Clock of Ivan the Terrible in Byzantine Style

Life in the Prince's Court proceeded by a strictly established routine and was carried out with the help of this unique clock.

In ancient times, the large tower clock of Alexandrov (Alexandrovskaya Sloboda) in the Kremlin was located in the Crucifixion Church belfry. The clock used the old Russian/Byzantine track of measuring time. Twenty-four hours were divided into day and night, and the duration of day and night changed throughout the year. For example, in June there were 17 day hours and 7 night hours, but in December it was the opposite. The rays of the sun were fixed at the top of the dial, and only the dial with the Slavonic church letters (denoting numbers) rotated. This photograph shows the dial (a reconstruction by Ameyerberg), as well as the detail of the clocks’ mechanism - three gears, the weight, and the shaft, all made in the 17th century.

Photo #525 taken on August 22, 2014