The Kutafya Tower
The Kutafya Tower was built in 1516, in order to defend the bridge to the Kremlin. It is the only bridgehead watchtower to survive to the present day, and was previously surrounded by a moat and a river.
In times of enemy attack, the gates were shut and the tower became a formidable obstacle to those besieging the citadel. In the 16th and 17th centuries the water level was high enough that water surrounded the tower on all sides, thanks to a system of dikes.
In 1668 a causeway leading through the tower to the Troitskaya Bridge was built. The building was thoroughly restored in the 1970s.
The Kutafya Tower
The Kutafya Tower was built in 1516, in order to defend the bridge to the Kremlin. It is the only bridgehead watchtower to survive to the present day, and was previously surrounded by a moat and a river.
In times of enemy attack, the gates were shut and the tower became a formidable obstacle to those besieging the citadel. In the 16th and 17th centuries the water level was high enough that water surrounded the tower on all sides, thanks to a system of dikes.
In 1668 a causeway leading through the tower to the Troitskaya Bridge was built. The building was thoroughly restored in the 1970s.