Church of St. Basil St. Basil's Cathedral

14.07.2023

Orthodox St. Basil's Cathedral (XVI century) is symbol of Russian church architecture that time.
During Soviet times there was a museum here, and religious services resumed in 1991. Now held every week.
Architect, who built St. Basil's Cathedral, was called Barma Postnik.
The magnificently decorated church was a thanksgiving to the Almighty for the outstanding military success ‒ capture of Kazan.
The cathedral consists of nine separate churches, which are located on the same foundation and connected by two galleries.
The relics of St. Basil, the holy fool who lived in Moscow in the 16th century, are buried in the temple.

The narrow galleries between the churches also have decoration: in the 17th century. they were painted with floral patterns, and a little later - with subject frescoes. Particular attention should be paid to the basement, which previously served as a treasury. Its space is covered with complex box vaults. In addition, a collection of icons is exhibited in the basement, as well as silver dishes, samples of weapons and a beautiful cover on the shrine of St. Basil, embroidered in the 16th century.

St. Basil the Blessed and the shrines of the cathedral

Saint Basil the Blessed, whose relics are buried in the Cathedral, lived in Moscow in the 16th century. and was a holy fool - a religious ascetic who rejected worldly goods. His life says that he went without clothes all year round, slept on the street and observed strict fasting. According to legend, he performed many miracles and had the gift of providence: Ivan the Terrible himself was afraid of his speeches. The saint was greatly revered, and his memory has been preserved to this day. The temple also contains the grave of Blessed John of Moscow.

Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the Moat (Intercession Cathedral, colloquial - St. Basil's Cathedral) - an Orthodox church on Red Square in Moscow, a widely known monument of Russian architecture. Until the 17th century it was called Trinity, since the original wooden church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It was also known as “Jerusalem”, which is associated both with the dedication of one of its chapels and with the procession of the cross to it from the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin on Palm Sunday with the “procession on the donkey” of the Patriarch.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ St. Basil's Cathedral. A cult monument from the era of Ivan the Terrible. Today he personifies Russia

✪ St. Basil's Cathedral: 1 of 50 wonders of Moscow

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✪ St. Basil's Cathedral: speculation and facts (narrated by Andrey Batalov)

✪ “St. Basil’s Cathedral” / A whole city of churches

Subtitles

Status

Currently, the Intercession Cathedral is a branch of the State Historical Museum. Included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Russia.

The Intercession Cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Russia. For many, it is a symbol of Moscow and Russia. In 1931, a bronze monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky was moved to the cathedral, which has stood on Red Square since 1818.

Story

Creation versions

The temple itself symbolizes Heavenly Jerusalem, but the meaning of the color scheme of the domes remains an unsolved mystery to this day. Even in the last century, the writer N.A.Chaev suggested that the color of the domes of the temple can be explained by the dream of Blessed Andrew the Fool (of Constantinople), a holy ascetic with whom, according to Church Tradition, the Feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God is associated. He dreamed of Heavenly Jerusalem, and there “there were many gardens, in them there were tall trees, swaying with their tops... Some of the trees bloomed, others were decorated with golden foliage, others had various fruits of indescribable beauty.”

Cathedral at the end of the XVI-XIX centuries.

Cathedral structure

The height of the Intercession Cathedral is 65 meters.

The Intercession Cathedral has only ten domes, nine of them are above the churches (according to the number of thrones):

Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (center),
Holy Trinity (east),
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (west),
Gregory of Armenia (northwest),
Alexander Svirsky (southeast),
Varlaam Khutynsky (southwest),
John the Merciful (formerly John, Paul and Alexander of Constantinople) (northeast),
Nicholas the Wonderworker of Velikoretsky (south),
Adrian and Natalia (formerly Cyprian and Justina) (north).

Another dome over the bell tower.

The cathedral has been restored several times. In the 17th century, asymmetrical extensions were added, tents over the porches, intricate decorative treatment of the domes (originally they were gold), and ornamental paintings outside and inside (originally the cathedral itself was white).

In the main, Intercession, church there is an iconostasis from the Kremlin Church of the Chernigov Wonderworkers, dismantled in 1770, and in the chapel of the Entrance to Jerusalem there is an iconostasis from the Alexander Cathedral, dismantled at the same time.

