La Giralda | Spain

This beautiful postcard was sent by Joey from Spain via Postcrossing [ES-377660]. It shows La Giralda. The Giralda (Spanish: La Giralda ; Arabic: الخيرالدة‎) is a bell tower of the Seville Cathedral in Seville, Spain. It was originally built as a minaret during the Moorish period, with a Renaissance style top subsequently added by Spaniards. The Giralda was registered in 1987 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO along with the Alcazar and the General Archive of the Indies. The tower is 104.1 m in height and remains one of the most important symbols of the city, as it has been since medieval times. [wikipedia]

The stamp used was issued in commemoration of the International Year of Water Cooperation [2013].

Beklemishevskaya Tower | Russia

This postcard was sent by Olga from Moscow via postcrossing [RU-624052]. It shows Kremlin's Beklemishevskaya tower.

The Beklemishevskaya Tower is one of the few towers in the Kremlin whose appearance has remained unchanged throughout the ages, and which has not undergone any serious reconstruction. Sometimes referred to as the Moskvoretskaya (Moskva River) Tower due to its proximity to the Moskvoretsky Bridge, it supposedly took its name from the boyar Beklemishev, whose manor lay nearby. The tower was always the first to come under enemy attack, as it was situated at the junction of the Moskva River and the moat. In this respect it served a very important defensive function. At the beginning of the 18^th century, during the Northern War between Russia and Sweden, bastions were constructed around the tower, and the loopholes of the tower were widened to accommodate more powerful cannonry.

During the storming of the Kremlin by the Bolsheviks in 1917, the top of the tower was destroyed, but was later restored. The tower is 46.2 metres tall.  [moscow.info]

from the Varangians to the Greeks | Russia

This postcard was sent by Larisa from Smolensk, Russia, via postcrossing [RU-306026]. It shows the tower "Gromovaja" of the Smolensk fortress wall, the monument to architect F. S. Kon.

Smolensk is one of the ancient Russian towns. Having been founded on the ancient rout «from the Varangians to the Greeks», it is a contemporary to Kiev and Novgorod. By the time of the first reference about Smolensk in chronicles of Ustug (863), the town had already been a great town with plenty of people. The finds in the krivichies' settlements testify about the antiquity of Smolensk civilization. This settlements are known as burialmounds in Gnesdovo. As a result of archaeological excavations, an earthenware pot with the super-scription «gorouscha» was found. This superscription means «mustard». It is the oldest superscription made before the middle of the X century.

The Smolensk principality reached the apogee of its power in the XII century. Till now the unique monuments of temple architecture dominates the town. They are: Peter's and Paul's Churches, the Churches of the St. John the Theologian and of the Archangel Michael.

A power splash in architectural activity was in 1596–1602. These were the years when the famous Smolensk fortress wall, the creation of the architect Fyodor Kon, was erected.

For many centuries Smolensk played an important role in the defense of the Russian State. In difficult times of Mongolo-Tatar yoke the town Smolensk, «chosen by God» didn't surrender the enemy. It withstood the lethal onslaught of Lithuanians and Polish interventions, became a tough nut for Napoleon.

And even during the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945) the town fulfilled its historical mission as a shield on the way of the German-fascists army, which tried to annex Moscow. Smolensk got the title of the «Hero-town», which well-deserved crowned its glorious war history. [Smolensk]