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Novgorod Architecture / The Court Tower

The Court Tower

The Court Tower got its name in the 17th century from the Sovereign's Court not far from it. The upper section of the 15th-century tower collapsed and was not rebuilt until the end of the 17th century, when the walls were given a simple touch of decoration in the form of a band of triangular recesses and round rosettes. There were five platforms inside the tower of which only the one on a level with the firing platform of the wall was supported by a brick barrel vault, the rest being made of wood and supported on sections projecting from the tower wall. All the platforms had loopholes which made it possible to fire in all directions and, most important, to cover the citadel walls.