First floor

Podklet

There are no basements in the Intercession Cathedral. Churches and galleries stand on a single foundation - a basement, consisting of several rooms. The strong brick walls of the basement (up to 3 m thick) are covered with vaults. The height of the premises is about 6.5 m.

The design of the northern basement is unique for the 16th century. Its long box vault has no supporting pillars. The walls are cut with narrow holes - by the spirits. Together with the “breathable” building material - brick - they provide a special indoor microclimate at any time of the year.

Previously, the basement premises were inaccessible to parishioners. The deep niches in it were used as storage. They were closed with doors, the hinges of which have now been preserved. Until 1595, the royal treasury was hidden in the basement. Wealthy townspeople also brought their property here.

One entered the basement from the upper central Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary via an internal white stone staircase. Only initiates knew about it. Later this narrow passage was blocked. However, during the restoration process in the 1930s, a secret staircase was discovered.

There are icons in the basement. The oldest of them, the icon of St. St. Basil's at the end of the 16th century, written specifically for the Intercession Cathedral. Also on display are two 17th-century icons - “Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos” and “Our Lady of the Sign”. The icon of Our Lady of the Sign is a replica of the facade icon located on the eastern wall of the cathedral, and was painted in the 1780s. In the 18th-19th centuries, the icon was located above the entrance to the chapel of St. Basil the Blessed.

Church of St. Basil the Blessed

The lower church was added to the cathedral in 1588 over the burial place of St. St. Basil's. A stylized inscription on the wall tells about the construction of this church after the canonization of the saint by order of Tsar Feodor Ioannovich.

The temple is cubic in shape, covered with a cross vault and crowned with a small light drum with a dome. The roof of the church is made in the same style as the domes of the upper churches of the cathedral.

The oil painting of the church was made for the 350th anniversary of the start of construction of the cathedral (1905). The dome depicts the Savior Almighty, the forefathers are depicted in the drum, the Deesis (Savior Not Made by Hands, the Mother of God, John the Baptist) is depicted in the crosshairs of the vault, and the Evangelists are depicted in the sails of the vault.

On the western wall is the temple image of the “Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary”. In the upper tier there are images of the patron saints of the reigning house: Fyodor Stratilates, John the Baptist, Saint Anastasia, and the Martyr Irene.

On the northern and southern walls there are scenes from the life of St. Basil: “The Miracle of Salvation at Sea” and “The Miracle of the Fur Coat.” The lower tier of the walls is decorated with a traditional ancient Russian ornament in the form of towels.

The iconostasis was made in 1895 according to the design of the architect A. M. Pavlinov. The icons were painted under the guidance of the famous Moscow icon painter and restorer Osip Chirikov, whose signature is preserved on the icon “The Savior on the Throne”. The iconostasis includes earlier icons: “Our Lady of Smolensk” from the 16th century and the local image “St. Saint Basil against the backdrop of the Kremlin and Red Square” of the 18th century.

Above the burial place of St. St. Basil's Church has an arch decorated with a carved canopy. This is one of the revered Moscow shrines.

On the southern wall of the church there is a rare large-sized icon painted on metal - “Our Lady of Vladimir with selected saints of the Moscow circle “Today the most glorious city of Moscow flaunts brightly” (1904).

The floor is covered with Kasli cast iron slabs.

St. Basil's Church was closed in 1929. Only at the end of the 20th century was its decorative decoration restored. On August 15, 1997, on the day of remembrance of St. Basil the Blessed, Sunday and holiday services were resumed in the church.

Second floor

Galleries and porches

An external bypass gallery runs along the perimeter of the cathedral around all the churches. Initially it was open. In the middle of the 19th century, the glass gallery became part of the cathedral's interior. Arched entrance openings lead from the external gallery to the platforms between the churches and connect it with internal passages.

The central Church of the Intercession of the Virgin is surrounded by an internal bypass gallery. Its vaults hide the upper parts of the churches. In the second half of the 17th century, the gallery was painted with floral patterns. Later, narrative oil paintings appeared in the cathedral, which were updated several times. Tempera painting is currently unveiled in the gallery. On the eastern section of the gallery, oil paintings of the 19th century have been preserved - images of saints combined with floral patterns.

