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1.Initially, the creation of the Italian Pietro Antonio Solari was named in connection with the nearby church of Frol and Laurus. The year 1658 was marked by the publication of a special royal decree, the tower was renamed into Spasskaya, the reason for this was the placement of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands over its gates. It turns out that the first chimes appeared not on the Spasskaya, but on the Frolovskaya tower.
2. According to connoisseurs of the science of etymology, chimes owe their meaning “salon clock with striking and music” to the French dance “chime”, it was performed in salons, of course, to music.
3. The exact date has not been fixed, but it is believed that the clock had previously adorned the Kremlin towers - starting from the 15th century.
4. The clock installed on the Spasskaya Tower in 1624-1625 by the master of the watch and water platoon, Christopher Galovey, in the "Aglitsa land", has many references in various sources. Architect Bazhen Ogurtsov built a tower in the form of a tent, and the chimes with a chiming, that is, "chimes" located on it, we can contemplate thanks to Galovey.
5. The "Aglitskiy master" was paid for the work with a silver goblet; among the gifts was an atlas, a sable, and a marten. However, in 1626, a fire caused the watch to die. Galovey built a second clock, with the same dial depicting the sky and stars, the sun and the moon. Moreover, the dial was divided into 17 parts - this was exactly the measure of time in that century.
6.From December 9, 1706, the clock, made by a Dutch master, brought to Russia by Peter the Great, was beating time. Even this watch was not destined to survive to this day - the fire again made itself felt.
8. The dial, which the current watch has, has a little over six meters in diameter, and the size of the hands is about two human heights. In 1917, a shell hit the clock became the reason for their new restoration.
9. The absolute time accuracy is hidden under the layer of the earth, thanks to the connection of the chimes with the cable, which is adjacent to the control clock of the Sternberg Moscow Astronomical Institute.
10. In the "repertoire" of the main clock of the state, there are many songs. These include a German song about Liebert Augustine (an invention of a German master), a march of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, a hymn of the Freemasons "If our Lord is glorious in Zion." Until 1932, every day at 12 o'clock, the Internationale was played for hours, but at midnight they played "You fell a victim." During the reign of Yeltsin, Glinka's music was played with chimes, now - the anthem of the Russian Federation, written by Aleksandrov.
The Kremlev chimes are a tower clock with a set of tuned bells emitting a beat in a certain melodic sequence, installed on one of the 20 towers of the Moscow Kremlin. Previously, this tower was called Frolovskaya, and now Spasskaya, named after the icon of the Savior of Smolensk, placed above the gate from the side of Red Square. The tower overlooks Red Square and has a front gate, which was considered holy. And in the tent-roofed top of the tower, built by the Russian master Bazhen Ogurtsov, the main clock of the Russian state, the famous Kremlin chimes, are installed.
The history of the ancient Spassky chimes is inextricably linked with the history of the Kremlin and goes back into the distant past. The exact date of installation of the clock is not known, but it is assumed that the clock was installed immediately after the construction of the tower in 1491 by the architect Pietro Antonio Solario at the behest of Ivan III. Documentary evidence of the watch dates back to 1585, when watchmakers were at work at the three gates of the Kremlin, at the Spassky, Taynitsky and Troitsky gates. Whether these watches were the first or not is not known exactly, but they are counted from them.
In all likelihood, the clock had an old Russian (Byzantine) time count. The days of that time, according to the time taken in Russia, were subdivided into "day" hours, from sunrise to sunset, and "night" hours. Every two weeks, the length of the hours gradually changed with the change in the length of the day and night. The watch had an unusual appearance for us with one fixed hand in the form of a ray of the sun just above the dial. Under it rotated a dial with Old Slavonic letters denoting numbers: A - one, B - two, and so on. There were 17 designations, in accordance with the maximum length of the day in the summer.
