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51-542: It is believed that Ascension Convent was founded in 1389 next to the Saviour Gates of the Kremlin by Dmitry Donskoy 's widow, Eudoxia Dmitriyevna , who would take the veil there. The foundation stone for the cathedral was laid in 1407, just before her death. Eight years later, the cathedral was gutted by fire and then rebuilt in 1467 by princess Maria of Borovsk , wife of Vasili II of Russia . Sixteen years later

102-605: A red star because he wanted to remove all evidence of the former Tsarist period. The star rotates in 360°. The height of the tower with the star is 71 meters. The tradition of dismounting the horse and removing the cap ended during the Soviet era, when the Kremlin became the center of government and politics. Cars approached the gate head on from the Lobnoye Mesto and the road beside the GUM department store . All other traffic

153-455: A dedicated advocate of reunification, may have conceived the marriage plan. Negotiations lasted for three years. Russian chronicles describe the events as follows: Even before she departed for Russian lands, it became apparent that the Vatican's plans to have Sophia represent Catholicism had failed: Immediately after her wedding, she returned to the faith of her fathers. Papal Legate Anthony

204-435: A few days before her wedding with Nagaya's purported son, False Dmitry I . In 1634, Michael I of Russia commissioned a new convent church to be built and dedicated to his patron saint, Michael Maleinos . A belltower next to this church was constructed in the late 17th century. The Church of Michael Maleinos used to be home to a rare sculpture of St George , made by Vasili Yermolin and installed there in 1808. In 1721,

255-483: A search. Prince Vasily did not wait for retribution, but fled to Lithuania with his wife. One direct consequence of this episode was that Prince Michael of Verey-Belozersky, Vasily's father, bequeathed his domains to the Grand Prince, effectively disinheriting his son. Sophia was able to obtain a pardon for her niece and her husband in 1493, but they never returned. New factors came into play around 1490 when Ivan

306-664: A son, Dmitry . After the annexation of Tver in 1485, the Grand Duke named Ivan the Young Grand Prince of this domain. During the 1480s, Ivan's position as the rightful heir was quite secure and Sophia's supporters became less so. In particular, the Grand Princess was unable to obtain government posts for her relatives: Her brother, Andreas, departed from Moscow with nothing, and her niece, Maria (wife of Vasily Mikhailovich, Hereditary Prince of Verey-Belozersky),

357-691: A vision of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh in which the saint "presented her the long-waited son between his arms." Another source of tension appeared in the Russian court in January 1483, when Ivan the Young married Elena , daughter of Stephen III the Great , Prince of Moldavia . The heir's new wife soon became involved in court intrigues, especially after 10 October 1483, when she gave birth to

408-486: Is based within the grounds of Red Square. In August 2010 the icon of Smolensk Saviour was uncovered and restored above the gate (see picture below). This begins the tradition of the parade inspector to remove his headgear and cross himself before the inspection of troops during all Moscow Victory Day Parades . Beginning in 2016, there has been an hourly guard mounting ceremony by the Kremlin Regiment within

459-605: Is believed that Sophia introduced grand Byzantine ceremonies and meticulous court etiquette into the Kremlin , pleased with the idea of Moscow as a Third Rome . In 1472, she was repelled by the formal tributary gesture with which her spouse greeted the Mongolian representatives. She is supposed to have convinced him to abandon that subordinate relationship with the Mongols in a break that was eventually completed in 1480. Soon,

510-475: Is the current director of the Kremlin Museums, Elena Gagarina. There are many cathedrals inside the Kremlin walls, and many of them hold church services, however irregularly because the cathedrals are still operated as museums. The Spasskaya Gate posed an issue following in the 1990s, as the passage of vehicles disrupted the flow of pedestrians to GUM and other shopping centers. In 1999, the decision

561-573: The Archangel Cathedral , where they reside to this day. In the 1990s, work began on the study of the tombs of grand duchesses and tsars. It was possible to find relics of Eudoxia of Moscow and to restore a sculptural portrait of Sofia Palaiologina from the skull. In 2004, research on burial in the underground chamber near the Archangel cathedral has passed. The further studying of materials passed in laboratory premises. In 2016,

