The history of the creation of St. Basil's Cathedral. The main symbol of Russia is the St. Basil's Cathedral

Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed (Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat).

The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, or the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God on the Moat, as its canonical full name sounds, was built on Red Square in 1555-1561. This cathedral is rightfully considered one of the main symbols not only of Moscow, but of the whole of Russia. And the point is not only that it was built in the very center of the capital and in memory of a very important event. The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed is also simply unusually beautiful.

At the place where the cathedral is now adorned, in the 16th century there was a stone Trinity Church, “on the Moat”. There really was a defensive moat that stretched along the entire Kremlin wall along Red Square. This moat was filled up only in 1813. Now in its place is the Soviet necropolis and the Mausoleum.

And in the 16th century, in 1552, Blessed Basil was buried near the stone Trinity Church, who died on August 2 (according to other sources, he died not in 1552, but in 1551). Moscow's "Christ for the sake of the holy fool" Vasily was born in 1469 in the village of Yelokhovo, from his youth was endowed with the gift of clairvoyance; he predicted the terrible fire of Moscow in 1547, which destroyed almost the entire capital.

The blessed one was honored and even feared by Ivan the Terrible. After the death of Basil the Blessed, he was buried in the cemetery at the Trinity Church (probably by order of the tsar), with great honors. And soon the grandiose construction of the new Intercession Cathedral began here, where the relics of Vasily were later transferred, on whose grave miraculous healings began to be performed.
The construction of the new cathedral was preceded by a long history of construction. These were the years of the great Kazan campaign, to which enormous importance was attached: until now, all the campaigns of the Russian troops against Kazan ended in failure. Ivan the Terrible, who personally led the army in 1552, made a vow, if the campaign was successfully completed, to build a grandiose temple in Moscow on Red Square in memory of this.

While the war was going on, in honor of each major victory, a small wooden church was erected next to the Trinity Church in honor of the saint on whose day the victory was won. When the Russian army returned to Moscow in triumph, Ivan the Terrible decided to replace the eight wooden churches that had been built, to erect one large, stone one - for centuries.

There is a lot of controversy about the builder (or builders) of St. Basil's Cathedral. Traditionally, it was believed that Ivan the Terrible ordered the construction to the masters Barma and Postnik Yakovlev, but many researchers now agree that it was one person - Ivan Yakovlevich Barma, nicknamed Postnik.

There is also a legend that after the construction, Grozny ordered the masters to be blinded so that they could no longer build anything like this, but this is nothing more than a legend, since the documents indicate that after the construction of the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat, Master Postnik “according to Barma's recla” ( i.e., nicknamed Barma) was building the Kazan Kremlin. A number of other documents have also been published where a man named Postnik Barma is mentioned. Researchers attribute to this master the construction of not only the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed and the Kazan Kremlin, but also the Assumption Cathedral and Nikolsky Cathedral in Sviyazhsk, the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, and even (according to some dubious sources) the Church of John the Baptist in Dyakov.
St. Basil's Cathedral consists of nine churches on one foundation. Once inside the temple, it is even difficult to understand its layout without making a circle or two throughout the building. The central altar of the temple is dedicated to the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God. It was on this day that the wall of the Kazan fortress was destroyed by an explosion and the city was taken. Here is a complete list of all eleven thrones that existed in the cathedral before 1917:
* Central - Pokrovsky
* Eastern - Troitsky
* Southeast - Alexander Svirsky
* Southern - Nicholas the Wonderworker (Velikoretskaya Icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker)
* Southwest - Varlaam Khutynsky
* Western - Entry Jerusalem
* Northwest - St. Gregory of Armenia
* North - St. Adrian and Natalia
* North-east - John the Merciful
* Above the grave of John the Blessed - the side-altar of the Nativity of the Virgin (1672), adjacent to the side-altar of St. Basil the Blessed
* In the annex in 1588 - the chapel of St. Basil the Blessed

