is the most unique case when the authorities and environmentalists found themselves on the same side of the barricades.

However, not everyone at Belilka, like Alexandra, wants the rinse station to be restored. Some people believe that it causes only problems and has little real benefit. Apart from carpets, they say, nothing else is washed here, since everyone has water in their houses, automatic washing machines are installed, and grandmother’s custom of carrying laundry with laundry baskets to the river is no longer in honor. “Look at Belilka,” they say, “the water is muddy, dirty, mud and garbage all around. Is it possible to rinse here?!” Drunken groups that gather near the water are also a concern. They are at ease under the roof of the dress washer - in any weather they sit here until the morning, giving no rest to the local residents. Someone also associates the recent tragedy, when a child died while swimming at Belilka, with this rinse...

But the future fate of the dress wash should still be decided not by officials, but by townspeople. They need to answer the question: is a rinse in demand today? Or is this really an anachronism that belongs in a museum, not on a river?

By the way, about the museum

In the Russian city of Elabuga (Tatarstan) there is the only museum in the world "Portomoynya".This historical object has been restored to its original form. Owners of modern washing machines, which do almost everything for the owner, get acquainted with interest in the history of hand washing using ash and lye, learn how soap was made in the old days, and can even take part in this process themselves.

The Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers and they are all different, no two are alike. Each tower has its own name and its own history. And probably many people don’t know the names of all the towers. Shall we meet?

BEKLEMISHEVSKAYA (Moskvoretskaya) tower is located in the south-eastern corner of the Kremlin. It was built by the Italian architect Marco Fryazin in 1487-1488. The courtyard of boyar Beklemishev adjoined the tower, for which it received its name. Beklemishev's courtyard, together with the tower, served as a prison for disgraced boyars under Vasily III. The current name – “Moskvoretskaya” – is taken from the nearby Moskvoretsky Bridge. The tower was located at the junction of the Moscow River with a moat, so when the enemy attacked, it was the first to take the blow. The architectural design of the tower is also connected with this: the tall cylinder is placed on a beveled white stone plinth and separated from it by a semicircular ridge. The surface of the cylinder is cut through by narrow, sparsely spaced windows. The tower is completed by a machicolli with a battle platform, which was higher than the adjacent walls. In the basement of the tower there was a hidden rumor to prevent undermining. In 1680, the tower was decorated with an octagon carrying a tall narrow tent with two rows of dormitories, which softened its severity. In 1707, expecting a possible attack by the Swedes, Peter I ordered bastions to be built at its foot and the loopholes to be expanded to install more powerful guns. During Napoleon's invasion, the tower was damaged and then repaired. In 1917, the top of the tower was damaged during shelling, but it was restored by 1920. In 1949, during the restoration, the loopholes were restored to their previous form. This is one of the few Kremlin towers that has not been radically rebuilt. The height of the tower is 62.2 meters.

The KONSTANTINE-ELENINSKAYA tower owes its name to the Church of Constantine and Helena that stood here in ancient times. The tower was built in 1490 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari and was used for the passage of the population and troops to the Kremlin. Previously, when the Kremlin was made of white stone, there was another tower in this place. It was through her that Dmitry Donskoy and his army went to the Kulikovo field. The new tower was built for the reason that there were no natural barriers on its side from the Kremlin. It was equipped with a drawbridge, a powerful diversion gate and passage gates, which later, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. were dismantled. The tower got its name from the Church of Constantine and Helena, which stood in the Kremlin. The height of the tower is 36.8 meters.

The Alarm Tower got its name from the large bell, the alarm, that hung above it. Once upon a time there were guards on duty here all the time. From above, they vigilantly watched to see if the enemy army was approaching the city. And if danger was approaching, the watchmen had to warn everyone and ring the alarm bell. Because of him, the tower was called Nabatnaya. But now there is no bell in the tower. One day at the end of the 18th century, at the sound of the Alarm Bell, a riot began in Moscow. And when order was restored in the city, the bell was punished for divulging bad news - they were deprived of their tongue. In those days it was a common practice to recall at least the history of the bell in Uglich. Since then, the Alarm Bell fell silent and remained idle for a long time until it was removed to the museum. The height of the Alarm Tower is 38 meters.

ROYAL Tower. It is not at all like other Kremlin towers. There are 4 columns right on the wall, and on them there is a peaked roof. There are neither powerful walls nor narrow loopholes. But she doesn’t need them. Because they were built two centuries later than the other towers and not for defense at all. Previously, there was a small wooden tower on this site, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched over Red Square. Previously, there was a small wooden tower on this site, from which, according to legend, the first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched over Red Square. Later, the smallest tower of the Kremlin was built here and called it Tsarskaya. Its height is 16.7 meters.