Carved brick entrances leading to the central church organically complement the decor. The portal has been preserved in its original form, without late coatings, which allows you to see its decoration. The relief details are laid out from specially molded pattern bricks, and the shallow decoration is carved on site.

Previously, daylight penetrated into the gallery from windows located above the passages in the walkway. Today it is illuminated by mica lanterns from the 17th century, which were previously used during religious processions. The multi-domed tops of the outrigger lanterns resemble the exquisite silhouette of a cathedral.

The floor of the gallery is made of brick in a herringbone pattern. Bricks from the 16th century have been preserved here - darker and more resistant to abrasion than modern restoration bricks.

The vault of the western section of the gallery is covered with a flat brick ceiling. It demonstrates a unique engineering technique for the 16th century: many small bricks are fixed with lime mortar in the form of caissons (squares), the ribs of which are made of figured bricks.

In this area, the floor is laid out with a special “rosette” pattern, and the original paintings, imitating brickwork, have been recreated on the walls. The size of the drawn bricks corresponds to the real ones.

Two galleries unite the chapels of the cathedral into a single ensemble. Narrow internal passages and wide platforms create the impression of a “city of churches.” After passing through the labyrinth of the internal gallery, you can get to the porch areas of the cathedral. Their vaults are “carpets of flowers,” the intricacies of which fascinate and attract the attention of visitors.

On the upper platform of the right porch in front of the Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the bases of pillars or columns have been preserved - the remains of the decoration of the entrance. This is due to the special role of the church in the complex ideological program of the cathedral’s dedications.

Church of Alexander Svirsky

The southeastern church was consecrated in the name of St. Alexander Svirsky. In 1552, on the day of memory of Alexander Svirsky (August 30), one of the important battles of the Kazan campaign took place - the defeat of the cavalry of Tsarevich Yapancha on the Arsk field.

This is one of four small churches 15 m high. Its base - a quadrangle - turns into a low octagon and ends with a cylindrical light drum and vault (see Octagon on quadrangle).

The original appearance of the church interior was restored during restoration work in the 1920s and 1979-1980s: a brick floor with a herringbone pattern, profiled cornices, stepped window sills. The walls of the church are covered with paintings imitating brickwork. The dome depicts a “brick” spiral - a symbol of eternity.

The iconostasis of the church has been reconstructed. Icons from the 16th - early 18th centuries are located between the wooden beams (tyablas) close to each other. The lower part of the iconostasis is covered with hanging shrouds, skillfully embroidered by craftswomen. On the velvet shrouds there is a traditional image of the Calvary cross.

Church of Varlaam Khutynsky

The southwestern church was consecrated in the name of the Monk Varlaam of Khutyn - since the monastic name in honor of this saint was taken by Ivan the Terrible's father Vasily III at the time of his death, and also because on the day of memory of this saint, November 6, the Tsar's ceremonial entry into Moscow from the Kazan campaign took place .

This is one of the four small churches of the cathedral with a height of 15.2 m. Its base has the shape of a quadrangle, elongated from north to south with the apse shifted to the south. The violation of symmetry in the construction of the temple is caused by the need to create a passage between the small church and the central one - the Intercession of the Virgin Mary.

The four turns into a low eight. The cylindrical light drum is covered with a vault. The church is illuminated by the oldest chandelier in the cathedral from the 15th century. A century later, Russian craftsmen supplemented the work of the Nuremberg masters with a pommel in the shape of a double-headed eagle.

The Tyablo iconostasis was reconstructed in the 1920s and consists of icons from the 16th-18th centuries [ ] . A feature of the church's architecture - the irregular shape of the apse - determined the shift of the Royal Gates to the right.

Of particular interest is the separately hanging icon “Vision of Sexton Tarasius”. It was written in Novgorod at the end of the 16th century. The plot of the icon is based on the legend of the sexton’s vision of the Khutyn monastery of disasters threatening Novgorod: floods, fires, “pestilence.” The icon painter depicted the panorama of the city with topographical accuracy. The composition organically includes scenes of fishing, plowing and sowing, telling about the daily life of the ancient Novgorodians.

Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

The Western Church was consecrated in honor of the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

One of the four large churches is an octagonal two-tier pillar covered with a vault. The temple is distinguished by its large size and the solemn nature of its decorative decoration.

