Kalyazin Bell Tower

The Kalyazin Bell Tower, also known as the Bell Tower of St. Nicholas Cathedral, stands on a small artificial island in the middle of the Uglich Reservoir in the Tver Region, by the town of Kalyazin in the Kalyazinsky municipal district. It is the only structure left from the old part of the town, which was flooded in the 20th century, and one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Upper Volga.

History

The bell tower was built in 1800 and took six years to construct, using the labor of serf peasants. It belonged to St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Nikolo-Zhabensky Monastery, which had been built back in 1694. The structure is in the classicist style, with five tiers, a dome and a spire. In 1895 one of the largest bells in the area, weighing 1038 poods, was cast for the tower.

In the 1930s–1940s, construction of a cascade of hydroelectric power plants on the Volga and the creation of the Uglich Reservoir began. The old part of Kalyazin, including St. Nicholas Cathedral, fell within the flood zone. The cathedral was dismantled, but it was decided to leave the bell tower standing in the water: it served as a landmark for river vessels after the shoreline buildings that used to guide them had gone under water.

In the late 1980s the tower's foundation was reinforced and an artificial islet with a landing pier was built around it. In April 2014 the water level of the Volga dropped sharply, and for a time the bell tower found itself surrounded by dry land rather than water. In 2021 a large-scale restoration costing about 104 million rubles was carried out, and at the end of December that year the monument was officially opened to visitors.

Legends and stories

Several stories are connected with the bell tower. According to one of them, one of the bells fell into the basement while the cathedral was being dismantled and still lies there underwater. There are also tales of treasure once found on the site of the future bell tower. Local residents recall that in 1941 a deep, bell-like sound was heard from under the water, which people associated with the start of the war; similar tolling was said to have been heard before other alarming events of the 20th century as well. When the water receded in 2014 and the tower briefly stood on dry land, many believers saw it as a sign.

What it looks like today

Today the bell tower is a popular tourist attraction in Kalyazin. All its tiers have illumination that turns on after dark. In summer visitors reach the island by boat, and in winter they can walk across the ice.

Getting there

The pier is on the Kalyazin embankment, reached along Karl Marx Street. By car, the trip from Moscow via Sergiyev Posad takes about three hours. Scheduled buses run from the Severnye Vorota bus terminal near the Khovrino metro station. By train, travelers reach Savyolovo station and then change to a local train to Kalyazin station, a ride of about an hour and a half.