SPASSKAYA (Frolovskaya) tower. Built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari. This name comes from the 17th century, when an icon of the Savior was hung over the gates of this tower. It was erected on the spot where the main gates of the Kremlin were located in ancient times. It, like Nikolskaya, was built to protect the northeastern part of the Kremlin, which had no natural water barriers. The passage gates of the Spasskaya Tower, at that time still Frolovskaya, were considered “holy” by the people. No one rode through them on horseback or walked through them with their heads covered. The regiments setting out on a campaign passed through these gates; kings and ambassadors were met here. In the 17th century, the coat of arms of Russia - a double-headed eagle - was installed on the tower; a little later, coats of arms were also installed on other high towers of the Kremlin - Nikolskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya. In 1658, the Kremlin towers were renamed. Frolovskaya turned into Spasskaya. It was named so in honor of the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, located above the passage gate of the tower from the side of Red Square, and in honor of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, located above the gate from the Kremlin. In 1851-52 A clock was installed on the Spasskaya Tower, which we still see today. Kremlin chimes. Chimes are large clocks that have a musical mechanism. The bells play music at the Kremlin chimes. There are eleven of them. One large one, it marks the hours, and ten smaller ones, their melodious chime is heard every 15 minutes. The chimes contain a special device. It sets the hammer in motion, it hits the surface of the bells and the Kremlin chimes sound. The Kremlin chimes mechanism occupies three floors. Previously, chimes were wound manually, but now they do it using electricity. The Spasskaya Tower occupies 10 floors. Its height with the star is 71 meters.

The SENATE Tower was built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari, rises behind the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin and is named after the Senate, whose green dome rises above the fortress wall. The Senate Tower is one of the oldest in the Kremlin. Built in 1491 in the center of the north-eastern part of the Kremlin wall, it performed only defensive functions - it protected the Kremlin from Red Square. The height of the tower is 34.3 meters.

NIKOLSKAYA Tower is located at the beginning of Red Square. In ancient times, there was a monastery of St. Nicholas the Old nearby, and above the gate of the tower there was an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The gate tower, built in 1491 by the architect Pietro Solari, was one of the main defensive redoubts of the eastern part of the Kremlin wall. The name of the tower comes from the Nikolsky Monastery, which was located nearby. Therefore, an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed above the passage gate of the strelnitsa. Like all towers with entrance gates, Nikolskaya had a drawbridge over the moat and protective grilles that were lowered during the battle. The Nikolskaya Tower went down in history in 1612, when militia troops led by Minin and Pozharsky burst into the Kremlin through its gates, liberating Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders. In 1812, the Nikolskaya Tower, along with many others, was blown up by Napoleon's troops retreating from Moscow. The upper part of the tower was especially damaged. In 1816, it was replaced by the architect O.I. Bove with a new needle-shaped dome in the pseudo-Gothic style. In 1917, the tower was damaged again. This time from artillery fire. In 1935, the dome of the tower was crowned with a five-pointed star. In the 20th century, the tower was restored in 1946-1950s and in 1973-1974s. Now the height of the tower is 70.5 meters.

The CORNER ARSENAL tower was built in 1492 by Pietro Antonio Solari and is located further away, in the corner of the Kremlin. The first name was received at the beginning of the 18th century, after the construction of the Arsenal building on the territory of the Kremlin, the second comes from the estate of the Sobakin boyars located nearby. There is a well in the dungeon of the corner Arsenal Tower. It is more than 500 years old. It is filled from an ancient source and therefore it always has clean and fresh water. Previously, there was an underground passage from the Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. The height of the tower is 60.2 meters.

The MIDDLE ARSENAL tower rises from the side of the Alexander Garden and is called so because there was a weapons depot right behind it. It was built in 1493-1495. After the construction of the Arsenal building, the tower got its name. A grotto was erected near the tower in 1812 - one of the attractions of the Alexander Garden. The height of the tower is 38.9 meters.

The TRINITY Tower is named after the church and the Trinity Compound, which were once located nearby on the territory of the Kremlin. Trinity Tower is the tallest tower of the Kremlin. The height of the tower currently, together with the star from the side of the Alexander Garden, is 80 meters. The Trinity Bridge, protected by the Kutafya Tower, leads to the gates of the Trinity Tower. The tower gate serves as the main entrance for visitors to the Kremlin. Built in 1495-1499. Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin Milanets. The tower was called differently: Rizopolozhenskaya, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya. It received its current name in 1658 after the Trinity courtyard of the Kremlin. In the 16th-17th centuries, the two-story base of the tower housed a prison. From 1585 to 1812 there was a clock on the tower. At the end of the 17th century, the tower received a multi-tiered hipped superstructure with white stone decorations. In 1707, due to the threat of a Swedish invasion, the loopholes of the Trinity Tower were expanded to accommodate heavy cannons. Until 1935, an imperial double-headed eagle was installed at the top of the tower. By the next date of the October Revolution, it was decided to remove the eagle and install red stars on it and the other main towers of the Kremlin. The double-headed eagle of the Trinity Tower turned out to be the oldest - made in 1870 and prefabricated with bolts, so when dismantling it had to be dismantled at the top of the tower. In 1937, the faded gem star was replaced with a modern ruby ​​star.