The cathedral is built of bricks. In the 16th century, this material was quite new: before, the traditional materials for churches were white hewn stone and thin brick - plinth. The central part is crowned with a high magnificent tent with a "fire" decor almost up to the middle of its height. The tent is surrounded on all sides by domes of side-chapels, none of which is similar to the other.
Not only does the pattern of large onion-domes differ; if you look closely, it is easy to see that the finish of each drum is unique. Initially, apparently, the domes were helmet-shaped, but by the end of the 16th century they were definitely made bulbous. Their current colors were established only in the middle of the 19th century.
The main thing in the appearance of the temple is that it is devoid of a clearly defined facade. Whichever side you approach the cathedral - it seems that it is she who is the main one. The height of St. Basil's Cathedral is 65 meters. For a long time, until the end of the 16th century, it was the tallest building in Moscow. The original cathedral was painted "like a brick"; later it was repainted, researchers found the remains of drawings depicting false windows and kokoshniks, as well as commemorative inscriptions made with paint.
In 1680 the cathedral was significantly restored. Not long before that, in 1672, a small side-altar was added to it over the grave of another revered Moscow blessed - John, who was buried here in 1589. The restoration of 1680 was expressed in the fact that the wooden galleries-gulbis were replaced with brick ones, instead of the belfry, a hipped-roof bell tower was arranged and a new covering was made.
At the same time, the thrones of thirteen or fourteen churches that stood on Red Square along the moat, where public executions were carried out (all these churches had the prefix "on blood" in their names), were transferred to the basement of the temple. In 1683, a tiled frieze was drawn around the entire perimeter of the temple, on the tiles of which the entire history of the building was described.
The cathedral was rebuilt, although not so significantly, in the second half of the 18th century, in 1761-1784: the arches of the basement were laid, the ceramic frieze was removed, and all the walls of the temple were painted on the outside and inside with "herbal" ornament.
During the war of 1812, St.Basil's Cathedral was for the first time at risk of being demolished. Leaving Moscow, the French mined it, but they could not blow it up, they only plundered it.
Immediately after the end of the war, one of the most beloved churches of Muscovites was restored, and in 1817, OI Bove, who was engaged in the restoration of post-fire Moscow, strengthened and decorated the retaining wall of the temple from the Moskva River with a cast-iron fence.
During the 19th century, the cathedral was restored several more times, and at the end of the century even the first attempt was made to research it.
In 1919, the rector of the cathedral, Father John Vostorgov, was shot for "anti-Semitic propaganda". In 1922, valuables were removed from the cathedral, and in 1929 the cathedral was closed and transferred to the Historical Museum.

On this, it would seem, one could calm down. But the worst time was yet to come. In 1936, Pyotr Dmitrievich Baranovsky was summoned and offered to take measurements of the Church of the Intercession on the Moat, so that it could be safely demolished. The temple, according to the authorities, interfered with the movement of cars on Red Square ...

Baranovsky did something that no one expected of him, probably. Directly telling officials that the demolition of the cathedral is madness and a crime, he promised to immediately commit suicide if this happens. Needless to say, after that Baranovsky was immediately arrested. When he was released six months later, the cathedral continued to stand in its place ...

There are many legends about how the cathedral was preserved. The most popular is the story of how Kaganovich, presenting to Stalin a project for the reconstruction of Red Square for the convenience of holding parades and demonstrations, removed from the square a model of St. Basil's Cathedral, to which Stalin ordered him: "Lazar, put it in place!" It was as if this decided the fate of the unique monument ...
One way or another, but St. Basil's Cathedral, having survived all those who tried to destroy it, remained standing on Red Square. In 1923-1949, large-scale studies were carried out there, which allowed to restore the original appearance of the gallery. In 1954-1955, the cathedral was painted "like a brick" again, as in the 16th century. A branch of the Historical Museum is located in the cathedral, and the flow of tourists there does not dry out.

Since 1990, it has occasionally held services, but the rest of the time it is still a museum. But the main thing, probably, is not even this. The main thing is that one of the most beautiful Moscow and Russian churches in general still stands on the square, and no one else has any ideas to remove it from here. Hopefully this is forever.

