The history of the creation of St. Basil's Cathedral. Who built St. Basil's Cathedral The height of St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square

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

Initially, there were nine churches, and it was the central one in honor of the feast of the Intercession of the Virgin. The remaining eight were dedicated to some holiday or saint, on whose day this or that memorable event related to the siege of Kazan took place. In 1588, a church was attached to the complex over the burial place of the famous Moscow Blessed Basil, and now it only has the right to be called, in the strict sense of the word, the Church of St. Basil the Blessed. [S-BLOCK]

So, we will talk about the Pokrovsky multi-church cathedral, as it was built in 1555-1561. In many books and in our time, you can read that its construction was led by two masters: Barma and Posnik. There are, however, versions that some unknown Italian masters led the construction. But it has no documentary evidence and no argument, 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 history point of view, and only the authority of this "first Russian historiographer" allows some to still insist on the foreign authorship of the original St. Basil's Cathedral.

Where did the persistent opinion come from that two masters supervised the construction?

In 1896, priest Ivan Kuznetsov published an excerpt from a handwritten collection that was then kept in the Rumyantsev Museum. This collection is late, was compiled no earlier than the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th centuries. The collection contains "The Legend of the Transfer of the Miraculous Image of Nicholas the Wonderworker", which was the royal contribution to the Pokrovsky Cathedral under construction. In this late legend we read that soon after the capture of Kazan, Tsar Ivan the Terrible erected seven wooden churches around the larger, eighth, stone one, near the Frolovsky Gates (that is, from the 17th century, the gates of the Spassky Tower of the Kremlin). “And then God gave him two Russian masters, nicknamed Barma and Postnik, who were wise and fit for such a wonderful deed.” This news of the "two masters" was accepted by most historians uncritically. [S-BLOCK]

This news was not a chronicle text, but a much later legend in which the old tradition was rethought. The expression "by nickname" was put in the then Russian language before the nickname of a person, and not before his own name. Posnik or Postnik is a proper name. Barma, on the other hand, was a nickname, meaning, perhaps, a skilled person, as barmas were skillfully made - mantles for grand ducal and royal clothes, richly and variously decorated. Therefore, in the phrase "Tales" about two masters "nicknamed Barma and Postnik" it is illogical that the first master is named only by a nickname without a name, and the second - only by a name without a nickname.

More logical is 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; therefore, much closer to the event of interest to us. It says: “In the same year (1560), by 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 Barma and his comrades were the master.” Only one master is named here, but, obviously, not due to the author's ignorance about the second master (Postnik), but because it was one and the same person. [S-BLOCK]

Subsequently, another source was found, showing that the names Postnik and Barma really refer to one, and not to two persons. It follows from it that the manuscript of the Sudebnik of 1550 belonged until 1633 to the monastery lawyer, the Moscow servant Druzhina. The squad was the son of Tarutia and the grandson of Posnik, who had the nickname Barma. The matter seems perfectly clear. And thus the mythical “two masters”, one of whom was called Barma, and the other Postnik, are combined into one historical person - Postnik (this, of course, is not a baptismal name, but something like a modern surname) nicknamed Barma, which meant that this person skilled in crafts.

Moreover, the master Postnik of that time is known for the construction of a number of buildings, 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, still passes by the attention of many historians and art historians, and they habitually talk about “Barma and Postnik as the two builders of the Pokrovsky Cathedral.”

Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat (colloquially called St. Basil's Cathedral) is an Orthodox church located on Red Square in Moscow. A well-known monument of Russian architecture. Until the 17th century, it was usually called Trinity, since the original wooden church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity; was also known as "Jerusalem", which is associated both with the dedication of one of the chapels, and with the procession to it from the Assumption Cathedral on Palm Sunday with the "procession on a donkey" of the Patriarch.

Status

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

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

Story

Versions about creation

Intercession 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 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. According to another, widely known version, Barma and Postnik are two different architects, both involved in the construction; this version is now obsolete. 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 architects of the cathedral (Barma and Postnik) were blinded by 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.

