One of the most interesting and beautiful sights of the Russian capital is St. Basil's Cathedral (photo below), also known as the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, built in the 16th century by order of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. Almost every person in the country knows that it is located on Red Square, but not everyone knows the history of its construction and the legends associated with it. But it will still not be enough to learn only about the cathedral. The saint, in whose honor the chapel was built, and later the temple itself began to be called, bore the name St. Basil the Blessed. The story of his life, deeds and death is no less interesting than the story of the construction of the cathedral.
Versions about the creators
(its photo adorns many postcards for tourists) was erected between 1555 and 1561 in memory of the capture of the fortress city of Kazan by Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich. There are many versions of who was the true creator of this architectural monument. Let's consider only three main options. The first of them is the architect Postnik Yakovlev, who bore the nickname Barma. This was a well-known Pskov master at that time. The second option is Barma and Postnik. These are two architects who participated in the construction of this temple. And the third - the cathedral was erected by some unknown Western European master, presumably from Italy.
In favor latest version This is evidenced by the fact that most of the Kremlin buildings were built by immigrants from this country. The unique style in which St. Basil's Cathedral was created (photos perfectly demonstrate it) harmoniously combines the traditions of Russian and European architecture. But it’s worth noting right away that this version has absolutely no documentary evidence.
There is also a legend according to which all the architects who worked on the temple project were deprived of their sight by order of Ivan the Terrible - with the aim that they would never be able to build anything similar again. But there is one problem. If the author of the temple is still Postnik Yakovlev, then there is no way he could have been blinded. Just a few years later, he also worked on the creation of the Kremlin in Kazan.
Temple structure
The cathedral has only ten domes: nine of them are located above the main building, and one is above the bell tower. It consists of eight temples. Their thrones were consecrated only in honor of those holidays on whose days the decisive battles for Kazan took place. All eight churches are located around the tallest ninth, which has a pillar-shaped structure. It was built in honor of the cover Mother of God and ends with a tent with a small dome. The remaining domes of St. Basil's look traditional at first glance. They have a bulbous shape, but differ from each other in their design. All nine temples stand on a common foundation and are connected to each other by vaulted internal passages and a bypass gallery, which in the original version was open.
In 1558, a chapel was added to the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God, which was consecrated in honor of St. Basil. It was erected on the spot where the relics of this saint were previously located. His name also gave the cathedral its second name. About 20 years later, the temple acquired its own tented bell tower.
First floor - basement
It must be said that St. Basil's Cathedral (the photos, of course, do not show this) does not have a basement. All its constituent churches stand on one foundation, called the basement. It is a structure with fairly thick (up to 3 m) walls, divided into several rooms, the height of which is more than 6 m.
The northern basement has, one might say, a unique design for the 16th century. Its vault is made in the form of a box without supporting pillars, despite the fact that it is long. In the walls of this room there are narrow openings called vents. Thanks to them, a special microclimate is created here, which remains unchanged throughout the year.
Once upon a time, all the basement rooms were inaccessible to parishioners. These deep recesses in the form of niches were used as storage. Previously, they were closed with doors. But now all that remains are loops. Until 1595, the royal treasury and the most valuable property of wealthy townspeople were kept in the basement.
To get to these previously secret rooms of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, one had to walk along a white stone staircase inside the walls, which only initiates knew about. Later, as unnecessary, this move was laid down and forgotten about, but in the 30s of the last century it was accidentally discovered.
Chapel organized in honor of St. Basil the Blessed
It is a cubic-shaped church. It is covered with a cross vault with a small light drum topped with a dome. The covering of this temple itself is made in the same style as the upper churches of the cathedral. There is a stylized inscription on the wall here. She reports that St. Basil's Church was built in 1588 directly above the burial of the saint immediately after his canonization by order of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich.
In 1929, the temple was closed for worship. Only at the end of the last century was its decorative decoration finally restored. The memory of St. Basil is venerated on August 15. It was this date of 1997 that was the starting date for the resumption of services in his church. Nowadays, above the saint’s burial itself there is a shrine with his relics, decorated with fine carvings. This Moscow shrine is the most revered among parishioners and guests of the temple.
Church decoration
It must be admitted that it is impossible in one article to reproduce in words all the beauties for which St. Basil's Cathedral is famous. Describing them would take more than one week, and possibly months. Let us dwell only on the details of the decoration of the church, consecrated in honor of this particular saint.
