Cathedral on Red Square. Cathedral at the end of the XVI-XIX centuries

Basil's Cathedral in Moscow on Red Square - the main temple of the capital of Russia. Therefore, for many inhabitants of the planet, it is a symbol of Russia, just like the Eiffel Tower for France or the Statue of Liberty for America. Currently, the temple is a branch of the State Historical Museum. Since 1990, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Russia.

From the history of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow on Red Square

On October 1, 1552, on the feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God, the assault on Kazan began, which ended in the victory of the Russian soldiers. In honor of this victory, by decree of Ivan the Terrible, the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, now known as St. Basil's Cathedral, was founded.

Previously, on the site of the temple there was a church in the name of the Trinity. According to legend, in the crowd among the walkers one could often see the holy fool Basil the Blessed, who left home in his youth and wandered around the capital. He was known for having the gift of healing and clairvoyance and raising money for a new Church of the Intercession. Before his death, he gave the collected money to Ivan the Terrible. The holy fool was buried at the Trinity Church. When the Intercession Church was built, his grave was at the very wall of the temple. Later, 30 years later, at the direction of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, a new chapel was built, consecrated in honor of St. Basil the Blessed. Since then, the temple began to be called by the same name. In the old days, the Intercession Cathedral was red and white, and the domes were golden. There were 25 domes: 9 main and 16 small, located around the central tent, aisles and the bell tower. The central dome had the same complex shape as the side domes. The painting of the walls of the temple was more complex.

There were very few people inside the temple. Therefore, during the holidays, divine services were held on Red Square. Intercession Cathedral served as an altar. The ministers of the church went out to the place of execution, and the sky served as a dome. The temple has a height of 65 meters. Before the construction of the Ivanovskaya bell tower in the Kremlin, it was the highest in Moscow. After a fire in 1737, the temple was restored, and in the second half of the 18th century, 16 small domes around the towers were removed, and the bell tower was connected to the temple, which became multi-colored.

During its history, the temple was on the verge of destruction several times. According to legend, Napoleon kept his horses in the temple and wanted to transfer the building to Paris. But at the time it was impossible to do so. Then he decided to blow up the temple. The sudden pouring rain extinguished the lit fuses and saved the structure. After the revolution, the temple was closed, the bells were melted down, and its rector, Archpriest John Vostorgov, was shot. Lazar Koganovich proposed to demolish the building in order to open car traffic and hold demonstrations. Only the courage and perseverance of the architect P.D. Baranovsky saved the temple. Stalin's famous phrase "Lazar, put it in its place!" and the demolition decision was reversed.

How many domes on St. Basil's Cathedral

The temple was built in 1552-1554. at a time when there was a war with the Golden Horde for the conquest of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms. After each victory, a wooden church was built in honor of the saint whose feast day was celebrated on that day. Also, some temples were built in honor of significant events. By the end of the war, there were 8 churches on one site. Saint Macarius Metropolitan of Moscow advised the tsar to build one temple in stone with a common foundation. In 1555-1561. architects Barma and Yakovlev built eight temples on the same foundation: four of them are axial and four are smaller between them. All of them are different in architectural decoration and have onion domes, decorated with cornices, kokoshniks, windows, niches. In the center rises the ninth church with a small cupola in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God. In the 17th century, a bell tower with a hipped dome was built. Considering this dome, there are 10 domes on the temple.

• The northern church was consecrated in the name of Cyprian and Ustina, and later in the name of St. Andrian and Natalia.
• The eastern church is consecrated in the name of the Trinity. The southern church is in the name of Nikola Velikoretsky.
• The Western Church was consecrated in the name of the Entrance to Jerusalem in memory of the return of the troops of Ivan the Terrible to Moscow.
• The northeastern church was consecrated in the name of the Three Patriarchs of Alexandria.
• The southeastern church is in the name of Alexander Svirsky.
• The southwestern church is in the name of Varlaam Khutynsky.
• Northwestern - in the name of Gregory of Armenia.

Eight chapters, built around the central ninth, in plan form a figure consisting of two squares located at an angle of 45 degrees and representing an eight-pointed star. The number 8 symbolizes the day of the Resurrection of Christ, and the eight-pointed star is a symbol of the Most Holy Theotokos. The square means firmness and constancy of faith. Its four sides mean the four cardinal points and the four ends of the cross, the four evangelist apostles. The central temple unites the rest of the churches and symbolizes patronage over all of Russia.

Museum in St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow on Red Square

Now the temple is open as a museum. Its visitors can climb the spiral staircase and admire the iconostases, which contain icons from the 16th-19th centuries, and see the patterns of the inner gallery. The walls are decorated with oil paintings and frescoes from the 16th-19th centuries. The museum presents portrait and landscape painting, as well as church utensils of the 16th-19th centuries. There are opinions that it is necessary to preserve St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow, not just as a monument of extraordinary beauty, but also as an Orthodox shrine.

