![Smolensk kremlin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Smolensk_kremlin.jpg)
The Smolensk Kremlin (russian: Смоленский кремль) is a fortified complex (
kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty, Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of th ...
) enclosing the center of the city of
Smolensk
Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest c ...
in western
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. The partially preserved fortress wall was built between 1595 and 1602, during the reign of Tsars
Fyodor I Ioannovich and
Boris Godunov
Borís Fyodorovich Godunóv (; russian: Борис Фёдорович Годунов; 1552 ) ruled the Tsardom of Russia as ''de facto'' regent from c. 1585 to 1598 and then as the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. After the end of his ...
. The length of the walls is about , of which less than the half was preserved. The fortifications were built under the supervision of the architect
Fyodor Kon
Fyodor Savelyevich Kon (russian: Фёдор Саве́льевич Ко́нь; fl. 1585–1600) was a 16th-century Russian military engineer and architect who built the Smolensk Kremlin (1597–1602) and the Bely Gorod fortification ring of Mosc ...
. The Smolensk Kremlin is classified as an architectural monument protected at the federal level,
and also has a great historical significance, in particular, as the fortress protecting the Russian state from the west over centuries.
History
![Smolemsk kreml](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Smolemsk_kreml.svg)
Smolensk historically had a great significance for the defence of Russia, and this is why Russian rulers paid considerable attention to its fortifications. In the spring of 1554, Tsar
Ivan the Terrible
Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584.
Ivan ...
ordered to build a new tall wooden fortress. After the development of
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
, it became clear that a wooden fortress was no longer suitable for the defense, and at the end of the 16th century, it was decided to build a new stone fortress at the place of the old one.
In December 1595, the preparations for the construction started after the official decree was issued. The construction works were very intense and were performed daily from sunrise to sunset. The construction workers, however, lived in harsh conditions and revolted in 1599 because of hunger, cold, and diseases. In the summer of 1597 long and heavy rains flooded all the trenches and ditches, and the construction workers had to strengthen the landslide soil by piles. In 1600, because of the heat and heavy rains, a large number of crops was lost in Russia, causing a famine.
The construction of the new fortress used the old existing fortifications, in some places the new wall was built on top of them, and in certain areas, the new fortress extended beyond the limits set by the old one.
The construction started from the western side of the fortress.
Towers and walls
![BD090090(2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/BD090090%282%29.jpg)
Several sections of the wall survived, the eastern section with nine towers, the south-western section with five towers, and the northern section with three towers.
The most famous remaining tower is the round-cornered tower named Veselukha. This name was given to it because of the nice view which opens from the tower. In the daytime, citizens lead their guests to see the beautiful suburbs. However, in the evening time and especially during the night it is a rather dangerous place and has a bad reputation. Brave hearts who dare to appear at this place told about horror phantoms and ghosts. Finally it was found the reasonable explanation to that awful fact. This place was used by the counterfeiters who printed out false money and scared people who tried to walk around.
The Main Gate Tower was Frolovskaya (Dnieper Tower), through which was the exit to the capital of the Russian state. The second most important was Molohovskaya tower, opens the way to
Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
, Krasny and
Roslavl
Roslavl (russian: Ро́славль, ) is a town and the administrative center of Roslavlsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia. It is a road and rail junction and a market town. Population:
Climate
Roslavl has a warm-summer humid continenta ...
.
Remaining towers
*Pyatnitskaya (Water Tower)
*Volkova
*Kostyrevskaya (Red Tower)
*Veselukha (Luchinskaya)
*Pozdnyakova (Rogovka)
*Oryol (Gorogetskaya)
*Avraamievskaya
*Zaaltarnaya (Belukha)
*Voronina
*Dolgochevskaya
*Zimbulka
*Nikolskaya
*Mokhovaya
*Donets
*Gromovaya
*Bubleika
*Kopytenskaya
File:Башня Орел вечером.jpg, Oryol Tower
File:Долгочевская башня первая в ансамбле.jpg, Dolgochevskaya Tower
File:Башня Волкова Смоленской крепостной стены.jpg, Volkova Tower
File:Смоленск-Прокудин-Горский-Никольские Ворота.jpg, Nikolskaya Tower
File:Bub.jpg, Bubleika Tower
File:Gromovaya bashnya.jpg, Gromovaya Tower
File:Kopytenskaya2.jpg, Kopytenskaya Tower
Destroyed towers
*Antifonovskaya
*Bogoslovskaya
*Ivorovskaya (Verzhenova)
*Pyatnitsa (Water Gate)
*Granovitaya (Faceted Tower)
*Gurkina
*Frolovskaya
*Evstafevskaya (Brikareva)
*Kassandalovskaya (Kozodavlevskaya, Artishevskaya)
*2 unnamed round towers
*Krylosh Gate
*Lazarev Gate
*Molokhov Gate
*Mikulinskaya
*Stefanskaya
*Kolominskaya (Sheinova)
*Gorodetskaya (Semenovskaya)
*3 unnamed quadrangular towers
References
External links
Fortifications of Smolensk
{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2017
Kremlins
Buildings and structures in Smolensk
Buildings and structures in Smolensk Oblast
Tourist attractions in Smolensk Oblast
Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Smolensk Oblast