Her oil painting was timed just in time for the 350th anniversary of the start of construction of the cathedral. St. Basil is depicted on the southern and northern walls. Pictures from his life represent episodes about the miracle of the fur coat and salvation at sea. Below them, on the lower tier, is an ancient Russian ornament made of towels. In addition, on the south side of the church hangs a large icon, the drawing of which was made on metal surface. This masterpiece was painted in 1904.
The western wall is decorated with the temple image of the Intercession Holy Mother of God. The upper tier contains images of saints who patronize the royal house. These are the martyr Irene, John the Baptist, and Fyodor Stratelates.
The sails of the vault are occupied by the image of the Evangelists, the crosshairs are occupied by the Savior Not Made by Hands, John the Baptist and the Mother of God, the drum is decorated with figures of the forefathers, and the dome is decorated with the Savior Almighty.
As for the iconostasis, it was made according to the design of A. M. Pavlinov in 1895, and the painting of the icons was supervised by the famous Moscow restorer and icon painter Osip Chirikov. His original autograph is preserved on one of the icons. In addition, the iconostasis also has more ancient images. The first is the icon “Our Lady of Smolensk”, relating to XVI century, and the second is the image of St. Basil, where he is depicted against the backdrop of Red Square and the Kremlin. The latter dates back to the 18th century.
Bell tower
IN mid-17th century The belfry, built centuries earlier, was in terrible condition. Therefore, they decided to replace it with a bell tower in the 80s of the same century. By the way, it still stands. The base for the bell tower is a tall and massive quadrangle. A more elegant and openwork octagon was erected on top of it, made in the form of an open area, which is fenced with eight pillars, and they, in turn, are connected at the top by arched spans.
The bell tower is topped with an octagonal rather high tent with ribs decorated with multi-colored tiles with blue, white, brown and yellow glaze. Its edges are covered with green figured tiles and small windows, which, when the bells ring, can significantly enhance their sound. At the very top of the tent there is a small onion dome with a gilded cross. Inside the platform, as well as in the arched openings, bells are suspended, which were cast back in the 17th-19th centuries by famous Russian craftsmen.
Museum
The Intercession Cathedral was recognized by the Soviet authorities in 1918 historical monument architecture of not only national but also international significance and is taken under state protection. It was then that it began to be considered a museum. Its first caretaker was John Kuznetsov (archpriest). It must be said that after the revolution, the temple was, without exaggeration, in a very dire situation: almost all the windows were broken, the roof was full of holes, and in winter there were snowdrifts right inside the premises.
Five years later, it was decided to create a historical and architectural complex on the basis of the cathedral. Its first head was E.I. Silin - Researcher Moscow Historical Museum. Already on May 21, the first visitors inspected the temple. From that time on, work began to complete the fund.
The museum, called the Intercession Cathedral, became a branch of the Historical Museum in 1928. A year later, the temple was officially closed for worship and all the bells were removed. In the 30s of the last century, rumors spread that they planned to demolish it. But he was still lucky enough to avoid such a fate. Despite the fact that construction has been going on here for almost a century, the temple is always open to Muscovites and guests of the capital. For all this time, the museum was closed only once, when the Great Patriotic War was going on.
After the end of the war, all measures were immediately taken to restore the cathedral, so by the day of the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the capital, the museum was open again. He gained wide fame back in the days of the Soviet Union. It should be noted that the museum was well known not only in the USSR, but also in many other countries. Since 1991, the temple has been in use by both the Orthodox Church and the State Historical Museum. After a long break, worship services have finally resumed here.
Childhood of a Saint
The future Moscow wonderworker Blessed Basil was born at the very end of 1468. According to legend, this happened right on the porch of the Yelokhovsky Church, erected in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. His parents were ordinary people. When he grew up, he was sent to study shoemaking. Over time, his mentor began to notice that Vasily was not like all the other children.
An example of his originality is the following case: once a merchant brought bread to Moscow and, seeing the workshop, went to order boots for himself. At the same time, he asked that he could not wear off the shoes for a year. Hearing these words, Blessed Basil began to cry and promised that the merchant would not even have time to wear down these boots. When the master, who did not understand anything, asked the boy why he thought so, the child explained to his teacher that the customer would not be able to put on the boots, as he would soon die. This prophecy came true just a few days later.
