Until 1917, on the territory of modern Russia, tower clocks were installed almost everywhere for five centuries. They were available both on wooden and on the most widespread stone structures. Clocks were installed on both church and civilian objects.

About half of the church objects in Russia of the 15th-20th centuries with tower clocks have not survived to this day. Out of about 600 tower clock mechanisms installed at different times on church objects in Russia from the 15th to the 20th centuries, only a few dozen have survived.

Until 1917, there were about 600 mechanisms on church objects alone on the territory of modern Russia. A large number of tower clocks were available on educational institutions, railway stations, factories, estates, palaces. Conventionally, they are called civilian objects.

The most common towers in Russia, on which tower clocks were installed (hence the name — tower clock), were the bell towers: the bell towers of the Kremlin, the bell towers of the monasteries, the bell towers of cathedrals and the bell towers of churches. Conventionally, they are called church objects.