During the restoration, fragments of architectural decoration from the 16th century were discovered. Their original appearance has been preserved without restoration of damaged parts. No ancient paintings were found in the church. The whiteness of the walls emphasizes the architectural details, executed by architects with great creative imagination. Above the northern entrance there is a trace left by a shell that hit the wall in October 1917.

The current iconostasis was moved in 1770 from the dismantled Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. It is richly decorated with openwork gilded pewter overlays, which add lightness to the four-tier structure. In the middle of the 19th century, the iconostasis was supplemented with wooden carved details. The icons in the bottom row tell the story of the Creation of the world.

The church displays one of the shrines of the Intercession Cathedral - the icon “St. Alexander Nevsky in the Life of the 17th century. The icon, unique in its iconography, probably comes from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. In the center of the icon the noble prince is represented, and around him there are 33 stamps with scenes from the life of the saint (miracles and historical events: the Battle of Neva, the prince’s trip to the Khan’s headquarters, the Battle of Kulikovo).

Church of Gregory of Armenia

The northwestern church of the cathedral was consecrated in the name of St. Gregory, the enlightener of Great Armenia (d. 335). He converted the king and the entire country to Christianity, and was the bishop of Armenia. His memory is celebrated on September 30 (October 13 n.st.). In 1552, on this day, an important event in the campaign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible took place - the explosion of the Arsk Tower in the city of Kazan.

One of the four small churches of the cathedral (15 m high) is a quadrangle, turning into a low octagon. Its base is elongated from north to south with a displacement of the apse. The violation of symmetry is caused by the need to create a passage between this church and the central one - the Intercession of the Virgin Mary. The light drum is covered with a vault.

The architectural decoration of the 16th century has been restored in the church: ancient windows, half-columns, cornices, a brick floor laid out in a herringbone pattern. As in the 17th century, the walls are whitewashed, which emphasizes the severity and beauty of the architectural details.

The tyablovy (tyablas are wooden beams with grooves between which icons were attached) iconostasis was reconstructed in the 1920s. It consists of icons from the 16th-17th centuries. The Royal Doors are shifted to the left - due to a violation of the symmetry of the internal space. In the local row of the iconostasis is the image of St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria. Its appearance is connected with the desire of the wealthy investor Ivan Kislinsky to re-consecrate this chapel in honor of his heavenly patron (1788). In the 1920s, the church was returned to its former name. The lower part of the iconostasis is covered with silk and velvet shrouds depicting Calvary crosses.

The interior of the church is complemented by the so-called “skinny” candles - large wooden painted candlesticks of an antique shape. In their upper part there is a metal base in which thin candles were placed. The display case contains items of priestly vestments from the 17th century: a surplice and a phelonion, embroidered with gold threads. A 19th-century lamp decorated with multi-colored enamel gives the church a special elegance.

Church of Cyprian and Justina

The northern church of the cathedral has an unusual dedication for Russian churches in the name of the Christian martyrs Cyprian and Justina, who lived in the 4th century. Their memory is celebrated on October 2 (15). On this day in 1552, the troops of Tsar Ivan IV took Kazan by storm.

This is one of the four large churches of the Intercession Cathedral. Its height is 20.9 m. The high octagonal pillar is completed with a light drum and a dome, which depicts Our Lady of the Burning Bush. In the 1780s, oil painting appeared in the church. On the walls are scenes of the lives of saints: in the lower tier - Adrian and Natalia, in the upper - Cyprian and Justina. They are complemented by multi-figure compositions on the theme of Gospel parables and scenes from the Old Testament.

The appearance of images of the 4th century martyrs Adrian and Natalia in the painting is associated with the renaming of the church in 1786. A wealthy investor, Natalya Mikhailovna Khrushcheva, donated funds for repairs and asked to consecrate the church in honor of her heavenly patrons. At the same time, a gilded iconostasis was made in the style of classicism. It is a magnificent example of skillful wood carving. The bottom row of the iconostasis depicts scenes of the Creation of the World (days one and four).

In the 1920s, at the beginning of scientific museum activities in the cathedral, the church was returned to its original name. Recently, it appeared before visitors updated: in 2007, the wall paintings and iconostasis were restored with the charitable support of the Russian Railways Joint Stock Company.

