From 1329Moscow's first bell tower stood on this site — the Church of St. John Climacus-under-the Bell. From 1505 to 1508 a new bell tower was erected next to the church on the foundation of the old tower, which gave it its name. At first it had 2 belfries on different levels, but in 1600 on the orders of Boris Godunov it was raised to its present height. Until the building of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour it was the tallest building in old Moscow, and it was forbidden to put up any building in Moscow which was taller than the Bell Tower.
A story is told of the Bell Tower that after Napoleon captured Moscow in 1812, he heard that the cross on the central dome of the Annunciation Cathedral had been cast in solid gold, and immediately gave orders that it should be taken down. But he confused the cathedral with the Ivan the Great Bell Tower which only had a gilded iron cross. This cross resisted all attempts of French equipment and engineers to remove it from the tower. It was only after a Russian peasant volunteered to climb up to the dome that the cross was lowered on a rope. When he went up to Napoleon seeking a reward, the latter had him shot out of hand as a traitor to his fatherland.
Ivan the Great Bell Tower adjoins the Assumption Belfry, which was built between 1523 and 1543 by the Italian immigrant architect Petrok Maly Fryazin (who converted to Orthodox Christianity and settled in Russia). It contains the Great Assumption Bell which was cast in the mid-19th century by Zavyalov, and it is the biggest of all the Kremlin bells. This ensemble contains 24 big bells.
A tower containing one or more bells, typically part of a church, is a belltower; attached to a city hall or other civil building, it is usually named belfry; the occasional free standing one may be referred to by its Italian name, campanile.
The bell is rung to signify the time, for special events such as weddings and funerals, or especially in old days to sound a civil defense or fire alarm.
Belltowers may also contain carillons, a musical instrument traditionally comprised of large bells which are sounded by cables, chains, or cords connected to a keyboard.
The Ivan the GreatBellTower is the tallest of the belltowers ringing the MoscowKremlin complex, with a total height of 81 meters (266 feet).
From 1505 to 1508 a new belltower was erected next to the church on the foundation of the old tower, which gave it its name.
Ivan the GreatBellTower adjoins the AssumptionBelfry, which was built between 1523 and 1543 by the Italian immigrant architect Petrok Maly Fryazin (who converted to Orthodox Christianity and settled in Russia).
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