The Sukharev Tower (Сухарева башня) was a

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

landmark until its destruction by

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

authorities in 1934. Tsar Peter I of Russia had the tower built in the Moscow baroque style at the intersection of the

Garden Ring The Garden Ring, also known as the "B" Ring (russian: Садо́вое кольцо́, кольцо́ "Б"; transliteration: ''Sadovoye Koltso''), is a circular ring road avenue around central Moscow, its course corresponding to what used to be ...

with Sretenka Street in 1692–1695.

History

Peter ordered the construction of the tower to commemorate his triumph over his half-sister

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. ...

in 1689, after the Streltsy uprising had been crushed. The tower received its name in honor of Lavrentii Pankrat'evich Sukharev, whose regiment of streltsy had supported Peter.Craft, William Brumfield (1993). ''A History of Russian Architecture''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 195.

Tower construction

The brick tower was built from 1692 through 1701 under the direction of the architect . It was not a fortress but rather a ceremonial gateway into the city. The first floor formed an arched entrance to the city. The second floor contained guardrooms. Originally these served as barracks for Sukharev's regiment of streltsy, but the streltsy were disbanded at the end of the 17th century. The third floor housed the Moscow School of Mathematics and Navigation. The school was part of Peter's grand plan to introduce western education to Russia. Choglokov did some remodeling in 1701. Count

Yakov Bruce }, tr. ; 11 May 1669 – 30 April 1735) was a Russian general, statesman, diplomat and scientist of Scottish descent ( Clan Bruce), one of the chief associates of Peter the Great. According to his own record, his ancestors had lived in Russia s ...

made the upper story his astronomical

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. H ...

, the first in Russia. The fourth floor had a clock and a state coat-of-arms. "An attractive typically Muscovite, wide exterior staircase led to a gallery on the first floor and surrounding the building." Sukharev Tower in Moscow (Savrasov, 1872)

Sukharev Tower in Moscow (Savrasov, 1872)

Tower, an integral part of city infrastructure

Catherine the Great (reigned 1762-1796) allowed Moscow merchants to use the tower premises for storehouses and shops. Catherine ordered the construction of a water-supply system from the village of Mytishchi to Moscow. The Mytishchi Water Conduit, built between 1779 and 1804, ended near the Sukharev tower to dispense water.Moscow WaterCanal data
in Russian Between 1826 and 1835 engineer major-general Nikolai Ivanovich Yanish (russian: Николай Иванович Яниш) repaired and expanded the Mytishchi Water Supply. At this time two steam-engine powered pumps and a cast-iron tank holding 5000 (buckets) gallons of water were built on the second floor of the tower to improve the water pressure. A journal article on Russian: "Энергия промышленного роста."
/ref> Pipes from the tower led to fountains. One of these fountains, called Sheremetev, was located in the Sukharev square near the tower.History of Mytishchi
in Russian A large market, the Sukharevka, bustled around the tower in the 19th century. In 1921 the Soviet government turned the tower into the Moscow Municipal Museum, which later became the Moscow City Museum.History Moscow City Museum
in Russian The Soviet government closed down the famous

flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell Used good, previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development o ...

in 1925. It is said that

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

felt that the market was a "breeding ground for speculation". Semler, Helen (2001). ''Moscow Rediscovered''. New York: Liberty Publishing House. p. 302.

Tower destruction

"The bride of the Ivan Velikiy" (as Muscovites used to call the tower) was demolished in 1934 by order of

Lazar Kaganovich Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich, also Kahanovich (russian: Ла́зарь Моисе́евич Кагано́вич, Lázar' Moiséyevich Kaganóvich; – 25 July 1991), was a Soviet politician and administrator, and one of the main associates of ...

, Secretary of the Moscow City Committee. It took place during reconstruction of the city ordered by

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

, that gave birth to Stalinist architecture. It was said that the tower blocked traffic.

Proposed tower replica

Over the years Moscow authorities several times considered building a

replica A 1:1 replica is an exact copy of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Al ...

of the tower, but no decision has been made.Revival from ruins: Can Sukharev Tower reappear in the capital
/ref>

References