This tower, as well as the Borovitskaya, was built by the architect Pietro Antonio Solari in 1491. Its name is sometimes associated with the icon of St. Nicholas placed above the pass-gate. Other sources connect the name with St. Nicholas Greek monastery, which once stood on Nikolskaya Street. The gate of Nikolskaya Tower is of historical significance. In 1612, during the fights with the Poles the people's militia, led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, burst into the gate and freed the Kremlin.
