Petrovskaya Tower, Fortified tower in Moscow Kremlin, Russia.
Petrovskaya Tower is a fortified tower set into the southern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, standing between the Blagoveshchenskaya and Taynitskaya towers. It is one of the smaller towers along the Kremlin wall and has a square base topped by a rounded tent-shaped roof.
The tower was built in the late 15th century under Ivan III as part of the broader construction of the Kremlin's defensive walls. It was badly damaged during the French occupation of 1812 and was rebuilt shortly after, taking on the form it has today.
The tower takes its name from a church dedicated to Metropolitan Peter that once stood nearby within the Kremlin grounds. Walking along the wall today, visitors can notice how religious and military architecture were built side by side throughout the complex.
The tower is clearly visible from outside when walking along the Kremlin wall on the side facing the Moskva River. This section of the wall tends to be less busy than the Red Square side, making it easier to stop and look at the tower without a crowd.
After being rebuilt in the early 19th century, the tower was turned into a storage and workshop space for the Kremlin's gardeners. A structure built to defend a fortress ended up serving the people who tended its flowerbeds.
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