Church of St. Nicholas Velikoretsky

The southern church was consecrated in the name of the Velikoretsk Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The icon of the saint was found in the city of Khlynov on the Velikaya River and subsequently received the name “Nicholas of Velikoretsky”.

In 1555, by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the miraculous icon was brought in a religious procession along the rivers from Vyatka to Moscow. An event of great spiritual significance determined the dedication of one of the chapels of the Intercession Cathedral under construction.

One of the large churches of the cathedral is a two-tier octagonal pillar with a light drum and a vault. Its height is 28 m.

The ancient interior of the church was badly damaged during a fire in 1737. In the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries, a single complex of decorative and fine arts developed: a carved iconostasis with full ranks of icons and monumental subject painting of walls and vaults.

The lower tier of the octagon presents the texts of the Nikon Chronicle about the bringing of the image to Moscow and illustrations to them. In the upper tier the Mother of God is depicted on a throne surrounded by prophets, above are the apostles, in the vault is the image of the Savior Almighty.

The iconostasis is richly decorated with stucco floral decoration and gilding. The icons in narrow profiled frames are painted in oil. In the local row there is an image of “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Life” of the 18th century. The lower tier is decorated with gesso engraving imitating brocade fabric.

The interior of the church is complemented by two external double-sided icons depicting St. Nicholas. They made religious processions around the cathedral.

At the end of the 18th century, the floor of the church was covered with white stone slabs. During restoration work, a fragment of the original covering made of oak checkers was discovered. This is the only place in the cathedral with a preserved wooden floor.

In 2005-2006, the iconostasis and monumental painting of the church were restored with the assistance of the Moscow International Currency Exchange.

The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Moat (St. Basil's Cathedral) is one of the most significant monuments of ancient Russian architecture of the 16th century. The cathedral was built in 1555-1561. at the behest of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in honor of the conquest of the Kazan kingdom.

The central church was consecrated in the name of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Four churches - the Three Patriarchs of Constantinople, Cyprian and Justina, Alexander of Svir and Gregory of Armenia - were consecrated in the name of the saints, on whose memory day important events of the campaign took place. The program of dedications of the cathedral churches also reflected other important events of Russian spiritual life in the second half of the 16th century: the appearance in the Vyatka lands of a new image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the glorification of the Venerables Varlaam of Khutyn and Alexander of Svir. The Eastern Church is dedicated to the main dogma of the Christian faith - the Holy Trinity. The Western Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem connects the cathedral with the image of the Heavenly City.

The Intercession Cathedral has unique wall paintings, an impressive collection of ancient Russian icon painting and masterpieces of church and applied art. The ensemble of ten churches with full iconostases, the interiors of which reflect the four-century history of the temple, is unique.

July 12, 2016 marks the 455th anniversary of one of the most famous architectural monuments of Moscow - the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the Moat, which we know as St. Basil's Cathedral.

This famous cathedral, with its powerful walls and vaults, used to be used for hiding places. Deep niches were built in the walls of the basement, the entrance to which was closed by metal doors. There were heavy forged chests in which rich townspeople kept their valuable property - money, jewelry, utensils and books. The royal treasury was also kept there. What other legends and secrets does the temple that we call St. Basil’s Cathedral keep today?

Where did the name "St. Basil's Cathedral" come from?

Despite the fact that the cathedral was built in 1554 in honor of the victories of Ivan the Terrible over the Golden Horde, it was popularly named St. Basil's, after the name of the chapel added to the cathedral on the north-eastern side in 1588. It was built by order of the son of Ivan the Terrible - Fyodor Ioannovich over the grave of Blessed Vasily, who died in 1557, and was buried near the walls of the cathedral under construction. The holy fool walked naked in winter and summer, wearing iron chains; Muscovites loved him very much for his gentle disposition. In 1586, under Fyodor Ioannovich, the canonization of St. Basil took place. With the addition of St. Basil's Church, services in the cathedral became daily. Previously, the cathedral was not heated, since it was largely a memorial, and services were held in it only in the warm season. And the chapel of St. Basil's was warm and more spacious. Since then, the Intercession Cathedral has been known more as St. Basil's Cathedral.

Is it true that Ivan the Terrible gouged out the eyes of the temple builders?