Recognition of holiness
When Vasily turned 16 years old, he moved to Moscow. It was here that his thorny path as a holy fool began. According to eyewitnesses, Blessed Basil walked the streets of the capital barefoot and practically naked all year round, regardless of whether there was a bitter biting frost or a scorching summer heat.
Not only his actions, but also his actions were considered strange. For example, when passing by market stalls, he could spill a vessel filled with kvass, or knock over a counter with kalachi. For this, St. Basil the Blessed was often beaten by angry merchants. Strange as it may sound, he always gladly accepted beatings and even thanked God for them. But as it turned out later, the spilled kvass was unusable, and the rolls were poorly baked. Over time, he was recognized not only as an exposer of untruth, but as a man of God and a holy fool.
Here is another incident from the life of a saint. Once a merchant decided to build a stone church in Moscow, on Pokrovka. But for some reason its vaults collapsed three times. He came to St. Basil to ask for advice on this matter. But he sent him to Kyiv, to poor John. Upon arrival in the city, the merchant found the person he needed in a poor house. John sat and rocked the cradle, in which there was no one. The merchant asked him who he was pumping after all. He answered him that he was lulling his mother to sleep for his birth and upbringing. Only then did the merchant remember his mother, whom he had once kicked out of the house. It immediately became clear to him why he was unable to complete the church. Returning to Moscow, the merchant found his mother, asked her forgiveness and took her home. After that, he easily managed to complete the church.
Acts of a miracle worker
Blessed Basil always preached mercy towards others and helped those who were ashamed to ask for alms, while needing help more than others. In this regard, there is a description of one case when he gave all the royal things presented to him to a visiting foreign merchant, who, by chance, lost absolutely everything. The merchant had not eaten anything for several days, but could not ask for help, since he was wearing expensive clothes.
St. Basil always strictly condemned those who gave alms based on selfish motives, and not out of compassion for poverty and misfortune. For the sake of saving his neighbors, he even went into taverns, where he consoled and tried to encourage the most degraded people, seeing grains of kindness in them. He purified his soul so much with prayers and great deeds that the gift of foresight was revealed to him. In 1547, the Blessed One was able to predict the great fire that happened in Moscow, and with his prayer he extinguished the flames in Novgorod. Also, his contemporaries claimed that Vasily once reproached Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible himself, since during a service he was thinking about building his palace on the Sparrow Hills.
The saint died on August 2, 1557. The then Moscow Metropolitan Macarius and his clergy performed the burial of Vasily. He was buried near the Trinity Church, where in 1555 they began to build the Intercession Church in memory of the conquest of the Kazan Khanate. 31 years later, on August 2, this saint was glorified by the Council, headed by Patriarch Job.
Contemporaries described him in approximately the same way, and always mentioned three features: he was extremely thin, wore a minimum of clothing, and always had a staff in his hand. This is exactly how St. Basil appears before us. Photos of icons and paintings with his image are presented in this article.
The veneration of this holy wonderworker among the people was so great that the Intercession Cathedral began to be called by his name. By the way, his chains are still preserved in the Theological Academy of the capital. Anyone who wants to admire a beautiful monument of medieval architecture can find it at the address: St. Basil's Cathedral.
They freeze in admiration when they see St. Basil's Cathedral, unrivaled in its beauty, next to the Kremlin. This monument Russian history and culture with its colorful painted domes has long become an integral part of the capital of Russia and its symbol. The official name of this attraction is the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Moat. Until the 17th century, the cathedral was called Trinity, since the originally built wooden church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Currently, the cathedral is included in the list of world cultural heritage and is protected by UNESCO.
History of the construction of St. Basil's Cathedral.
The order for the construction of the Intercession Cathedral was given by Ivan the Terrible in honor of the victory over the Kazan Khanate and the storming of the impregnable Kazan fortress. This event took place on the Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in honor of which the temple was named. Construction began in 1555 and was completed six years later. Reliable information about the architects who built the cathedral has not been preserved. Most researchers are inclined to believe that this is the work of the Pskov master Postnik Yakovlev, who had the nickname Barma.
After the addition of St. Basil's Church to the existing churches in 1588, the cathedral acquired its name. According to the author's plan, the ensemble of temples was a symbol of Heavenly Jerusalem. At the end of the 16th century, instead of the burnt church coverings, figured domes, familiar to our eyes, appeared.
