MOSKVA - IV : RUSSIA

*Location:

   Ivan Veliki (Ivan the Great)
     Bell Tower complex
   within the Kremlin
   Moskva (Moscow), Russia
   LL: N 55.75084, E 37.61819
   Tsar Bell at N 55.75077, E 37.61847

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Player:

   (unknown)

*Contact:

   International Department
   Moscow Kremlin
   T: 95/203-80-86   F: 95/203-17-53
   E: prs@kremlin.museum.ru  [Press Svc.]

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   Tower complex includes Ivan the Great
   Bell Tower, built in 1505-8 (and
   extended in 1600) to serve 3 cathedrals
   within Kremlin walls; Assumption
   Belfry added in 1532-43; and Filaret
   Annex added in 1624.  Contents:
   64-ton Uspensky "Resurrection" Bell by
   Zavyalov, mid-19th c., in center of
   Belfry; 32.76-ton (or 19.7-ton) Reut
   Bell in side section of Belfry;
   13-ton "Semisotnij" bell in Annex;
   lowest level of Tower has 7.2-ton "Bear",
   7.4-ton "Swan", 6.9-ton "Novgorod",
   5-ton "Slobodskoj", 4.9-ton "Wide" and
   3.3-ton "Rostov"; middle level of tower
   has 7 bells of 0.6 to 3.2 tons; top
   level of tower has 3 bells under 1 ton.
   Also reported as 24 bells from the
   16th to 19th c. (unconfirmed).

*Technical data:

   Zvon of 21 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is unknown
   Transposition is not applicable
   Keyboard range:     ZVON  /    NONE  
   The arrangement of tones and/or semitones
     is non-standard; see Remarks above.
   The whole instrument was installed in unknown year
     by the maker cited in Remarks above
   Year of latest technical information source is 2006

*Links:

A Moscow Info page describes and pictures the Ivan the Great Bell Tower complex.

One of several pages in a photo tour of the Kremlin pictures and briefly describes the Ivan the Great Bell Tower.

A dramatic evening photo of the Tower and Belfry, illuminated from inside; several bells can be seen.  (Identifying tags can be shown or hidden.)

A traveler's photo of the bell tower complex from the western or "back" side

Another traveler's photos of the bell tower complex from the western or "back" side: #1, #2

Besides the links above, there are numerous other links related to both this zvon and other nearby instruments; those links can be found on our page about Tower Bells of the Moscow Kremlin.

These bells being presumably by a variety of founders, the instrument is not indexed by foundry nor by year.

Ranking among all European chimes by pitch (weight).
Ranking among all European chimes by size (number of bells).

Where the bass bell of this zvon ranks among all great bells in Russia.
Where the second bell of this zvon ranks among all great bells in Russia.

Index to all zvons.

Index to all tower bell instruments in Russia.

*Status:

   This page was built from the database on 16-Aug-07
   based on textual data last updated on 2007/06/30
   and on technical data last updated on 2006/11/28

Explanations of page format and keyboard range are available.

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