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 Andrei the Holy Fool (Constantinople) - the 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."

Basil's Cathedral in 1613

F. Ya. Alekseev St. Basil's Cathedral and the Spassky Gate

Cathedral at the end of the XVI-XIX centuries.

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.

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.

As P. V. Khavsky pointed out, in the book of 1722 there were 18 churches (thrones) in the temple: the Life-Giving Trinity, the Entrance to Jerusalem, Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa, St. Nicholas of Velikoretsky, the Beheading of John the Baptist, Varlaam Khutynsky, Apostle Andronik, Cyprian and Justinia, Gregory of Armenia, the Deposition of the Robe of the Virgin (with the relics of John the Blessed), Basil the Great, the Virgin Theodosius, Alexander Svirsky, Sergius of Radonezh, Mary of Egypt, Theophany, All Saints and the Three Patriarchs.

In 1817, the architect Osip Bove, reconstructing Red Square, laid out the retaining wall of the temple with stone and installed a cast-iron fence (at first along Moskvoretskaya Street; in 1834, after laying Maslyany Lane, on the south side of the temple).

Restoration

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 by order of Catherine II in 1784-1786. The restoration was led by the architect Ivan Yakovlev. In the 1900s - 1912, the restoration of the Temple was carried out by the architect S. U. Solovyov. In the 1920s, the repair and restoration work in the temple was carried out by the architects N. S. Kurdyukov and A. A. Zhelyabuzhsky.

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 E. I. Silin, a researcher at the Historical Museum. 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, divine services were banned in the temple, and the bells were removed. According to the testimony of the restorer P. D. Baranovsky, in the mid-1930s. the temple was threatened with demolition, but it escaped destruction. Immediately after the war, systematic work began to restore the cathedral, and on September 7, 1947, on the day of the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Moscow, the museum reopened. The cathedral gained wide popularity 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 temple.

Temple structure

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:

Plan of the cathedral (second tier)

trinity,
in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (in honor of his Velikoretskaya icon from Vyatka),
Entrance to Jerusalem
in honor of martyr Adrian and Natalia (originally - in honor of St. Cyprian and Justina - October 2),
St. John the Merciful (until XVIII - in honor of St. Paul, Alexander and John of Constantinople - November 6),
Alexander Svirsky (April 17 and August 30),
Varlaam Khutynsky (November 6 and 1st Friday of Petrov Lent),
Gregory of Armenia (September 30).

All these eight churches (four axial, four smaller 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.

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. In the 1670s, a hipped bell tower was built.

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.

The cathedral has been restored several times. In the 17th century, asymmetrical outbuildings, tents over the porches, intricate decorative processing of the 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 aisle of the Entrance to Jerusalem, there is an iconostasis from the Alexander Cathedral, which was dismantled at the same time.

The last (before the revolution) rector of the cathedral, Archpriest John Vostorgov, was shot on August 23 (September 5), 1918. Subsequently, the temple was transferred to the disposal of the renovation community.

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 - vents. 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 Mother of God along the intra-walled white stone staircase. Only the initiates knew about it. Later, this narrow passage was laid. However, during the restoration process of the 1930s. a secret staircase has been discovered.

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 on display are two icons from 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 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 Almighty Savior is depicted in the dome, the forefathers are depicted in the drum, the Deesis (the Savior Not Made by Hands, the Mother of God, John the Baptist) is depicted 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 reigning 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 "St. Basil the Blessed against the backdrop of the Kremlin and Red Square" XVIII 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 Kasli casting.