In the 80s of the 17th century, porches decorated with tents were erected over the stairs leading to the temple, and the open gallery surrounding the cathedral acquired vaults. In painting the surface of the gallery, the masters used herbal motifs, and during the restoration work the first half of the 19th century centuries, a cast-iron fence was installed around the cathedral.
Since the first days of Soviet power, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow has been under state protection, although until 1923 it was in disrepair. After the creation of the historical and architectural museum in it, capital improvements were made construction works and collection of funds was carried out. On May 21, 1923, the first visitors crossed its threshold. Since 1928 it has been a branch of the State Historical Museum. At the end of 1929, the bells were removed from the temple and services were prohibited. During the Great Patriotic War the museum was closed, but after its completion and regular restoration activities, the museum reopened its doors to visitors. The beginning of the 90s of the 20th century was marked by the resumption of church services in the temple. Since that time, the cathedral has been jointly used by the museum and the Russian Orthodox Church.
The height of St. Basil's Cathedral is 65 meters. But, despite this modest figure, the beauty of the cathedral leaves no one indifferent. Due to the fact that its ensemble includes nine churches built on a common foundation, it is included in the list of the largest cathedrals in the world in terms of volume. The uniqueness of the temple is that it does not have a clearly defined main entrance. When you first enter the temple, you can get confused about its layout. But, if you look at it from a bird's eye view, or at its drawing (top view), placed on the wall of one of the churches, everything becomes clear and understandable.
Church of St. Basil's Cathedral.
In the center of the complex there is a pillar-shaped church, consecrated in honor of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The central exits of the main temples surrounding it face the four cardinal directions. Between them, smaller churches were erected, completing the composition. When looking at the entire ensemble from above, you can clearly see two squares turned to each other at an angle and forming a regular eight-pointed star, symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sides of the squares themselves, in addition to the four ends life-giving cross, meant firmness of faith. And the unification of churches around the Pillar Temple symbolizes the unity of faith and God's protection, spread over Russia. The bell tower, built in 1670, is located a little further away.
Cache in the temple.
Another feature of the unique ensemble is the absence basements. It was erected on a basement - a complex of premises, the height of the walls of which exceeds six meters, and the thickness reaches more than three meters. There are special openings in its walls that serve to create a constant microclimate in the premises, independent of the time of year. In ancient times, the basement was used as a secret storage for church valuables and the royal treasury. The hiding place could only be accessed from the second floor of the central cathedral via a secret staircase located in the wall. Now there is a storage facility for icons that belong to the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is on the Moat. The oldest of them is the image of St. Basil, dating from the end of the 16th century.
The entire ensemble is surrounded by a covered bypass gallery, which has long become one with it. Like the inner circumference, it is painted with grass and plant patterns dating back to the 17th century. Their floors are lined with bricks, partly with herringbone masonry, and some areas with a special “rosette” pattern. Interestingly, bricks preserved from the sixteenth century are more resistant to abrasion than those used in restoration work.
St. Basil's Cathedral inside.
The interior decoration of all the nine temples that make up the complex is not similar to one another and differs in the style of painting, color scheme and in the manner of its execution. Some of the walls are decorated with oil paintings, and some still have frescoes dating back to the sixteenth century. The main wealth of the cathedral is its unique iconostasis, which contains more than four hundred priceless icons dating back to the period of the 16th-19th centuries and belonging to the brushes of Moscow and Novgorod masters.
After the return of the temple to the Orthodox Church, which occurred in Holy holiday Intercession, the museum began resuming the collection of bells. Today you can see nineteen exhibits representing masterpieces of foundry art. The “oldest” of them was cast five years before the capture of Kazan, and the youngest turns twenty years old in 2016. You can see with your own eyes the armor and weapons with which the troops of Ivan the Terrible went to attack the Kazan Kremlin.
In addition to unique icons, inside St. Basil's Cathedral you can see paintings by Russian masters of portrait and landscape painting of the nineteenth century. The pride of the museum exhibition is the collection of ancient handwritten and first-printed books. You can view all the priceless exhibits of the museum and wander around the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin as part of a group excursion, or order an individual visit. It should be remembered that you can take photos and videos by making a separate payment through the museum’s cash desk. Between the basement and the second floor of the temple there are shops where you can buy souvenirs.