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612-692: The Kremlin Presidium was dismantled and archaeological excavations were carried out at the opened site. For the first time, opportunities for the large-scale archaeological study of such a vast section of the Kremlin Hill and the hidden layers of the cultural and spiritual heritage of the XII – early XX centuries were opened. Researches were carried out by the Institute of the Archaeology of

663-765: The Orthodox religion, it is possible that she was educated as a Catholic in Rome. She spent the next years in the court of Pope Sixtus IV . The care of the Imperial children was assigned to a famous Greek humanist, theologian and scholar, Cardinal Basilios Bessarion . The Cardinal's surviving correspondence shows that the Pope took an interest in the welfare and development of Sophia and her brothers. They received 3,600 crowns (in payments of 200 crowns per month) for their clothes, horses and servants, and an additional 100 crowns for

714-729: The Russian Academy of Sciences . In May of the same year, upon completion of the excavation, a park was laid out. In the Archangel Cathedral , the Moscow Kremlin Museums opened a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of the Ascension Monastery, a new tourist route introducing Muscovites and visitors to the capital to the history of the ruined shrines. In August 2014, Russian president Vladimir Putin suggested an idea for restoring Ascension Convent and Chudov Monastery , which were demolished by

765-789: The Saviour Tower , is the main tower on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin which overlooks Red Square . The Spasskaya Tower was built in 1491 by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari . Initially, it was named the Frolovskaya Tower after the Church of Frol and Lavr in the Kremlin, which is no longer there. The tower's modern name comes from the icon of 'Spas Nerukotvorny' ( Russian : Спас Нерукотворный ) translated as 'The Saviour Not Made by Hands ', which

816-502: The hipped roof in 1624–1625 by architects Bazhen Ogurtsov and Christopher Galloway (a Scottish architect and clock maker). According to a number of historical accounts, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower appeared between 1491 and 1585. It is usually referred to as the Kremlin chimes (Кремлёвские куранты) and designates official Moscow Time. The clock face has a diameter of 6 metres (20 ft). The gate of Spasskaya Tower

867-695: The Byzantine Empire in 1453 was a turning point in Zoe's life. Seven years later, in 1460, the Ottoman army attacked Morea and quickly breached the Hexamilion wall across the Isthmus of Corinth , which was too long to be effectively manned and defended by Thomas' forces. Thomas and his family escaped to Corfu and then to Rome , where (already recognized as the legitimate heir to the Byzantine Empire by

918-514: The Grand Duchess, who received him politely and kindly, and respectfully asked about the Doge . Before the invasion of Akhmad in 1480 , Sophia, her children, household and treasury were sent away, first to Dmitrov and then on to Belozersk . For fear Akhmad would finally take Moscow, she was advised to flee farther north, to the sea. These precautions led Vissarion, Bishop of Rostov, to warn

969-411: The Grand Duke that his excessive attachment to his wife and children would be his destruction. The family did not return to Moscow until the winter. Over time, the second marriage of the Grand Prince became one of the main sources of tension in the court, thanks to the "shrewd" character of the new Grand Princess and the spreading rumours that her husband let himself be directed by her suggestions. It

1020-533: The Morea and younger brother of the last Byzantine Emperor , Constantine XI Palaiologos ( r.  1449–1453 ). Her mother was Catherine , the only legitimate daughter and heiress of Centurione II Zaccaria , the last independent Prince of Achaea and Baron of Arcadia . The marriage between Thomas Palaiologos and Catherine Zaccaria produced four children: Helena (later wife of Lazar Branković , Despot of Serbia ), Zoe, Andreas , and Manuel . The fall of

1071-655: The Pope) he made a ceremonial entrance as Byzantine Emperor on 7 March 1461. Catherine remained in Corfu with her children and died there on 16 August 1462. Zoe and her brothers remained in Petriti, a fishing port on the southeast coast of Corfu, until 1465, when their dying father recalled them to Rome. Thomas Palaiologos died on 12 May 1465. Zoe and her brothers were adopted by the Papacy after her father's death. Born and raised in

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1122-1000: The Soviet government in order to make room for the Red Commanders School , named after the All-Russian Central Executive Committee . Some of the icons of Ascension Convent were moved to the State Tretyakov Gallery and State museums of the Moscow Kremlin. The iconostasis of the Ascension Cathedral was moved into the Cathedral of Twelve Apostles (also in the Kremlin), while the tombs of the Muscovite royalty were transferred into an annex of

