Remnants of an ancient monastery, Kalyazin Bell Tower

The unique structure of the flooded bell tower serves, as a marker for ships and sailors travelling near the small town of Kalyazin. Sometimes, the tower also becomes a venue, for certain Orthodox Christian rituals.

The bell tower was part of a much larger structure of the St. Nicholas Cathedral. It was flooded and submerged under water, after the construction of a dam: a part of Josef Stalin’s pursuit of modernisation of the USSR.

Nevertheless, the iconic bell tower can still be seen risen from the water. The inside of the tower was completely empty, as any relics or furniture were removed quickly before the water levels rose. Now, the structure has been filled and strengthened and many tourists still come to visit the iconic tower, to look inside and marvel at the ancient structure. It also attracts swimmers and has a small boat dock on the outside.

If you’re somewhere near Kalyazin, don’t forget to have a look at the bell tower and capture a piece of pre-Stalin history of the USSR.