The watch mechanism consisted of strangely woven gears, ropes, shafts and levers. At the Spassky Clock, watchmakers were in the service, who monitored the mechanism and reconfigured it. At dawn and dusk, the dial was turned so that the hand was at the first hour - A, and the hours started from the beginning. In order to know how long the day was and how long was the night, the watchmakers were given tables - wooden tags in which everything was noted. The watchmaker's task was to strictly follow these tables and to turn the watch dial on in time, as well as to repair them in case of malfunctions.
Special attention was paid to the clock on the Spasskaya Tower because it was considered to be the main one. Despite this, frequent fires damaged the parts of the tower clock, and the clock mechanism was often out of order. After one of the fires in 1624, the watch was so badly damaged that it was sold as scrap, by weight, to the Spassky Monastery in Yaroslavl for 48 rubles. In place of the sold faulty watches in 1625, under the leadership of the English mechanic and watchmaker Christopher Galovey, Russian blacksmiths-watchmakers of the Zhdan family produced new, larger watches.
For these watches, 13 bells were cast by the Russian foundry Kirill Samoilov. To install a new clock, the tower was built on four tiers. On the ancient quadrangle of the Spasskaya Tower, under the leadership of Bazhen Ogurtsov, an arched brick belt with white-stone carved details and ornaments was added. And on the inner quadrangle, a high hipped roof with arched bells was erected, on which the hour bells were hung. The new main clock of the state was installed on the 7,8,9 tiers. On the 10th tier there were 30 bells for chimes, which could be heard for more than 10 versts.
The watch had the old Russian time count, and the mechanism consisted of oak ties, collapsible, fastened with iron hoops. Thanks to a special mechanism, the watch rang back a certain melody from time to time, and they became the first Russian chimes. The diameter of the dial of the new watch was about 5 meters, weighed 400 kg and was assembled from heavy oak planks. The dial of this watch rotated, and the stationary hand was made in the form of a ray of the sun. The hand was located above the dial, indicating both night and day flow of time. The inner circle of the dial was covered with blue azure and depicted the firmament, over which were scattered gold and silver stars, images of the sun and the moon. The numbers were denoted by Slavic letters, and the dial was called the "indicative word circle" (notable circle). The letters were made of copper and plated with gold. The dials, turned in different directions, were divided into 17 divisions and were located in the central keel of the prominent arch of the reinforcing belt above the ancient quadruple. At the top of the wall, in a circle, the words of prayer were written and the signs of the zodiac carved from iron are located, the remains of which have survived to this day under the existing clock dials.
The clock of Christopher Galovey was less than modern by about a meter. The accuracy of the movement directly depended on the watchmaker serving them. After installation, the watch burned more than once in fires, after which it was restored again. However, Galovey's clock on the Spasskaya Tower stood and served people for a long time.
By the decree of Peter I in 1705, the whole country switched to a single daily countdown. Returning after traveling abroad, he ordered to replace the English mechanism of the clock of the Spasskaya Tower, bought in Holland a watch with a 12-hour dial. New Kremlin chimes chimed the hours and quarters, and besides, they rang out the melody. The installation of the purchased clock on the tower, and the alteration of the dial was supervised by the Russian watchmaker Yekim Garnov. The complete installation of the chimes was completed in 1709. To service the Dutch watches, a whole staff of watchmakers was kept, most of whom were foreigners, however, despite all the efforts, the watches often broke and did not please Muscovites for a long time with their chimes. During that period, the clock called "assembly dances". There were also arranged bells that sounded the "fire alarm".
The Dutch watch had 4 winding shafts: the first one for the watch mechanism; 2nd for striking the clock; 3rd for the fight of the quarters of an hour; 4th for playing melodies. The shafts were driven by weights. After a huge fire in 1737, the Peter's clock was badly damaged. Then all the wooden parts of the Spasskaya Tower burned down, and the Shaft for the chimes was damaged. As a result, bell music was no longer played. Interest in the chimes disappeared after Peter I moved the capital to St. Petersburg. The chimes were broken and restored many times, and the maintenance of the watch was carried out negligently.
