Nikolskaya tower

In 1491 simultaneously with the Spasskaya tower P'etro Antonino Solary constructed Nikolskaya tower on the North side of the Kremlin.

The tower name is connect with St. Nikolay's icon which was put over thoroughfare gates. By the existed tradition many issues were daring near this icon. Usually those people who went to the seigniorial and monastic farmsteads which were settled down in the Kremlin drove out through the gates of the Nikolskaya tower. Other sources connect this name with Nikolsky the Greek monastery which was once in Nikolskaya street.

In 1612 during a struggle with polsko-shljahetskimi interventionists the national guard led by prince Dmitry Pozharskiy and Kuzma Mininyn rushed into these gates with fight and released the Kremlin.

In an antiquity as documents say, there were hours on this tower too. In 1780 the Nikolskaya tower was built on by a low tent. In 1806 architect I.L.Ruska erected whitestoned details in Gothic style and a tent. In 1812, during invasion of the French armies, a part the tower and a tower tent were destroyed. In 1816-1819 by F.K.Sokolov's offer the tent was executed from iron on a skeleton and four whitestoned turrets were put on tower corners.

The Nikolskaya tower was strongly suffered from artillery bombardment in days of October, 1917. But in 1918 it was restored by architect N.Markovnikov under V.I.Lenina's instructions.

The harmonious tent of a tower is crowned with a ruby star. Height to the star - 67.1 meters, with the star - 70.4 meters.