The Northern Tower, a round tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, is located in the elevated part between the Tainitskaya and Chasovaya Towers. Despite its name, it is not the northernmost structure in the Kremlin; however, the fortress wall running from the Tainitskaya Tower to the Northern Tower aligns with the direction of north.

In 17th-century documents, the Northern Tower was referred to as the Angled Tower, as it was situated at the corner of the fortress wall, sharply turning from the Pochainsky Ravine to the slope of Chasovaya Mountain. Later, it was called the Ilyinskaya Tower due to its proximity to the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet, located on the opposite side of the ravine. According to legend, in 1505, the Kazan Khan Magmet-Amin gathered a large army of Tatars and Nogais to attack Nizhny Novgorod. The gunsmith Fedya Litvich, with a precise shot from a cannon, destroyed the tent of the Nogai leader. The chronicler reports that, having lost their leader, the Tatar forces fled in panic and did not engage in battle with the Nizhny Novgorod residents. The Ilyinskaya Church was built on the site of the tent.

In design, the Northern Tower is similar to the Tainitskaya Tower, having 4 tiers with combat windows. Inside the walls was a passage leading to the lower tier, where there was a small room with a staircase and small doors leading to the city. These gates were used to allow messengers and fighters to replenish the army during the siege of the fortress. In the 18th century, the tower housed a military warehouse for the provincial regiment, and in 1827 it was converted into a storage facility for the police department.

In the 19th century, there was a rumor among the townspeople that Nicholas I ordered a royal residence to be established within the walls of the Northern Tower. This legend has some basis, as from 1835 to 1841, after Nicholas I's visit to Nizhny Novgorod, the Kremlin was improved: it was cleared of private houses and new buildings were constructed, including the governor's house. During this time, an estimate for the repair of the Northern Tower was made for 150,000 rubles, but the project was never realized.