Having ascended the throne and visiting Moscow, Empress Catherine II became interested in the Spassky chimes, but by that time the clock had already become completely unusable. Attempts to restore them were unsuccessful, and by order of Catherine II, the "large English chimes" found in the Faceted Chamber began to be installed on the Spasskaya Tower.
The German master Fatz was invited for the installation, and together with the Russian watchmaker Ivan Polyansky, the installation was completed within 3 years. In 1770, the chimes began ringing the Austrian melody "Ah, my dear Augustine" because it was very popular with the watchmaker, German by birth, who served the watch. And for almost a year this melody sounded over Red Square, and the authorities did not pay any attention to it. This was the only time in history when the chimes rang back a foreign melody.
In 1812, Muscovites saved the Spasskaya Tower from destruction by French troops, but the clock stopped. Three years later, they were repaired by a group of craftsmen, headed by the watchmaker Yakov Lebedev, for which he was awarded the honorary title of Master of the Spassky Clock. The clock installed under Catherine II worked successfully for eighty years without major repairs. However, after an examination in 1851 by brothers Johann and Nikolai Butenopov (Danish subjects) and architect Konstantin Ton, it was established: rotted under the clock, the staircase needs alteration) ".
In 1851, the Butenop Brothers company, known for installing tower clocks in the dome of the Grand Kremlin Palace, took up the repair of the Spassky chimes and entrusted the manufacture of new clocks to skilled Russian craftsmen. According to the drawings of the experienced architect Ton, the interior decoration of the Spasskaya Tower was re-equipped. The new watches used parts from old watches and all the achievements of watchmaking of that time.
Large-scale work was carried out. A new cast-iron frame was cast for the watch, on which the mechanism was located, the wheels and gears were replaced, and for their manufacture, special alloys were selected that could withstand high humidity and significant temperature drops. The chimes received a Graham stroke and a pendulum with a thermocompensation system designed by Harrison.
Special attention was paid to the appearance of the Kremlin clock. New black iron dials were made with gold-plated rims extending to 4 sides, for which the numerals, as well as minute and five-minute divisions, were cast in copper. The iron hands are wrapped in copper and gilded. The total weight of the watch was 25 tons. The diameter of each of the four dials is over 6 meters; the height of the numbers is 72 centimeters, the length of the hour hand is about 3 meters, the minute hand is another quarter of a meter longer. Digitization on the dial was done at that time in Arabic numerals, and not in Roman numerals, as it is now.
Also, the "Butenop Brothers" company completely redesigned the music unit. The old clock bells were supplemented with bells taken from other Kremlin towers, the clock of which did not work by that time (16 from Troitskaya and 8 from Borovitskaya), bringing the total number of bells to 48 for the purpose of more melodic chimes and accurate performance of melodies. The striking of the clock was achieved by striking special hammers on the surface of the lower base of the bell. The musical mechanism itself consisted of a drum with a diameter of one and a half meters, in the middle of which a cogwheel was fixed. Parallel to the axis of the musical drum, there is an axis for 30 levers of the hammer cocking mechanism, which ensure the sound of the bells located in the uppermost tier of the Spasskaya Tower. On the playing shaft of the clock, at the personal command of the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich, the melodies of the anthem "If our Lord is glorious in Zion" (music by Dmitry Bortnyansky) and the march of the Preobrazhensky Regiment of Peter the Great's times were set. New chimes rang over Red Square every three hours, and the melodies were of great ideological significance and sounded until 1917. At 12 and 6 o'clock the march of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, and at 3 and 9 o'clock the anthem "If our Lord is glorious in Zion."
In 1913, a full-scale restoration of the appearance of the chimes was carried out, timed to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. The Butenop Brothers company continued to service the watch movement.
In 1917, during the shelling during the assault on the Kremlin, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower was seriously damaged. One of the shells hitting the watch interrupted the hand, damaging the rotation mechanism of the hands. The clock stopped and was malfunctioning for almost a year.
