The Belfry of Ivan the Great

The belfry was erected for the cathedrals of the Assumption, Archangel Michael and the Annunciation that had no bell towers of their own. It is 81 meters high. It was the highest building in Moscow until the cathedral of Christ the Savior was built.

Since 1329, this was the location of the first Moscow belfry - the church of St. John Climacus of Sinai also known as John of the Ladder. In 1505, a new bell tower was erected with the church of St. John Climacus as its base; this is where the belfry name stems from. There is a legend associated with it. That it says that Napoleon ordered the cross off the Annunciation Cathedral (62) to be removed after finding out that it was made of pure gold. But the French confused the cathedral with the Ivan the Great Bell Tower which bore a gilded iron cross. They were not able to take it down. Then a Russian man offered his help. He mounted the belfry and took the cross down using a rope. But when he came to Napoleon for a reward the emperor ordered to have him shot as a traitor.

The Uspenskaya (of the Assumption) (60) belfry sides with the bell tower. It was built in 1532 - 1543 by an Italian architect Petroc Minor. The Great Uspensky bell hangs there: this is the biggest Kremlin bell cast in the middle of the 19th century by master A. Zavyalov.