Tsar Bell
Monument Massive unfinished bell displayed near the Kremlin
A cast, cracked imperial bell displayed inside the Moscow Kremlin, the Tsar Bell draws visitors touring the Kremlin complex who come to see its immense dimensions and 18th‑century casting story.
The Tsar Bell (Tsar Kolokol) is a monumental bell located on display in the Moscow Kremlin. Cast in the 1730s, it is renowned as the largest bell ever cast and is exhibited on a stone pedestal near the Ivan the Great Bell Tower.
The bell was cast under the direction of the bellfounder Ivan Motorin and his son; during a 1737 fire the bell cracked and a large slab broke away, leaving the bell never to have been hung or rung. Visitors see the bell’s cast bronze surface, its ornate reliefs and the detached broken segment that lies beside it.
After the casting and the damage in 1737 the bell remained in the Kremlin where it was later mounted on a carved stone base for display rather than use. The bell stands outdoors within the Kremlin grounds close to Cathedral Square, near Red Square in central Moscow.
The bell is sited inside the Moscow Kremlin compound, adjacent to the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and in the heart of the historic Kremlin complex in central Moscow.
- Size and status: Weighs about 202 tonnes and was cast in the 1730s, making it the largest bell ever produced though it was never rung.
- Broken segment: A broken segment weighing roughly 11 tonnes sits beside the bell and is visible to visitors as evidence of the bell's failure during the 1737 Kremlin fire.
How to Get to Tsar Bell #
The Tsar Bell stands inside Moscow Kremlin grounds near the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. For visitors the Kremlin is accessed via the official visitor entrance by the Kremlin bridge/Kutafya Tower; the nearest metro stations are Alexandrovsky Sad (Filyovskaya Line), Biblioteka Imeni Lenina (Sokolnicheskaya Line) and Borovitskaya (Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya Line), all within about a 5-10 minute walk to the Kremlin entrance.
Tips for Visiting Tsar Bell #
- View the Tsar Bell from inside the Kremlin's Cathedral Square; include Kremlin grounds access on your ticket so you can see the bell close-up alongside the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the cathedrals.
- Visit early when the Kremlin opens or later in the afternoon to avoid the major mid-day coach groups that concentrate around the bell and cathedral cluster.
- Combine the Tsar Bell stop with the nearby Armoury and the cathedrals on Cathedral Square to make the most of your Kremlin ticket and avoid repeated queues at different attractions.
Best Time to Visit Tsar Bell #
Best visited late spring through early autumn for comfortable weather and easier walking; winters are cold but atmospheric.
Weather & Climate near Tsar Bell #
Tsar Bell's climate is classified as Warm-Summer Continental - Warm-Summer Continental climate with mild summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -10°C to 23°C. Moderate rainfall (721 mm/year).
January
January is the coldest month with highs of -5°C and lows of -10°C. Moderate rainfall (46 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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February
February is freezing with highs of -4°C and lows of -10°C. Moderate rainfall (36 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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March
March is freezing with highs of 2°C and lows of -5°C. Moderate rainfall (36 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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April
April is cold with highs of 11°C and lows of 2°C. Moderate rainfall (45 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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May
May is cool with highs of 18°C and lows of 8°C. Moderate rainfall (52 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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June
June is cool with highs of 22°C and lows of 12°C. Regular rainfall (86 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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July
July is the warmest month with highs of 23°C and lows of 14°C. The wettest month with 93 mm of rain and partly cloudy skies.
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August
August is cool with highs of 21°C and lows of 12°C. Moderate rainfall (79 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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September
September is cool with highs of 15°C and lows of 7°C. Moderate rainfall (69 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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October
October is cold with highs of 8°C and lows of 2°C. Moderate rainfall (70 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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November
November is freezing with highs of 0°C and lows of -4°C. Moderate rainfall (57 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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December
December is freezing with highs of -3°C and lows of -8°C. Moderate rainfall (52 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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