1 .
S P A S S K A Y A
T O W E R
КРАСНАЯ ПЛ ., 3
Originally , the tower was called Frolovskaya , due to the fact
that the Church of Frol and Laurus was located nearby in the
Kremlin . By decree of April 16 , 1658 , Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich
ordered to call her Spasskaya . The new name was associated
with the icon of the Savior , who was placed without hands ,
placed above the gate from the side of Red Square . The icon
itself was not preserved , but the place where it hung was
clearly visible .
Built in 1491 by architect Pietro Antonio Solari . Its
construction marked the beginning of the construction of
the eastern line of fortifications of the Kremlin . The tower is
located on the site of the Frolovsky archer of 1367 - 1368 .
The tower has a four - sided form and , close to it , a powerful
side gunner , which served to protect the gates . They were
closed by special lowering iron bars - herts . If the enemy
penetrated inside the gunner , the herds fell , and the enemy
was locked in a kind of stone bag . He was fired from the
upper gallery of the gunner . On the facade of the tower , it is
still possible to see the holes through which the chains for
raising and lowering special wooden flooring of the bridge
passed , and in the aisle of the gate , there are slots along
which the metal grate went . Lifting bridges were descending
from the gate of the gunner .
The first clock on the Spasskaya Tower was set by the
project of Christopher Galloway . In 1707 they were replaced
by Dutch chimes with music . In 1763 , the clock was replaced
again , and in 1851 , the last chimes of the XVIII century were
thoroughly repaired by the brothers N . and P . Butenop . In
1920 , when repairing the Spasskaya Tower , musician M . M .
Cheremnykh and mechanic N . V . Berens , after repairing the
clock , picked up the melody of the International on the
chimes .
In the 17th century , a stone bridge on the arches stretched
over the moat to the Spassky Gate and was full of trade . In
the 50s of the 17th century , a double - headed eagle was
erected on the top of the tent of the main tower of the
Kremlin . Later , these emblems were installed on the highest
towers - Nikolskaya , Troitskaya and Borovitskaya .