Taynitskaya Tower

The first to be built was the Taynitskaya tower (1485). It was designed by Italian architect Antonio Fryazin (Antonio Gilardi). It was so named because of its secret (tayniy) passage leading to the Moskva River.

In the 18th century Russian craftsmen built on the tower’s base an additional arched layer, which was crowned by a four-sided marquee with an observation tower. During the 18th -19th centuries the tower was repeatedly destroyed and restored. In 1930-1933 the gate was dismantled and the secret well filled up.