KUTAFYA tower (connected by a bridge to Troitskaya). Its name is associated with this: in the old days, a casually dressed, clumsy woman was called a kutafya. Indeed, the Kutafya tower is not high, like the others, but squat and wide. The tower was built in 1516 under the direction of the Milanese architect Aleviz Fryazin. Low, surrounded by a moat and the Neglinnaya River, with a single gate, which in moments of danger was tightly closed by the lifting part of the bridge, the tower was a formidable barrier for those besieging the fortress. It had plantar loopholes and machicolations. In the 16th-17th centuries, the water level in the Neglinnaya River was raised high by dams, so that water surrounded the tower on all sides. Its original height above ground level was 18 meters. The only way to enter the tower from the city was via an inclined bridge. There are two versions of the origin of the name “Kutafya”: from the word “kut” - shelter, corner, or from the word “kutafya”, which meant a plump, clumsy woman. The Kutafya Tower has never had a covering. In 1685, it was crowned with an openwork “crown” with white stone details.

The COMMANDANT'S Tower got its name in the 19th century because the commandant of Moscow was located in the building nearby. The tower was built in 1493-1495 on the northwestern side of the Kremlin wall, which today stretches along the Alexander Garden. It was formerly called Kolymazhnaya after the Kolymazhny yard located near it in the Kremlin. In 1676-1686 it was built on. The tower is made up of a massive quadrangle with machicolations (mounted loopholes) and a parapet and an open tetrahedron standing on it, completed with a pyramidal roof, an observation tower and an octagonal ball. The main volume of the tower contains three tiers of rooms covered with barrel vaults; The completion tiers are also covered with vaults. In the 19th century, the tower received the name “Komendantskaya”, when the commandant of Moscow settled nearby in the Kremlin, in the Poteshny Palace of the 17th century. The height of the tower from the side of the Alexander Garden is 41.25 meters.

The ARMORY tower, which once stood on the banks of the Neglinnaya River, now enclosed in an underground pipe, received its name from the nearby Armory Chamber, the second comes from the nearby Stables Yard. Once upon a time there were ancient weapons workshops located next to it. They also made precious dishes and jewelry. The ancient workshops gave the name not only to the tower, but also to the wonderful museum located nearby behind the Kremlin wall - the Armory Chamber. Many Kremlin treasures and simply very ancient things are collected here. For example, helmets and chain mail of ancient Russian warriors. The height of the Armory Tower is 32.65 meters.

Built in 1490 by Pietro Antonio Solari. Travel card. The first name of the tower is the original one, it comes from Borovitsky Hill, on the slope of which the tower stands; The name of the hill apparently comes from an ancient pine forest that grew on this site. The second name, assigned by royal decree of 1658, comes from the nearby Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist and the icon of St. John the Baptist, located above the gate. Currently, it is the main passage for government motorcades. The height of the tower is 54 meters.

WATER TOWER - so named because of the machine that was once here. She lifted water from a well located below to the very top of the tower into a large tank. From there, water flowed through lead pipes to the royal palace in the Kremlin. This is how in the old days the Kremlin had its own water supply system. He worked for a long time, but then the car was dismantled and taken to St. Petersburg. There it was used to construct fountains. The height of the Vodovzvodnaya tower with a star is 61.45 meters. The second name of the tower is associated with the boyar surname Sviblo, or the Sviblovs, who were responsible for its construction.

Annunciation Tower. According to legend, the miraculous icon of the Annunciation was previously kept in this tower, and in 1731 the Church of the Annunciation was added to this tower. Most likely, the name of the tower is associated with one of these facts. In the 17th century, for the passage of laundresses to the Moscow River, a gate was made near the tower, called Portomoyny. They were founded in 1831, and in Soviet times the Church of the Annunciation was also dismantled. The height of the Annunciation Tower with a weather vane is 32.45 meters.

TAINITSKAYA Tower is the first tower founded during the construction of the Kremlin. It was named so because a secret underground passage led from it to the river. It was intended to be able to take water in case the fortress was besieged by enemies. The height of the Taynitskaya tower is 38.4 meters.

