Opening date and history of appearance

The three-tiered tent-shaped bell tower, standing separately, was built in the 1860s according to the design of architect N.I. Kozlovsky. The first tier has a passage to the church courtyard, the second houses a temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "The Seeking of the Lost." The third tier, designed in the shape of an octagon, serves as a place for the bells and is topped with a tent and a cross. The bell tower, executed in the Russian-Byzantine style, rivaled the height of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, completed in 1859.

Although the bell tower did not resonate with the Church of Sophia the Wisdom of God, it harmonized with the verticals of the Kremlin towers and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower on the opposite bank of the Moscow River. It was intended to be part of the "Sophia ensemble," which would include a new church building corresponding in scale and architecture. The idea of creating a temple complex in the center of Moscow, opposite the Kremlin, equal to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Kremlin cathedrals, referred to the concept of "Moscow, the Third Rome." However, the plans were not realized: the architectural commission determined that the church building would not fit into the narrow plot between the river and the canal.

Construction of the bell tower lasted from 1862 to 1868, during the period after the defeat in the Crimean War and the weakening of Russia's position. The dedication of the church to the icon of the Mother of God "The Seeking of the Lost" was hardly coincidental. In 1908, during a flood, the bell tower was severely damaged.

The church was closed in 1930. Since 1960, the bell tower building has been under state protection, and since 1973 it has been a cultural heritage site of federal significance. However, for almost 20 years, from 1973 to 1992, it housed the trust "Soyuzpodvodgazstroy." In 1992, the church, and in 1994 the bell tower, were transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. The altar of the church was consecrated in 1995.

Reconstruction and restoration

The bell tower was restored in 1960, then in the late 70s and early 80s. In 1998, at the initiative of the church community, artist-restorer D.V. Vitoshnov conducted preliminary studies of the wall paintings in the interiors of the bell tower. Restorers removed five layers of paint in the church. In the late 1990s, work began on restoring the bells, but there were not enough funds for comprehensive restoration work.

In 2010, the Government of Moscow decided to carry out a full-scale restoration of the bell tower. By that time, the object was in satisfactory condition, but work was needed on the foundation, plinth, ceilings, roofing, carpentry fillings, and engineering systems. Foundations and load-bearing structures were reinforced, facades were restored, new engineering systems and a new gilded cross, corresponding to historical drawings, were installed. Inside, floors were restored and vault surfaces were renovated. Conservation and restoration of the stucco decor of the vaults and walls were carried out.

In 2013, the bell tower became a laureate of the Moscow government competition "Moscow Restoration 2013" for the high quality of repair and restoration work.