The Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful buildings of the entire ensemble, and tourists from all over the world do not get tired of admiring its beauty and capturing it in millions of pictures.
The Spasskaya Tower, whose history begins at the end of the 15th century, was built simultaneously with the Nikolskaya Tower. Initially, it was called Frolovskaya. These two strongholds were needed on the northwest side of the Kremlin for the simple reason that there were no natural barriers there. I must say that before this place was the main gate of the whole ensemble.
In past centuries, the tower above the main gate of the city's heart impressed visitors with its proportions, grace and harmony, exquisite white stone facade decorations - turrets, carved columns, columns, figures of fictional animals. At the corners of the quadrangle there were pyramids topped with gilded weathercocks.
I must say that until the 17th century, the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin was decorated with white stone reliefs, had double walls, made of a unique large-sized brick. Between these walls was a staircase that connected all five tiers of the tower. As for the gates of the stronghold, they were protected with the help of a retractable archer, connected to the tower by a wooden bridge, and two side bastions.
The people even considered the Nikolskaya and Frolovskaya towers of the Kremlin not only important, but almost sacred. So, for example, through them it was impossible to ride a horse or walk without a hat. It was through these structures that kings, ambassadors, and also regiments, which were sent to the campaign, left the city and entered it. Above the gates themselves - inside and outside - inscriptions were written on white stone, setting out the history of the building, and each inscription was also duplicated in Latin.
From the middle of the 17th century, the superstructure of the Kremlin towers began. The Kremlin - the main attraction of Moscow - has become even more harmonious and impressive. The Frolovskaya Tower was especially in harmony with the St. Basil's Cathedral, which was built in the middle of the 16th century - to commemorate the glorious victory of Ivan the Terrible over the Kazan Khanate. Over time, the imperial coat of arms - a two-headed eagle was installed on the tent of the Frolovskaya Tower, and then the same emblems were fixed on the Nikolskaya, Borovitskaya and Troitskaya towers.
The Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin got its name in April 1658, when the tsar’s decree was signed, renaming all Kremlin strongholds. So Frolovskaya Tower turned into Spasskaya. The name appeared because of the icon of the Savior of Smolensky, which was placed over the gate of the tower overlooking Red Square, as well as the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, fixed above the passage from the side of the Kremlin.
In the upper part of the tower - in its tent part, which was designed and built by the craftsman Bazhen Ogurtsov - the main clock of the whole state was placed. Later, already under Peter the Great, they were replaced by a huge Dutch watch, equipped with music and decorated with a twelve-hour dial. However, they were ruined by the fire of 1737. Modern chimes, which the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is so famous for today, were installed in 1851 by the Butenop brothers. Later they were modernized and restored.
The beauty and uniqueness of the Spasskaya Tower make it the main decoration of the ensemble of the entire Kremlin.