Built in the 1480s. The tower ends with a simple tetrahedral pyramidal tent. The interior of the tower is formed by two tiers of vaulted rooms: the lower tier with a cross vault and the upper tier with a closed vault. The upper quadrangle is open into the cavity of the tent. One of the two towers that did not get a name. Height 34.15 meters.

Built in the 1480s. Above the upper quadrangle of the tower there is an octagonal tent with a weather vane; the upper quadrangle is open into the tent. The interior of the tower includes two levels of premises; the lower tier has a cylindrical vault, and the upper one is closed. Height 30.2 meters.

PETROVSKAYA tower, together with two unnamed ones, was built to strengthen the southern wall, as it was most often attacked. Like the two nameless ones, the Petrovskaya Tower at first had no name. She received her name from the Church of Metropolitan Peter at the Ugreshsky Metochion in the Kremlin. In 1771, during the construction of the Kremlin Palace, the tower, the Church of Metropolitan Peter and the Ugreshsky courtyard were dismantled. In 1783, the tower was rebuilt, but in 1812, the French destroyed it again during the occupation of Moscow. In 1818, the Petrovskaya Tower was restored again. Kremlin gardeners used it for their needs. The height of the tower is 27.15 meters.

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In the 17th century, the Portomoyny Gate was built next to the tower for the passage of palace laundresses to the Portomoyny raft on the Moscow River to rinse the ports - laundry. In 1831, the Portomoynye Gate was laid.

In the depths of the tower there was a deep underground. The height of the Annunciation Tower is 30.7 meters, with a weather vane -

32.45 meters.

1st UNNAMED TOWER

In the 1480s, the blind 1st Nameless Tower was built next to Taynitskaya. In the 15th - 16th centuries gunpowder was stored in it. This tower has a difficult fate. In 1547, during a fire, it was destroyed, and in the 17th century it was rebuilt. At the same time it was built with a tent tier. In 1770-1771, in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace of V.I. Bazhenov, the tower was dismantled, and when this construction was stopped, it was rebuilt.

In 1812, during Napoleon's invasion, the tower was blown up. It was restored in 1816 - 1835 under the supervision of O.I. Bove.

The height of the 1st Nameless Tower is 34.15 meters.

2nd UNNAMED TOWER

To the east of the 1st Nameless Tower is the 2nd Nameless Tower. In 1680, it was built with a tetrahedral tent topped with an observation tower. The tower is crowned with an octagonal tent with a weather vane.

In ancient times this tower had a gate. In 1771, in connection with the construction of the Kremlin Palace, it was demolished, and after construction ceased, it was rebuilt. Inside the quadrangle there are two tiers of vaulted rooms.

The height of the 2nd Nameless Tower is 30.2 meters.

COMMANDANT TOWER (KOLYMAZNAYA)

In 1495, a blank, strict tower was erected to the south of the Trinity Tower, which was built on two centuries later, in 1676 - 1686.

Previously, it was called Kolymazhnaya - from the Kolymazhny yard, located in the Kremlin. In the 19th century, when the commandant of Moscow settled in the Kremlin, not far from the tower in the Poteshny Palace, it began to be called “Komendantskaya”.

The height of the Commandant's Tower from the side of the Alexander Garden is 41.25 meters.

CONSTANTINO - ELENINSKAYA TOWER (TIMOFEEVSKAYA)

The passage Timofeevskaya Tower was built in 1490 on the site where the tower of the white-stone Kremlin from the time of Dmitry Donskoy previously stood. The tower served for the passage of the townspeople to the Kremlin, and regiments passed through it. Through the ancient gates of this tower in 1380 Dmitry Donskoy left the Kremlin, heading to the Kulikovo field.

The need to build a new tower in the same place was determined by the fact that on this side of the Kremlin there were no natural barriers in case of an enemy attack; the place was open and vulnerable to defense. The new tower protected Veliky Posad, the entrances to the pier on the Moskva River from the nearby streets - Velikaya and Varvarskaya. It had a powerful diversion arch, a drawbridge and passage gates to the Kremlin.

The tower received its name in the 17th century from the Church of Constantine and Helena, which stood nearby in the Kremlin.

In 1680, a slender hipped roof was erected over the tower on an arched quadrangular base. At the same time, the tower gates were closed, and the outlet archway was turned into a dungeon. In 1707, by order of Peter I, loopholes were cleared out on the Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower to install cannons. In the 18th - early 19th centuries, the bridge and diversion arrow were dismantled.

The height of the Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower is 36.8 meters.

WEAPONS TOWER (STABLE)

Between the Borovitskaya and Commandant towers, from the side of the current Alexander Garden, there is the Armory Tower, formerly called the Konyushennaya Tower. It was built in 1493-1495 next to the royal stable yard. The name "Armory" tower received in 1851, when the building of the Armory Chamber was built on the territory of the Kremlin.