St. Basil's Church was closed in 1929. Only at the end of the 20th century. its decoration was 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 XIX 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 Mother of God is surrounded by an internal bypass gallery. Its vaults hide the upper parts of the churches. In the second half of the XVII century. the gallery was painted with floral ornaments. Later, narrative oil painting appeared in the cathedral, which was repeatedly updated. Currently, tempera painting has been uncovered in the gallery. Oil paintings of the 19th century have been preserved in the eastern section of the gallery. - images of saints in combination 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 from the 16th century have been preserved here. - darker and more resistant to abrasion than modern restoration bricks.

Gallery painting

The vault of the western section of the gallery is covered with a flat brick ceiling. It demonstrates a unique for the XVI century. engineering method of the flooring device: 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, one of the important battles of the Kazan campaign took place - the defeat of the cavalry of Tsarevich Yapanchi on the Arsk field.

This is one of 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.

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.

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 Mother of God.

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 of the XVI - XVIII 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 “The Vision of Sexton Tarasius”. It was written in Novgorod at the end of the 16th century. The plot of the icon is based on the legend about the vision of the Khutynsky 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 Entry 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 the architectural decoration of the 16th century were discovered. Their original appearance is 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 XIX 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 Battle of the Neva, the prince's trip to the Khan's headquarters, the Battle of Kulikovo).

Church of St. Gregory of Armenia

The northwestern church of the cathedral was consecrated in the name of St. Gregory, Enlightener of Greater 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 Kazan.

One of the four small churches of the cathedral (15m 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 Mother of God. 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 tyabla (tyabla - wooden beams with grooves between which icons were fastened) iconostasis was reconstructed in the 1920s. It consists of windows of the XVI-XVII 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 was given back its original 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 shackle of the 19th century, 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. In the 1780s oil painting appeared in the church. 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 images of 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 to consecrate the church 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 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 during 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 his 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 XVIII 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.

Church of the Holy Trinity

The eastern one is consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity. It is believed that the Pokrovsky Cathedral was built on the site of the ancient Trinity Church, by whose name the entire church was often called.

One of the four large churches of the cathedral is a two-tiered octagonal pillar, ending with a light drum and a dome. Its height is 21 m. In the process of restoration in the 1920s. in this church, the ancient architectural and decorative decoration was most fully restored: semi-columns and pilasters framing the arches-entrances of the lower part of the octagon, a decorative belt of arches. In the vault of the dome, a spiral is laid out with small-sized bricks - a symbol of eternity. Stepped window sills in combination with the whitewashed surface of the walls and vault make the Trinity Church especially bright and elegant. Under the light drum, “voices” are mounted in the walls - clay vessels designed to amplify sound (resonators). The church illuminates the oldest Russian chandelier in the cathedral from the end of the 16th century.

On the basis of restoration studies, the form of the original, so-called “tabla” iconostasis (“tabla” - wooden beams with grooves between which the icons were fastened close to each other) was established. The peculiarity of the iconostasis is the unusual shape of the low royal doors and three-row icons that form three canonical ranks: prophetic, Deesis and festive.

The "Old Testament Trinity" in the local row of the iconostasis is one of the most ancient and revered icons of the cathedral in the second half of the 16th century.

Church of the Three Patriarchs

The northeastern church of the cathedral was consecrated in the name of the three Patriarchs of Constantinople: Alexander, John and Paul the New.

In 1552, on the day of memory of the Patriarchs, an important event of the Kazan campaign took place - the defeat by the troops of Tsar Ivan the Terrible of the cavalry of the Tatar prince Yapanchi, who was marching from the Crimea to help the Kazan Khanate.

This is one of the four small churches of the cathedral with a height of 14.9 m. The walls of the quadrangle pass into a low octagon with a cylindrical light drum. The church is interesting for its original ceiling system with a wide dome, in which the composition "The Savior Not Made by Hands" is located.

The wall oil painting was made in the middle of the 19th century. and reflects in its plots the then change in the name of the church. In connection with the transfer of the throne of the cathedral church of Gregory of Armenia, it was re-consecrated in memory of the Enlightener of Great Armenia.