The iconostasis of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. Fragment

Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat (St. Basil's Cathedral) on Red Square in Moscow. 1555-1561. Orthodox church of the Protection of the Holy Virgin. Tent of the central pillar

One of the most striking, majestic and mysterious architectural monuments of the capital is Vasily the Blessed. Back in the 16th century, wanderers and visiting people, visiting this cathedral, were forever fascinated by its stateliness and beauty. But there are still several legends in the world about who built the St. Basil's Cathedral.

History of St. Basil's Cathedral

The construction of the cathedral, and this is what the people call it, began in 1555. And in just 6 years, the builders erected a palace of unprecedented beauty from stone. The order on the foundation of the temple came from the Tsar of All Russia Ivan the Terrible in honor of the victory won by the Russian troops over the Kazan Khan. This event happened on one of the Orthodox holidays - the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, therefore this cathedral is often called the Temple of the Intercession of the Mother of God.

The history of St. Basil's Cathedral is still mysterious and unclear.

Legend one

The temple was built by an architect, whose real name is Postnik Yakovlev. He received such a nickname for the fact that he fasted carefully and for a long time. He was one of the most skilled craftsmen in Pskov. Later he was sent to Kazan to supervise the construction of the stone city. An interesting parable tells about the collection of money for the construction of a parish. Vasily the Blessed lived and begged in Moscow. He threw the collected coins over his right shoulder into one place, and no one dared to take at least one. Over time, when there was enough money, Vasily gave it to Ivan the Terrible.

But the facts show that this is just a beautiful fairy tale, since the holy fool died even before it was decided to build the cathedral. Nevertheless, it was at the site of the building that Vasily the Blessed was buried.

The second legend

Over the construction of the cathedral, two masters conjured at once - Postnik and Barma. Legend has it that as soon as Ivan the Terrible saw the constructed building, he was struck by its uniqueness and ensemble. To prevent the architects from repeating such beauty, the tsar ordered the architects to gouge out their eyes. But this version does not find confirmation, since the name of Postnik is found in later chronicles. It turns out that the master could be engaged in the construction of other buildings.

The third legend

The most realistic version is the following: the temple was erected under the guidance of an architect who came from Western Europe. Proof of this fact is considered to be an unusual style in which patterns of Russian and Western European architecture are intertwined. But this version has not been officially confirmed anywhere.

Throughout its long history, the temple could be destroyed or destroyed. But always some miracle saved this pride of Russia.

In the 18th century, during a fire in Moscow, the building was engulfed in flames, but courageous Muscovites saved the temple as best they could. As a result, the structure was damaged, but it survived. Later it was recreated in almost the same form as before the conflagration.

In the 19th century, when Napoleon entered the Russian capital, horse sheds were built in the cathedral. Later, when leaving Moscow, the emperor, in a rage, ordered not to leave a stone in this cathedral. The remarkable structure was about to be blown up. And again the heroic Muscovites and the Lord God helped to defend the temple. When French soldiers began to light the fuses that went to the barrels of gunpowder, people began to extinguish the fire at the cost of their lives. And then the rain came to their aid. The downpour poured in with such overwhelming force that it extinguished all sparks.

Already in the 20th century, Kaganovich, showing the layout of the renovation and restructuring of Red Square to Joseph Stalin, removed the figurine of the temple, deciding to demolish it forever. But the supreme commander-in-chief said menacingly: "Lazarus, put it in place!"

In 1936, during the construction of highways, it was decided to destroy the temple, as it obstructed traffic. But the Moscow restorer Baranovsky came to his defense. The Kremlin received a telegram from him: "If you decide to blow up the temple, blow it up with me!"

This picturesque building looks like an ensemble of churches. In the very center stands the Intercession Church, the tallest of all. There are 8 more side-chapels around it. Each temple is crowned with a dome. If you look at the cathedral from a bird's eye view, this building is a five-pointed star. It is a symbol of heavenly Jerusalem.

Each church is inherently unique and inimitable. They got their names from the names of the holidays, which were the decisive battles for Kazan.

