The Menshikov Tower (aka the Church of Gabriel the Archangel) is located in Chistye Prudy. The tower was built in 1707 by the personal order of A. Menshikov, an associate of Peter the Great.
Menshikov's work
One of the main favorites of Peter the Great, Alexander Menshikov, acquired the estate in 1699, and, thanks to his character, the prince decided to equip the Gabriel Church. The first donations went to the repair of this church, and in the period from 1701 to 1703, the church was ennobled. However, fortune and chance became the impetus for new construction.
The fact is that the tsar gave Menshikov a military task, which he fulfilled with honor. And, in addition to honors, Menshikov appeared in his native country with an icon of the Mother of God of Polotsk (according to legend, the apostle Luke created this picture). And Menshikov decided to make an excellent church out of the parish, which would be crowned with this icon. That is why, a year after the repair, the Menshikov tower was destroyed and a new one was erected in its place.
Miracles and desolation
As a result, the church turned out to be very high, about 81 meters high (which is 3 meters more than the bell tower of Ivan the Great). The common people took this building favorably. Moreover, many came to admire this miracle. And the thing is that the church had a special sign crowning the tower. It is a 30 centimeters spire with a golden angel on it.
The design of the landmark also turned out to be unique if you take those years: there were ornaments covering the walls, the decoration was made in the style of the Peter the Great Baroque, and every day there were hundreds of parishioners.
The two uppermost tiers were built of wood and installed through windows. 50 bells were installed on the penultimate floor. Menshikov, trying to create the maximum sensation, even ordered a large watch from another country.
However, the construction was never finished - in 1710 the capital was moved to St. Petersburg, and Menshikov left for Moscow. As a result, the Menshikov Tower near the clean ponds was never finished until the very end.
Fire and loneliness
Thirteen years later, in 1723, a fire broke out in the tower due to lightning caught in a calm atmosphere. The flame appeared very quickly and also quickly spread to the wooden upper tiers. The mountings fell inward along with the bells. During the fire, the Icon of the Polotsk Mother of God was saved.
The church was never consecrated, and Menshikov did not have free time to study the tower. After the death of Peter the Great, Menshikov fell into disfavor and exile, and loneliness came to the church.
Masonic signs
Approximately 50-80 years after that, rumors appeared that there were secret meetings of Freemasons in the temple. One of the indirect confirmations is symbols and signs belonging to the order of the Freemasons. And by the early 1800s, everyone had already forgotten what kind of church it was. They began to call it the Menshikov Tower.
Touch the history
There are daily excursions to the tower, and the time and cost of the visit, as well as other information, can be found on the official website or from a local guide. The address of the tower is Moscow, Arkhangelsky lane, 15a.