1173-567: The Soviet government, and the remains of Sophia and of other royal women were transferred to an underground chamber in the southern extension of the Cathedral of the Archangel . Sophia Palaiologina was the subject of the 2016 Russian television series Sophia , in which she was portrayed by Mariya Andreyeva . She is a minor character in Dorothy Dunnett's acclaimed series of historical novels, known as The House of Niccolò , which

1224-642: The Soviet regime in the 1930s. However, due to archaeological work which began in December 2015 and the lack of UNESCO 's approval of the restoration, the restoration of Ascension Convent is currently unplanned. During archaeological work, experts have managed to find a foundation of Chudov Monastery and Ascension Convent. 55°45′9″N 37°37′13″E  /  55.75250°N 37.62028°E  / 55.75250; 37.62028 Spasskaya Tower The Spasskaya Tower ( Russian : Спасская башня , romanized :  Spasskaya bashnya ), also translated as

1275-606: The Soviet regime in the 1930s. However, due to archaeological work which began in December 2015 and the lack of UNESCO 's approval of the restoration, the restoration of Ascension Convent is currently unplanned. During archaeological work, experts have managed to find a foundation of the Chudov Monastery and Ascension Convent. Spasskaya Tower is also the honorific for the International Military Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower" , which

1326-485: The Spasskaya Tower with great reverence. According to old legends, the tower was possessed with miraculous powers and was reputed to protect the Kremlin from enemy invasion. People passing through the gates would always observe the custom of crossing themselves and doffing their hats to show their respect, and horses passing under the gates of the tower were said to shy. In fact, legend has it that Napoleon himself could not prevent his horse from taking fright as he rode through

1377-501: The Young became ill. The diagnosis was gout . Sophia wrote to a Venetian doctor named Leon, who imprudently promised Ivan III that he could cure the heir to the throne. All efforts failed. Ivan the Young died on 7 March 1490, and the doctor was executed. Rumors spread through Moscow that Sophia had poisoned the heir. Andrey Kurbsky , who wrote about these events almost 100 years later, said that these rumors were indisputable facts. However, modern historians say that, due to lack of sources,

1428-467: The Young was officially referred to as the co-ruler of Ivan III. The princely family increased significantly: between 1474 and 1490, as the Grand Princess gave birth to eleven children, five sons and six daughters. There is a legend associated with the birth of Sophia's eldest son, the future Vasily III: During one of her devout visits to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius , the Grand Princess had

1479-639: The area of the gate. On top of the gates of Spasskaya Tower, there appears the following inscription (it is inscribed in Latin): In Latin: IOANNES VASILII DEI GRATIA MAGNUS DUX VOLODIMERIÆ, MOSCOVIÆ, NOVOGARDIÆ, TFERIÆ, PLESCOVIÆ, VETICIÆ, ONGARIÆ, PERMIÆ, BUOLGARIÆ ET ALIAS TOTIUSQUE RAXIE DOMINUS, ANNO 30 IMPERII SUI HAS TURRES CONDERE FECIT ET STATUIT PETRUS ANTONIUS SOLARIUS MEDIOLANENSIS ANNO NATIVIT ATIS DOMINI 1491 KALENDIS MARTIIS IUSSIT PONERE. In English: Ivan Vasiliyevich , by

1530-530: The cathedral vault were Sophia Vitovtovna (wife of Vasili I ), Sophia Paleologue (wife of Ivan III ), several wives of Ivan the Terrible , Grand Duchess Eudoxia Alexeyevna (daughter of Alexei Mikhailovich ), and tsarina Maria Vladimirovna (first wife of Mikhail Feodorovich ). The convent was also used as a residence for royal fiancees prior to the wedding. It was there that Ivan IV's widow, Maria Nagaya , greeted Marina Mnishek , who would spend there

1581-448: The convent was again damaged by fire and then restored in 1518–1519 to a design by Aloisio the New . This church was completely rebuilt in 1587–1588, when a new five-domed structure, mirroring the nearby Archangel Cathedral , was erected. It was a major monument to embody the conservative architectural approach of Boris Godunov 's circle ( illustrated, to the right ). Among those buried in

