Spasskaya Tower is the Kremlin clock tower whose chimes traditionally mark midnight in Moscow on New Year’s Eve.
The tower stands on the eastern side of the Moscow Kremlin and is recognizable by its large clock and red star. Its clock chimes, known as the Kremlin chimes, are broadcast during Russia’s New Year’s Eve countdown. The moment is closely associated with Moscow’s Red Square celebrations and the televised address by the country’s president.
Spasskaya Tower was built in the late fifteenth century under the direction of the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. It has served as one of the Kremlin’s principal ceremonial entrances. The clock has been modified and replaced over the centuries, but the tower has retained its symbolic role.
Moscow has several famous Kremlin towers, so the names can be confused. The Ivan the Great Bell Tower is a separate structure inside the Kremlin, while Troitskaya Tower is another entrance tower. The New Year’s Eve chimes specifically come from the clock associated with Spasskaya Tower.