Spasskaya tower (Frolovskaya)

For strengthening of a northeast part of the Kremlin which was not protected by natural barriers, in the end of XV century two more towers with thoroughfare gates - Frolovskaya and Nikolskaya were erected. The Frolovskaya tower was built in 1491 on that place where in an antiquity there were the main gates of the Kremlin.

The tower with the main gates of the Kremlin made indelible impression by its symmetry of proportions, mammon whitestoned ornaments of the facades consisting of turrets, carved columns, columns, figures of fantastic animals at that times.

Up to XVII century a tower was decorated by whitestoned reliefs of V.D.Yermolin's job. The tower had the double walls which have been laid out from large bricks (the sizes 31x14x18 sm), between the walls there was a ladder connecting all five circles.

The main gates of the Kremlin, i.e. thoroughfare gates of the Frolovskaya tower, were especially honoured in the people and were considered as "sacred". Through them it was forbidden to drive astride horses and to pass with the coated head.

Since 1625 the Kremlin towers were started to build on. First of all the main tower of the Kremlin - Frolovskaya was built on.

In April, 1658 there was an imperial decree about renaming of all Kremlin towers. The Frolovskaya tower was renamed in Spasskaya in honour of icon Spasa Smolenskogo, placed over thoroughfare gates of the tower from the Red Square, and in honour of icon Спаса Nerukotvornogo, placed over the gates from the Kremlin.

In the tent top of a tower built by Russian master Bazhen Ogurtsov, the main hours of the state were placed.

In 1625 under the guidance of Hristofor Golovey Russian smiths-watch-makers Zhdan, put hours on the Spasskaya tower, and thirty bells were cast by founder Cyril Samoilov. The device of Hristofor Golovey's hours was considerably differed from the modern. Hours had a huge rotating dial divided into 17 parts. The working of hours began from a sunrise, and hours were translated to a night bill of time with a sunset. At various times of the year the duration of night and day time is various. In days of a summer solstice when there are the most long days, hours beat 17 times, and at night - 7 times.

But the hours that we can see now on the Spasskaya tower are made by brothers Butenop in 1851-1852. They occupy three floors of a tower - 7th, 8th, 9th - and consist of three knots: the mechanism of a course, the mechanism of fight of quarters and the mechanism of a striking of a clock. The hours are put in action by three weights in weight from 160 to 224 kgs. Accuracy of their course is provided by means of a pendulum in weight in 32 kgs. A gross weight of the mechanism of hours - about 25 tons.

During October fights of 1917 at shellings the Spasskaya tower was hurt. The shell put out of action the hours.

The hours on the Spasskaya tower were corected by the Kremlin mechanic Н.V.Berens two of his sons - Vladimir and Vasily. And the artist and musician M.M.Cheremnyh typed revolutionary melodies on a playing shaft of a chiming clock.

During the existence a chiming clock was repeatedly restored. Last, most serious restoration was in 1974. Experts disassembled and checked up all mechanism, designed and made more than a thousand of new details, created new automatic program installations. Complex jobs on updating of the main hours of Moscow were spent for a short term. A repair warranty period - 30 years. It means, that a chiming clock should show time and in the XXI-st century.

The Spasskaya tower has 10 floors. Its height to the shining ruby star - 67.3 meters, with the star - 71 meters.