In honor of the feast of the Trinity.
Nicholas the Wonderworker (in honor of the Velikoretsky image).
Palm Sunday, or the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
Martyrs Cyprian and Ustina. Later Adrian and Natalia.
Saints Paul, Alexander and John of Constantinople - until the 18th century, then John the Merciful.
Alexander Svirsky.
Varlaam Khutynsky;
Gregory of Armenian.

Later, another chapel was added in honor of the holy fool Basil the Blessed.

Each dome has its own various decorations - kokoshniks, cornices, windows and niches. All temples are connected by ceilings and vaults.

A special place is given to paintings depicting portraits of eminent persons and colorful landscape sketches. Anyone can feel the atmosphere of the times of Ivan the Terrible, if they carefully study the church utensils of that time.

At the very bottom is the basement, which forms the base of the cathedral. It consists of separate rooms, in which the treasury used to be hidden, and the rich townspeople brought here their acquired property.

It is impossible to tell about the beauty of this temple. In order to fall in love with this place forever, you must definitely visit it. Then pride will appear in the heart of any person that this unique and mysterious cathedral is located in Russia. It doesn't matter who built the St. Basil's Cathedral, this is a fantastic and stunningly beautiful symbol of our Motherland.

Today, on July 12, the Intercession Cathedral, better known as the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, celebrates its 450th anniversary. This date is not accidental: on July 2 (June 29, old style), 1561, the central Intercession Church of the cathedral was consecrated.

The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, better known as the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, is located in the southern part of Red Square in Moscow, near the Kremlin's Spassky Gate, above the descent to the Moscow River. It was built in the middle of the 16th century by order of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible to commemorate the conquest of the Kazan Khanate - part of the former Golden Horde - as a token of thanksgiving for the victory.

What stood earlier on the site of the Intercession Cathedral is not exactly known. Russian chronicles contain fragmentary and contradictory reports of wooden and stone churches. This gave rise to many guesses, versions and legends.

According to one version, shortly after the return of Ivan IV the Terrible from the Kazan campaign in 1552, on the site of the future Church of the Intercession on the Moat on the edge of the Moskva River, a wooden church in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity with seven chapels was laid on a hill.

Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow advised Ivan the Terrible to build a stone church here. Metropolitan Macarius also had the main compositional idea of the future temple.

The very first reliable mention of the construction of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God dates back to the fall of 1554. It is believed that it was a wooden cathedral. It stood a little more than six months and was dismantled before the start of the construction of the stone cathedral in the spring of 1555.

The Cathedral of the Intercession was erected by the Russian architects Barma and Postnik (there is a version that Postnik and Barma are the names of one person). According to legend, so that the architects could not create a new better creation, Tsar Ivan IV, upon completion of the construction of an outstanding masterpiece of architecture, ordered them to be blinded. Subsequently, the inconsistency of this fiction was proved.

The construction of the temple took only 6 years and only in the warm season. The chronicle contains a description of the "miraculous" acquisition by the masters of the ninth, southern throne, after the entire construction was almost completed. However, the clear symmetry inherent in the cathedral convinces us that the architects initially had an idea of the compositional structure of the future temple: it was supposed to put eight side-altars around the ninth central church. The temple was built of bricks, and the foundation, plinth and some decorative elements were made of white stone.

By the fall of 1559, the cathedral was largely completed. On the feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God, all the churches were consecrated, with the exception of the central one, since "the big church, the middle Intercession, was not completed that year."

The consecration of the Intercession Church and, accordingly, the entire cathedral took place on July 12 (June 29, old style), 1561. The temple was consecrated by Metropolitan Macarius.

Each church of the cathedral received its own dedication. The Eastern Church was consecrated in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. Researchers are still looking for an answer to why this church got its name. There are several hypotheses. It is known that in honor of the "Holy Life-Giving Trinity" in 1553 a monastery was founded in conquered Kazan. It is also believed that the wooden Trinity Church originally stood on the site of the Intercession Cathedral, which gave the name to one of the chapels of the future temple.

