Description of the attraction
The architectural dominant of the Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower has been standing in the very heart of Moscow for more than five centuries. Church bell tower was laid down in 1505 year and today it includes the pillar of the bell tower itself, the Assumption Belfry and the Filaretov extension. Works in the Ivan the Great Bell Tower exhibition hall and museum, the exposition of which tells about the history of the emergence and development of the Kremlin architectural complex.
How the bell tower was built
The history of the most beautiful architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin began back in 1329. Then the prince of Moscow Ivan Kalita ordered to build a temple on Borovitsky Hill, in which, according to the canons of Orthodox Russian architecture, the bells would be located. The church was erected after a successful military campaign in Pskov and consecrated in honor of John Climacus … The theologian from Byzantium lived at the turn of the 6th-7th centuries and was famous for his treatise, which described the steps of virtue that a Christian overcome on the path to spiritual perfection.
The church was small, stone and was first built between two Kremlin cathedrals. Its diameter along the outer walls was just over eight meters, and the inner space had an area of about 25 square meters. m. The temple existed for about 170 years and for him during the reign Simeon the Proud the bells were cast.
In 1505, the construction of a new church began. An Italian architect was invited to develop the project and implement it. Bon Fryazin … The old church of John Climacus was dismantled, and in the summer of 1508 Cathedral Square was decorated with a new building. The height of the bell tower, erected in honor of Ivan the Great and crowned with a dome, was 60 meters.
The creation of the Italian turned out to be very durable and stable. Legends circulated around the city that the architect deepened the foundation so much that he reached the level of the Moskva River. In reality, the Italian only covered the oak piles with stone, which ensured their safety from decay. The appearance of the bell tower was very reminiscent of the Italian campaniles - free-standing bell towers at the temples. The diameter of the belfry foundation was 25 meters, and the walls of the first tier were so impressive that their thickness reached in places five meters.
Formation of the architectural ensemble of the bell tower
The rectangular belfry of the Ivan the Great bell tower was attached to 40s of the XVI century … Her project belonged to an Italian architect Petrok Small … Construction work lasted more than ten years, and the building grew not only upward, but also in breadth, reminiscent of the Pskov and Novgorod belfries. The walls were about three meters thick, which guaranteed the safe installation of heavy bells on the windows.
Ascended the throne Boris Godunov did not stay away from the architectural transformations in the Moscow Kremlin. The Tsar entrusted the architect Fyodor Kon to build on the bell tower and make it even higher and more significant. The sovereign master Fyodor Savelyevich Horse was known for high technique, and the stylistic features of his work demonstrated knowledge of Western architecture and techniques of the masters of the Italian Renaissance. The architect built on the third tier of the bell tower, and the building became the tallest building in Moscow, flying 81 meters into the sky. Now the bell tower was called Ivan the Great, and the head and the cross on it were covered with gilding. In the middle of the 17th century, all the bells ceased to fit into the belfry, and it received the fourth tier and the name Uspenskaya.
The Filaretov extension was built in 1624. The project was developed and implemented by the architect Bazhen Ogurtsov … The extension was named after the father of Mikhail Romanov, Patriarch Filaret.
By the end of the 17th century, the architectural complex of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower became one of the symbols of Moscow and the main Kremlin watchtower. From the upper tier it was possible to see the approaching enemy in advance, because the surroundings were clearly visible for three tens of kilometers. The ringing of bells pouring from the belfry could be heard throughout the capital. The bells heralded military successes, the birth of the royal heirs and the wedding to the kingdom. It was then that the expression “for the whole of Ivanovskaya” appeared.
For many years the Ivanovskaya bell tower remained the tallest building in the capital. All attempts to build something above her have failed. When did the architects manage to erect Menshikov tower, which rose into the sky three meters higher than the bell tower, lightning destroyed its entire top. Only in 1860 did the bell tower surrender its positions - appeared in the capital Cathedral of Christ the Savior occupied the first line in the list of the tallest Moscow structures.
Wars and revolution
The Napoleonic invasion brought a lot of destruction to Russian cities, but Moscow suffered more than others. In 1812, the Kremlin was ruled by French soldiers who plundered and burned churches and palaces. A gilded cross was removed from the bell tower of Ivan the Great, which served as a symbol for Muscovites that the city had not been taken. While retreating, the Napoleonic army blew up and burned many buildings, and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower suffered greatly, among others. The Filaretova Annex and the Assumption Belfry were completely destroyed, and a deep crack formed in the bell tower as a result of the explosion. Fortunately, the fragments of the cross, which Napoleon was going to install in Paris at the House of Invalids, were found near the Assumption Cathedral.
The restoration of the bell tower and the restoration of the Filaret extension and the Assumption belfry were entrusted to a state organization that existed in the Russian Empire and was engaged in construction work in Moscow. It was called Expedition of the Kremlin building … The team of Russian architects was reinforced with foreign specialists. A Swiss was discharged to Moscow Domenico Gilardi … A new cross was installed at the top of the bell tower, called King of Glory.
