Georgievskaya Tower is one of the thirteen surviving towers of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, erected in the early sixteenth century during the construction of the stone fortress. It stands on the Upper Part section of the fortress wall, on the side facing Minin Square. It belongs to the group of round combat towers of the Kremlin, which reached a height of 30 metres at the time of construction.[2][3]

Architecture and Purpose

All towers of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin fall into two types: square gatehouse towers and round combat towers. The square towers had gates and served both defensive and transit purposes, providing entry into the city; the round towers were used exclusively for defense. During the construction of the Kremlin, the principle of alternating these two tower types along the perimeter of the walls was strictly observed.[3] As a round combat tower, Georgievskaya Tower had no gates.

The tower takes its name from the Church of St. George, which once stood beside it. In the nineteenth century the tower was used as a salt warehouse, which earned it the unofficial nickname "the Salt Tower".[2]

The Kremlin Moat

According to historical records, a moat 30 metres wide and more than 5 metres deep was dug at the base of the fortress wall. The moat began precisely at Georgievskaya Tower and ended at Koromyslova Tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. It was filled with groundwater, making it impossible to tunnel under the Kremlin wall and significantly strengthening the defensive capability of the fortress.[3]

Current Condition

The tower forms part of the The Kremlin. Near it, on Minin Square by Kremlin Boulevard — between the arch of the Georgievsky Kremlin entrance and the tower itself — are parking spaces for visitors with limited mobility.[1]

The section of the fortress wall between Georgievskaya Tower and Borisoglebskaya Tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin serves as a screen for light projections during city events. In 2026, a light show was projected onto this wall as part of the night run "Stolitsa Zakatov" ("Sunset Capital").[2]

Sources

  1. vfokuse.mail.ru — Towers of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin: history, legends, and interesting facts (archive)
  2. nsportal.ru — a tour of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin — Local history video lesson — Educational social network
  3. ngiamz.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin — Official museum website (archive)
  4. travel.yandex.ru