In 1918, by decree of V.I. Lenin, it was decided to restore the Kremlin chimes. First of all, the Bolsheviks turned to the firm of Pavel Bure and Sergei Roginsky, but after the announced sum for repairs, they turned to Nikolai Berens, a locksmith working in the Kremlin. Behrens knew the device of chimes since his father worked in a company that served chimes earlier. Together with his sons, Behrens was able to start the clock by July 1918, repaired the mechanism of rotation of the hands, repaired a hole in the dial and made a new pendulum about one and a half meters long and weighing 32 kilograms. Since Behrens was unable to tune the musical arrangement of the Spassky Clock, at the direction of the new government, the artist and musician Mikhail Cheremnykh figured out the order of the bells, the chime score and typed revolutionary melodies on the playing roller. In accordance with Lenin's wishes, at 12 o'clock the bells rang out "Internationale", and at 24 o'clock - "You fell a victim ...." (in honor of those buried in Red Square). In 1918, the Mossovet commission accepted the work, having listened to each melody three times on Red Square. The first to sounded at 6 am "Internationale", and at 9 o'clock and 15 o'clock - the funeral march "You have fallen a victim." After a while, the chimes were reconfigured. At 12 o'clock the bells rang out "Internationale", and at 24 o'clock "You fell a victim."
In 1932, the exterior was repaired and a new dial was made, which was an exact copy of the old one. On the gilding of the rim, numbers and arrows, 28 kg of gold were spent, and the "Internationale" was left as a melody. At the direction of J.V. Stalin, the execution of the funeral march was canceled. The special commission recognized the sound of the musical arrangement of the chimes as unsatisfactory. Frost and deterioration of the mechanism greatly distorted the sound, as a result of which in 1938 it was decided to stop the musical drum and the chimes fell silent, striking out the hours and quarters.
In 1941, an electromechanical drive was mounted specifically for the performance of the Internationale, which was later dismantled.
In 1944, a new anthem of the USSR was adopted to the music of A.V. Alexandrov and poems by S.V. Mikhalkov, and G.G. El-Registan. In this regard, by order of J.V. Stalin, they tried to set the chimes to ring out the new anthem, but for an unknown reason this did not happen.
In 1974, a major restoration of the Spasskaya Tower and the chimes was carried out, the clock was stopped for 100 days. During this time, the watch mechanism was completely disassembled and restored by the specialists of the Research Institute of the Watch Industry, and the old parts were replaced. Also, a system of automatic lubrication of parts was installed, which was previously carried out manually, and an electronic clock control was added.
In 1996, during the inauguration of Boris Yeltsin, the chimes, which had been silent for 58 years, began to play again after the traditional chime and beat of the clock. At noon and midnight, the bells began to sing “Patriotic Song” by M.I. Glinka, and every 3 and 9 o'clock in the morning and in the evening the melody of the chorus "Glory" from the opera "Life for the Tsar" (Ivan Susanin) by M.I. Glinka. The choice of the song was not accidental, "Patriotic Song" from 1993 to 2000 was the official anthem of Russia. To implement this project, it took research work carried out by specialists from NIIchasoprom. As a result of the work, recordings of the chime of bells on the Spasskaya Tower that have come down to our times were listened to. At different times, there were up to 48 bells, the tone of each of the 9 surviving bells was revealed. After that it became clear that they were not enough for the normal sounding of the selected melodies, 3 more bells were needed. According to a special spectral recording of the sounding of each missing bell, new ones were made.
The last major restoration work was carried out in 1999. The work was carried out for half a year. The hands and numbers were again gilded and restored to the historical appearance of the upper tiers. Important improvements were made in the operation and control of the Kremlin Chimes: a special supersensitive microphone was installed for more accurate timely control over the movement of the clockwork. The microphone picks up the accuracy of the movement, on the basis of which the software helps to establish the presence of problems and quickly identify in which part of the clock mechanism the rhythm is broken. Also, during the restoration, the chimes were reconfigured, after which the chimes began to sing the approved national anthem of the Russian Federation instead of the "Patriotic Song".