The first tier of the painting is dedicated to the life of St. Gregory of Armenia, in the second tier - the history of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, bringing it to King Avgar in the Asia Minor city of Edessa, as well as scenes from the life of the Patriarchs of Constantinople.

The five-tiered iconostasis combines baroque elements with classical ones. This is the only altar barrier in the cathedral from the middle of the 19th century. It was made especially for this church.

In the 1920s, at the beginning of scientific museum activity, the church returned to its original name. Continuing the traditions of Russian patrons, the leadership of the Moscow International Currency Exchange contributed to the restoration of the interior of the church in 2007. For the first time in many years, visitors were able to see one of the most interesting churches of the cathedral.

Inside the open area and in arched openings, bells cast by outstanding Russian masters of the 17th-19th centuries are suspended on thick wooden beams. In 1990, after a long period of silence, they began to be used again.

For the whole world, the most famous "visiting cards" of Russia are the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. The latter also has other names, the most popular of which is the Pokrovsky Cathedral on the Moat.

General information

The cathedral celebrated its 450th anniversary on July 2, 2011. This unique building was erected on Red Square. Amazing in its beauty, the temple is a whole complex of churches united by a common foundation. Even those who do not know anything about the architecture of Russia will immediately recognize the Church of St. Basil the Blessed. The cathedral has a unique feature - all its colorful domes differ from each other.

In the main (Intercession) church there is an iconostasis, which was moved from the destroyed in 1770 Kremlin church of the Chernihiv wonderworkers. In the basement of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God are the most valuable, the most ancient of which is the icon of St. Basil the Blessed (XVI century), written specifically for this temple. Icons of the 17th century are also exhibited here: Our Lady of the Sign and the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos. The first copies the image located on the eastern side of the church facade.

The history of the temple

St. Basil's Cathedral, the history of the construction of which has acquired a number of myths and legends, was built by order of the first Tsar of Rus', Ivan the Terrible. It was dedicated to a significant event, namely, the victory over the Kazan Khanate. To the great regret of historians, the names of the architects who created this incomparable masterpiece have not survived to this day. There are many versions as to who worked on the construction of the temple, but it has not been reliably established who created St. Basil's Cathedral. Moscow was the main city of Rus', so the tsar gathered the best craftsmen in the capital. According to one legend, the main architect was Postnik Yakovlev from Pskov, nicknamed Barma. Another version completely contradicts this. Many believe that Barma and Postnik are different masters. Even more confusion arises according to the third version, which says that St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow was built according to the design of an Italian architect. But the most popular legend about this temple is the one that tells about the blinding of the architects who created this masterpiece so that they could not repeat their creation.

origin of name

Amazingly, despite the fact that the main church of this temple was dedicated to the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, it is known throughout the world as St. Basil's Cathedral. In Moscow there have always been many holy fools (blessed "God's people"), but the name of one of them is forever imprinted in the history of Rus'. Mad Vasily lived on the street and even in winter he went half-naked. At the same time, his whole body was entwined with chains, which were iron chains with large crosses. This man was highly respected in Moscow. Even the king himself treated him with uncharacteristic reverence. Basil the Blessed was revered by the townspeople as a miracle worker. He died in 1552, and in 1588 a church was erected over his grave. It was this building that gave the common name to this temple.

Almost everyone who visits Moscow knows that the main symbol of Russia is Red Square. St. Basil's Cathedral occupies one of the most honorable places in the whole complex of buildings and monuments located on it. The temple is crowned with 10 magnificent domes. Around the main (main) church, called the Intercession of the Virgin, 8 others are symmetrically located. They are built in the shape of an eight-pointed star. All these churches symbolize the religious holidays that fall on the days of the capture of the Kazan Khanate.

Basil's Cathedral domes and bell tower

Eight churches crown 8 onion domes. The main (central) building is completed with a "tent", above which rises a small "cupola". The tenth dome was built over the church bell tower. It is striking that all are completely different from each other in their texture and color.

