Ivan, the Great Bell Tower, is the highest building of the Moscow Kremlin and its compositional center. Also, it's said to be the center of Moscow. It was built at the beginning of the 16th century by Italian architect Bon Fryazin as the central bell tower for the churches of Kremlin – the Uspenskiy Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Archangel, and the Blagoveshenskiy Cathedral, as they don't have their bell towers.
Ivan, the Great Bell Tower, is an architectural ensemble that consists of three elements: Uspenskaya Zvonnica (Belfry of Assumption), Ivan the Great Belltower, and Filaret annex.
Ivan, the Great Bell Tower, is called the first skyscraper of Moscow – its height is 81 meters, and because of this, it could also be used as a watchtower. There's a beautiful view you can enjoy from the top of the tower, but to do this, you have to follow 329 steps of its staircase.
The ensemble contains 24 bells dating from the 16th -17th century, and they remained silent for 74 years, from 1918 to 1992. Today you can hear them tolling on main religious holidays.