Basil's Cathedral occupies a special place not only among the masterpieces of world architecture, but also in the minds of any Russian person. This church on Red Square is the personification of the beauty of the Russian soul, its bottomless inner spiritual world, the innermost desire to find paradise and bliss, both on earth and in heaven. Basil's Cathedral is unconditionally recognized by all of us as one of the symbols of Russia and as one of its significant spiritual foundations. The architectural ensemble of Red Square is now simply unthinkable without this heavenly beauty embodied in stone. It's scary to think, but according to one of the legends, the famous Lazar Kaganovich, somehow, offered Stalin to demolish St. Basil's Cathedral, effectively snatching it from the model of the reconstruction of Red Square, which was submitted for consideration to the leader of the peoples. Lazarus! Give us a place, - Stalin said then briefly ...

St. Basil's Cathedral impresses you so much, it remains in your consciousness for a long time and continues to live in it for a long time, nourishing your soul with the sensual non-material energy of this earthly miracle. Being near the temple, you can endlessly admire its unique living image, playing with all the facets of sublime and exquisite beauty from any of its angles. Many essays have been written about this temple, countless scientific studies have been carried out and, of course, uncountable materials from independent researchers and simply lovers of Russian architecture and antiquity have been posted online.

I wanted to present to my reader something about the Church of the Intercession on the Moat, which is different from the works of other authors, which, of course, in this context, is a difficult and, in many ways, unbearable task. However, I will still try) As usual, there will be a lot of my photographs of this temple, its most diverse angles, at different times of the year - in order to reveal both the external sensual image of the cathedral and show its amazing internal spaces, without seeing which it is impossible to absorb all this Beauty entirely and completely. As it turned out, while staying in the temple itself, I managed, which often happens to me, to miss some views and details of its rich interior when shooting, which, as usual, becomes clear when preparing a specific material. Of course, these shortcomings will be filled by me here as appropriate visual source material becomes available.

I am extremely interested in the period of construction of tent churches in Russia, and St. Basil's Cathedral occupies, among the tent churches that have miraculously survived to date, its special unique place, because the central architectural dominant of this masterpiece is the sublime tent church of the Intercession of the Virgin. This article will be one of several in a series of my future review articles about the period of tent construction in Russia.

In the first part, already by tradition, we will try to absorb the wonderful and unique image of St. Basil's Cathedral, learn about its amazing and mysterious history, the spiritual basis of the history of its creation, about architectural features, and already in the second and third parts - we will examine and explore the church from the inside , after all, the main thing is a sensual complex impression, and it is precisely what we endure for ourselves and what remains, as a result, with us for a long time, or even forever.

So, the cathedral was built in 1555-1561 by order of Ivan the Terrible in memory of the capture of Kazan and the victory over the Kazan Khanate, which happened precisely on the day of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos - in early October 1552. There are several versions about the founders of the cathedral. According to one version, the famous Pskov master Postnik Yakovlev, nicknamed Barma, was the architect.
03.

According to another, widely known version, Barma and Postnik are two different architects, both involved in the construction. But this version is now outdated. According to the third version, the cathedral was built by an unknown Western European master (presumably an Italian, as before - a significant part of the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin), hence such a unique style, combining the traditions of both Russian architecture and European architecture of the Renaissance, but this version is still never found any clear documentary evidence.
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We have a more emotional detailed report, so I took the liberty of adding to my story the warm feeling of the flower beds planted on Red Square last summer...)
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According to Moscow legends, the architects of the cathedral (Barma and Postnik) were blinded by the order of Ivan the Terrible so that they could no longer build a second temple of this beauty. However, if the author of the cathedral is Postnik, then he could not be blinded, since for several years after the construction of the cathedral he participated in the creation of the Kazan Kremlin.
06.

The temple itself symbolizes the 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 Chaev suggested that the color of the domes of the temple can be explained by the dream of Blessed Andrew the Holy Fool (Constantinople) - a holy ascetic, with whom, according to church Tradition, the feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God is connected. He dreamed of Heavenly Jerusalem, and there "there were many gardens, in them tall trees, swaying with their tops ... Some of the trees bloomed, others were decorated with golden foliage, others had various fruits of inexpressible beauty."
07.

