A Walk Around Kolomna

9 points3 km0 hours

Kolomna is one of the oldest towns in the Moscow region, with a well-preserved kremlin. Here you can soak up the atmosphere of historic Russia, with cobblestones, churches and wooden houses. The town draws visitors with museums on unusual themes and its unhurried pace of life. Kolomna stands at the confluence of three rivers, an hour's drive from Moscow.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
🍲🎶 Local culture
💡🎨 Look for inspiration

Route points (9)

Pyatnitsky Gate in Kolomna

Point on route “A Walk Around Kolomna”

Point 6

Pyatnitsky Gate

📜 Historic site • 🏯 Fortress remains

Historical Background

The Pyatnitsky Gate is the main entrance to the Kolomna Kremlin and the fortress's only surviving gate tower. Construction of the stone kremlin began at this very spot in 1531. The tower is on the eastern side, on the old Vladimir–Kashira road, now Zaitseva Street. The gate took its name from the wooden Church of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, patron saint of trade, which once stood nearby. In the 17th century there was an attempt to rename it the Savior Gate, but the new name didn't stick.

Architectural Features

The tower stands on a rectangular base 22 meters (72 feet) long and 14 meters (46 feet) wide and is about 29 meters (95 feet) tall. Its main ornament is the horseshoe-shaped gateway arch, a traditional symbol of prosperity and luck. Inside, the slots for the massive portcullises that guarded the entrance survive. Relief icons once hung above the gate, and a small upper turret held an alarm bell that warned of fire or approaching enemies. An underground passage beneath the tower allowed people to leave the fortress in case of danger.

Legends and Lore

Many Kolomna legends are tied to the gate. According to one, Marina Mniszech ordered the portcullises removed to let a Polish army into the town; according to another, she hid the tsar's treasure under the gate and cast a spell so that no one could ever find it. The inscription on the gateway arch reads: “O Christ our God, save this city and thy people, and bless the entrance through this gate.” It's said that Ivan the Terrible spoke these words as he led his troops through the tower on the campaign against Kazan.

The Tower Today

Kolomna's main market square lay by the Pyatnitsky Tower, and ambassadors, merchants and voivodes passed through this gate. Today Lazareva Street runs here. The gate lived on even after many of the fortifications were lost. Since the 18th century the Pyatnitsky Chapel, which survives to this day, has adjoined the tower. Several restorations in the 20th and 21st centuries returned the tower to its historic appearance, preserving an important symbol of the town. The Pyatnitsky Gate remains the ceremonial entrance to the kremlin and one of the iconic images of old Kolomna.