St. Basil's Cathedral (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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The unusually beautiful St. Basil's Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the Moat, flaunting on Red Square, is one of the most famous architectural monuments of Moscow. At the sight of a multi-colored temple, the tops of which are one more beautiful than the other, foreigners gasp in admiration and grab their cameras, but compatriots proudly declare: yes, that’s what it is - majestic, elegant, withstood even in difficult times for all churches Soviet time.
There is even a historical story regarding the last fact. Allegedly, when presenting a project for the reconstruction of Red Square to Stalin, Kaganovich swept away the model of the temple from the diagram, making way for demonstrations of workers, to which the Secretary General sternly replied: “Lazarus, put it in its place.” Whether it was so or not, the temple was one of the few that survived and was constantly restored throughout the second half of the 20th century.
History and modernity
The Intercession Cathedral was built in 1565-1561. by decree of Ivan the Terrible, who vowed to build a church in memory of this event in the event of the successful capture of Kazan. The temple consists of nine churches on one foundation and a bell tower. At first glance, it can be difficult to understand the structure of the temple, but once you imagine that you are looking at it from above (or actually look at the temple from this angle on our live map), everything immediately becomes clear. The main pillar-shaped church in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God with a tent topped with a small dome is surrounded on four sides by axial churches, between which four more smaller ones are built. The tented bell tower was built later, in the 1670s.
Today the cathedral is both a temple and a branch of the Historical Museum at the same time. In 1990, services were resumed. Architecture, external decorative decoration, monumental painting, frescoes, rare monuments of Russian icon painting - all this makes the cathedral unique in its beauty and significance as a temple in Russia. In 2011, the cathedral turned 450 years old, anniversary events were held throughout the summer, chapels that were previously inaccessible to visitors were opened for the memorable date, and a new exhibition was arranged.
St. Basil's Cathedral
Information
Address: Red Square, 2.
Opening hours: excursions are held daily from 11:00 - 16:00.
Entrance: 250 RUB. Prices on the page are for October 2018.
The central church of the Cathedral is not accessible for inspection due to restoration work.
For the whole world, the most famous “calling cards” of Russia are the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. The latter also has other names, the most popular of which is the Intercession Cathedral on the Moat.
General information
The cathedral celebrated its 450th anniversary on July 2, 2011. This unique structure was erected on Red Square. The temple, amazing in its beauty, is a whole complex of churches united by a common foundation. Even those who know nothing about Russian architecture will immediately recognize St. Basil's Church. The cathedral has a unique feature - all its colorful domes are different from each other.
In the main (Pokrovskaya) church there is an iconostasis, which was moved from the Kremlin Church of the Chernigov Wonderworkers, destroyed in 1770. In the basement of the Church of the Intercession of Our Lady there are the most valuable ones, the oldest of which is the icon of St. Basil (16th century), painted specifically for this temple. Icons from the 17th century are also on display here: Our Lady of the Sign and the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The first one copies the image located on east side facade of the church.
History of the temple
St. Basil's Cathedral, the history of whose construction is surrounded by a number of myths and legends, was built by order of the first Tsar of Rus', Ivan the Terrible. It was dedicated to a significant event, namely the victory over the Kazan Khanate. Much to the regret of historians, the names of the architects who created this incomparable masterpiece have not survived to this day. There are many versions as to who worked on the construction of the temple, but it has not been reliably established who created St. Basil's Cathedral. Moscow was the main city of Rus', so the tsar collected in the capital the best masters. According to one legend, the main architect was Postnik Yakovlev from Pskov, nicknamed Barma. Another version completely contradicts this. Many believe that Barma and Postnik are different masters. Even more confusion arises from the third version, which states that St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow was built according to the design of an Italian architect. But the most popular legend about this temple is the one that talks about the blinding of the architects who created this masterpiece, so that they could not repeat their creation.
origin of name
Amazingly, despite the fact that the main church of this temple was dedicated to the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is known throughout the world as St. Basil's Cathedral. There have always been many holy fools (blessed “God’s people”) in Moscow, but the name of one of them is forever etched in the history of Rus'. Mad Vasily lived on the street and even in winter walked half naked. At the same time, his whole body was entwined with chains, which were iron chains with large crosses. This man was highly respected in Moscow. Even the king himself treated him with unusual reverence. St. Basil the Blessed was revered by the townspeople as a miracle worker. He died in 1552, and in 1588 a church was erected over his grave. It was this building that gave the generally accepted name to this temple.