Initially, the cathedral was painted "like a brick". Later it was repainted, the researchers found the remains of drawings depicting false windows and kokoshniks, as well as commemorative inscriptions made with paint.
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In 1588, the Church of St. Basil the Blessed was added to the temple, for the device of which arched openings were laid in the northeastern part of the cathedral. Architecturally, the church was an independent temple with a separate entrance. At the end of the 16th century, figured domes of the cathedral appeared - instead of the original cover, which burned down during the next fire. In the second half of the 17th century, significant changes took place in the external appearance of the cathedral - the open gallery surrounding the upper churches was covered with a vault, and porches decorated with tents were erected over the white stone stairs.
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The outer and inner galleries, platforms and parapets of the porches were painted with grass ornaments. These renovations were completed by 1683, and information about them is included in the inscriptions on the ceramic tiles that decorated the facade of the cathedral.
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Architecture of St. Basil's Cathedral

As complex as the design of the temple may seem, it is actually very logical. In the center of the composition is the main hipped-roof Church of the Intercession, around which are placed eight other pillar-like churches with domed tops. In plan, the cathedral forms an eight-pointed star. Large churches are located at the corners of the rhombus. A rhombus inscribed in a square is the structure of the temple. The eight-pointed star in Christian symbolism carries a deep meaning - it symbolizes the entire Christian church, which is a guiding star in a person's life to Heavenly Jerusalem.
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Another aspect of considering the architectural features of the temple as a whole can be reduced to a simple consideration of its architectural forms. All elements of the complex, including the central, the Intercession Cathedral itself, and large and small churches correspond to different types of church architecture. But their interaction is based on several compositional elements. This is a combination of an octagon on a quadrangle, or two octals, of different diameters. The central part - these are two octagon on a quadrangle, crowns the design of the tent. Two octagon topped with a dome - this is how you can describe the architecture of large churches. Small churches - an octagon on a quadrangle, crowned with a dome over a round drum. Although the lower part of small churches, their quarters, is very problematic to consider, they are hidden behind the external decor - kokoshniks.
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Along the entire perimeter, the temple is decorated with kokoshniks, they are located in different ways, of different sizes, but they perform the same function - they smooth out the transition from the quadrangles to the octagon. The cathedral was built on the principle of increasing height - the central tent is twice as high as large churches, large churches are twice as large as small ones.
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Another feature of the temple makes it absolutely different from others - this is the lack of symmetry in the decor and size of large and small churches. But the whole cathedral leaves an impression of composure and balance. Whoever was the author of the cathedral, his idea - the realization of both political and religious meaning was impeccably embodied in its architectural forms. Similarity and difference, unification and separation - the combination of these mutually exclusive elements has become the main theme in the architecture of the cathedral and the fundamental idea of ​​its design.
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The height of the temple is 65 meters. The cathedral consists of temples, the thrones of which were consecrated in honor of the holidays that fell on the days of the decisive battles for Kazan:

Trinity.

In honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (in honor of his Velikoretskaya icon from Vyatka).

Entrance to Jerusalem.

In honor of the martyrs Adrian and Natalia (originally - in honor of the holy martyrs Cyprian and Justina - October 2).

Saints John the Merciful (until the XVIII - in honor of Saints Paul, Alexander and John of Constantinople - November 6).

All these eight churches (four axial, four smaller ones between them) are crowned with onion domes and are grouped around the ninth pillar-shaped church towering above them in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God, completed with a tent with a small dome. All nine churches are united by a common foundation, bypass (originally open) gallery and internal vaulted passages.
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In 1588, the tenth chapel was added to the cathedral from the northeast, consecrated in honor of St. Basil the Blessed (1469-1552), whose relics were located at the site where the cathedral was built. The name of this aisle gave the cathedral a second, everyday name. St. Basil's chapel adjoins the chapel of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, in which Blessed John of Moscow was buried in 1589 (at first, the chapel was consecrated in honor of the Deposition of the Robe, but in 1680 it was re-consecrated as the Nativity of the Mother of God). In 1672, the uncovering of the relics of St. John the Blessed took place in it, and in 1916 it was re-consecrated in the name of Blessed John, the Moscow miracle worker.
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In the 1670s, a hipped bell tower was built.
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There are only eleven domes, of which nine domes are above the temple (according to the number of thrones):

Protection of the Mother of God (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 Velikoretsky (south),

Adrian and Natalia (formerly Cyprian and Justina) (north).

Two more domes are located above the chapel of St. Basil the Blessed and above the bell tower.
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FIRST LEVEL

Basement (1st floor)

There are no basement spaces in the Pokrovsky Cathedral. Churches and galleries are built on a single foundation - a basement, consisting of several rooms. Strong brick walls of the basement (up to 3 m thick) are covered with vaults. The height of these rooms is about 6.5 m.

On the plan of the first level, the rooms in the basement are marked in black. In color - churches of the second level of the cathedral.
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The construction 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 - vents. Together with a "breathing" building material - brick - they provide a special microclimate of the room at any time of the year.
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Previously, the basement premises were inaccessible to parishioners. Deep niches-hiding places in it were used as storage facilities. They were closed with doors, from which the hinges are now preserved. Until 1595, the royal treasury was hidden in the basement. Wealthy citizens also brought their property here.

They got into the basement from the upper central church of the Intercession of the Mother of God along the intra-walled white stone staircase. Only specially trusted persons knew about it. Later, this narrow passage was laid. However, during the restoration process of the 1930s. a secret staircase has been discovered. We will see her again.
25.

