A stone bell tower stood on the site from 1329, built by Ivan Kalita. Ivan III hired an unnamed Italian architect to replace the earlier church, and construction began in 1505, the year Ivan III died. It was completed in 1508 under his son Vasily III. The article names no architect and calls the style Russian.
The tower is brick and whitewashed to match the neighboring buildings of Cathedral Square. The lead and infobox give its height as 266 feet (81 m), while the history section says the 1508 tower was around 197 feet (60 m). It was built as a bell tower for three cathedrals and as a lookout against fires and approaching enemies. It holds 22 bells.
It was the tallest building in Moscow from 1508 to 1952 and is part of the Moscow Kremlin Museums.
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