Vodovzvodnaya (Water) Tower (Moscow)

 tower, listed building / architectural heritage, 15th century construction

In the southwest, the Kremlin is fortified by the Vodovzvodnaya - or Water - Tower. It is one of the most beautiful buildings of the whole ensemble. The tower was erected in 1488 by the architect Antonio Gilardi, also known as Anton Fryazin. It was originally called the Sviblova Tower after Boyar Sviblov, whose mansion stood nearby. It acquired its present name in 1633 after the installation of a water elevating machine and the first Russian pressurized pipe system to collect water from the Moscow River and bring it to the Kremlin. According to contemporaries, this machine, built under the supervision of Englishman Christopher Halloway, cost several barrels of gold.
The tower was built in classical style. At the top are swallow-tailed merlons with slits for shooting. At the end of the 17th century, a tent roof was added. In 1812, the tower was blown up by Napoleon’s retreating troops and restored in 1816-1819.