Smolensk Kremlin Smolensk Kremlin ( ) is a kremlin ( a fortress ) enclosing the center of the city of Smolensk in western part of Russia . The partially preserved fortress wall was built between 1595 and 1602 , during the reign of Tsars Fyodor I Ioannovich and Boris Godunov . The length of the walls is about , of which less than the half was preserved . The fortifications were built under supervision of the architect Fyodor Kon . The Smolensk Kremlin is classified as an architectural monument protected at the federal level , and also has a great historical significance , in particular , as the fortress protecting the Russian state from the west over centuries . History . Smolensk historically had a great significance for the defence , and this is why Russian rulers paid considerable attention for its fortifications . In the spring of 1554 , Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered to build a new tall wooden fortress . After the development of artillery , it became clear that a wooden fortress is no more suiteble for the defence , and in the end of the 16th century it was decided to build a new stone fortress at the place of the old one . In December 1595 , the preparations for the construction started after the official decree was issued . The construction works were very intense and were performed daily from sunrise to sunset . The construction workers , however , lived in harsh conditions , and revolted in 1599 because of hunger , cold , and diseases . In the summer of 1597 long and heavy rains flooded all the trenches and ditches , and the construction workers had to strengthen the landslide soil by piles . In 1600 , because of the heat and heavy rains , a large amount of crops was lost in Russia , causing the famine . The construction of the new fortress used the old existing fortifications , so that in some places the wall was built on top of them , and in certain areas the new fortress was extended beyond the limits set by the old one . . The construction started from the western side of the fortress . Towers and walls . Several sections of the wall survived , the eastern section with nine towers , the south - western section with five towers , and the northern section with three towers . The history of an ancient city is inseparably linked with legends which give special charm to its antique monuments . One of these legends says that Boris Godunov arrived to the laying of the Smolensk ’ s Stone Kremlin ’ s foundations and put a terrible curse on it . Since then , anyone who attacked the Kremlin came to a terrible fate . If we believe to the rumors , from time to time from the walls of the Kremlin could be heard a horses laugh . Based on the legend , during the construction of the Kremlin , the death ’ s head of the battle horse of St . Mercury , who is the protector of the city was buried inside the walls . He was the fighting man who rescued the city in the 13th century from the Mongol army . Every time the horse laughs , it lets everyone know beforehand about the dangerous curse . The most famous remaining tower is the round - cornered tower named Veselukha . This name was given to it because of the nice view which opens from the tower . In the daytime , citizens lead their guests to see the beautiful suburbs . However in the evening time and especially during the night it is a rather dangerous place and has a bad reputation . Brave hearts who dare to appear at this place told about horror phantoms and ghosts . Finally it was found the reasonable explanation to that awful fact . This place was used by the counterfeiters who printed out false money and scared people who tried to walked around . The Main Gate Tower was Frolovskaya ( Dnieper Tower ) , through which was the exit to the capital of the Russian state . The second most important was Molohovskaya tower , opens the way to Kiev , Krasny and Roslavl . The surviving towers are