Nowadays, the Kremlin chimes are located at the hipped roof of the Spasskaya Tower and occupy 8, 9, 10 tiers. The main mechanism is located on the 9th floor and is located in a specially designated room. It consists of 4 winding shafts, each of which is assigned certain functions. One is for guiding the hands, the other is for striking the clock, the third is for calling the quarters and one more is for playing the chimes. Each mechanism is driven by three weights ranging from 160 to 220 kg, pulling the cables. The accuracy of the watch is achieved thanks to the pendulum weighing 32 kg. The clockwork is connected to the musical unit, which is located under the tent of the tower in the open 10th ringing tier, and consists of 9 quarter bells and 1 bell striking a full hour. The weight of the quarter bells is about 320 kg, the hour bell is 2160 kg.
The striking of the clock is achieved by striking a hammer connected to the mechanism of each of the bells. At the beginning of the hour, the chimes are chimed 4 times, and then a large bell chimes the clock. Every 15, 30, 45 minutes of the hour, the chime is played 1, 2 and 3 times. The musical mechanism of the chimes itself consists of a programmed copper cylinder with a diameter of about two meters, dotted with holes and pins in accordance with the dialed melodies. It is rotated by a kettlebell weighing more than 200kg. The drum, when rotated, forces the pins to press on the keys, from which the cables are pulled, connected to the bells on the belfry. At noon and midnight the anthem of the Russian Federation is performed, and at 3, 9, 15, 21 o'clock - the melody of the chorus "Glory" from Glinka's opera "A Life for the Tsar". The melodies are very different in rhythm of performance, therefore in the first case one first line from the anthem is performed, and in the second - two lines from the chorus "Glory".
Today we see on the Spasskaya Tower of Red Square those chimes that were restored by the Butenop brothers in 1852. Since its appearance on the Spasskaya Tower, the clock has been constantly reconstructed in connection with the development of progress in one or another area of mechanics, materials science and other sciences. Until 1937, the clock was wound manually twice a day, and then this process was mechanized, thanks to 3 electric motors, the weights for the plant were lifted without much effort. For each shaft, weights up to 200 kg are collected from cast iron ingots, and in winter this weight is increased. A preventive inspection of the mechanism is carried out every day, and once a month - a detailed one. The clock is controlled by the watchmaker on duty and a special device. The mechanism is lubricated 2 times a week, while summer or winter lubrication is used. The watch mechanism has been working properly for over 150 years.
Although the word chimes is quite generally recognized and denotes a type of tower or large room clock with bells that play a certain melody every hour, playing it on a different quarter every 15 minutes, but for every Russian, there is only one chime in the world - the Moscow Kremlin Chimes.
Everyone knows that the Kremlin chimes are the main clock of the country. But not many people know that today's chimes are the fourth in a row, which were installed on the Spasskaya Tower. It is not known for certain when the first ones appeared. The first record that has survived to this day, indicating the presence of a clock on the tower, dates back to 1585. It is also not known for sure whether these were really the first watches, but it is from them that the modern report is being conducted.
The first and second hours were not 12, but 17 hours, indicating the maximum duration of daylight hours in summer. The first "correct" clock appeared on the Spasskaya Tower only in 1705 by the decree of Peter I. Peter's Kremlin chimes were not of very high quality, although they were bought in Holland. They often broke down, and a whole staff of watchmakers was kept to maintain them, the bulk of which were foreigners. After the capital moved to the newly built St. Petersburg, the authorities' interest in the Kremlin chimes disappeared altogether. Hours were served "slipshod". In 1770, the chimes even began to play an Austrian folk song just because the chime watchmaker acting at that time, a German by birth, so wanted. And the authorities did not pay attention to this for almost a year.
The clock was badly damaged when the French were in Moscow in 1812. After their expulsion, the clock was restored many times, but not for long. In 1852, the chimes appeared on the Spasskaya Tower, which we see today. This time the watch was made in Russia, but under the guidance of the Butenop brothers, they were Danes.
