For many, the symbol of Russia is the chimes on the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin on Red Square. According to the chimes, the inhabitants of the country check the time, appoint dates under them, their battle symbolizes the onset of the New Year.
Definition
To begin, let us define the word chimes. Chimes is the name of a tower clock that has a musical mechanism. The watch is accompanied by a melody with a certain sequence of tones. They can also perform small musical compositions.
Kremlin chimes
The chimes that we see today in Moscow were designed between 1851-1852. The watch has 4 round dials, which are located on each side of the tower, and are a complex and clearly debugged mechanism. The watch is powered by a single automatic mechanism, which occupies 3 tiers of the Spasskaya Tower.
The dials are made in a laconic style, and are black circles, framed by gold. Inside the circles are arrows and numbers in gilding. If you look at the chimes from below, then they seem pretty small. However, the details boast its impressive size. So, for example, the diameter of the dial exceeds 6 meters. The total weight of the Kremlin chimes is 25 tons.
The watch is arranged so that every 6 hours, starting at midnight, they play the national anthem. The beginning of each hour is accompanied by four strokes of the mechanism, after which a large bell weighing more than two tons beats the watch.
Interesting Facts
Kremlin chimes are those watches whose battle on the night of December 31 to January 1 symbolizes the beginning of the New Year. Most residents believe that the year begins at the moment when the chimes strike exactly 12 times.
But this information is erroneous. New Year comes when the chime begins, preceding the clock. With the twelfth bell, one minute has already passed.