The tower was built in 1676-1686. Its height is 32.65 meters.

BOROVITSKAYA TOWER (PREDTECHENSKAYA)

In the 90s of the 15th century, work on the construction of the Kremlin fortress was headed by Pietro Antonino Solari. Written sources note that it was at this time that the Kremlin acquired a grand scale and majestic severity.

On the site of the oldest exit from the Kremlin, on its western side, the Borovitskaya Tower passage was founded in 1490. From its gates there were convenient gatherings on the Neglinnaya River. Basically, the Borovitskaya tower was used for the household needs of the Zhitny and Konyushenny courtyards, which were located nearby. Its passage gates were like the “back” gates of the Kremlin.

The name of the tower reminds us that once here, on the Kremlin hill, a dense forest rustled. Some researchers associate the name of the tower with the fact that during the time of Dmitry Donskoy, this section of the white-stone Kremlin was built by residents of Borovsk, a large shopping center of that time.

In the 15th century, the quadrangle of the tower was covered with a wooden tent; the tower was connected by a bridge to the other bank of the Neglinnaya River. In the 17th century, 1666-1680, the powerful quadrangle of the tower was built on with three tetrahedrons decreasing upward, which gave it a pyramidal shape. The top of the tower was crowned with an open octagon and a high stone tent.

Simultaneously with the superstructure of the stepped top of the Borovitskaya tower, a diversion arrow was attached to its side, which still exists today. On the sides of the passage gates you can see holes in the shape of keyholes, through which ancient times passed the chains of the drawbridge across the Neglinnaya River. The vertical grooves for the grating - gers, which protected the entrance to the gate - have also been preserved.

In 1658, by royal decree, the Borovitskaya Tower was renamed the Predtechenskaya Tower, after the name of the nearby church, but the new name did not take root. In the 18th century, white stone psedagothic details were introduced into the decor of the tower.

In 1812, during the explosion of the neighboring Vodovzvodnaya tower by retreating French troops, the Borovitskaya tower was also damaged - the top of its tent fell. In 1816-1819, the tower was repaired under the leadership of O. I. Bove. In 1821, when the Neglinnaya River was enclosed in a pipe, the Borovitsky Bridge was broken. In 1048, the Borovitskaya tower was moved to the altar of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist near Bor.

A ruby ​​star, installed in 1937, burns on the tower. The height of the Borovitskaya tower to the star is 50.7 meters, with the star -

54.05 meters.

ROYAL TOWER

Between the Spasskaya and Nabatnaya towers, right on the Kremlin wall, there is a small tower - the Tsarskaya. In ancient times, judging by the plans of Moscow, there was a tetrahedral wooden tower in this place. Tradition says that from this tower, Tsar Ivan the Terrible watched from the walls of the Kremlin the events taking place on Red Square.

In 1680, on the site of a tower on the Kremlin wall, this small, unusual stone beauty tower, reminiscent of a tower, was built. An elegant octagonal tent, topped with a gilded weather vane, rests on four jug-shaped pillars. It once housed the bells of the Kremlin fire service. The tower has survived to this day without any major changes. And its name, apparently, retained the echo of an ancient legend.

The height of the tower with a weather vane is 16.7 meters.

SENATE TOWER

It was built in 1491 on Red Square, between the Frolovskaya and Nikolskaya towers. Architect - Pietro Antonino Solari. Until the end of the 18th century, it was nameless, and only after the completion of the building for the Senate in the Kremlin (1790, architect M. F. Kazakov) it began to be called Senate.

Inside the main volume of the tower there are three tiers of vaulted rooms. In 1680, the blank, square tower was built with a stone tent, crowned with a gilded weather vane.

In 1918, with the participation of V.I. Lenin, a plaque by sculptor S.T. Konenkov “To those who fell in the struggle for peace and brotherhood of peoples” was installed on the Senate Tower, which is now in the Museum of the USSR Revolution.

The height of the tower is 34.3 meters.

CORNER ARSENAL TOWER (SOBAKINA)

This is the third corner tower of the Kremlin. It was built in 1492 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari. It is the most monumental of the defensive structures. The walls of the lower massif are divided into 16 sides, the base is greatly expanded, the thickness of the walls is 4 meters. In the deep basement of the tower, accessed by an internal staircase, there is a spring - a well with clean, clear water, which has survived to this day. The spring, enclosed in a pine frame, was unusually clean and abundant, and when in 1894 they decided to pump out this water, it, as Kremlin historian S.P. Bartenyev wrote, arrived “every five minutes by 2 and a half inches.” The influx of water, as engineers calculated, was about 10-15 liters per second. But the water did not cause any harm to either the tower itself or the archives stored inside it. In ancient times, there was a secret passage from the Corner Arsenal Tower to the Neglinnaya River. In the 15th-16th centuries, the tower was strengthened with an additional wall that went around it in a semicircle.