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1632-584: The convent was renovated on behest of Peter the Great . In 1737, it was damaged by fire and again renovated by the order of Anna Ioannovna . During the Patriotic War of 1812 , the sacristy of Ascension Convent, with the Icon of the Virgin Hodegetria , painted by Dionisius in 1482, was moved to Vologda . A two-storey almshouse was added in 1823. But the most important 19th-century addition

1683-543: The coronation. However, they were restored to favor in mid-1499 and allowed to return to court. On 11 April 1502, the dynastic struggle came to an end. According to chronicles, Ivan III suddenly changed his mind and imprisoned both Grand Prince Dmitry and his mother, Elena, placing them under house arrest, surrounded by guards. Three days later, on 14 April, Vasili was crowned the new Grand Prince and co-ruler. Soon, Dmitry and his mother were transferred from house arrest to prison. The downfall of Dmitry and Elena also determined

1734-619: The court divided into two parties. One supported the heir to the throne, Ivan the Young, and the other sided with Sophia. In 1476, the Venetian Ambrogio Contarini noted that the heir to the throne had lost his father's favor, thanks to the intrigues of the Despoina . Despoina, or “Lady”, was used as a Byzantine court title . Sophia was so honoured as her father's heir. However, if any tension existed between father and son, it did not interfere with his rights: From 1477 Ivan

1785-567: The fate of the Moscow-Novgorod Reformation movement in the Orthodox Church. In 1503, a council finally defeated it, and many prominent and progressive leaders of the movement were executed. Elena of Moldavia died in prison on 18 January 1505. Her son Dmitry died a few years later, on 14 February 1509, either from hunger and cold, or, as some claim, by suffocation on the orders of his uncle. The triumph of her son

1836-717: The first wife of Grand Prince Ivan III of Moscow , died in 1467. Their marriage produced one son, Ivan the Young , born in 1458. The marriage between Sophia and Ivan III was proposed by Pope Paul II in 1469, probably in hopes of strengthening the influence of the Catholic Church in Russia and eventually unifying the Orthodox and Catholic churches, as stipulated in the Council of Florence . Ivan III's motives for pursuing this union were probably related to Sophia's status and her rights over Constantinople. Cardinal Bessarion,

1887-602: The gates, having failed to show his respect, and the French Emperor's hat was said to have fallen from his head." The Spasskaya Tower was commissioned to be built by Ivan III, or Ivan the Great , the leader of the Grand Duchy of Moscow , and the grandfather of Ivan the Terrible . After the rise of the Soviet Union , in 1936, Joseph Stalin replaced the two-headed eagle on top of the Spasskaya Tower with

1938-805: The grace of God the Grand Duke of Vladimir , Moscow , Novgorod , Tver , Pskov , Vyatka , Yugra , Perm , Bulghar , and for other reasons that of all of Raxis, the year of 30 their government, these towers he did [commission] a Pietro Antonio Solari of Milan in the first of March, in the year of the Lord 1491. 55°45′09″N 37°37′17″E  /  55.752544°N 37.621425°E  / 55.752544; 37.621425  ( Spasskaya Tower ) Sophia Palaiologina Sophia Fominichna Palaiologina or Paleologue ( Russian : София Фоминична Палеолог , romanized :  Sofiya Fominichna Paleolog ; born Zoe Palaiologina ; Medieval Greek : Ζωή Παλαιολογίνα ; c.  1449 – 7 April 1503)

1989-500: The great Moscow fire of 1493 , and much of the treasure of the Grand Princess was lost. Sophia was apparently not obliged to follow the custom of isolation that was practiced by elite Russian women among the wealthy boyars and the royal family. It was noted that she did not confine herself to the terems , the women's quarters, but greeted foreign representatives as the queens of Western Europe did. The Venetian ambassador, Ambrogio Contarini , wrote that in 1476 he had an audience with

2040-419: The maintenance of a modest household that included a doctor, a Latin teacher, a Greek teacher, a translator, and one or two priests. After the death of Thomas Palaeologus, his eldest son, Andreas, claimed the Imperial title, but he sold his rights to several European monarchs and ultimately died in poverty. During the reign of Bayezid II , Manuel returned to Constantinople (now Istanbul ) and remained there, at

2091-594: The mercy of the Sultan. According to some sources, he converted to Islam, raised a family and served in the Turkish Navy. In 1466, the Venetian Republic invited King James II of Cyprus to ask for the hand of Sophia in marriage, but he refused. Around 1467, Pope Paul II offered Sophia's hand to a Prince Caracciolo. Although they were solemnly betrothed, the marriage never took place. Maria of Tver ,