Four side chapels are consecrated in honor of the saints, on the days of whose memory the most important events of the Kazan campaign took place: Cyprian and Justina (October 2 (15) - on this day the assault on Kazan was completed), Gregory, the enlightener of Great Armenia (on September 30 (13 October), there was an explosion of the Arskaya tower of Kazan), Alexander Svirsky (on the day of his memory on August 30 (September 12), a victory was won over the army of Tsarevich Yepanchi, who was hurrying from Crimea to help the Tatars), Three Patriarchs of Constantinople Alexander, John and Paul the New ( commemorated also on August 30).

Three more side-chapels are dedicated to Nikolai Velikoretsky, Varlaam Khutynsky and the feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem. The central throne is named in honor of the Protection of the Mother of God, since on October 1 (14), the day of this holiday, symbolizing the intercession of the Mother of God for the Christian family, the main assault on Kazan began. The entire cathedral was named after the name of the central church.

The prefix "on the Moat", found in the chronicles of the cathedral, is associated with the fact that a deep and wide defensive ditch ran along the Kremlin wall from the 14th century across the entire square, later called Red, along the Kremlin wall, which was filled up in 1813.

The cathedral had an unusual architectural composition - 9 independent churches were built on a single foundation - a basement - and were connected by internal arched passages surrounding the central temple. Outside, all the churches were surrounded by the originally open gallery-gulbische. The central church ended with a high tent, the side-chapels were covered with vaults and crowned with domes.

The ensemble of the cathedral was complemented by a three-tent open belfry, in the arched spans of which massive bells hung.

Initially, the Intercession Cathedral was crowned with 8 large domes and a small dome over the central church. To emphasize the importance of the building material, as well as to protect the cathedral from atmospheric influences, all its walls outside were painted in red and white colors. The painting imitated brickwork. The material of the original covering of the domes remains unknown, as they were lost during the devastating fire of 1595.

In its original form, the cathedral existed until 1588. Then, from the northeastern side, the tenth church was attached to it over the grave of the holy fool Basil the Blessed, who spent a lot of time at the cathedral under construction and bequeathed to be buried next to it. The famous Moscow miracle worker died in 1557, and after his canonization, the son of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, Fyodor Ioannovich ordered to build a church. In architectural terms, it was an independent pillarless temple with a separate entrance.

The place where the relics of Basil the Blessed were found was marked with a silver shrine, which was later lost during the Time of Troubles, at the beginning of the 17th century. Divine services in the church of the saint soon became daily, and starting from the 17th century, the name of the chapel was gradually transferred to the entire cathedral, becoming its "popular" name: St. Basil's Cathedral.

At the end of the 16th century, figured chapters of the cathedral appeared - to replace the original burnt-out cover.

In 1672, the eleventh church was added to the cathedral from the southeast: a small temple over the grave of John the Blessed - the revered Moscow holy fool, buried near the cathedral in 1589.

In the second half of the 17th century, significant changes took place in the appearance of the cathedral. Wooden sheds over the gulbisch, now and then burnt down by fires, were replaced with a roof on arched brick pillars. Above the porch of the Church of St. Basil the Blessed, the Church of St. Theodosia the Virgin was added. Above the previously opened white-stone stairs leading to the upper tier of the cathedral, vaulted hipped porches appeared, arranged on the so-called "creeping" arches.

In the same period, polychrome ornamental painting appeared. It covers the newly built porches, support pillars, outer walls of galleries and parapets of gulbis. The facades of the churches preserve at this time a painting imitating brickwork.

In 1683, the entire cathedral was girded with a tiled inscription along the upper cornice. Large yellow letters on a dark blue background, glazed tiles, told about the history of the creation of the temple and its renovation in the second half of the 17th century. The inscription was destroyed a century later during another renovation.

In the 1680s. rebuilt the belfry. A two-tiered bell tower with an open upper ringing platform was erected on the site of the open structure.

In 1737, during a grandiose fire, St. Basil's Cathedral was badly damaged, especially its southern church.

