The Bell Tower of Ivan the Great Moscow Kremlin

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The bell tower of St. John of the Ladder, also known as the bell tower of Ivan the Great, rises on the Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin. The Kremlin and all its buildings are combined into a single whole in the very center of the capital. In 2008, this architectural monument turned 500 years old.

Church of St. John of the Ladder

The Ivan the Great Bell Tower 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 of the Ladder was founded during the reign of Ivan Kalita. The temple was created as a bell tower, so the premises allowed several bells placed on the upper tiers of the church to sound harmoniously. Excavations that were carried out in the 19th-20th centuries indicated that the architecture of the building resembles the temples of ancient Armenians. Outside, the church had eight faces, and the inner section of the temple had a cruciform shape. On the eastern side there was an apse in the form of a semicircle, and on the second floor there were arches of bells. The temple existed until the beginning of the 16th century.

Bonovsky bell tower

In 1505, during the reign of the GreatPrince Vasily III, the old temple was dismantled. A new temple was laid in the same place, designed by an Italian master nicknamed Bon Fryazin. The temple was built in memory of Tsar Ivan III. Construction was carried out over three years. In 1508, the two-tiered bell tower was completed. The traditions of architecture, characteristic of Italy at that time, significantly influenced the architecture of the temple. That is why the building had several bell towers, which were located separately from each other. The church also received another name - "Bonovsky bell tower". An impressive column united 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 bell tower, a belfry with the Church of the Ascension of the Lord was built according to the project of another architect from Italy - Petrok Maly. It was intended for a solid bell weighing 1000 poods, called the Blagovestnik. The completion of the construction of the belfry in 1543 was carried out by local craftsmen. The temple itself was located on the third floor, to which a special staircase led. A drum with a dome was majestically located on the belfry.

Assumption Bell Tower

In 1600, the harvest throughout the country was meager, 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 carried out by people who arrived from all the outskirts. He planned to complete one tier to it and again createChurch of St. John the Great on the lower floor. Therefore, the whole building began to bear a different name - the bell tower of Ivan the Great. The attached floor was cylindrical in shape, and the height of the bell tower increased to 82 meters. It became the largest building of that era. To reach the upper level, one would have to go through 329 steps. An inscription in gold letters was carved under the dome of the temple, which indicated the date of its construction 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 king were read. Since then, the expression “shouting all over Ivanovskaya” has 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, the Filaret building was erected on the north side according to the project of Bazhen Ogurtsov. The structure had white stone pyramids and a tent covered with tiles. The Ivan the Great Bell Tower of the Moscow Kremlin received a new name - the Assumption Bell Tower.

The bell tower during the Great Patriotic War

The Great Patriotic War of 1812 had a detrimental effect 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 Filaret's extension and the belfry, located from the north, suffered. When the war ended, master D. Gilardi completely restored the blown-up elements of the bell tower, changing some proportions and the general style of the building. And inIn 1895-1897, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in Moscow was restored by S. Rodionov.

Building features

The Ivan the Great Bell Tower is 82 meters high. From the highest point of the building, you can see the surroundings of the capital for 30 miles around. Despite the rather simple architecture of the bell tower, the building is distinguished by majesty and beauty. The proportions of all its elements are chosen in such a way that a very harmonious architectural ensemble is created. Thanks to the experienced craftsmen who had a hand in its creation, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower is a striking historical monument of Moscow.

Bells in the belfry

In total, there are 34 bells in the building, and only 3 of them remained on the Filaret Annex and the belfry. In ancient times, bells were hung on wooden beams, but in the 19th-20th centuries they were replaced by iron ones. All bells were made by foundry craftsmen 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 craftsmen Zavyalov and Rusinov from old material. The second most important bell is the "Howler" weighing 32 tons, created by A. Chekhov in 1622. It is with him that one tragic episode is connected, when in 1855 the fastenings of the bell could not stand it and, having flown 5 floors, it fell to the ground, killing more than one person. The third most important bell is the "Sunday" ("Seven Hundred") weighing 13 tons. He wascreated in 1704 by I. Motorin and was located on the Filaret extension.

The bell tower contains a total of 18 bells. On the lower floor there are 6 of them, among which is the oldest, on the middle - 9. The upper tier contains 3 bells, the history of which is unknown.

Belfry Museums

On the first level of the Assumption Belfry there is a museum hall, where art objects are presented.

The bell tower houses the Museum of the History of the Kremlin in Moscow, where models of old white stone buildings of the 14th century are exhibited, a panorama of Moscow and other original items are presented. The walls of the bell tower are decorated with projections of various monuments. The observation deck offers 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 an architectural monument as the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, description and interesting details.

An architectural monument today

Today, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower is a functioning museum that receives thousands of tourists from different parts of the world every day. The museum exhibits ancient art objects. Thanks to the use of modern technologies, it is possible to recreate the appearance of architectural monuments that have not survived to our times.

Throughout the existence of the Soviet Union, the bell tower was closed to visitors. Again in the temple the bells rang in 1992, on the dayHappy Easter. And since that time, all church services in the Kremlin cathedrals have been held to the sound of bells.

The Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Kremlin is a valuable architectural monument with a rich and interesting history. Everyone who comes to Moscow can enjoy the view of this unique building.