The Kladovaya Tower (Storehouse Tower) is a round tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, founded on September 1, 1500. It is located in the Upper Town between the Dmitrievskaya and Nikolskaya Towers, at the start of the Zelensky Descent. It is a cultural heritage site of federal significance (reg. no. 521410066380036).[1]

History and names

According to the Solikamsk Chronicler, the tower was founded on September 1, 1500, under the name "Tverskaya." The name is believed to derive from the participation of master builders from Tver in its construction; the only confirmation of this name appears in the 1662 Town Register: "Alekseevskaya, also known as Tverskaya."[1] According to another version, the word "Tverskaya" derives from the word "tverd" (firmament; solid ground), meaning a fortified, sturdy place.[2]

In the 17th and 18th centuries the tower was known as "Alekseevskaya," after the Church of St. Metropolitan Alexis, built nearby and not preserved to the present day. In the early 18th century the tower held a large stock of artillery weapons, supplies, and masons' tools — hence the present name "Kladovaya" (Storehouse). In the 18th and 19th centuries, when the tower was used mainly as a warehouse, it was also called "Tseykhgauznaya" (from the German Zeughaus, "military storehouse").[1]

Design

The tower has a round base with walls 4.6 m thick and consists of four tiers, one of which is currently below ground level.[2] Fragments of lime whitewash survive on the facade — evidence that in the 19th century all the walls of the kremlin were light-colored.[2] The completion of the Kladovaya Tower in 1508 marked the end of the construction of the entire stone kremlin.[3]

Later history

In 1785–1786, the tower was converted into a civilian warehouse.[1] In the Soviet era, a cafe was housed inside. From 1973, the tower was home to the Kladovaya Bashnya cafe, which was especially popular with Nizhny Novgorod residents — in part thanks to its hot chocolate.[5][2] The tower was nominated in a contest as the largest advertising column in Europe.[1]

In 2026, a multi-level gastronomic project, Tsitadel, associated with the name of Ekaterina Zaydes, opened in the tower: each tier is given over to a separate format — from a quick urban cafe to a bar space and a venue for special gastronomic events; the project's kitchen is headed by Artem Atopshev, who has put the emphasis on local products and regional flavor combinations, with an average check of about 2,000 rubles. The design concept for Tsitadel was developed by the restaurateur sisters Ekaterina Zaydes and Ksenia Roberts; the bistro on the first tier opened on August 16, 2025, City Day, and the Nizhny Novgorod cuisine cafe on August 25 of the same year.[5][4]

Sources

  1. GIPERNN — The predecessor of Tsitadel was the Kladovaya Bashnya cafe, which operated in the tower from 1973 and was especially popular with Nizhny Novgorod residents — in part thanks to
  1. Wikipedia (ru) — Kladovaya Tower (archive)
  2. gorbilet.ru — The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin: History and Tours in 2026 (archive)
  3. kp.ru — The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin: Photos, Prices, History, Reviews, How to Get There (archive)
  4. thetaste.io — Citadel in the Tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. The Taste — Restaurant Guide. — In 2026, a multi-level gastronomic project called "Citadel," associated with the name…