Fundamental changes in his painting program occurred during the renovation in the 1770s and 1780s. On the territory of the cathedral and under its vaults, the thrones of wooden churches, demolished to prevent fires from Red Square, were transferred. At the same time, the throne of the Three Patriarchs of Constantinople was renamed in the name of John the Merciful, and the church of Cyprian and Justina began to bear the name of Saints Adrian and Natalia (the original dedications to the churches were returned in the 1920s).

The interior of the church was painted with an oil "plot" letter depicting saints and scenes of hagiographic content. Oil painting was renewed in 1845-1848. and at the end of the 19th century. Outside, the walls were covered with paintings that imitated masonry of large boulders - "wild stone". The arches of the basement (the lower non-residential tier) were laid, in the western part of which they placed housing for the clergy (servants of the temple). The bell tower was combined with an annex to the building of the cathedral. The upper part of the chapel of St. Basil the Blessed (the Church of Theodosius the Virgin) was rebuilt into a sacristy - a repository of church values and shrines.

In 1812, an order was given to French gunners to blow up the cathedral. However, it was only plundered by Napoleon's troops, but immediately after the war, it was repaired and consecrated. The area around the cathedral was landscaped and surrounded by an openwork cast-iron lattice designed by the famous architect O. Bove.

At the end of the 19th century, the task of returning the cathedral to its original appearance arose for the first time. The specially created Commission for the restoration of the monument included famous architects, scientists and painters, who determined the main directions of research and restoration of the Intercession Cathedral. However, the lack of funds, the October Revolution and the subsequent period of devastation in the history of Russia did not allow the implementation of the conceived program.

In 1918, the Intercession Cathedral was one of the first to be taken under protection by the state as a monument of national and world significance. Since May 21, 1923, it has been open to visitors as a historical and architectural museum. At the same time, until 1929, divine services were held in the Church of St. Basil the Blessed.

In 1928, the Intercession Cathedral became a branch of the State Historical Museum and is still the same.

In the 1920s. extensive scientific restoration work was carried out on the monument, thanks to which it became possible to restore the original appearance of the cathedral and to recreate the interiors of the 16th - 17th centuries in individual churches.

From this point to the present, there have been four global restorations involving architecture and painting. The original 16th century brick-like painting was restored on the outside, in the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and in the church of Alexander Svirsky.

In the 1950s-1960s. unique restoration work was carried out: in the interior of the central church, a "temple-created chronicle" was opened, in which the ancient architects indicated the exact date of completion of the construction of the cathedral - July 12, 1561 (the day of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Peter and Paul); for the first time, the iron coverings of the domes were replaced by copper ones. The good choice of material has contributed to the fact that so far the coverings of the domes remain intact.

In the interiors of four churches, iconostases have been reconstructed, almost entirely consisting of icons of the 16th - 17th centuries, among which there are genuine masterpieces of the Old Russian school of icon painting ("Trinity" of the 16th century). The pride of the collection is the icons of the 16th-17th centuries. "The Vision of the Sexton Tarasiy", "Nikola Velikoretsky in the Life", "Alexander Nevsky in the Life", as well as icons from the original iconostasis of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos "Basil the Great" and "John Chrysostom". The remaining churches have preserved iconostases from the 18th - 19th centuries. Among them, two iconostases were transferred in the 1770s. from the cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin (altar barriers in the Church of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem and in the central church).

In the 1970s. on the outer bypass gallery, a 17th century fresco was discovered under the late inscriptions. The found painting served as the basis for the reconstruction of the original ornamental painting on the facades of the cathedral.

1990 became an important milestone in the history of the museum: the Intercession Cathedral was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in Russia. After a long break, services were resumed in the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. The following year, the cathedral was approved for joint use by the State Historical Museum and the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 1997, the restoration of the interior, monumental and easel painting was completed in the Church of St. Basil the Blessed, closed since the late 1920s. The church was included in the exposition of the Intercession Cathedral, and divine services were resumed in it.