Almost everyone who visits Moscow knows that the main symbol of Russia is Red Square. St. Basil's Cathedral occupies one of the most honorable places in the whole complex of buildings and monuments located on it. The temple is crowned with 10 magnificent domes. Around the main (main) church, called the Intercession of the Virgin Mary, 8 others are symmetrically located. They are built in the shape of an eight-pointed star. All these churches symbolize the religious holidays that fall on the days of the capture of the Kazan Khanate.
Domes of St. Basil's Cathedral and bell tower
Eight churches are crowned with 8 onion domes. The main (central) building is completed with a “tent”, above which a small “head” rises. The tenth dome was built over the church bell tower. The amazing thing is that they are all completely different from each other in their texture and color.
The modern bell tower of the temple was erected on the site of the old belfry, which completely fell into disrepair in the 17th century. It was erected in 1680. At the base of the bell tower there is a tall, massive quadrangle on which an octagon is erected. It has an open area fenced with 8 pillars. All of them are connected to each other by arched spans. The top of the site is crowned with a high octagonal tent, the ribs of which are decorated with tiles different color(white, blue, yellow, brown). Its edges are covered with green figured tiles. At the top of the tent there is a bulbous dome topped with an octagonal cross. Inside the site on wooden beams hanging bells that were cast back in the 17th-19th centuries.
Architectural features
The nine churches of St. Basil's Cathedral are connected to each other by a common base and a bypass gallery. Its peculiarity is its intricate painting, the main motif of which is floral patterns. The unique style of the temple combines the traditions of both European and Russian architecture of the Renaissance. Distinctive feature the cathedral are and the height of the temple (according to the highest dome) is 65 m. The names of the churches of the Cathedral: St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Trinity, Martyrs Adrian and Natalia, Entrance to Jerusalem, Varlaam of Khutyn, Alexander of Svir, Gregory of Armenia, Intercession of the Mother of God.
Another feature of the temple is that it does not have a basement. It has extremely strong basement walls (they reach a thickness of 3 m). The height of each room is approximately 6.5 m. The entire structure of the northern part of the temple is unique, since the long box vault of the basement does not have any supporting pillars. The walls of the building are “cut through” by so-called “vents”, which are narrow openings. They provide a special microclimate in the church. For many years, the basement premises were not accessible to parishioners. Hiding niches were used as storage and were closed with doors, the presence of which is now evidenced only by hinges preserved on the walls. It is believed that until the end of the 16th century. The royal treasury was kept in them.
Gradual transformation of the Cathedral
Only at the end of the 16th century. Figured domes appeared above the temple, replacing the original ceiling, which burned down in another fire. This Orthodox cathedral was built until the 17th century. was called Trinity, since the very first wooden church that was located on this site was built in honor of the Holy Trinity. Initially, this structure had a more austere and restrained appearance, since it was built of stone and brick. Only in the 17th century. all domes were decorated with ceramic tiles. At the same time, asymmetrical buildings were added to the temple. Then tents appeared over the porches and intricate paintings on the walls and ceiling. During the same period, elegant paintings appeared on the walls and ceiling. In 1931, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky was erected in front of the temple. Today, St. Basil's Cathedral is jointly managed by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Historical Museum. The structure is a cultural heritage of Russia. The beauty and uniqueness of this temple was appreciated and throughout St. Basil's in Moscow is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The significance of the Intercession Cathedral in the USSR
Despite the persecution of the Soviet regime in relation to religion and the destruction of a huge number of churches, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow was taken under state protection back in 1918 as a cultural monument of world significance. It was at this time that all efforts of the authorities were aimed at creating a museum in it. The first caretaker of the temple was Archpriest John Kuznetsov. It was he who practically independently took care of the renovation of the building, although its condition was simply terrible. In 1923, the historical and architectural museum “Pokrovsky Cathedral” was located in the Cathedral. Already in 1928 it became one of the branches of the State Historical Museum. In 1929, all the bells were removed from it, and worship services were prohibited. Despite the fact that the temple has been constantly being restored for almost a hundred years, its exhibition was closed only once - during the Great Patriotic War.
Intercession Cathedral in 1991-2014.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, St. Basil's Cathedral came into joint use with the Russian Orthodox Church and the State Historical Museum. From August 15, 1997, holiday and Sunday services were resumed in the church. Since 2011, previously inaccessible aisles have been open to the public and housed new exhibitions.
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 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 Blessed Basil, 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 one they had just built 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 in joint use of 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.