The tallest building in Moscow in the XVI century: Ivan the Great Bell Tower at "The Birth of Scale" exposition

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A striking example of medieval Russia’s high-rise structures is presented in the form of a model at "The Birth of Scale" exposition in the National Centre RUSSIA. Visitors can see a model of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, which was built between 1505 and 1509 based on the design of the Italian architect Bon Fryazin.

Until 1815, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower was repeatedly expanded, modified, and reconstructed. This unique structure is part of the architectural ensemble of the Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin.

"The bell tower consists of three structures: the Ivan the Great pillar, the Assumption Belfry, and the Filaret Annex. In 1505, an old church nearby was dismantled. To the east of it, architect Bon Fryazin built a new church in honor of Saint John Climacus. The construction was completed in 1508. The structure consisted of three octagonal tiers, with the lower tier housing the church, and the 60-meter-tall bell tower crowned with a dome (or, according to another version, a brick tented roof). In the 1540s, a rectangular belfry was constructed on the northern side of the church based on the design of the Italian architect Petrok Maly. At the end of the XVI century, Russian architect Fyodor Kon carried out the addition of a third tier. The walls of the newly built tier were only three bricks thick. The structure reached a height of 81 meters, making it the tallest in Moscow, which led to its name, 'Ivan the Great,'" said Dmitry Lesnykh, a tour guide at the National Centre RUSSIA and the author of the guided tour for "The Birth of Scale" exposition.

Upon completion of the construction, the dome and the cross were brightly gilded.

The Filaret Annex was built in 1624 according to the design of architect Bazhen Ogurtsov. It was named after Patriarch Filaret, the father of Mikhail Fedorovich — the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty.

Visitors to the National Centre RUSSIA can learn more during free guided tours of the architectural exposition "The Birth of Scale," which can be booked through the "Events" section on the website.

Partners of "The Birth of Scale" exposition include DOM.RF, the Ministry of Construction of Russia, Gazprom, the State Research Museum of Architecture named after A.V. Shchusev, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the Yakov Chernikhov Architectural Charity Foundation, and the HSE School of Design.