Divine services are held in the Intercession Cathedral by the Russian Orthodox Church: on the days of the main thrones (the Intercession and St. Basil the Blessed), patriarchal or archbishop services are held. At the shrine of St. Basil the Blessed, an akathist is read every Sunday.

In 2001-2011. the seven churches of the cathedral were completely restored, the facade paintings were renewed, and partly the tempera painting of the inner gallery. In 2007, the Intercession Cathedral was nominated for the Seven Wonders of Russia competition.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

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

Another one is located at 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 on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. Thus, the answer to the question of how many cathedrals there are on Red Square is unambiguous.

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

The Intercession Cathedral on Red Square, a photo of which is presented in this article, is located opposite the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower, 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, French or Dane about which cathedral on Red Square they liked more, they, without hesitation, will name the Cathedral of the Intercession. Muscovites will say the same.

The 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 there can be no resemblance." This "church" became the Intercession Cathedral on Red Square, which was erected in six years, in the period from 1555 to 1561. Later, several additions of a cult character were made.

Structure

The architects Barma and Postnik created a project for the cathedral, which consisted of a central pillar and eight side-chapels, which they placed on the cardinal points, in accordance with the canons of church building at that time:

The central pillar is the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.
To the east is the chapel of the Holy Trinity.
To the west - the side-altar "The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem".
To the northwest - the side-altar of "Gregory the Armenian Catholicos".
To the southeast is the side-altar of "Svirsky Alexander".
To the south-west - the side-altar of "Varlaam Khutynsky".
To the north-east - the chapel of "John the Merciful".
To the south - the chapel "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker".
To the north - the side-chapel "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 vaults contained the most valuable icons.

The second floor of the temple is directly all the side-altars 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 side-altar of the southeastern direction is consecrated in the name of Alexander Svirsky, the monk. 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 Tsarevich Khan Yapanchi.

The Church of Alexander Svirsky is one of four small side-altars, consisting of a lower quadrangle with an octagon and a drum with windows. The side-altar is crowned with a dome with a cross.

Church of Varlaam Khutynsky

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

Church "Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem"

The side-altar of the western direction is consecrated in honor of the "Entry into Jerusalem" holiday. The large church is in the form of a two-tier octahedral 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 heap".

The interior decoration has a rich decorative character, not devoid of solemnity. The iconostasis was inherited from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which was previously located in the Moscow Kremlin. The four-tiered tyablovaya structure is adorned with gilded escutcheons and carved rosewood details. The bottom row of icons tells about the Creation of the world.

Church of Gregory, Kotalikos Armenian

The side-altar, facing north-west, 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 a run" taken from the cross-domed style of cubic temples of the second half of the 15th century. The dome has a peculiar shape, the diamond-shaped protrusions are tied with a "grid" of dark green stripes.

The iconostasis is varied, in the bottom row there are velvet sheets and the crosses of Calvary 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, felonies and surplice embroidered with gold. In the center is a kandilo 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, composed of vertical lobes of blue and white, crowns 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 the Railways of Russia JSC.

Chapel of Nikola Velikoretsky

The side-altar, facing south, is 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-tiered octahedral pillar with pediments passing into a row of kokoshniks. Above the kokoshniks, an octahedron rises, topped with a head with an Orthodox cross. painted, bears wavy stripes of red and white.

Church of the Holy Trinity

Another large side-altar of the Intercession Cathedral, facing east, is consecrated in the name of the Great Trinity. The two-tier pillar of an octahedral configuration, framed by pointed pediments on the lower tier, surrounded by kokoshniks in the middle and crowned with an octagon with a dome, is the most colorful in the entire composition of the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed.

Chapel of the "Three Patriarchs"

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

Basil the Blessed

In 1588, the cathedral on Red Square was completed from the northeastern 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.

The Intercession Cathedral on Red Square, in addition to its architectural and historical value, also has sacred features in terms of cult burials. In 1589, John of Moscow was buried in the basement of the cathedral. In 1672, the relics of John the Blessed, the Moscow wonderworker, 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 Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan was rebuilt 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.

