According to some historical data, the Borovitskaya Tower of the Kremlin Architectural Complex takes its name from the dense forest, which was located on the territory of the Kremlin Hill in ancient times. However, there is also an opinion that the building got its name due to the residents of the city of Borovsk, who took part in construction work in Moscow during the reign of Prince Dmitry Donskoy .

At the end of the 15th century, the construction of the Kremlin was led by talented architects of Italian origin, in particular, the Borovitskaya Tower was built according to the project of Pietro Antonio Solari in 1490. It was intended more for household and domestic needs than for defensive needs, and it was its passage gate that served as the economic gate of the entire Kremlin Fortress.

Some time after the construction of the tower in the same 15th century, some work was carried out to complete it. In 1666-1680, three shrinking tetrahedrons were built over the main volume of the structure, after which the tower acquired a regular pyramidal shape. After the work carried out, the upper part of the building was completed by an open octagon and a tall stone tent. A hundred years later, the structure was supplemented with white-stone pseudo-Gothic details and a diverting staircase, which has survived to this day.