In the basement there are icons of the Intercession Cathedral. The oldest of them is the icon of St. Basil the Blessed at the end of the 16th century, written especially for the Pokrovsky Cathedral. Also exhibited here are two icons of the 17th century. - "Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos" and "Our Lady of the Sign". The icon "Our Lady of the Sign" is a replica of the facade icon located on the eastern wall of the cathedral. Written in the 1780s. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. the icon was 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 of St. Basil the Blessed in the church cemetery. A stylized inscription on the wall tells about the construction of this church after the canonization of the saint by order of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich. The temple is cubic in shape, covered with a groin vault and crowned with a small light drum with a cupola. The covering of the church is made in the same style with the domes of the upper churches of the cathedral.

We can see the quadrangle of this church and the lowest green dome with crimson spikes and, in fact, its chapels in the foreground in the photo below.
27.

Access to St. Basil's Cathedral itself just begins with St. Basil's Cathedral, which is on the first level, unlike all other churches of the cathedral ...
There are a lot of people here for the holidays, as you can see.
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Sacristy

In 1680, another church in the name of St. Theodosius the Virgin was added to the cathedral above the church of St. Basil the Blessed. It was two-story (on the basement). The top was made in the form of an octagon with a cupola on a narrow drum.

Already in 1783, the octagon was dismantled and the church was turned into a sacristy (a repository of vestments and liturgical utensils) at the Church of St. Basil the Blessed. Hilferding's painting, painted in 1770, is the only depiction of the Church of St. Theodosius the Virgin before it was rebuilt. At present, the sacristy has partially retained its purpose: it hosts exhibitions of things from the funds of the cathedral, that is, those that were once stored in it.

Inspection of the exposition of St. Basil's Cathedral begins with the entrance through the small northern porch to the building of the former cathedral sacristy (on the left - in the photo below).
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But this photo was taken just from the entrance to the museum of St. Basil's Cathedral.
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We will get to the museum with you, but for now I propose to carefully examine St. Basil's Cathedral in detail and from different angles.

SECOND LEVEL

Galleries and porches

Along the perimeter of the cathedral around all the churches there is an external bypass gallery. It was originally open. In the middle of the 19th century, the glazed gallery became part of the interior of the cathedral. Arched entrances lead from the outer gallery to the platforms between the churches and connect it with the internal passages.
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This is a large northern porch - through it the exit of tourists visiting the museum and the churches of the cathedral is already carried out.
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Previously, daylight entered the gallery from windows located above the passages to the promenade. Today it is illuminated by mica lanterns of the 17th century, which were previously used during religious processions. The multi-headed tops of the remote lanterns resemble the exquisite silhouette of the cathedral. And we will also examine the lanterns a little later.
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This is the west side of the cathedral. Now we will bypass it counterclockwise. Some of the photos that you see were taken intentionally with high geometric distortions in order to cover the entire facades of the cathedral as much as possible.
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Two galleries unite the aisles of the cathedral into a single ensemble. Narrow internal passages and wide platforms give the impression of a "city of churches". Having passed the labyrinth of the inner gallery, you can get to the platforms of the porches of the cathedral. Their arches are "flower carpets", the intricacies of which fascinate and attract the eyes of visitors.
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Now we are on the south side of St. Basil's Cathedral. The area in front of the cathedral is quite spacious. Relatively recently, archaeological excavations were carried out in this place. Their results can be seen right there - stone cannonballs and old cannons were found...

(according to one version)

Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God, on the Moat (Intercession Cathedral, colloquial - St. Basil's Cathedral) is an Orthodox church on Red Square in Moscow, a well-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 connected both with the dedication of one of its chapels, and with the procession to it from the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin on Palm Sunday with the "procession" of the Patriarch.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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

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

✪ Revealed the mystery of the domes of St. Basil's Cathedral

✪ St. Basil's Cathedral: conjectures and facts (Andrey Batalov tells)

✪ "St. Basil's Cathedral" / A whole city of churches

Subtitles

Status

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

Pokrovsky Cathedral is one of the most famous sights of Russia. For many, he is a symbol of Moscow and Russia. In 1931, a bronze monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, which has been standing on Red Square since 1818, was moved to the cathedral.

Story

Creation versions

The temple itself symbolizes the 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. He dreamed of Heavenly Jerusalem, and there "there were many gardens, in them 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 eleven domes, nine of them are above the churches (according to the number of thrones):

1. Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (center),
2. Holy Trinity (east),
3. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (west),
4. Gregory of Armenia (northwest),
5. Alexander Svirsky (southeast),
6. Varlaam Khutynsky (southwest),
7. John the Merciful (formerly John, Paul and Alexander of Constantinople) (northeast),
8. Nicholas the Wonderworker Velikoretsky (south),
9. Adrian and Natalia (formerly Cyprian and Justina) (north).