The most common myth about the cathedral is the chilling story of gullible souls that Tsar Ivan IV allegedly ordered its builders, Postnik and Barma, to be blinded so that they would never be able to build anything else that could surpass and eclipse the newly erected architectural masterpiece. Meanwhile, there is no real historical evidence. Yes, the builders of the temple were really called Postnik and Barma. In 1896, Archpriest John Kuznetsov, who served in the temple, discovered a chronicle in which it was said that “The pious Tsar John came from the victory of Kazan to the reigning city of Moscow... And God gave him two Russian masters named Postnik and Barma and was wise and convenient for such a wonderful work ..." This is how the names of the cathedral’s builders became known for the first time. But there is not a word about blindness in the chronicles. Moreover, after completing the work in Moscow, Ivan Yakovlevich Barma took part in the construction of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, the Kazan Kremlin and other iconic buildings, which are mentioned in the chronicles.

Is it true that the cathedral was originally intended to be so colorful?

No, this is a wrong opinion. The current appearance of the Intercession Cathedral is very different from its original appearance. It had white walls, strictly painted to resemble brick. All the polychrome and floral painting of the cathedral appeared only in the 1670s. By this time, the cathedral had already undergone significant reconstruction: two large porches were added - on the north and south sides. The external gallery was also covered with vaults. Today in the decoration of the Intercession Cathedral you can see frescoes of the 16th century, tempera painting of the 17th century, monumental oil painting of the 18th-19th centuries, and rare monuments of Russian icon painting.

Is it true that Napoleon wanted to move the temple to Paris?

During the War of 1812, when Napoleon occupied Moscow, the Emperor liked the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary so much that he decided to move it to Paris. The technology of that time did not allow this to happen. Then the French first built stables in the temple, and later simply planted explosives in the base of the cathedral and lit the fuse. The assembled Muscovites prayed for the salvation of the temple, and a miracle happened - heavy rain began, which extinguished the wick.

Is it true that Stalin saved the Cathedral from destruction?

The temple miraculously survived the October Revolution - marks from shells remained on its walls for a long time. In 1931, a bronze monument to Minin and Pozharsky was moved to the cathedral - the authorities cleared the area of unnecessary buildings for parades. Lazar Kaganovich, who was so successful in destroying the Kazan Cathedral of the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and a number of other churches in Moscow, proposed completely demolishing the Intercession Cathedral in order to further clear the place for demonstrations and military parades. Legend has it that Kaganovich ordered the production of a detailed model of Red Square with a removable temple and brought it to Stalin. Trying to prove to the leader that the cathedral interfered with cars and demonstrations, he unexpectedly tore off the model of the temple from the square. The surprised Stalin allegedly at that moment uttered the historical phrase: “Lazarus, put him in his place!”, so the question of demolishing the cathedral was postponed. According to the second legend, the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary owes its salvation to the famous restorer P.D. Baranovsky, who sent telegrams to Stalin calling not to destroy the temple. Legend has it that Baranovsky, who was invited to the Kremlin on this issue, knelt before the assembled members of the Central Committee, begging to preserve the iconic building, and this had an unexpected effect.

Is it true that the Cathedral now serves only as a museum?

The historical and architectural museum in the cathedral was founded in 1923. However, even then, during Soviet times, services in the cathedral still continued. They continued until 1929, and resumed again in 1991. Today the cathedral is jointly used by the State Historical Museum and the Russian Orthodox Church. Divine services are held in St. Basil's Cathedral weekly on Sundays, as well as on patronal holidays - August 15, the day of remembrance of St. Basil, and October 14, the day of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The cathedral, named after St. Basil, in the capital of Russia, Moscow, is located on its main square - Red Square. Throughout the world, it is considered a symbol of Russia, just as the symbol for residents of the United States is the Statue of Liberty, for Brazilians - the statue of Christ with outstretched arms, and for the French - the Eiffel Tower, located in Paris. Nowadays, the temple is one of the divisions of the Russian Historical Museum. In 1990, it was included in the UNESCO architectural heritage list.

Description of appearance

The cathedral is a unique architectural ensemble consisting of nine churches located on a single base. It reaches 65 meters in height and has 11 domes - these are nine church domes, one dome crowning the bell tower, and one rising above the chapel. The cathedral unites ten chapels (churches), some of them are consecrated in honor of revered saints. The days on which their memory was celebrated coincided with the time of the decisive battles for Kazan.

