Старотроицкая колокольня, Bell tower from 1689 in Yaransk, Russia.
The Starotroitskaya Bell Tower is a tower in central Yaransk built with five stacked octagonal tiers topped by a pyramidal cupola. The structure features glazed tiles and white iron detailing on its upper sections and originally housed ten bells in its openings.
This bell tower was built between 1689 and 1694, making it the second oldest standing structure in the city after the Annunciation Church. It emerged during a period when religious construction shaped the town's development.
The bell tower displays the tent-roof design typical of Moscow-period churches, a style that remains visually distinctive today. This architectural form tells visitors something about how religious buildings were designed in this era.
The tower sits in Yaransk's central area and can be viewed from several surrounding streets, offering good sight lines to its architectural details. Visitors should know the structure is accessible from outside, though access to interior spaces may be limited.
The tower was originally fitted with eight openings in its highest tier specifically designed to project the sound of the bells outward. This arrangement reveals how craftsmen balanced practical acoustics with the tower's visual composition.
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