Two more domes are located above the chapel of St. Basil the Blessed and above the bell tower.

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

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

First floor

basement

There are no basements in the Intercession Cathedral. Churches and galleries stand on a single base - a basement, consisting of several rooms. 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 construction 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 - products. Together with a "breathing" building material - brick - they provide a special microclimate of the room at any time of the year.

Previously, the basement premises were inaccessible to parishioners. Deep niches-hiding places in it were used as storage facilities. They were closed with doors, from which the hinges are now preserved. Until 1595, the royal treasury was hidden in the basement. Wealthy citizens also brought their property here.

They got into the basement from the upper central church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos along the intra-walled white stone staircase. Only the initiates knew about it. Later, this narrow passage was laid. 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. Basil the Blessed at the end of the 16th century, written especially for the Pokrovsky Cathedral. Also on display are two icons of the 17th century - “The Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God” and “Our Lady of the Sign”. The icon "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 XVIII-XIX 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. Basil the Blessed. A stylized inscription on the wall tells about the construction of this church after the canonization of the saint by order of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich.

The temple is cubic in shape, covered with a groin vault and crowned with a small light drum with a cupola. The covering of the church is made in the same style with the domes of the upper churches of the cathedral.

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

On the western wall there is a temple image "Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos". In the upper tier there are images of the patron saints of the royal house: Theodore Stratilates, John the Baptist, St. Anastasia, the martyr Irina.

On the northern and southern walls are scenes from the life of St. Basil the Blessed: "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 completed 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” of the 16th century and the local image of “St. Basil the Blessed against the backdrop of the Kremlin and Red Square" of the 18th century.

Above the burial of St. Basil the Blessed, an arch decorated with a carved canopy was installed. 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 - “The Mother of God of Vladimir with selected saints of the Moscow circle “Today the most glorious city of Moscow flaunts brightly” (1904).

The floor is covered with cast-iron plates of Kaslinsky casting.

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 feast day of Saint Basil the Blessed, Sunday and holiday services were resumed in the church.

Second floor

Galleries and porches

Along the perimeter of the cathedral around all the churches there is an external bypass gallery. It was originally open. In the middle of the 19th century, the glazed gallery became part of the interior of the cathedral. Arched entrances lead from the outer gallery to the platforms between the churches and connect it with the 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 decorated with floral ornaments. Later, narrative oil painting appeared in the cathedral, which was repeatedly updated. Currently, tempera painting has been uncovered 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 ornaments.

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

Previously, daylight entered the gallery from windows located above the passages to the promenade. Today it is illuminated by mica lanterns of the 17th century, which were previously used during religious processions. The multi-headed tops of the remote lanterns resemble the exquisite silhouette of the cathedral.

The floor of the gallery is made of bricks "in the Christmas tree". Bricks of 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 an engineering method of flooring, unique for the 16th century: many small bricks are fixed with lime mortar in the form of caissons (squares), the edges of which are made of figured bricks.

In this section, the floor is lined with a special rosette pattern, and the original painting imitating brickwork has been recreated on the walls. The size of the drawn bricks corresponds to the real one.

Two galleries unite the aisles of the cathedral into a single ensemble. Narrow internal passages and wide platforms give the impression of a "city of churches". Having passed the labyrinth of the inner gallery, you can get to the platforms of the porches of the cathedral. Their arches are "flower carpets", the intricacies of which fascinate and attract the eyes 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 consecrations of the cathedral.

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 the four small churches 15 m high. Its base - a quadrangle - passes into a low octagon and ends with a cylindrical light drum and a vault (see the octagon on the quadrangle).

The original appearance of the interior of the church was restored during the restoration work of the 1920s and 1979-1980s: a brick floor with a herringbone pattern, profiled cornices, and 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 of the 16th - early 18th centuries are located close to each other between the wooden beams (tablas). The lower part of the iconostasis is covered with hanging shrouds skillfully embroidered by craftswomen. On velvet shrouds - the traditional image of the Calvary cross.

Church of Varlaam Khutynsky

The southwestern church was consecrated in the name of the Monk Varlaam Khutynsky - since the monastic name in honor of this saint was taken by the father of Ivan the Terrible Vasily III in his deathbed tonsure, and also because on the day of the memory of this saint on November 6, the tsar's solemn 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 arrange a passage between the small church and the central one - the Intercession of the Virgin.

Four turns into a low octagon. The cylindrical light drum is covered with a vault. The church illuminates the oldest chandelier in the cathedral of the 15th century. A century later, Russian craftsmen added a pommel in the shape of a double-headed eagle to the work of the Nuremberg masters.

The table iconostasis was reconstructed in the 1920s and consists of icons from the 16th-18th centuries [ ] . The peculiarity of the architecture of the church - the irregular shape of the apse - determined the shift of the Royal Doors to the right.

