Moscow, Kremlin, Annunciation tower

The tower was built in the years 1487-1488. It is a low four-sided tower. At its base are slabs of white limestone. They have survived from the ancient white-stone Kremlin of the XIV century. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, the tower was used as a prison. At the end of the 17th century, a stone tent with a decorative watchtower was built on the Annunciation Tower. The name of the tower comes from the miraculous icon of the Annunciation, which was once located here, and is also associated with the Church of the Annunciation, attached to the tower at the beginning of the 18th century. At the same time, a bell tower was built in the watchtower, where seven bells were placed, and the weather vane was replaced with a cross. The tower served as a side-altar of the church, ancient loopholes were hewn into large windows. In the 17th century, near the tower, the Portomoy Gate was erected for the passage of the palace laundries to the Portomoyny raft on the Moscow River to rinse ports - linen. In 1813, the Portomoy Gate was laid, but their traces have survived to this day and are clearly visible from the inside of the Kremlin. At the bottom of the tower there was a deep underground. Tower height - 30.7 m (with weather vane - 32.45 m).