The modern bell tower of the temple was erected on the site of the old belfry, which completely fell into disrepair in the 17th century. It was erected in 1680. At the base of the bell tower there is a high massive quadrangle, on which an octagon is erected. It has an open area, fenced with 8 pillars. All of them are interconnected by arched spans. The top of the site is crowned with a tall octagonal tent, the edges of which are decorated with tiles of different colors (white, blue, yellow, brown). Its edges are covered with green figured tiles. At the top of the tent is an onion dome crowned with an octagonal cross. Inside the site, bells hang on wooden beams, which were cast back in the 17th-19th centuries.

architectural features

Nine churches of St. Basil's Cathedral are interconnected by a common base and a bypass gallery. Its peculiarity is bizarre painting, the main motive of which is floral ornaments. The unique style of the temple combines the traditions of both European and Russian architecture of the Renaissance. A distinctive feature of the cathedral are the height of the temple (according to the highest dome) is 65 m. The names of the churches of the Cathedral: St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Trinity, Martyrs Adrian and Natalia, Entrance to Jerusalem, Varlaam Khutynsky, Alexander Svirsky, Gregory of Armenia, Intercession of the Mother of God.

Another feature of the temple is that it does not have a basement. It has extremely strong basement walls (reaching a thickness of 3 m). The height of each of the rooms is approximately 6.5 m. The entire construction of the northern part of the temple is unique, since the long box vault of the basement does not have any supporting pillars. The walls of the building are "cut through" by the so-called "vents", which are narrow openings. They provide a special microclimate in the church. For many years, the basement premises were not available to parishioners. The hiding places were used as storages and were closed with doors, the presence of which is now evidenced only by the hinges preserved on the walls. It is believed that until the end of the XVI century. they kept the royal treasury.

Gradual transformation of the Cathedral

Only at the end of the XVI century. figured domes appeared above the temple, which replaced the original ceiling, which burned down in another fire. This Orthodox Cathedral until the XVII century. It was called Trinity, since the very first wooden church that was located on this site was built in honor of the Holy Trinity. Initially, this building had a more austere and restrained appearance, since it was built of stone and brick. Only in the 17th century all domes were decorated with ceramic tiles. At the same time, asymmetrical buildings were added to the temple. Then tents appeared over the porches and intricate paintings on the walls and ceiling. In the same period, elegant paintings appeared on the walls and ceiling. In 1931, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky was erected in front of the temple. Today, St. Basil's Cathedral is jointly run by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Historical Museum, the building is the cultural heritage of Russia. The beauty and uniqueness of this temple was appreciated and throughout St. Basil's in Moscow is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The value of the Intercession Cathedral in the USSR

Despite the persecution of the Soviet authorities against religion and the destruction of a huge number of churches, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow was taken under state protection as early as 1918 as a cultural monument of world significance. It was at this time that all the efforts of the authorities were aimed at creating a museum in it. Archpriest John Kuznetsov became the first caretaker of the temple. It was he who almost independently took care of the repair of the building, although his condition was simply terrible. In 1923, the Historical and Architectural Museum "Pokrovsky Cathedral" was located in the Cathedral. Already in 1928 it became one of the branches of the State Historical Museum. In 1929, all the bells were removed from it, and worship services were banned. Despite the fact that the temple has been constantly restored for almost a hundred years, its exposition was closed only once - during the Great Patriotic War.

Intercession Cathedral in 1991-2014

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, St. Basil's Cathedral was transferred to the joint use of the Russian Orthodox Church and the State Historical Museum. On August 15, 1997, festive and Sunday services were resumed in the temple. Since 2011, previously inaccessible side chapels have been opened to the public, in which new expositions are arranged.

...in memory

about the victory over Kazan

two skilled craftsmen

The king ordered the construction of a temple.

And these people raised

Unprecedented in the whole world, colorful, fabulous cathedral,

What's worth so far...

