| Spasskaya Tower | |
|---|---|
 The Spasskaya Tower | |
 Interactive map of the Spasskaya Tower area | |
| General information | |
| Location | Moscow, Russia |
| Opened | 1491; 535 years ago (1491) |
| Height | 71 metres (233 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Pietro Antonio Solari |
TheSpasskaya Tower (Russian:Спасская башня,romanized: Spasskaya bashnya), also translated as theSaviour Tower, is the main tower on the eastern wall of theMoscowKremlin which overlooksRed Square.
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The construction of the Spasskaya Tower was commissioned by Grand PrinceIvan III the Great. It was built in 1491 by the Italian architectPietro Antonio Solari. Initially, it was named the Frolovskaya Tower after the Church ofFrol and Lavr in the Kremlin, which is no longer there.[1][2] The tower's modern name comes from the icon ofSpas Nerukotvorny (Russian:Спас Нерукотворный), translated as the "SaviourNot Made by Hands", which was placed above the gates on the inside wall in 1658.[1] It was later removed in 1917. The tower is also named for the wall-painted icon ofSpas Smolensky (Russian:Спас Смоленский), translated as the "Smolensk Saviour", which was created in the 16th century on the outside wall of the tower, plastered over in 1937, but reopened and restored in 2010.
In 1508, a wooden drawbridge connected the tower to a guardhouse after the Aleviz Ditch and a moat was built, later replaced with an arched stone bridge.[1] The Spasskaya Tower was the first tower of the manyMoscow Kremlin towers to be crowned with thehipped roof in 1624–1625 by architects Bazhen Ogurtsov andChristopher Galloway.[3] According to a number of historical accounts, theclock on the Spasskaya Tower appeared between 1491 and 1585. It is usually referred to as theKremlin chimes (Кремлёвские куранты) and officially designatesMoscow Time. The clock face has a diameter of 6 metres (20 ft).[4] The gate of Spasskaya Tower was used to greet foreign dignitaries, and was also used during formal ceremonies or processions held on Red Square.
As part ofPeter the Great's efforts on improving fortifications, aredan was built in front of the bastion.[1] The inside bank of the moat was faced with stone.[1] The guardhouse remained in place until it was removed in the 20th century.[1]
After the establishment of theSoviet Union, in 1936,Joseph Stalin replaced thetwo-headed eagle on top of the Spasskaya Tower with ared star because he wanted to remove all evidence of the formertsarist period. Theheight of the tower with the star is 71 meters. The tradition of dismounting the horse and removing the cap ended during the Soviet period. Cars approached the gate head on from the Lobnoye Mesto and the road beside theGUM department store. All other traffic was routed through theBorovitsky Gate.
Various cathedrals were demolished throughout the years to make room for other government buildings. It was not until 1955 during the rule ofNikita Khrushchev that the Kremlin was reopened to foreign visitors; the Kremlin was turned into amuseum in 1961 and added to theWorld Heritage List in 1990. The daughter of Soviet cosmonautYuri Gagarin is the current director of the Kremlin Museums, Elena Gagarina. There are manycathedrals inside the Kremlin walls, and many of them hold church services, however irregularly because the cathedrals are still operated as museums.[citation needed]
The Spasskaya Gate posed an issue following in the 1990s, as the passage of vehicles disrupted the flow of pedestrians to GUM and other shopping centers. In 1999, the decision was made to finally close the gate to all traffic. The signal lights and guard platforms still remain. The gate is used occasionally when repairs must be made to theBorovissky Gate. However, in that case, all traffic is routed from Vasilyevsky Spusk. Nowadays, the gate opens to receive the presidential motorcades on inauguration day, for the World War IIVictory Day parades, and to receive the New Year's tree.
In August 2014, Russian presidentVladimir Putin suggested an idea for restoringAscension Convent andChudov Monastery, which were demolished by the Soviet regime in the 1930s. However, due to archaeological work which began in December 2015 and the lack ofUNESCO's approval of the restoration, the restoration of Ascension Convent is currently unplanned. During archaeological work, experts have managed to find a foundation of the Chudov Monastery and Ascension Convent.[5]
The Spasskaya Tower is also the honorific for theInternational Military Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower",[6] which is based within the grounds of Red Square.
In August 2010, the icon of the Smolensk Saviour was uncovered and restored above the gate. This begins the tradition of the parade inspector to remove his headgear and cross himself before the inspection of troops during allMoscow Victory Day Parades.
Beginning in 2016, there has been an hourlyguard mounting ceremony by theKremlin Regiment within the area of the gate.
On top of the gates of Spasskaya Tower, there appears the following inscription (it is inscribed in Latin):
In Latin:IOANNES VASILII DEI GRATIA MAGNUS DUX VOLODIMERIÆ, MOSCOVIÆ, NOVOGARDIÆ, TFERIÆ, PLESCOVIÆ, VETICIÆ, ONGARIÆ, PERMIÆ, BUOLGARIÆ ET ALIAS TOTIUSQUE RAXIE DOMINUS, ANNO 30 IMPERII SUI HAS TURRES CONDERE FECIT ET STATUIT PETRUS ANTONIUS SOLARIUS MEDIOLANENSIS ANNO NATIVIT ATIS DOMINI 1491 KALENDIS MARTIIS IUSSIT PONERE.[7]
In English:Ioann Vasiliyevich, by God's grace, Great Prince ofVladimir,Moscow,Novgorod,Tver,Pskov,Vyatka,Ugorsk,Perm,Bulgaria and others, and Ruler of all Russia, ordered this tower to be built in Year 30 of his reign, and Pietro Antoni Solari the Milanese made it in the Year 1491 since the Incarnation of Our Lord.[8]
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55°45′09″N37°37′17″E / 55.752544°N 37.621425°E /55.752544; 37.621425 (Spasskaya Tower)