One of the main attractions of Moscow, and Russia in general, is the huge Kremlin and the square adjacent to it. Enclosed by a huge stone wall, it has as many as twenty towers installed around the perimeter. Each of them keeps its own history, secret.
Kremlin and its towers
Starting from the southeast corner and moving clockwise forward, you can see the diversity and splendor of this architectural structure.
The first on the way is the
Beklemishevskaya tower, later referred to as Moskvoretskaya. The next one is Konstantin-Eleninskaya, previously called Timofeevskaya in honor of the gates located nearby. And if you go through another eleven tall structures, the Borovitskaya Tower opens up to the gaze.
An interesting fact is that all the buildings were built at different times under the guidance of foreign architects. Moreover, they have truly Russian features and character. The only one of its kind and not quite fit into the general ensemble is the Nikolskaya Tower. It was erected later and inherited the features of Gothic buildings. All corner towers have a rounded shape, the rest, located along the perimeter of the wall, are tetrahedral.
History
Today it is reliably known that the first settlements on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin existed in the Bronze Age. It was only in 1156 that the first structures were built to strengthen the territory and protect against frequent enemy raids. The walls were surrounded by a deep moat.
Quite complex and turbulent times this architectural structure survived. And now comes the moment when Moscow gains the status of the capital of all the principalities and cities of Russia. Then we are talking about the inconsistency of the ancient Kremlin with modern trends. The era of great construction begins.
Aristotle Fioravanti, Petro Solari, Marco Ruffo, Aleviz Novy, Bon Fryazin - all these architects were invited from Italy in order to breathe new life into architecture. However, it is worth noting that, working closely with Russian masters, they adopted the manner and character of Soviet buildings. In this case, local conditions were taken into account. So the modern appearance of the Kremlin, Borovitskaya, Beklemishevskaya and all other towers appeared.
Borovitskaya tower: from the past to the present
According to ancient records, as early as 61 years of the 14th century, the building of the same name was located on the site of a modern building. The modern Borovitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin appeared thirty years later, at the end of the 14th century. The author was a foreign architect, known as Peter Fryazin. He arrived from Italy to Russia at the invitation of the tsar.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the tower acted as a passage to the Zhitny and Konyushenny Courtyards, which were not possible to get to through the main gate.
In the middle of the sixteenth century, the Borovitskaya tower gets its new name - the Forerunner, in honor of the church, which was located in the Kremlin. However, despite all efforts, the name was not included in everyday life.
Once upon a time, the icon of John the Baptist was located above the Borovitsky gate. But at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the construction of metro lines was actively underway, the eponymous temple was destroyed. The icon is lost, and in its former place a clock appeared.
Architecture
Initially, the Borovitskaya Tower was much lower and consisted of one wide rectangular-shaped building. On top of it was a roof in the form of a tent, made of wood.
However, after 1666, over the course of several decades, it began to take on completely new outlines. Firstly, there were three more superstructures, which are gradually reduced in size, giving a kind of pyramidal shape to the structure. Secondly, the very top was decorated with a tall octahedron with a stone roof, tending to the sky.
Soon, on the side of the tower appeared archer and trellised gate. A bridge was thrown across the river that could be raised.
The eighteenth century brought with it both calm days and rather heavy ones. Just a few years after the restoration, when the tower acquired beautiful white stone details, the capital is attacked by the army of Napoleon. Dozens of historical monuments destroyed, fortunately, the tower suffered little. The blast wave demolished her tent.
After that, the building was put in order for three years. It is during this period that the clock appears above the entrance.
In the mid-eighteenth century, the tower was converted into a church. The necessary utensils and the throne are transferred there. Pseudo-Gothic details are removed, but they reappear at the end of the 19th century. And over the gates set the image of the Moscow coat of arms. As you can see, the history of the Borovitskaya tower is filled with various events. The construction, destruction, restoration, change of goals and nature of use - all this was reflected in the construction and created the look that can be seen today.
The last tower repair was carried out nine years ago.
Interior
If you look inside, you can see that the Borovitskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin on its lower four (lower rectangular structure) is divided into tiers. From here you can go into the basement, which today is dilapidated. In another part of the quadruple, elements that once adorned the church have been preserved.
A built-in staircase leads visitors to the second floor, which has rectangular windows. The last two quadruples are combined into one room, the octagon and the tent mounted on it have the identical design.
Goal
However, not only Borovitskaya Tower is noteworthy. How to get to it, you will learn below. And once you get to the right place, you will notice that there is an extension nearby. This is a gate and a retractable lumbago. The latter is connected to the tower at its very bottom, the passage leads to the basement. If you look at the structure from above, you will notice that it has a triangular shape.
Looking above the gate, two narrow holes are found. Once they served as a place for huge chains, which, if necessary, lifted the bridge. And if, passing through the gate, looking up, you can see the recesses that hid the iron grate. Historians say that this gate was one of the first in comparison with the others in the Kremlin. In addition, they preserved quite old images of emblems, the origin of which has not yet been established.
Bridge
Today it is already difficult to imagine the former view of nature that surrounded the Kremlin walls. The Neglinnaya River, now taken into pipes, was located along the entire western wall. These were swampy and marshy places. Directly at the tower itself, the riverbed turned sharply and went to the side. In the 16th century, a stone bridge was built here .
For strengthening and greater protection, the channel was decided to be brought closer to the tower. Corresponding work was carried out. As a fortress, it was a great solution. However, questions arose: how accessible will the Borovitskaya Tower of the Kremlin be, how to get to the right place through the stormy waters of the princely troops? The solution was found in the form of a suspension bridge.
Today, there is no trace left of this structure, due to the loss of its purpose, it was destroyed.
Guide
The Borovitskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin looks quite interesting and picturesque. How to get to her by metro? Everything is quite simple. The main landmarks can be Borovitskaya Square and the Alexander Garden. These places are located in close proximity to the tower.
To get off the garden, you can use the four metro stations:
"Arbat" (Arbat-Pokrovskaya blue branch number 3);
"Alexander Garden" (Filevskaya Blue Line No. 4);
"Library named after Lenin" (red branch No. 1);
Borovitskaya (gray branch No. 9).
Thus, access to this wonderful attraction is open from anywhere in Moscow.