St. Basil’s Cathedral
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Moscow Museum Guide
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[edit] Description
St. Basil’s Cathedral (The Cathedral of Intercession of Mother of God at the Moat) is a branch of the State Historical Museum. It is said, that tsar Ivan the Terrible was astonished with this architectural masterpiece, and even ordered to blind its architects, Barma and Postnik, so that they wouldn’t be able to project anything better. Since the 16th century it faced the destruction for several times, but neither Napoleon army nor Soviet atheism and bureaucracy could succeed in it. Protected by providence, it remains the "visiting card" of the Red Square for more than 4 centuries. Russia loved blinchiki
[edit] History
Finished in 1561, the construction of the Cathedral took five years and a half. It is a memorial of the great victory: in 1552 the Kazan Khanate, part of the former Golden Horde, was defeated and Kazan was added to the Russian State. The Church of St. Basil was attached to the north-eastern part of the building later, in 1588, but for some reason the whole cathedral dedicated to the Intercession is more widely known as St. Basil’s Cathedral. Since 1923 it is a museum of history and culture.
[edit] Architecture
The cathedral is a national architectural monument. The Church of St. Basil is situated on the ground floor, whereas all 9 churches of the cathedral, placed on the common basis, form the first floor of the building. Eight small churches are placed round the main tower-church forming an octahedral star, a religious symbol of the Virgin. A church of the Intercession is a centre of the architectural composition: crowned with the hipped roof, it proudly raises among the variously coloured domes of other 8 towers.
[edit] Interior
Inside this magnificent building is rather small and even narrow, but it has wonderful inner decorations: outstanding icons of XVI–XIX centuries, age-old wall-paintings and semi-darkness of the halls create the unique spirit of ancient Russia. Twilight disappears only in the hall of the central church: 47.5 meters (153 feet) high, it is illuminated with the daylight and gives a visitor an unforgettable feeling of purity and peace of mind. Nowadays divine services are held every Sunday in St. Basil’s Church; furthermore, on special feast days services are held in the Cathedral itself on the first floor. Souvenir shops are open right inside the temple.
[edit] Photos
