Around Sobornaya Gora

Our Lady of Smolensk Church and Volkova Tower

Our Lady of Smolensk Church and Volkova Tower (June 2012)

In 1729 the Frolyovskaya Tower of the kremlin walls was demolished as it had been ruined over the course of Russia's wars with Poland. In its place a wooden church was built and then, when that became dilapidated, the Dneprovskie Gates were built which incorporated a church. The gates was then damaged in 1812 by French troops but rebuilt in 1814. The church was closed by the Soviets in 1928. The upper storey of the church was damaged in the Second World War and as the bridge leading to the gates had also been destroyed it was decided to close the gates by extending the building which was now used as a theatre. In 1992 the building was returned to the Orthodox Church and restored to its present two-storey form in the classical style, with two bell towers on each side built on top of the existing kremlin wall. This section of the wall ends with the Volkova Tower.

Location 1 Ulitsa Soboleva