The Moscow Kremlin is a unique monument of Russian history and culture, as well as ancient Russian defense architecture, because the words “kremlin” and the word “fortress” in Rus' meant almost the same thing. All ancient Russian fortresses were of the tower type, which means that the main architectural and defensive element in them were towers. Such towers are called flanking towers, since they make it possible to defend not only on the distant approaches to the edge, but also along the entire length of the fortress wall.

Briefly about the Moscow Kremlin

The history of the Moscow Kremlin is very ancient and dates back to the beginning of the 12th century - during the reign of Prince Dmitry Dolgoruky. The first Kremlin, erected by his decree on the banks of the Moscow River, was built from pine logs and often burned. After another fire at the beginning of the 14th century, which completely destroyed the ancient structure, Ivan Kalita ordered the construction of a new wooden Kremlin in its place, this time from oak logs. A little less than 30 years later he suffered the same fate. Under Dmitry Donskoy, they began to rebuild from white limestone. Its construction took only a year, although it was almost the same size as the existing one. However, limestone is a fragile stone, and by the middle of the 15th century it began to crumble heavily. The Kremlin was rebuilt again, this time from red brick. Construction was carried out by the Italian architect Antonio Gilardi or, in the Russian style, Anton Fryazin.

Place of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin in the system of fortress walls

In total, the system of fortress walls of the Moscow Kremlin has 20 towers. The Vodovzvodnaya Tower is located in the southwestern corner of the system, exactly at the place where it connects with the Alexander Garden. It is through this tower that one of the entrances to the Kremlin territory passes. It is intended for the passage of government vehicles. However, the original function of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower was to guard the ford. And it initially had a completely different name - Sviblova. At the tower there was previously a raft on which ports were rinsed, and therefore it is easy to guess what the raft at the Vodovzvodnaya Tower was called - Portomoyny. On the shore nearby there was a port-washing hut.

History of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin

The name Sviblovo was assigned to the tower due to the nearby courtyard of the boyar Sviblo. In addition, it was this man who supervised the construction of the tower. But the second name assigned to the structure - Vodovzvodnaya - is associated with the construction of a special water-cocking device at the top of the tower, which pumped water from the Moscow River. Through a system of lead pipes passing through the water supply tent, the flow of water was distributed throughout the Kremlin territory. The water platoon tent was located in the area of ​​the old Money Yard. With the help of such a water supply, Christopher Golovey intended to provide water to the Embankment Garden, Khlebny and Kormovaya orders. However, there is an opinion that a little later the water supply tent was moved to the Clock Tower to supply water to the gardens of the new women's wards.

At the end of the 18th century, due to severe disrepair, Vasily Bazhenov proposed dismantling it, but his initiative was not supported, and at the beginning of the 19th century, the tower was dismantled and reassembled, preserving its historical features.

In 1812, during the retreat of Napoleon's army from Moscow, on the orders of the French commander, the tower was blown up, but five years later it was restored by Osip Beauvais. During the restoration work, the decor of the tower underwent some changes: details reminiscent of the medieval Gothic style appeared on the facades.

In 1935, instead of a weather vane, a five-pointed star made of precious stones was installed on the tower's tent, which was replaced with a ruby ​​one two years later.

Architectural features of the tower

The description of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is quite voluminous. Therefore, we will divide it into two parts: a description of the tower itself and a description of its tent covering.

Vodovzvodnaya is one of the tallest towers in the system of defensive walls of the Kremlin. Its height reaches 61.25 m. Previously, before the erection of a tent covering on it at the end of the 17th century, its height was somewhat less. The tower is round in plan. In total, the tower has three tiers. The lower one has no windows or loopholes; the entire plane of the wall is designed in the form of rustication. Above the white rim of the cornice, separating the second tier, there is a stone carved ornament of semicircles. The blank wall of the second tier in its upper part has tall narrow windows with a semi-circular end. The third tier, separated from the second by a white rim of the cornice, has the shape of an inverted truncated cone, round in plan. The inclined consoles support a wide frieze band and have semi-circular ends. Above the frieze is a scalloped border, the shape of the teeth reminiscent of a dovetail.

Architectural features and decor of the tent covering

The tent top of the Vodovzvodnaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is also divided into tiers. The lower one, round in plan, is cut across the entire plane of the wall by rectangular, vertically elongated windows with a semicircular end. Along the upper edge above the white rim there is a carved stone pattern in the shape of semicircles.

