The powder tower is the only preserved up to the present day, the fragment of the defense system of Riga. The first written mention of this tower are found in the annals of 1330. Especially for the master of the Livonian order in the wall of Riga by a cannon ball a hole was made through which he entered the conquered city. After the conquest of Riga members of the order, it was decided to reconstruct and reinforce the fortifications of the city. Thus, according to one version appeared the famous tower. However, there is another theory which States that the tower was built in the late 13th century, i.e. before the conquest of Riga Order.
According to available historical data originally the tower had the shape of a horseshoe, and only to the middle of the 14th century gained its current, cylindrical shape. The system of fortifications of the city consisted of 28 towers, which in different periods of history was reconstructed and given different names.
In one of the periods was rebuilt and Sandy tower, it turned into a six-storey building and between the upper floors equipped with so-called pantry designed for catching nuclei of the enemy. Inspiration reconstruction was made by the master of the Livonian order. However, in 1621, the tower was destroyed in the fighting during the Swedish-Polish war. However, the fortification system was rebuilt and the tower came back to life. There is a theory that after these hostilities, it got its present name and became known as the Gunpowder. But again, this is only theory.
In the second version of his name was a tower already in times of peace, when it turned into a warehouse where he stored the gunpowder. However, this version is not convincing. There are also several opinions regarding embedded in the wall of the tower cores. One of them says that all these kernel – echo the many sieges of the city by Russian troops. And the second theory says that these nuclei appeared only after the reconstruction of the 30-ies of the 20th century. According to this kernel version has been specifically embedded in the walls of the tower restorers.
In the years of the Russian Empire tower was unclaimed, and by the mid-19th century it was a question on the elimination of all fortifications, as they limited the city and gave him opportunities of territorial growth. And now, in 1856, was adopted urban renewal scheme, according to which all walls had to be demolished. But this time, the powder tower was pardoned, but her destiny is not found and it was empty for another 30 years.
From 1892 to tower begins a new round of history. Now it belongs to the students who produced it repaired at their own expense and was installed in the tower of beer and several halls for dancing. Beer notorious fact that it started to be voiced nationalist ideas. The name of the tower can be associated with the formation of Nazism, because at different times there were such ideological inspirer of the movement brown shirts as M. E., Chabner-Richter and Arno Shickedanz. The tower had its new function until 1916. Only with the outbreak of the First world war, the students were forced to leave habitable place.
In the tower of the Museum of the Latvian Riflemen, and then replacing it is a Military Museum. In 1938, the powder tower survived another restoration and was finally acquired a modern look. However, with the establishment of the Soviet regime in the tower again changes, and it opens the naval school named Nakhimov. And in 1957, the tower Museum opens again, this time the Museum of the October revolution. In 1991, the government changed, and in the tower again valid Military Museum. This Museum today, the exposition of its rich variety of exhibits about the history of the country.
