ORUZHEINAYA TOWER

The Oruzheinaya (Armoury) Tower was built in 1493-1495 on the northwest side of the Kremlin wall, today stretching along the Alexander Garden. It is situated between the Borovitskaya and Komendantskaya towers. At the beginning of the 17th century it had a passage gate to the stable yard in the Kremlin's. That is where its ancient name comes from.

In 1676-1686 the tower was built up with a hipped roof and it has preserved its medieval forms to this day. Its architectural solution is similar to the neighboring Comendantskaya Tower –massive and square in plan, finished with a fighting platform with a parapet, there is an open quadrangle above it, topped with a marquee with a watchtower. There are two tiers of vaulted rooms inside the main volume of the tower; the entrance from the Kremlin leads to the lower one.

The tower got its present-day name in the 19th century after the Armory was put up in the Kremlin.

The height of the tower is 38,9 metres.