The world's strongest bell tower
Located in the Tver Oblast region of northwestern Russia, the Flooded Clock Tower is situated within the waters of the Uglich Reservoir. The distance from the top of the clock tower to the surface of the water is about 74.5 meters, which is equivalent to the height of a 25-story building. Now the flooded clock tower has become a major tourist destination in the Tver Oblast.
In fact, the flooded clock tower was not originally built in the water. This area of water was land until the 20th century. The bell tower was built in 1796 and completed in 1800, more than 280 years ago, after which it became part of the St. Nicholas Monastery.
The bell tower also houses 12 large bells, the largest of which weighs about 1,038 pounds (about 17,000 kg) and was cast in 1895 to commemorate the coronation of Nicholas II of Russia. The Kalyazin Bell Tower became the "Flooded Bell Tower" in 1939. In order to move towards a more modern Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin ordered the construction of a reservoir, and they built a dam on the Volga River, covering an area of about 249 kilometers.
The site was abandoned long before the construction of the dam, destroying many of the buildings of the time, and all the local residents were moved to other nearby areas. When it was built, some old parts of the Kalyazin clock tower were submerged in the water of the reservoir.
In Kalyazin, where the water reaches an average depth of 5 meters and a maximum depth of 23 meters, most of the buildings are destroyed or covered by the waters. The interior of the tower is vacant because the contents of the building were removed before the water rose, but the tower still attracts visitors.
Outside the tower there is a small boat dock where swimmers can get out from the shore. This area is also now home to the local radio telescope, which can be described as a blend of vintage religious architecture and modern science and technology.
