Vologda Tower | 1656

The first tower which was built in the New Town during 4 months was the Vologda Tower. It resembles most of all the fortifications to the Trinity – St. Sergius Lavra as it is abundantly embellished. The other towers differ from it by severe simplicity and a number of facets.

The Vologda Tower is eight-sided and has five tiers. It is set well forward to give good fire-cover along the walls. It is about 30 metres high (the height is given up to the roof of a watch-tower). The tower has a vaulted ground floor in the middle of which there is a hollow brick pillar serving as a support for the ceilings of other tiers and at the same time as a place for wooden stairs leading to an observatory. It was used to watch the environs.

In 2003 after repair and restoration work a new exhibition “The great fortress of the Tsar” was opened on the ground floor of the Vologda Tower. You can get acquainted with the main stages of the fortress construction, its architectural and fortification peculiarities, the military history of the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery and restoration of the fortifications. Every year in summer time temporary exhibitions are organized there. For example, in 2005 our guests could visit an exhibition “Holographic world” and in 2006 – “On the wings of fantasy” prepared by the ceramics studio “Blue Bird” from Vologda.