The famous colorful Church of the Intercession on the Moat, one of the main attractions of Moscow, was erected in 1555-1561 to commemorate the capture of Kazan by Russian troops in 1552. It was consecrated in honor of the holiday of the Intercession because the attack of Russian troops to Kazan began on that very day. We are used to seeing the cathedral as a single one, but in fact it consists of ten independent churches. Hence such a bizarre, unique appearance of the entire cathedral, or, better to say, the temple complex.

Initially, there were nine churches, with the central one dedicated to the Intercession of the Theotokos, and the remaining eight to a certain holiday or saint, on whose day one or another memorable event related to the siege of Kazan took place. In 1588, a church was added to the complex over the burial place of the famous Moscow blessed Vasily, and now she alone has the right to be called, in the strict sense of the word, the church of St. Basil the Blessed.

So, we will talk about the Intercession Multi-Church Cathedral, as it was erected in 1555-1561. In many books and in our time, you can read that its construction was carried out under the supervision of two masters - Barma and Posnik. There are, however, versions that unknown Italian masters supervised the construction. But she has no documentary evidence and no argumentation, except for the unusual appearance of the cathedral. N.M. Karamzin rashly called the style of the Intercession Cathedral "Gothic", but this is absolutely wrong from an art criticism point of view, and only the authority of the "first Russian historiographer" allows some to still insist on the foreign authorship of the original St. Basil's Cathedral.
Where did the opinion come from that the construction was supervised by two masters?

In 1896, priest Ivan Kuznetsov published an excerpt from a manuscript collection that was then kept in the Rumyantsev Museum. This collection was compiled not earlier than the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century. It contains "The Legend of the Transfer of the Miraculous Image of Nicholas the Wonderworker", which was a royal gift to the Intercession Cathedral. This late legend says that Tsar Ivan the Terrible, shortly after the capture of Kazan, erected seven wooden churches around the larger, eighth, stone one, near the Frolov Gate (that is, from the 17th century, the gates of the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower). "And then God gave him two Russian masters, nicknamed Barma and Postnik, who were wise and fit for such a wonderful work." This information about the "two masters" was taken by most historians on faith.

But the legend, rethinking the old legend, was not a chronicle text. In addition, we recall that the expression "nicknamed" in the then Russian language, as now, meant only a person's nickname, and not his own name. A skillful master could be called a barma, since barmas are mantles for the clothes of kings and spiritual dignitaries, richly and variedly decorated and requiring skillful and careful execution. Posnik, or Postnik, is a proper name. Therefore, it is not logical that in the "Tale" the first master is named only by his nickname without a name, and the second - only by his name without a nickname.

More reliable can be considered the text from the "Russian Chronicler from the beginning of the Russian land to the accession to the throne of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich", written in the first half of the 17th century, that is, in time much closer to the event of interest to us. In it we read: "In the same year, by the order of the Tsar and Sovereign and Grand Duke Ivan, a church was started, promised for the capture of Kazan in honor of the Trinity and the Intercession ..., and the master was Barma and his comrades." Only one architect is named here, but, obviously, not because of ignorance of the name of the second master (Posnik), but because it was the same person.

Subsequently, another source was found indicating that the names Posnik and Barma really refer to one, and not to two persons. It follows from it that the manuscript of the Code of Law of 1550 belonged until 1633 to the monastery solicitor, the Moscow serviceman Druzhina. Druzhina was the son of Tarutia and the grandson of Posnik, who had the nickname Barma. The matter seems completely clear: two mythical masters, one of whom was called Barma, and the other - Posnik, are combined into one historical person - Posnik (this, of course, is not a baptismal name, but something like a modern surname) nicknamed Barma, which meant that this man is skilled in crafts.

Moreover, the architect Postnik of that time is known for the construction of a number of other structures, namely: the Kazan Kremlin, Nikolsky and Assumption Cathedrals in Sviyazhsk. However, this fact, brilliantly proven back in 1957 by the Russian archaeologist N.F. Kalinin, many historians and art critics still bypass their attention, who, by habit, repeat about Barma and Postnik as two builders of the Intercession Cathedral.