Ivan the Great Bell Tower
Колокольня Ивана Великого · Tverskoy District
church building in Moscow
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Ivan the Great Bell Tower
We stand at the very heart of the Moscow Kremlin, before the imposing and elegant ensemble of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. This structure is not merely a tower; it is the compositional center of the entire Kremlin complex, a…
Listen in the app2The Main Pillar — Bon Fryazin's Masterpiece
The core of the ensemble is the great octagonal pillar of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, commissioned by Grand Prince Ivan III and completed in 1508 by the Italian architect Bon Fryazin. Ivan III, who consolidated the Russian…
Listen in the app3The Assumption Belfry and the Filaret Annex
Attached to the north side of the main pillar is the Assumption Belfry, a massive, rectangular structure built between 1532 and 1552 by the architect Petrok Maly. This belfry was specifically designed to house the 'Reut' or…
Listen in the app4The Tsar Bell — A Giant Silenced by Fate
Just a few meters from the foot of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower lies the Tsar Bell, the largest bell ever cast in the world. This 202-ton behemoth was commissioned by Empress Anna Ivanovna and cast by the father-and-son team of…
Listen in the app5The Tsar Cannon — The Bronze Bombard
Directly across from the bell tower ensemble is the Tsar Cannon, another record-holding giant of the Kremlin. Cast in 1586 by Andrey Chokhov on the orders of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, this is the largest bombard cannon ever built by…
Listen in the app6Cathedral Square — The Architectural Context
To truly appreciate the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, one must look at its relationship with the surrounding cathedrals of Cathedral Square. The tower was designed to be the 'choirmaster' of this architectural ensemble. …
Listen in the app7The Spasskaya Tower and the Outer Walls
As we look away from the bell tower and toward the outer boundaries of the Kremlin, we see the 2,235 meters of red brick walls that have protected this heart for centuries. The most iconic of the 20 towers is the Spasskaya Tower,…
Listen in the app8Ivan the Great Bell Tower
As we conclude our exploration of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and its surrounding wonders, we find ourselves back in the center of Cathedral Square. We have seen the 'unreachable' height of the main pillar, the massive bronze…
Listen in the app
What is Ivan the Great Bell Tower?
Ivan the Great Bell Tower is a place in Tverskoy District with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Tverskoy District |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 55.7508, 37.6181 |
| Last updated |