The clock was constantly reconstructed with the development of progress in one or another area of mechanics, materials science and other sciences. But even more often the melodies played by the chimes changed. The coronation of the new sovereign, and subsequently the tumultuous events of 17, the changeable Soviet period, more than once changed the music played by the bells of the Spasskaya Tower. Today the clock is playing two melodies - the Anthem of Russia at 6 and 12 o'clock, and Glory from the opera A Life for the Tsar at 3 and 9 o'clock. The rest of the time there is a typical chime and a regular battle. Until 1937, the clock was wound manually twice a day, and then the process was mechanized by installing as many as three electric motors for the factory.
Today the Kremlin chimes are one of the symbols of Russia, which, as in the old days, measure the course of the country's history.
Chimes are a tower or large room clock with bells that beat a given melody every hour. However, for residents of the Russian Federation, this word is consistently associated with the Moscow Kremlin Chimes.
It is well known that the Kremlin chimes are the main clocks in Russia. However, a much smaller number of people know that modern chimes are already the fourth in a row installed in the Spasskaya Tower.
It is currently not established when the first clock was mounted on the Spasskaya Tower. The first mention of this that has come down to us dates back to 1585, but there is no certainty that it was precisely the first watch. Despite the lack of reliable information, the history of the existence of the Kremlin chimes is counted from this date.
The Kremlin clock, which was the first to be installed in the Spasskaya Tower, had a 17-hour dial, which displayed the longest day in summer. Only in 1705 by the decree of Peter I, the tower clock was replaced with a normal 12-hour clock. These chimes, purchased in Holland, were of insufficient quality production and constantly broke, and therefore Peter had to keep a large number of watchmakers for repairs.
After the capital of the Russian State was moved to St. Petersburg, courtiers ceased to be interested in the fate of the Kremlin chimes. The staff attending them treated their duties irresponsibly. So, in 1770, at the whim of the master who served the chimes, and he was a purebred German, the Austrian folk song became one of the clock melodies, while the state authorities did not react to such an outrage during the year.
During the sack of Moscow by Napoleon, the chimes suffered significant damage, and after the liberation of the city, the clock could not return to normal for a long time.
However, the history of the Kremlin chimes received a new round when in 1852 the clock so familiar to us was installed in the Spasskaya Tower. They have already been produced in Russia. Their authors were Danes - the Butenop brothers.
With the development of science and technology, the watch mechanism underwent modernization: individual blocks were altered, parts were replaced with better ones made from new materials, etc. Also, the melodies played for hours were updated. This was primarily facilitated by the political events taking place in the country, revolutions, changes of sovereigns and leaders, as well as many others.
Modern chimes play two melodies at once. When "six" or "twelve" o'clock strikes, the national anthem of the Russian Federation is played, and at "three" and "nine" - the melody "Glory." In 1937, three electric motors were integrated into the watch mechanism, which carried out the automatic winding of the watch. Currently, the Kremlin chimes are the hallmark of Russia.
And there are more than ten interesting facts about this place!
A. Vasnetsov "The Moscow Kremlin under Ivan Kalita", 1921
The first mentions of Moscow and a small wooden Kremlin appear in the 12th century. In Russia, a part of a city or a whole city, which was surrounded by walls, was called the Kremlin. In the Middle Ages, in every, even the smallest town, there was one or several such "kremlins".
The "authorship" of the first wooden Kremlin in Moscow is attributed to Yuri Dolgoruky. A high fence with stakes was supposed to protect the city from the raids of ill-wishers. At various times, the walls of Moscow burned, then they were rebuilt, until in the XIV century Prince Dmitry Donskoy ordered the Kremlin walls to be built of white stone.
Subsequently, the walls were rebuilt several times, since the stone was not intended for service "for centuries." However, each time the builders exactly reproduced the original shape of the walls - a triangle. This is an ancient sacred symbol of protection, which has nothing to do with Christianity, but all the princes followed this principle of construction.