The revolutionary events abruptly turned the usual course of history, and in 1918 the territory of the Moscow Kremlin was turned into hostel, where more than two thousand people spent the night. The bells on the belfry of Ivan the Great were silent for a long time. Their tongues were shackled to their bodies so that even by accident the bells could not ring. Muscovites and guests of the city were able to hear them again only on the day of Holy Christ's Sunday in 1992.
Bells of Ivan the Great
The Ivan the Great Bell Tower occupies a special place among the sights of the Moscow Kremlin. All twenty of its bells have a long history, and their singing accompanies divine services in the Kremlin cathedrals and the setting of the guards.
- Largest in the bell tower - Assumption bell … It weighs over 65 tons. The Assumption bell was first cast in 1760, but was badly damaged during the retreat of the French in 1812. After the victory in the Patriotic War, Russian foundry craftsmen transformed the Assumption bell. His body is adorned with high reliefs depicting members of the imperial family. Uspensky is the second largest after the Tsar Bell, which is located in Trinity-Sergiev Posad, and the best in sound and tone.
- The second largest bell of Ivan the Great in terms of mass and size is called Howler, or Reut. It is older than Uspensky - it was cast Andrey Chokhov in 1622 by order of Mikhail Fedorovich. The howler monkey weighs over 32 tons. During the retreat of the French army, the bell was damaged, but only slightly. The restoration made it possible to preserve its ringing. The sad story with Howler happened during the coronation of Emperor Alexander II. The giant that fell from the crossbar broke through five floors of the bell tower and killed several people.
- In the 18th century, a Lenten Bellcast Ivan Motorin … The bell weighs more than 13 tons, and its body is decorated with baroque ornaments.
- The oldest of all the bells of Ivan the Great bears the name Bear … He got it for the low timbre and the special power of his voice. The bear was first cast in 1501 by a master Ivan Alekseev … In the second half of the 18th century, the bell was poured. Its weight today is over seven tons.
- About the same weight and Swan, the ringing of which resembles the cry of a beautiful bird. The bell was made in the 16th century.
- Another famous bell of the Moscow Kremlin was made for the St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod under Ivan the Terrible, and later recast in Moscow. He's called Novgorod and it depicts the apostles.
- Ornament of the bell, cast in 1679 by the brothers Leontiev, resembles an ancient Russian type of jewelry technique called filigree. The bell weighs Wide about five tons.
- Dedicated to the reign of Ivan V, Peter I and Tsarina Sophia Rostov bell … It was made in 1687 for the Belogostitskaya monastery in Rostov the Great. He ended up in Moscow later.
- On the second tier there are bells made in the period from the middle of the 16th to the end of the 17th centuries. The oldest of them is called Nemchin … It was brought from Europe during the Livonian War.
- The third tier is formed by small bells cast in the 17th century. Among them are works by Andrey Chokhov and Philip Andreev.
In the 19th century, a writer A. Malinovsky this is how he spoke about the ringing of the Ivanovo bell tower: “When all the bells are ringing, then everything close to their sounds comes to such a tremor that it seems as if the earth is trembling.”
Ivan the Great Museum and Exhibition Hall
In 2008, the main Kremlin bell tower opened museum exposition, which tells about the history of the Kremlin. The collection of the museum presents to visitors nine centuries, during which the Moscow Kremlin was built, developed, changed and rebuilt after fires and wars. Fragments of the Kremlin buildings, which are described in the chronicles, have been preserved on the stands of the museum. The exposition allows you to imagine how the temples and chambers that are now lost looked. The opportunity to climb the bell tower is of considerable interest to museum visitors. On observation deck there is a spiral staircase with 137 steps.
In the exhibition hall of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, organized in the Assumption Belfry, various events are held within the framework of cultural and educational projects of the Moscow Kremlin museums. In the belfry you can get acquainted with the exhibits of both domestic and foreign exhibitions.
On a note:
- The nearest metro stations are Borovitskaya, Aleksandrovsky Sad, Lenin Library, Arbatskaya.
- Official website: www.kreml.ru
- Opening hours: From May 15 to September 30 - every day except Thursday, from 9:30 to 18:00. Ticket offices are open from 9:00 to 17:00. from October 1 to May 14 - every day, except Thursday, from 10:00 to 17:00. Ticket offices are open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. The Armory and Observation Deck of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower operate on a separate schedule.
- Tickets: sold near the Kutafya Tower in the Alexander Garden. The cost of a ticket to Cathedral Square, to the Kremlin cathedrals: for adult visitors - 500 rubles. For Russian students and pensioners upon presentation of the relevant documents - 250 rubles. Children under 16 years old - free. Tickets to the Armory and Ivan the Great Bell Tower are purchased separately from the general ticket.