N. Konchalovskaya

Everyone who came to Moscow for the first time definitely goes to Red Square.

Red Square, Kremlin, Cathedral St. Basil's - these are the main sights of Moscow that you need to see first.

Intercession Cathedral ( Cathedral Basil the Blessed) is an Orthodox church. Its official name Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, on the Moat. Its colloquial name is St. Basil's Cathedral. The famous St. Basil's Cathedral was erected under Ivan the Terrible in 1555 -1561 years.

Intercession Cathedral is a magnificent ensemble of amazing harmony and great strength. Cathedral Basil the Blessed is a symbol of Moscow and Russian art.

The temple is considered one of the best works of ancient Russian architecture. It is also unusual as a work of engineering and construction art. It is a monument of world importance and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in Russia. Currently, the Pokrovsky Cathedral is a branch

Significant events have always been marked by the construction of temples in Russia.

On what occasion was the Intercession Cathedral built?

On September 1, 1552, Russian troops stormed Kazan and annexed it to Russian territory. By order of Ivan the Terrible, a temple was erected in memory of the capture of Kazan and the victory over the Kazan Khanate. The original building was wooden. The temple stood for no more than six months. In 1555, the construction of a stone cathedral began, which has survived to this day. The architects of such a great building were Postnik and Barma.

Initially, the temple was called the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat. Why cover?

The temple was built in honor of the Kazan victory. The decisive attack on the Kazan Kremlin fell on the day of the Church Orthodox holiday of the Intercession of the Virgin, symbolizing protection. According to legend, the Mother of God once saved Constantinople by covering it with her veil.

Why Rva?

The cathedral was erected at the Kremlin moat.

Why does the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat have a different name - St. Basil's Cathedral?

According to folk legends, a poor wanderer Vasily lived in Moscow. In the streets and squares, the holy fool begged for alms. Sharp-tongued, he spoke the truth to everyone, even the king. Among the people, Vasily was revered as Blessed, that is, a saint, God's saint, a soothsayer. He died in 1588 and was buried in the northeastern part of the Intercession Cathedral. Six years after his death, the elder was canonized as a saint. His grave was very revered by Muscovites. Later, a chapel was built over it - a small temple of St. Basil. Since then and to this day, all this magnificent building has become known as St. Basil's Cathedral. In folk legends, stories were kept about miraculous healings that took place with the help of his relics, which were stored in the Vasilyevsky chapel.

The cathedral is intended for contemplation from the outside, inside it is severe and laconic.

Bright, multi-colored domes are pleasing to the eye. There are nine in total and they are all different.

Medieval art has always been symbolic. The temple ensemble consists of eight churches, which are grouped around the ninth pillar-shaped church in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God. Each of the churches is dedicated to a saint, whose feast day coincided with the most stubborn eight days of the assault on Kazan.

St. Basil's Cathedral for five centuries - one of the main symbols of Moscow and Russia as a whole. However, there are still many legends around him.

Architects Barma and Postnik who were blinded by Ivan the Terrible

It is believed that the builders of the cathedral were Russian architects Barma and Postnik, and then Ivan the Terrible deprived them of their sight. In fact, the name of the architect is still unknown. In chronicles and documents contemporary with the construction of the temple, there is no mention of Barma and Postnik. Their names appear only in later sources of the 16th-17th centuries: "The Life of Metropolitan Jonah", "The Piskarevsky Chronicler" and "The Tale of the Velikorets Icon of the Wonderworker Nikola".

There are several points of view regarding who is the architect of the cathedral. Soviet historian Nikolai Kalinin wrote that the builder of the cathedral was one person - Postnik Yakovlev, nicknamed Barma. The representative of the modern school, Alexander Melnik, developing the idea of the historian and art historian Nikolai Brunov, claims that the architect was of Western European origin.

At the beginning of the 17th century, a legend appeared about the blinding of the architects of St. Basil's Cathedral by Ivan the Terrible so that they could not repeat their masterpiece. But this story is not documented.