The second tier of the pommel has an octagonal shape. Windows of the same shape as in the first tier are flanked by blades and pilasters.

The third tier has a hexagonal tent shape. Its edges are decorated with windows designed in the form of antique columned porticoes with triangular pediments. And the walls are lined with material of two colors - white and green.

The hexagonal fourth tier resembles a lantern tower in shape. Its edges are also decorated with columned porticoes, but without pediments, and have the same cladding as the previous one.

The fifth tier is hexagonal in shape and has blind windows separated by blades.

The sixth tier - a hexagonal lantern tower - is crowned by the seventh - a tent-shaped, faceted, cone-shaped covering with white and green cladding. Along the lower edge it is framed by triangular teeth extended upward.

The Vodovzvodnaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is an important historical and cultural monument of ancient Russian architecture.

The age of the architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin, consisting of bright walls and tall slender towers, has exceeded 500 years. At one time, its construction was started by Prince Ivan III. The difference in the sizes and proportions of the towers depended on the location of the structures themselves and their role in the defense of the city. Each of them had its own exits to the adjacent wall spindles, which made it possible to bypass all the walls without descending to the ground. Merlons, the so-called dovetails, became the crowning glory of the Kremlin buildings. They protected the shooters hiding on the upper platforms of the buildings. Today, Moscow residents and guests can see 20 towers.

All the towers had to endure many historical events. They suffered especially in the War of 1812, when explosions continually turned defensive structures into piles of stones. A lot of work was carried out to restore them. The appearance that Moscow residents and guests contemplate is due to the competent actions of the architect O.I. Bove.

When working on the restoration of the Kremlin complex, the craftsmen managed to emphasize its antiquity and add romance. The decor of some towers was made in a medieval style. The bastions built under Peter I were eliminated, and the ditch crossing Red Square was buried.

Taynitskaya Tower

During the construction of the Kremlin, it was laid first. And the building received this name because of the underground secret passage that connected it to the river. The move itself was needed to supply water to the fortress in case of a long siege by enemies.

The tower stretches up almost 39 m. Its design has undergone many changes due to restoration following the devastating flight of Napoleonic army. In the 40s of the XX century. The archer was finally dismantled, the well was filled in, and the passage gates were blocked.

Vodovzvodnaya (Sviblova) tower

It was named so because of the boyar Sviblov and because of the mechanism that raised water from the well. Life-giving moisture came from the underground kingdom into a huge tank standing at the very top of the pylon. The water supply worked for quite a long time until the car was dismantled and transported to St. Petersburg. In this city it was used to fill fountains. The length of the structure together with the star is 61.45 m. During its restoration, pseudo-Gothic and classical components were introduced - rustication, decorative machismos and huge windows.

Borovitskaya Tower

On Borovitsky Hill, which in ancient times was covered in the shadow of a pine forest, there is a 54-meter building with a star. Its second name is Predtechenskaya. The tower was intended to meet the needs of the Konyushenny and Zhitny courtyards located nearby.

It had passage gates, but they played the role of the back gate of the great Kremlin. The top of the pylon is equipped with an open octagon and an impressive stone tent.

Weapon Tower

In ancient times, it was adjacent to weapons workshops. Craftsmen also made jewelry and dishes here. The tower’s former name, Konyushennaya, is explained by its former proximity to the Tsar’s Konyushenny yard. It was named the Armory in 1851, when the Armory Chamber appeared at the Kremlin - a repository of treasures, ancient things and uniforms of ancient Russian warriors. You can approach the 32-meter object from the extreme part of the Alexander Garden.

Trinity Tower

After Spasskaya, it was listed as the second most serious protection and was the tallest among all the towers. At the base of the 6-tier quadrangle of this pylon there is a 2-tier basement with strong walls. For convenient movement between tiers, stairs are provided. This tower had several names. From Epiphany, Znamenskaya and Karetnaya, by royal decree it turned into Trinity due to the neighboring courtyard of the Trinity Monastery. Together with the star, the structure rises 80 m.

Kutafya (Bridge) Tower

Surrounded by a moat and a river, it rises near the Trinity Bridge. The low pylon had one gate, which was closed as needed by the lifting section of the bridge. So the design created a barrier to the siege of the fortress. Its power consisted in the presence of plantar loopholes and machicolations. To get to the tower territory from the city streets, Muscovites had to drive across an inclined bridge. Now the two-color 13-meter turret organically complements the Kremlin ensemble.

Corner Arsenalnaya (Dog) tower

Its lower mass is represented by 16 faces and an expanded base. There is a basement under the tower, which can be accessed via an internal staircase. In the dungeon there is a well with drinkable water. The design was named after the Dog because of the nearby courtyard of a boyar with the surname Sobakin. In the 18th century After the construction of the Arsenal, the tower with the well was renamed the Corner Arsenal.