Around the temple, churches were built dedicated to:

Holy Trinity.
The entry of the Lord into the borders of Jerusalem.
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Gregory of Armenia - enlightener, Catholicos of all Armenians.
Holy Martyrs Cyprian and Ustinia.
Alexander Svirsky - reverend Orthodox saint, abbot.
Varlaam Khutynsky - Novgorod miracle worker.
Patriarchs of Constantinople, Saints Paul, John and Alexander.
Saint Basil - Moscow's holy fool.

Construction cathedral on Red Square in Moscow, by decree of Ivan the Terrible, began in 1555, it lasted until 1561. According to one version, it was erected in honor of the capture of Kazan and the final conquest of the Kazan Khanate, and according to another, in connection with the Orthodox holiday - the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God.

There are a number of versions of the construction of this beautiful and unique cathedral. One of them says that the architects of the temple were famous architect Postnik Yakovlev from Pskov and master Ivan Barma. The names of these architects were learned in 1895 thanks to the found manuscript collection of the 17th century. in the archives of the Rumyantsev Museum, where there were records about the masters. This version is generally accepted, but is questioned by some historians.

According to another version, the architect of the cathedral, like most of the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin that were erected earlier, was an unknown master from Western Europe, presumably from Italy. It is believed that this is why a unique architectural style appeared, which combines Renaissance architecture and exquisite Russian style. However, to date there is no evidence supported by documents for this version.

The legend of blinding and the second name of the temple

There is an opinion that the architects Postnik and Barma, who built the cathedral by order of Ivan the Terrible, were blinded upon completion construction so that they could not build anything similar again. But this version does not stand up to criticism, since Postnik, after completing the construction of the Intercession Cathedral, was engaged in the construction of the Kazan Kremlin for several years.

As already mentioned, the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is on the Moat, is the correct name of the temple, and St. Basil's Church is a colloquial name that gradually replaced the official one. The name of the Church of the Intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary mentions a moat, which at that time ran along the entire Kremlin wall and served for defense. It was called Alevizov ditch, its depth was about 13 m, and its width was about 36 m. It received its name after the architect Aloisio da Carezano, who worked in Russia at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries. The Russians called him Aleviz Fryazin.

Stages of construction of the cathedral

By the end of the 16th century. New figured domes of the cathedral appear, since the original ones were destroyed by fire. In 1672, a small church was built on the southeastern side of the temple directly above the burial place of St. John the Blessed (the holy fool revered by Moscow residents). In the 2nd half of the 17th century. Significant changes are being made to the appearance of the cathedral. Wooden the canopies over the galleries of churches (gulbischi), which were constantly burned down in fires, were replaced by a roof supported by arched brick pillars.

Above the porch (the porch in front of the main entrance to the church) a church is being built in honor of St. Theodosius the Virgin. Above the white stone stairs that lead to the upper tier of the cathedral, vaulted hipped porches are built, built on “creeping” arches. At the same time, ornamental polychrome painting appeared on the walls and vaults. It is also applied to supporting columns, to the walls of galleries located outside, and to parapets. On the facades of churches there is a painting that imitates brickwork.

In 1683, a tiled inscription was created along the upper cornice of the entire cathedral, which encircles the temple. Large yellow letters on a dark blue background of tiles told about the history of the creation and renovation of the temple in the 2nd half of the 17th century. Unfortunately, a hundred years later the inscription was destroyed during renovation work. In the eighties of the 17th century. The belfry is being rebuilt. In place of the old belfry, a new, two-level bell tower with an open area for bell ringers is being built on the second tier. In 1737, during a severe fire, the cathedral was significantly damaged, especially its southern part and the church located there.

Significant changes during the renovation of the cathedral in 1770-1780. The painting program was also affected. The altars from the wooden churches located on Red Square were moved under the arches of the cathedral and onto its territory. These churches were dismantled to avoid fires, which happened very often at that time. In the same period, the throne of the Three Patriarchs of Constantinople was renamed in honor of John the Merciful, and the temple of Cyprian and Justina was named after Saints Adrian and Natalia. The original names of the temples were returned to them with the onset of the twentieth century.