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2142-523: The theory that Sophia poisoned Ivan the Young cannot be verified. In 1497, Sophia and her eldest son, Vasili, were allegedly involved in a plot to kill Prince Dmitry, son of Ivan the Young. Both were disgraced and probably banished from court. On 4 February 1498, in the Dormition Cathedral in an atmosphere of great splendor, Prince Dmitry was crowned Grand Prince and co-ruler with his grandfather. Sophia and her son Vasili were not invited to

2193-522: Was a Byzantine princess from the Palaiologos imperial dynasty and the grand princess of Moscow as the second wife of Ivan III of Russia . Her father was Thomas Palaiologos , the despot of the Morea . Through her eldest son, Vasili III , she was the grandmother of Ivan IV , the first crowned tsar of all Russia . Zoe was born in the Morea in 1449. Her father was Thomas Palaiologos , Despot of

2244-434: Was forced to flee to Lithuania with her husband, an event that further undermined Sophia's position at court. According to sources, Sophia had arranged her niece's marriage to Prince Vasily in 1480, and in 1483 she gave Maria some jewelry that belonged to Ivan III's first wife. When Ivan the Young asked for these jewels (he wanted to give them to his wife, Elena, as a gift), he discovered they were missing. Outraged, he ordered

2295-752: Was made to finally close the gate to all traffic. The signal lights and guard platforms still remain. The gate is used occasionally when repairs must be made to the Borovissky Gate . However, in that case, all traffic is routed from Vasilyevsky Spusk . Nowadays, the gate opens to receive the presidential motorcades on inauguration day, for the WWII Victory Day parades , and to receive the New Year's tree. In August 2014, Russian president Vladimir Putin suggested an idea for restoring Ascension Convent and Chudov Monastery , which were demolished by

2346-603: Was not permitted to enter Moscow carrying the Latin cross before him. The Korsun cross is on view in the collections of the Moscow Kremlin Museums . The formal wedding between Ivan III and Sophia took place at the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow on 12 November 1472. Some sources say that the ceremony was performed by Metropolitan Philip, others state that Hosea, Abbot of Kolomna , was the officiant. Special mansions and gardens were built for Sophia in Moscow. They were burned in

2397-491: Was placed above the gates on the inside wall in 1658 and removed in 1917. The tower is also named for the wall-painted icon of 'Spas Smolensky' ( Russian : Спас Смоленский ) translated as 'Smolensky Saviour', which was created in the 16th century on the outside wall of the tower, plastered over in 1937, but reopened and restored in 2010. The Spasskaya Tower was the first tower of the many Moscow Kremlin Towers to be crowned with

2448-531: Was routed through the Borovitsky gate . Various cathedrals were demolished throughout the years to make room for other government buildings. It was not until 1955 during the rule of Nikita Khrushchev that the Kremlin was reopened to foreign visitors; the Kremlin was turned into a museum in 1961 and added to the World Heritage List in 1990. The daughter of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin

2499-481: Was the Church of Saint Catherine, built to a fanciful Neo-Gothic design by Carlo Rossi ( illustrated, to the right ). By 1907, the monastery had a mother superior , 62 nuns and 45 lay sisters . Ten years later, the ancient buildings were damaged by Bolshevik artillery fire during the October Revolution . In 1929, the convent complex – including the majestic 16th-century cathedral – was torn down by

2550-547: Was the last important event in Sophia's life. She died on 7 April 1503, two years before her husband, who died on 27 October 1505. She was buried in a massive white stone sarcophagus in the crypt of the Ascension Convent in the Kremlin , next to the grave of Maria of Tver, the first wife of Ivan III. The word "Sophia" is carved on the lid of the sarcophagus. The Ascension Convent was demolished in 1929 as ordered by

2601-441: Was used to greet foreign dignitaries, and was also used during formal ceremonies or processions held on Red Square. The tower gate was once the main entrance into the Kremlin. In tsarist times, anyone passing through the gates had to remove their headgear, crossing themselves and dismount their horses. This practice was revived after the Icon of the Saviour was restored in 2010, but ceremonially. "The Russians have always regarded

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