Of particular interest is the separately hanging icon "Vision  sexton  Tarasius". It was written in Novgorod at the end of the 16th century. The plot of the icon is based on the legend about the vision of the Khutyn Monastery’s sexton of disasters that threaten 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 is consecrated in honor of the feast of the Lord's Entrance into Jerusalem.

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

During the restoration, fragments of architectural decoration of the 16th century were discovered. Their original appearance has been preserved without the restoration of damaged parts. No ancient painting was 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 of a shell that hit the wall in October 1917.

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

The church presents one of the shrines of the Intercession Cathedral - the icon "St. Alexander Nevsky in his life" of the 17th century. The image, unique in terms of iconography, probably comes from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The right-believing prince is represented in the middle of the icon, and around him there are 33 hallmarks with plots from the life of the saint (miracles and historical events: the Neva battle, the prince’s trip to the khan’s headquarters, the Kulikovo battle).

Church of St. Gregory of Armenia

The northwestern church of the cathedral was consecrated in the name of St. Gregory, Enlightener of Great Armenia (d. 335). He converted the king and the whole country to Christianity, was the bishop of Armenia. His memory is celebrated on September 30 (October 13, N.S.). In 1552, on this day, an important event of the campaign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible took place - the explosion of the Arskaya 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 the apse shifted. The violation of symmetry is caused by the need to arrange a passage between this church and the central one - the Intercession of the Virgin. The light drum is covered with a vault.

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

The iconostasis was reconstructed in the 1920s. It consists of icons from the 16th-17th centuries. The royal gates are shifted to the left - due to the 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 contributor Ivan Kislinsky to re-consecrate this chapel in honor of his heavenly patron (1788). In the 1920s, the church 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 painted wooden candlesticks of the old form. In their upper part there is a metal base, in which thin candles were placed. In the showcase there are items of priestly vestments of the 17th century: surplice and phelonion, embroidered with gold threads. The 19th-century lamp, decorated with multi-colored enamel, gives a special elegance to the church.

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 (N.S. 15). On this day in 1552, the troops of Tsar Ivan IV stormed Kazan.

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, in which Our Lady of the Burning Bush is depicted. Oil painting appeared in the church in the 1780s. On the walls are scenes from the lives of the saints: in the lower tier - Adrian and Natalia, in the upper tier - Cyprian and Justina. They are complemented by multi-figure compositions on the theme of gospel parables and stories from the Old Testament.

The appearance in the painting of the images of the martyrs of the 4th century Adrian and Natalia is associated with the renaming of the church in 1786. A wealthy contributor, Natalya Mikhailovna Khrushcheva, donated funds for repairs and asked that the church be consecrated in honor of her heavenly patrons. At the same time, a gilded iconostasis in the style of classicism was also made. It is a magnificent example of skillful woodcarving. The lower row of the iconostasis depicts scenes of the Creation of the World (day one and four).

In the 1920s, at the beginning of scientific museum activities in the cathedral, the church returned to its original name. Recently, it appeared before the visitors updated: in 2007, the wall paintings and the 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 Velikoretsky 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 "Nikola Velikoretsky".

In 1555, by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the miraculous icon was brought in a 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-tiered octagonal pillar with a light drum and vault. Its height is 28 m.

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

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

The iconostasis is richly decorated with gilded stucco floral decorations. Icons in narrow profiled frames are painted in oil. In the local row there is an image of "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in 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 remote double-sided icons depicting St. Nicholas. With them 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 the 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.

St. Basil's Cathedral on an engraving of the 16th century.

St. Basil's Cathedral. Photo of the beginning 20th century

There are several versions about the founders of the cathedral.
According to one version, the famous Pskov master Postnik Yakovlev, nicknamed Barma, was the architect.
According to another, widely known version, Barma and Postnik are two different architects, both involved in the construction.
According to the third version, the cathedral was built by an unknown Western European master (presumably an Italian, as before - a significant part of the buildings of the Moscow Kremlin), hence such a unique style, combining the traditions of both Russian architecture and European architecture of the Renaissance, but this version is still never found any clear documentary evidence.
According to legend, the architect (architects) of the cathedral were blinded by the order of Ivan the Terrible so that they could no longer build such a temple. However, if the author of the cathedral is Postnik, then he could not be blinded, since for several years after the construction of the cathedral he participated in the creation of the Kazan Kremlin.

In 1588, the Church of St. Basil the Blessed was added to the temple, for the device of which arched openings were laid in the northeastern part of the cathedral. Architecturally, the church was an independent temple with a separate entrance.
At the end of the XVI century. figured domes of the cathedral appeared - instead of the original cover, which burned down during the next fire.
In the second half of the 17th century, significant changes took place in the external appearance of the cathedral - the open gallery surrounding the upper churches was covered with a vault, and porches decorated with tents were erected over the white stone stairs.
The outer and inner galleries, platforms and parapets of the porches were painted with grass ornaments. These renovations were completed by 1683, and information about them is included in the inscriptions on the ceramic tiles that decorated the facade of the cathedral.