From the beginning of the 19th century. The following improvements were made to the temple:

The inside of the church was painted with “storyline” oil painting, depicting the faces of saints and scenes from their lives. The painting was updated in the middle and at the end of the 19th century.
On the front side, the walls were decorated with a pattern similar to masonry made of large wild stones.
The arches of the non-residential lower tier (basement) were laid, and in its western part housing was arranged for the temple servants (clergy).
The cathedral building and the bell tower were combined with an extension.
The Church of Theodosius the Virgin, which is the upper part of the chapel of the cathedral, was converted into a sacristy - a place in which shrines and church valuables were kept.

During the war in 1812, the soldiers of the French army, who occupied Moscow and the Kremlin, kept horses in the basement of the Intercession Church. Later, Napoleon Bonaparte, amazed by the extraordinary beauty of the cathedral, wanted to transport him to Paris, but making sure that this was impossible, the French command ordered its artillerymen to blow up the cathedral.

Consecration after the War of 1812

But Napoleon’s troops only plundered the cathedral, they failed to blow it up, and immediately after the end of the war it was repaired and consecrated. The area around the cathedral was landscaped and surrounded by a cast-iron lattice fence designed by the famous architect Osip Bove.

At the end of the 19th century. for the first time the question of recreating the cathedral in its original form was raised. A special commission was appointed to restore the unique architectural and cultural monument. It included famous architects, talented painters and famous scientists, who developed a plan for the study and further restoration of the cathedral. However, due to lack of funding, the First World War and the October Revolution, it was not possible to implement the developed restoration plan.

Cathedral at the beginning of the twentieth century

In 1918, the cathedral was practically the first to be taken under state protection as a monument of world and national significance. And since May 1923, the cathedral was opened to everyone who wanted to visit it as a historical architectural museum. Divine services in the Church of St. Basil the Blessed were held until before 1929. In 1928, the cathedral became a branch of the historical museum, which it still is today.

After the October Revolution, the new authorities found funds and large-scale work began, which was not only restoration in nature, but also scientific. Thanks to this, it becomes possible to restore the original image of the cathedral and reproduce the interiors and decorations of the 16th-17th centuries in some churches.

From that moment until our time, four large-scale restorations have been carried out, which included both architectural and pictorial works. The original painting, stylized as brickwork, was recreated on the outside of the Intercession Church and the Church of Alexander Svirsky.

Restoration work in the mid-twentieth century

In the mid-twentieth century, a number of unique restoration works were carried out:

In one of the interiors of the central temple, a “temple chronicle” was discovered; it was in it that the architects indicated exact date completion of the construction of the Intercession Cathedral, it is the date 07/12/1561 (in the Orthodox calendar - the day of Equal-to-the-Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul).
For the first time, the iron sheet covering on the domes is being replaced with copper. As time has shown, the choice of replacement material turned out to be very successful; this covering of the domes has survived to this day and is in very good condition.
In the interiors of four churches, the iconostasis was reconstructed, which almost entirely consisted of unique ancient icons of the 16th - 17th centuries. Among them there are real masterpieces of the school of icon painting of Ancient Rus', for example, “Trinity”, written in the 16th century. Collections of icons from the 16th - 17th centuries are considered a special pride. - “Nikola Velikoretsky in the Life”, “Visions of the Sexton Tarasius”, “Alexander Nevsky in the Life”.

Completion of restoration

In the 1970s, on the bypass external gallery, under later inscriptions, a fresco dating from the 17th century was discovered. The found painting was the basis for reproducing the original ornamental painting on facades St. Basil's Cathedral. The last years of the twentieth century. became very important in the history of the museum. As mentioned earlier, the cathedral was included in the UNESCO heritage list. After a significant break, services in the temple resume.

In 1997, the restoration of all interior spaces, easel and monumental paintings was completed in the temple, which was closed in 1929. The temple is introduced into the general exposition of the cathedral on the moat and services begin in it. At the beginning of the 21st century. seven cathedral churches were completely restored, facade paintings were updated, and tempera painting was partially recreated.

Once in Moscow, you should definitely visit Red Square and enjoy the extraordinary beauty of St. Basil's Cathedral: both its external exquisite architectural elements and its interior decoration. And also take a photo as a keepsake against the backdrop of this beautiful ancient structure, capturing it in all its majestic beauty.