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Landmark Kremlin tower restored ahead of schedule

The Spasskaya (Saviour's) Tower was built in 1491 by Pietro Antonio Solari, and got its name from an icon of Christ the Saviour which was placed above the tower's gates

© TASS/Mikhail Japardze

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Kremlin's Spasskaya tower: restoration of Moscow city symbol

MOSCOW, April 29. /TASS/. The five-month restoration of the Kremlin main clock Spasskaya Tower has been completed ahead of schedule, Sergey Devyatov, a spokesman for the Federal Protection Service, told TASS on Wednesday.

Devyatov said the tower had undergone restoration "from the ruby star to the foundation."

He said that the star's stainless steel bearing construction and ruby glass had been cleaned for the first time since 1946, while the filament lamp made in the 1940s was replaced with metal-halogen lamps.

The 18th century Kremlin Clock also underwent maintenance, with the hands and dial covered with gold leaf, Devyatov said.

The conservation of the old Italian red bricks of the Spasskaya Tower also carried out, he said.

The Spasskaya (Saviour's) Tower was built in 1491 by an Italian architect, Pietro Antonio Solari, and got its name from an icon of Christ the Saviour which was placed above the tower's gates. The icon was removed in 1917 after the Bolshevik Revolution.

The first star made of semi-precious stones was installed on the Spasskaya Tower in 1935. In 1937 the star was replaced with a new one made of ruby glass.

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