Kutafya Tower (Moscow)

 tower, gate, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage, 16th century construction

The Kutafya Tower (Кутафья башня in Russian) is an outlying barbican tower of the Moscow Kremlin. It was built in the early 16th century to protect the bridge over the Neglinnaya River leading to the Troitskaya Tower. The Kutafya Tower had two combat tiers (the divider between them was destroyed in 1780); the upper landing was equipped with gun-slots for plunging fire at the enemy at the foot of the tower. A delicate ornamental crown in the Muscovite baroque style was built in 1685. Initially, the tower was surrounded by a moat with lift bridges thrown over it, which led to the side gates. A through-passage to the Manezhnaya Street was constructed in 1867. At the same time, they built the arched apertures on the sides and a guard house on the south side, which would be dismantled during the restoration in 1974-1977. The height of the Kutafia Tower is 13.5 m.