The Kostyrevskaya Tower dates from 1837 when it was built on the orders of Emperor Nicholas I in the style of the original tower of the Smolensk Kremlin, although to a slightly smaller scale. The original tower itself was demolished in 1833 due to its dilapidated condition. Other names include the Krasnaya, Kruglaya, Porokhovaya, Rachevskaya and Cherepakhovaya Tower.