The modern Kremlin is far from the oldest among similar buildings in Russia. However, due to his affiliation with Moscow, it is customary to call him “the main one”. The construction of the Kremlin in the form in which we are used to seeing it was carried out not by Russian architects, but by Italians. It was the European masters who were able to build the eternal wall.
The builders took as the basis (center) of the Kremlin the main spiritual symbol of Moscow - the Assumption Cathedral. And on each side of it, at an equal distance from each other, seven red-brick towers were erected.
The battlements on the walls are made in the shape of the letter "M", which is somewhat strange for Russian culture. This novelty was introduced into the decoration of the Russian Kremlin by the Italians, who believed that such a shape of the walls would make it possible to better defend themselves if necessary. Princes and ordinary people in their own way called this element "swallow's tail".
Few people know, but under the walls of the Kremlin there are underground passages and shelters. However, they were never fully investigated.
Today, the famous walls are periodically restored, the main goal of each work is to restore the original appearance of the red brick.
F. Alekseev "Red Square in Moscow", 1801
1. For some period of its history, the Kremlin was ... an island! Yes, in the 16th century, to defend the city, it was decided to dig canals around the Kremlin walls - it was easier and more convenient to defend against enemies this way. However, this system did not last long - Moscow received not only a strategic advantage, but also many inconveniences in attacks and trade.
2. The Kremlin was originally not just a defensive structure. Monasteries were located there. For example, in the 20th century alone, 28 monasteries and churches that were located on the territory of the Kremlin were destroyed.
3. During the Great Patriotic War, in order to protect the Kremlin from airstrikes, the authorities decided to disguise it. So, the red walls were painted with different colors, windows and doors were painted on the walls, the stars were covered with plywood. It was difficult for enemy pilots to see him from the air.
However, this did not save the Kremlin from destruction. There is a legend that during the war not a single mine ever flew to the Kremlin walls, but this is not the case. They were hit by 15 high-explosive and 150 incendiary bombs. One large bomb destroyed the Arsenal building.
4. It is generally accepted that each tower in the Kremlin has its own name. The highest of them is called Troitskaya, and the most famous is Spasskaya (there are chimes on it). However, there are two towers that have not received names for many centuries. Therefore, today they are called simply - First Nameless and Second Nameless.
5. There are many rumors about the ghosts of the Kremlin. They say that the spirit of Lenin still roams the Kremlin. At the same time, the ghost made his first "exit" during the life of the leader: when Lenin was mortally ill, his spirit walked through his office in the Kremlin, which frightened the guards a lot. And today, security officers sometimes frighten people with stories that the ghost of Lenin wanders the night corridors of the Kremlin.
6. For some reason, they never write about this in history textbooks: in the 17th century, real hanging gardens were built on the territory of the modern Kremlin. Exotic fruits, nuts and outlandish flowers were grown here. However, in the frosty Russian winter, it was very difficult to maintain such complex hanging structures, so the gardens were soon closed.
7. Not so many legends are known about the Kremlin chimes. This is the main clock in Russia, which always shows the exact time. This was not easy to achieve: they had to connect an electric cable from the chimes to the control clock of the Moscow Institute of Astronomy. Therefore, at any time you can look at the hands of the chimes and be sure that the main clock of Russia does not lag behind for a second.
8. The Moscow Kremlin is the largest fortress in all of Europe. Its area is about 27 hectares.
9. The famous stars on the Kremlin towers weigh just over a ton each. This is the only way to create jewelry that can withstand a hurricane of any strength. By the way, the location of Moscow on seven hills contributes to constant strong winds and hurricanes.
10. The Uphill Group conducted research to determine the exact cost of the Moscow Kremlin. As it turned out, the symbol of our homeland was valued at $ 50 billion.
What other mysteries are hidden in the Kremlin? No guide in the world can answer these questions. Many studies on the secrets and history of the Kremlin have revealed many interesting facts, but it is not possible to confirm most of them: photos and historical documents were lost in different years.