Fires, which were frequent in wooden Moscow, greatly harmed the Intercession Cathedral, and therefore, already from the end of the 16th century. it was undergoing renovations. For more than four centuries of the history of the monument, such works have inevitably changed its appearance in accordance with the aesthetic ideals of each century. In the documents of the cathedral for 1737, the name of the architect Ivan Michurin is mentioned for the first time, under whose leadership work was carried out to restore the architecture and interiors of the cathedral after the so-called "Trinity" fire of 1737. The following complex repair work was carried out in the cathedral at the behest of Catherine II in 1784-1786. They were led by the architect Ivan Yakovlev.

In 1918, the Intercession Cathedral became one of the first cultural monuments taken under state protection as a monument of national and world significance. From that moment began its museumification. Archpriest John Kuznetsov became the first caretaker. In the post-revolutionary years, the cathedral was in distress. Roofs leaked in many places, windows were shattered, and in winter even inside the churches there was snow. John Kuznetsov single-handedly maintained order in the cathedral.
In 1923, it was decided to create a historical and architectural museum in the cathedral. Its first head was the researcher of the Historical Museum E.I. Silin. On May 21, the museum was opened to visitors. Active collection of funds began.
In 1928, the Pokrovsky Cathedral museum became a branch of the State Historical Museum. Despite the constant restoration work that has been going on in the cathedral for almost a century, the museum is always open to visitors. It was closed only once - during the Great Patriotic War. In 1929 it was closed for worship, the bells were removed. Immediately after the war, systematic work began on the restoration of the cathedral, and on September 7, 1947, on the day of the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Moscow, the museum reopened. The cathedral has become widely known not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders.
Since 1991, the Intercession Cathedral has been in the joint use of the museum and the Russian Orthodox Church. After a long break, services were resumed in the church.

In St. Petersburg there is a memorial church in memory of Alexander II - the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, better known as the Savior on Spilled Blood (completed in 1907). The Intercession Cathedral served as one of the prototypes for the creation of the Savior on Blood, so both buildings have similar features.

The main cathedral on Red Square - St. Basil's Cathedral - is a world-famous monument of Russian church architecture. Included in the register of world-class cultural heritage sites under the auspices of UNESCO. Its other name is Pokrovsky Cathedral.

Another one is located on the corner of Nikolskaya Street, near the Mint. This temple has its own history. Moscow's cathedrals on Red Square were built at different times and each of them is interesting and famous in its own way.

Many Muscovites and guests of the capital believe that there are not two cathedrals on Red Square, but much more. This opinion is erroneous, since other masterpieces of Russian temple architecture, although they are visible from Red Square, are located behind the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. Thus, the answer to the question of how many cathedrals are on Red Square is unequivocal.

The center of Moscow is distinguished by an abundance of architectural monuments.

Intercession Cathedral on Red Square, the photo of which is presented in this article, is located opposite the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin, at the beginning of Vasilyevsky Spusk. Nearby is the bronze memorial of Minin and Pozharsky, erected in 1818.

The Cathedral of the Intercession on Red Square is the most grandiose group of tourists and individual visitors spend hours walking through the galleries. And if you ask a Japanese, a Frenchman or a Dane about which cathedral on Red Square they liked more, they will not hesitate to name the Cathedral of the Intercession. Muscovites will say the same.

Intercession Cathedral on Red Square is an unsurpassed masterpiece of temple architecture of the mid-16th century, built in honor of the great event that took place in Russia in October 1552 - the capture of Kazan and the victory over the Kazan Khanate. Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered to build such a church, "which cannot be similar." This "church" was the Intercession Cathedral on Red Square, which was built in six years, from 1555 to 1561. Later, several additions of a cult nature were made.

Structure

The architects Barma and Postnik created a design for the cathedral, which consisted of a central pillar and eight aisles, which they placed on the cardinal points, in accordance with the canons of church construction of that time:

• The central pillar is the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.
• To the east is the chapel of the Holy Trinity.
• To the west - the chapel "Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem".
• To the north-west is the chapel of "Gregory the Catholicos of Armenia".
• To the south-east - the chapel of "Svirsky Alexander".
• To the south-west - the chapel of "Varlaam Khutynsky".
• To the northeast is the chapel of "John the Merciful".
• To the south - the chapel of "Nicholas the Wonderworker".
• To the north - the chapel of "Cyprian and Ustinya".

There are no cellars in the cathedral, the foundation is a fundamental basement, the vaults of which rest on brick walls three meters thick. Until 1595, the basement of the Intercession Cathedral was used to store the royal treasury. In addition to gold, the most valuable icons were placed in the vaults.

The second floor of the temple is directly all the aisles and the central pillar of the Intercession of the Mother of God, surrounded by a gallery from which you can get through the arched entrances to all rooms, as well as go from one church to another.