Cathedral completed in 1560

Until the middle of the 20th century, it was customary to think that the temple was built in 1560: this number appeared in all official documents, monographs and scientific works. But during the restoration of 1957, under several layers of oil painting in the tent of the central church of the temple, a temple-created inscription was found. 4 years later, when it was fully opened, the exact date of the consecration of the cathedral became clear - July 12, 1561 according to the new style.

Basil's Cathedral - the official name of the cathedral

Since the end of the 17th century, the name of St. Basil's Cathedral has been attached to the cathedral. Meanwhile, it is consecrated by the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, and is still called that in official sources.

The cathedral was erected on the occasion of the victory in the Kazan campaign and was originally more of a memorial: it was not heated, services were not held in winter. In 1588, after finding the relics of St. Basil the Blessed, a chapel appeared, named after him. This church, the only one of the entire temple, was open to parishioners and pilgrims all year round, even at night. Thus, the name of St. Basil's Church became the "folk" name of the entire cathedral.

Basil the Blessed raised funds for the construction of the temple

According to one of the legends, well-established in folklore, St. Basil the Blessed collected money for the construction of the temple. Allegedly, he brought coins to Red Square, threw them over his right shoulder, and no one touched them until the holy fool, before his death, transferred the entire amount to Ivan the Terrible.

But this myth is not reflected in any of the editions of the life of the saint. Moreover, according to the text of the abridged life, the saint died on August 2, 1552: 2 months before the end of the Kazan campaign - an event to which the construction of the temple was timed. And the cathedral itself was founded only three years later, in 1555.

All churches of St. Basil's Cathedral are dedicated to the Kazan campaign

Not all churches of the cathedral have a connection with this event. Less than half are dedicated to the campaign, 4 out of 9 churches. The Church of the Holy Trinity, for example, was built on the site of the ancient Trinity Church, which is why it was named so. St. Basil's chapel, as already mentioned, was consecrated in the name of the holy fool buried in this place. In honor of the corresponding holiday, the Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem was built. Varlaam Khutynsky, after whom the southwestern church is named, was the patron of the royal family. And the church of St. Nicholas Velikoretsky is dedicated to the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Library of Ivan the Terrible in the cellars of the Intercession Cathedral

There is a legend that the library of Ivan the Terrible is located in the gloomy cellars of the Intercession Cathedral. The only problem is that there are no cellars here and cannot be: the temple was built on an artificial bulk hill, the only possible was a shallow strip foundation. It hardly reaches 2 meters at the 61-meter height of the building. The support of the structure is concentrated in the basement.

The visual function of the basement is performed by the space between the first tier of the abolished church of Theodosius the Virgin and the cathedral sacristy of the 17th century. The restorers did not touch it on purpose so that one could see the vaults of Theodosius the Virgin and the authentic wall of the adjacent St. Basil's Church.

Attempts to destroy the temple and opposition to them

The first, according to legend, Napoleon Bonaparte tried to blow up the cathedral. But after the prayer of the Muscovites, a miracle happened: it began to rain and put out the fuses of the French cannons. There is no documentary evidence of this story, as well as the famous incident with Kaganovich. Allegedly, when he presented Stalin with a project for the reconstruction of Red Square and removed the figurine of the cathedral from the model, the leader commanded: “Lazar, put it in its place!”.

There is no official evidence that the architect and restorer Pyotr Baranovsky actively advocated protection from destruction. In 1936, the authorities ruled that the church was obstructing traffic, and suggested that Baranovsky take measurements for demolition. Then, according to his daughter, the restorer sent a telegram to the Kremlin: he announced that he would blow himself up together with the cathedral.

During the arrest, the architect was allegedly blackmailed by the fact that the cathedral had already been blown up. According to legend, having been released ahead of schedule, Baranovsky first of all went to Red Square to personally verify that St. Basil's Cathedral was standing still.