The bell tower of Ivan the Great of the Moscow Kremlin

On the Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin stands the bell tower of St. John Climacus, also known as the Ivan the Great belltower. The Kremlin and all its buildings are united in a single whole in the very center of the capital. In 2008 this monument of architecture turned 500 years old.

Church of St. John of the Ladder

The bell tower of Ivan the Great of the Moscow Kremlin has several centuries of history, and its countdown begins in 1329. It was in this year that the Church of St. John Climacus was established under the rule of Ivan Kalita. The temple was created as a bell tower, so the premises allowed to harmoniously sound several bells, placed on the upper tiers of the church. Excavations, which were carried out in the XIX-XX centuries, pointed out that the architecture of the building resembles the temples of the ancient Armenians. Outside, the church had eight facets, and the internal section of the temple had a cross-shaped shape. On the east side there was an apse in the form of a semicircle, and on the second floor there were arches of bells. The temple lasted until the beginning of the XVI century.

Bonovskaya bell tower

In 1505 under the reign of Grand Duke Vasily III the old temple was dismantled. At the same place was laid a new temple designed by a master from Italy, nicknamed Bon Fryazin. The temple was built in memory of Tsar Ivan III. Construction was conducted for three years. In 1508 the two-tiered bell tower was ready. Traditions of architecture, characteristic of Italy at that time, significantly influenced the architecture of the temple. That is why the building had several belfries, which were located separately from each other. The church also received another name - "Bonovskaya bell tower". An impressive column connected the various temples of the Kremlin into a single ensemble. It was the second stone church in Moscow. The throne of St. John of the Ladder was lowered to the first floor of the building.

In 1532, on the north side of the belltower, a belfry was built with the Ascension of the Lord temple on the project of another architect from Italy - Petroka Maly. It was intended for a solid bell weighing 1000 poods, dubbed the "evangelist." The completion of the construction of the belfry in 1543 was carried out by local craftsmen. Directly the temple was located on the third floor, to which led a special staircase. The drum with the dome was majestically located on the belfry.

Assumption belfry

In 1600, the harvest throughout the country was scanty, the inhabitants were starving. Boris Godunov, in order to save his subjects, decided to carry out a major restructuring of the Bonovskaya bell tower, which was performed by people from all over the suburbs. He planned to finish building one tier to it and again create the church of St. John the Great on the ground floor. Therefore, the entire structure began to bear a different name - the bell tower of Ivan the Great. The attached floor was cylindrical, and the height of the bell tower increased to 82 meters. It became the most ambitious structure of that era. To get to the top level, it would take 329 steps. Under the dome of the temple was inscribed an inscription in gold letters, which indicated the date of its erection and the names of the kings who ruled at that time (Boris Godunov and his son). On the square near the bell tower, which was called Ivanovskaya, all the decrees of the tsar were read. Since then, the expression "to shout all over Ivanovskaya" appeared.

In the second half of the 17th century the belfry was completely rebuilt. During the reign of Mikhail Romanov and the patriarchate of his father Filaret, in 1624, on the north side the Filaretov building was erected under the project of Bazhen Ogurtsov. The structure had white stone pyramids and a tent covered with tiles. The bell tower of Ivan the Great of the Moscow Kremlin has received a new name - the Assumption bell tower.

Belltower during the Great Patriotic War

The Great Patriotic War of 1812 had a disastrous impact on the monument of architecture. Soldiers of the French army removed the gilded cross from the bell tower and tried to blow it up. But only the Filaretova annex and the belfry, located from the north, suffered. When the war ended, the master D. Zhilyardi completely restored the blown up elements of the bell tower, changing some proportions and the overall style of construction. And in 1895-1897 the bell tower of Ivan the Great in Moscow was restored by S. Rodionov.

Features of the structure

In height, the bell tower of Ivan the Great rises to 82 meters. From the highest point of the building you can consider the neighborhood of the capital for 30 miles around. Despite the rather simple architecture of the bell tower, the building is distinguished by its majesty and beauty. The proportions of all its elements are selected in such a way that a very harmonious architectural ensemble is created. Thanks to the experienced craftsmen who put their hand to its creation, the bell tower of Ivan the Great is a bright historical monument of Moscow.

Bells on the bell tower

In total, there are 34 bells in the building, with only 3 of them remaining on the Filaret's annex and belfry. In ancient times, bells were hung on wooden beams, but in the XIX-XX centuries they were replaced by iron ones. All the bells were made by masters of foundries from different eras.

The oldest of them - "Bear", weighing more than 7 tons, was cast in 1501. The heaviest and most noticeable bell is the Uspensky (Tsar Bell) with a weight of 65 tons, which was cast in 1819 by the masters Zavyalov and Rusinov from the old material. The second important bell is the 32-ton "Revun", created by A. Chekhov in 1622. It is with him associated a tragic episode, when in 1855 the fastening of the bell could not stand and, flying five floors, he fell to the ground, depriving the lives of more than one person. The third important bell is "Sunday" ("Seven-Hundred") weighing 13 tons. It was created in 1704 by I.Motorin and was located on the Filaret Add-on.

The belfry contains only 18 bells. On the ground floor there are 6 of them, among them the oldest, on the middle - 9. The upper tier contains 3 bells, the history of which is unknown.

Museums of the bell tower

At the first level of the Assumption Belfry there is a museum hall where art objects are displayed.

In the bell tower there is a museum of the history of the Kremlin in Moscow, where mock-ups of ancient white stone buildings of the 14th century are exhibited, a panorama of Moscow and other original objects are presented. The walls of the bell tower are decorated with the projections of various monuments. The viewing platform opens a beautiful view of the Kremlin and the surrounding area. For guests there is a special audio guide that helps tourists from different countries to learn the historical facts of such a monument of architecture as Ivan the Great Bell Tower, description and interesting details.

An architectural monument in our days

Today the Ivan the Great Bell Tower is an operating museum that receives thousands of tourists from all over the world every day. The museum exhibits ancient art objects. Thanks to the use of modern technologies, there is an opportunity to recreate the appearance of monuments of architecture that have not survived to our times.

Throughout the existence of the Soviet Union, the bell tower was closed to visitors. Again in the church the bells rang in 1992, the day of Easter. And since that time all church services in the Kremlin cathedrals are held under the bell ringing.

The bell tower of Ivan the Great in the Kremlin is a most valuable architectural monument, which has a rich and interesting history. Everyone who came to Moscow can enjoy the view of this unique building.