Church of Svirsky Alexander

The chapel of the south-eastern direction was consecrated in the name of St. Alexander Svirsky. On the day of his memory, in 1552, one of the decisive battles of the Kazan campaign took place - the defeat of the cavalry of Prince Khan Yapanchi.

The Church of Alexander Svirsky is one of the four small aisles, consisting of a lower quadrangle with an octagon and a drum with windows. The aisle is crowned with a dome with a cross.

Church of Varlaam Khutynsky

The Church of Varlaam Khutynsky, Reverend, was consecrated in his name. The chetverik at the base passes into a low octagon and further into the domed top. The apse of the church is shifted towards the Royal Gates. The interior decoration includes a tabl iconostasis with icons of the 16th century, among which the Novgorod icon "Vision of Tarasius, sexton" stands out.

Church "The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem"

The chapel of the western direction was consecrated in honor of the holiday "Entrance to Jerusalem". A large church in the form of a two-tiered octagonal pillar, the transition from the third tier to the drum is carried out with the help of an intermediate belt of kokoshniks arranged "in a row".

The interior decoration has a rich decorative character, not devoid of solemnity. The iconostasis was inherited from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, formerly located in the Moscow Kremlin. The four-tiered table construction is decorated with gilded overlays and carved rosewood details. The bottom row of icons tells about the Creation of the world.

Church of Gregory, Kotalikos of Armenia

The chapel, facing the northwest, was consecrated in the name of the Enlightener of Armenia. A small church, a quadrangle with a transition to a low octagon with three tiers of kokoshniks "in rush", taken from the cross-domed style of cubic temples of the second half of the 15th century. The dome is of a peculiar shape, diamond-shaped protrusions are constricted by a "net" of dark green stripes.

The iconostasis is varied, in the bottom row there are velvet shrouds and the crosses of Golgotha ​​are depicted on them. The interior of the church is full of "skinny" candles - wooden candlesticks, into which thin ones were inserted. On the walls there are showcases with vestments for priests, phelonions and surplices, embroidered with gold. In the center is a candilo decorated with enamel.

Church of Cyprian and Ustinya

Large church facing north. On the day of memory of Cyprian and Ustinya, the tsarist army stormed Kazan. The octagonal pillar with pediments passes through the tier of kokoshniks into a faceted drum. The dome, built of vertical lobes of blue and white, tops the pillar. The interior of the church consists of a carved iconostasis and numerous wall paintings with scenes from the lives of the saints.

The church has been restored many times, the last update dates back to 2007, financial support came from JSC "Railways of Russia".

Chapel of Nikola Velikoretsky

The chapel, facing south, was consecrated in the name of Nicholas the Wonderworker, named Velikoretsky in honor of the icon found in Khlynov on the Velikaya River. The church is a two-tier octagonal pillar with pediments, turning into a row of kokoshniks. Above the kokoshniks rises an octahedron crowned with a head with an Orthodox cross. painted, bears wavy stripes of red and white.

Church of the Holy Trinity

Another large chapel of the Intercession Cathedral, facing east, was consecrated in the name of the Great Trinity. The two-tiered octagonal pillar, framed by pointed pediments on the lower tier, surrounded by kokoshniks in the middle part and crowned with an octagon with a dome, is the most colorful in the entire composition of St. Basil's Cathedral.

Chapel "Three Patriarchs"

The side-chapel facing east was consecrated in honor of the three patriarchs of Constantinople: John, Paul and Alexander. It is distinguished by a large five-tier baroque-type iconostasis, with icons of the local row, deesis, hagiography with hallmarks. The interior was renovated in 2007.

Basil the Blessed

In 1588, the cathedral on Red Square was completed from the northeast side. A chapel was added to the pillar of "Gregory of Armenia" in honor of St. Basil the Blessed, who died in 1552, whose remains were buried just at the construction site of the cathedral.

Intercession Cathedral on Red Square, in addition to its architectural and historical value, also has sacred features in terms of cult burials. John of Moscow was buried in the basement of the cathedral. In 1672, the relics of John the Blessed, the miracle worker of Moscow, were buried in the Intercession Cathedral.

Kazan Cathedral on Red Square

In 1625, a wooden Temple of the Kazan Mother of God was built on Nikolskaya Street at the expense of the Moscow Prince Pozharsky. Nine years later, the Kazan Church burned down and a stone Kazan Cathedral was erected in its place. This time, the construction of the temple was paid for by the king, and the new building was consecrated in 1636 by Patriarch Joasaph the First.

During the Stalinist reconstruction of Manezhnaya Square, the cathedral was demolished in 1936. The Church of the Kazan Mother of God was recreated in the early nineties, at the initiative of the Moscow Society for the Protection of Cultural Monuments. Currently, the Kazan Cathedral, located on Red Square, is one of the most notable masterpieces of Moscow temple architecture.