Kremlin Clock

The Kremlin Clock (Russian: Кремлёвские часы; Kremlyovskiye chasy) or Kremlin chimes (Russian: Кремлёвские куранты; Kremlyovskiye kuranty) is a historic clock on the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. The clock dial is above the main gates to Red Square. For decades, the chimes have rung on the quarter-hour, with bells tolling for each full hour.

According to various historical accounts, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower was built between 1491 and 1585. In 1585, clocks were in use at three of the Kremlin's gates, Spasskaya, Taynitskaya and Troitskaya Towers, exemplifying the use of clocks as early as the 16th century. There are mentions from 1613–1614 of a clock at the Nikolskaya Tower as well. In 1614 the clock at the Frolovskaya Tower was maintained by Nikiforka Nikitin. In September 1624 some old wartime clocks were sold to the Yaroslavl' Jesus Transfiguration Monastery. In 1625, under the leadership of British engineer and clockmaker Christopher Galloway, the Russian clockmakers Zhdan, his son Shumilo Zhdanov, and his grandson Alexey Shumilov completed the new clock. The thirteen bells for the clock mechanism were cast by the blacksmith Cyril Samoilov. The clocks were burned down in the fire of 1626, but they were later restored by Galloway. In 1668 the clocks underwent a refit to "play music" on the hour, at sunrise, and at sunset, using special mechanisms. The 24-hour dial was numbered using Cyrillic numerals. The characters were about 71 centimetres (28 in) tall (one arshin), cast in brass and covered with gold leaf. The clock featured an image of the sun in the middle of the dial, with its hour-hand in the form of an elongated beam of light. The solar image was suspended from the upper portion of the clock face, which was divided into 17 equal parts, corresponding to the 17 hours of daylight in Moscow on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice.

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