The Novgorod Kremlin's clock-bell or the local "Leaning Tower of Pisa" reminds us of the passage of time

We sum up the results of the third round of the historical quest, dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve, and answer the question about the local "Leaning Tower of Pisa".

The quest participants note that there are many objects in the city that have stood for centuries and have become slanted over time. It is not only time that affects: the miscalculations of architects, the quality of building materials, the peculiarity of local soils, and also the level of professionalism of builders. But all these factors have had the most noticeable effect on the Chasozvon, the main vertical dominant of the Novgorod Kremlin.

This 40-meter structure is called the local "Leaning Tower of Pisa." It was erected in 1673 by order of Metropolitan Joachim to replace the Euthymius Column that had collapsed two years earlier.

According to experts, the monument is quite archaic in architecture, the facades are designed modestly. The clock bell is especially notable for its upper part, where 4 dials are installed (oriented approximately to the cardinal points), connected by a single clock mechanism.

This clock is over 350 years old. And as one of the participants of our quest notes, it was the second chimes in Rus'. Not every city could afford such luxury in those days - a city clock, and even a "talking" one. Every hour and half hour here are struck by a small bell weighing 60 poods. In 1754, the chimes were damaged by a fire, in the 19th century they did not work, then they were restored. Even in our time, there have been cases when the old technology failed, including due to lightning striking the tower. But each time, the museum masters brought the chimes back to life.

It should be noted that in the old days the clock tower served as an observation point to see the enemy approaching. During the Great Patriotic War the upper part of the Clock Tower was damaged, but later it was restored.

If you approach the Chasozvon from the side of the St. Sophia Cathedral, you will see that the building has a noticeable slope to the northwest. Another thing is noteworthy: the clock tower is the tallest structure of the Novgorod Detinets and an adornment of the historical part of the city, so tourists always try to "catch" it in the frame.

By the way, there was a hint in the editorial photo for this quest tour – a fragment of the Clock Tower is visible in the background.

We thank Dmitry Sinchuk for the answers they sent (he named the Spasskaya Tower, which is also tilted), Lyudmila Simonova, Masha Semenova, Alexey Sergeevich, Alevtina Chelpanova. And the winner of this round was the contestant nicknamed Fat Dzhi, who will receive a prize from the editors and the museum-reserve!

We will announce a new tour of the historical quest again on our website , as well as in the group "Novgorod newspaper" on VKontakte. Follow the news!

Svetlana Antonova

Photo from the editorial archive