Since the first half of the 16th century, the reconstruction of old fortresses began in Russia. The new Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin was founded in 1500, and its active construction started in 1508-1509. It is believed that the construction was completed after 1516.

The Kremlin had 13 towers, the central one being the Dmitrievskaya Tower. It was named either in honor of Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich or from the church of Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica, built by Prince Dmitry in front of the tower in 1378. The first known mention of the Dmitrievskaya Tower is found in the Chronograph of 1617. Later, in the Nizhny Novgorod chronicles, this mention was combined with another that spoke of the arrival of master Peter Fryazin to dig a moat for the stone wall. As a result, it was noted that Peter Fryazin added a stone wall 7 versts long to the 14th-century tower, which corresponds to the length of the outer fortification of Nizhny Novgorod, the Bolshoy Ostrog.

The next mention of the tower dates back to July 1540.

In 1993, two years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, an icon of the founder of Nizhny Novgorod, Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich, was installed above the tower's gates. Souvenir shops were placed in the passage of the tower, and the chambers were equipped with doors and used as storage. Currently, the second floor of the tower houses the exhibition hall "Dmitrievskaya Tower," where historical exhibitions from the funds of the Museum-Reserve take place. The tower also provides access to the Kremlin wall, which has a paid entrance.

The Dmitrievskaya Tower, like the entire Kremlin, is currently in unsatisfactory condition. Restoration of the tower has not been conducted for over 60 years. The outer brickwork is gradually deteriorating and crumbling, while the lower tier, which is underground, is being flooded by groundwater. The tower requires not just repairs, but a complete reconstruction to restore its original appearance, including the recreation of the external fortification. This is impossible without restoring the original profile of the moat, preferably over the entire area of Minin and Pozharsky.