Spasskaya Tower

• 1. Italian Stone And Russian Soil

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  Grand Prince Ivan III the Great commissioned a new tower in 1491. Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari arrived from Milan to begin work. The structure rose on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin. It overlooked Red Square with its imposing height. Initially, locals called it the Frolovskaya Tower. This name honored the Church of Frol and Lavr nearby. That church no longer exists today. A wooden drawbridge connected the tower to a guardhouse by 1508. Engineers later replaced wood with an arched stone bridge. The moat surrounding the fortress was deepened during this era.

• 2. Icons Change Names

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  The tower received its modern identity in 1658. Officials placed an icon above the gates on the inside wall. They named it Spas Nerukotvorny or Saviour Not Made by Hands. This religious image gave the tower its current title. Workers removed that specific icon in 1917 after the revolution. Another painted image appeared on the outside wall in the 16th century. Artists depicted Spas Smolensky or the Smolensk Saviour there. Plaster covered this second painting in 1937. Restorers uncovered and restored the image again in August 2010.

• 3. Timekeeper On High

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  A clock face appeared between 1491 and 1585. Its diameter measures roughly one meter across. People refer to these mechanisms as Kremlin chimes. They officially designate Moscow Time for the entire city. The sound of the bells has echoed over Red Square for centuries. Architects Bazhen Ogurtsov and Christopher Galloway added a hipped roof between 1624 and 1625. This design made the tower distinct from other fortifications. The gate served to greet foreign dignitaries arriving at the Kremlin. Formal processions also passed through this opening during state ceremonies.

• 4. Eagle Replaced By Star

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  Joseph Stalin ordered changes to the tower top in 1936. He replaced the two-headed eagle with a red star. The leader wanted to remove all evidence of the tsarist period. The height of the tower now reaches 71 meters including the star. Soviet authorities restricted access to the gate significantly. Cars approached head-on from Lobnoye Mesto during that era. Traffic flowed beside the GUM department store. All other vehicles were routed through the Borovitsky Gate instead. The tradition of dismounting horses ended under Soviet rule.

• 5. Parades And Motorcades

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  The Spasskaya Tower hosts major Victory Day parades every year. Presidential motorcades enter through the gate on inauguration day. A New Year tree stands before the structure each winter. In August 2010, parade inspectors began removing their headgear. They cross themselves before inspecting troops following the icon restoration. An hourly guard mounting ceremony started in 2016 by the Kremlin Regiment. The gate closed to all traffic in 1999 due to pedestrian flow issues. Signal lights and guard platforms remain visible today. Occasional repairs to the Borovitsky Gate use this passage.

• 6. Archaeology And Restoration

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  Russian president Vladimir Putin suggested restoring Ascension Convent in August 2014. Archaeological work began in December 2015 within the grounds. Experts found foundations for both Chudov Monastery and Ascension Convent. UNESCO has not yet approved the full restoration plan. The lack of approval leaves the convent project unplanned for now. The tower itself received a fresh coat of paint during these years. The Kremlin became a museum in 1961 after decades of closure. Foreign visitors were allowed entry again starting in 1955 under Nikita Khrushchev.