Middle Arsenalnaya (Faceted) Tower

Entered the Kremlin complex in 1495. Later, a grotto was erected next to it - a landmark of the Alexander Garden. The outer edge of the pylon is divided by flat niches. The 4-cornered top is topped with machicolations and equipped with a parapet with caissons (recesses for carved decorations). The internal part of the structure is represented by 3 tiers, covered with cylindrical vaults. They have internal staircases. The entire structure is completed by an end-to-end observation tower and a tent.

Commandant (Kolymazhnaya) tower

A silent, austere building standing south of the Trinity Tower. Its appearance as part of the Kremlin dates back to 1495. The Kolymazhnaya Tower was called because of the proximity of the Kremlin Kolymazhny Yard. But when the commandant of the capital settled in the Poteshny Palace, and this happened already in the 19th century, the tower was renamed accordingly.

Tsar's Tower

Conveniently located between the Spasskaya and Nabatnaya towers. A tower-like structure appeared on the Kremlin wall in 1860.

Four jug-like pillars support an octagonal tent, decorated with a gilded weather vane. Once upon a time, the ringing of fire service bells could be heard from it. The tower has not undergone significant changes. Its height is about 17 m including the weather vane.

Petrovskaya (Ugreshskaya) tower

It appeared as the Kremlin’s military defense system improved. The name of the building was given to the church of Metropolitan Peter, standing in the courtyard of the Ugreshsky Monastery. The tower was built on and restored after the explosion of a gunpowder charge made by the French in 1812. The purpose of the 27-meter building was to satisfy the economic needs of gardeners who were beautifying the Kremlin territory.

Alarm tower

This solid, strong object stands between the Tsarskaya and Konstantino-Eleninskaya towers. The basement level of its interior is represented by a complex multi-chamber system, combined with the running part of the walls through stairs. Bells once rang in the tent-topped tetrahedron. Like instruments of the Spassky alarm, they notified people about the fire. The 150-pound alarm bell was rung by a distinguished craftsman of that time, Ivan Motorin.

Senate Tower

Since 1491, the tower has stood on Red Square between the Nikolskaya and Frolovskaya defensive buildings. Until the end of the 18th century. it did not have any name until the Senate building appeared in the Kremlin in 1790. The internal volume of the tower is divided into 3 tiers of rooms with vaults. The initially square, solid structure was added in 1680 with a stone tent and a gilded weather vane. The total height of the building is 34.3 m.

Spasskaya (Frolovskaya) tower

It is located near the main gate, which in ancient times had a special passage to the Kremlin. The structure was erected to protect the northeastern corner of the ensemble, which had no water barriers. In the XVII century. the tower was decorated with the sovereign's coat of arms in the form of a double-headed eagle. The clock hung on the structure in the 60s of the 19th century adorns it to this day.. The architecture of the pylon differed from the plan of the surrounding buildings by the precision of proportions, luxury of facade decorations and figurines of mythical animals. The corners of the quadrangle are in harmony with the pleasing pyramids with shining weather vanes.

Konstantino-Eleninskaya Tower

Built in 1490, it is located on the site of a former passage structure. The townspeople and regiments passed through it, and Prince Donskoy himself headed through this tower to fight on the Kulikovo Field, in the 2nd half of the 14th century. The structure acted as a security military facility, ensuring the safety of the Great Posad and the routes leading from the river pier. The tracks from the adjacent streets were also monitored. The pylon was equipped with a passage gate and a diversion arch. It was possible to get to it via a drawbridge that spanned over the moat. The object received a new name due to the proximity of the Church of Constantine and Helena.

Beklemishevskaya (Moskvoretskaya) tower

The round-shaped tower is located near the Moskvoretsky Bridge and is clearly visible from Red Square. Once upon a time, the defender repelled the blows of advancing enemies. There was a hiding place underneath it. In the 17th century the pylon was built with a beautiful tent, which gave it slender forms and relieved it of the severity of a fortress.

In connection with the unfolding of the Russian-Swedish war, bastions appeared around the structure, and the width of the loopholes was made larger. In 1949, a large-scale restoration of the tower also included the loopholes - they were restored to their original form.

Annunciation Tower

If you believe the legend, the structure with a deep underground received this name because of the “Annunciation” icon that supposedly hung in it in ancient times. Historians also link the name of the tower to the fact that the Church of the Annunciation was built next to it, which was destroyed by order of the Soviet government. In the XVII century. next to the pylon, the Porto-Wash Gate was built, through which the palace washerwomen hurried to the Moscow River to caress their linen. Over time, these gates were tightly sealed. Together with the weather vane, the tower structure extends 32 m into the sky.