Nikolskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin

Nikolskaya Tower is one of the towers of the Kremlin of Moscow facing Red Square. In 1491, the tower was built under the direction of Pietro Solari, an Italian architect, and named after St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, whose icon is placed above the gates of the retractable archer.

The height of Nikolskaya Tower is 67 meters to the star and 70 meters to the star. The tower is of great cultural importance, since it was through its gates in 1612 that the people’s militia under the leadership of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky solemnly entered the Kremlin.

In 1736, the construction of the Arsenal building adjacent to the Kremlin wall between the Corner Arsenal and Nikolskaya towers was completed. Nikolskaya Tower acquired baroque decor, and in 1780 the building was built a round top and a low tent. In 1806, the building was rebuilt by A.I. Ruska, a famous architect at that time. The tower was given a Gothic appearance that distinguished it from other towers of the Kremlin.

After the explosion in 1812 and the shelling in 1917, the Nikolskaya Tower was restored by N.V. Markovnikov: it was repainted from white tone to brick color, uniting it with the tone of the Kremlin wall. In 1918, the facade and the miraculous icon were draped with red kumach. In 2010, the restoration of the former ancient image was completed – a result that can be observed today.