The Belfry of St Sophia

The Belfry of St Sophia is a monument of the 15th-17th centuries. The first stone structure with three stair-wells was raised in 1439. In the 16th century the lower stair-wells were removed and a new top was made of six rectangular pillars with rounded corners. The structure was surmounted by five tent-roofs. The existing surmount dates back to the 19th century. The bells on view in front of the belfry were cast in the late 16th and 17th centuries. The Belfry of St Sophia became a prototype for structures of this type in Moscow, Rostov and Tikhvin.