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Cathedral of Archangel Michael with Tsar Bell
next to the Bell Tower of Ivan III on right. The bell weighs 202 tons, is 22
feet in diameter and 20 feet tall, and was cast in 1730 for Anna Ivanovna using
the remains of a broken bell of Alexei Mikhailovich, but this one broke also
before being rung, in the terrible fire of 1737 that destroyed most of Moscow.
In fact it was still in its casting pit when cold water from the firefighting
hit and cooled one section. It was not raised from the pit until 1836, when it
was placed on the pedestal designed by Montferrand. The surface is covered with
bas-reliefs including Anna Ivanovna and Alexsi Mikhailovich and 5 icons.
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