St. Basil's Cathedral - who is the architect? St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square: a brief history

The famous colorful Church of the Intercession on the Moat, one of the main attractions of Moscow, was built 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 this day. We are accustomed to perceiving the cathedral as one, but in fact it consists of ten independent churches. Hence the bizarre, unique appearance of the entire cathedral, or, better said, the temple complex.

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

So, we will talk about the Intercession Multi-Church Cathedral, as it was built in 1555-1561. In many books even today you can read that its construction was supervised by two masters: Barma and Posnik. There are, however, versions that the construction was supervised by some unknown Italian masters. But it 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 incorrect from an art historical 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 the construction was supervised by two masters?

In 1896, priest Ivan Kuznetsov published an excerpt from a handwritten collection then stored 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 Intercession Cathedral that was under construction. In this later legend we read that Tsar Ivan the Terrible, soon after the capture of Kazan, erected seven wooden churches around a larger, eighth, stone one, near the Frolov Gate (i.e., from the 17th century, the gate of the Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower). “And then God gave him two Russian masters, nicknamed Barma and Postnik, who were wise and suitable for such a wonderful work.” This news about the “two masters” was accepted uncritically by most historians. [C-BLOCK]

This news was not a chronicle text, but a much later legend, in which the old legend was reinterpreted. The expression “by nickname” was placed in the Russian language of that time before a person’s nickname, and not before his own name. Posnik or Postnik is a proper name. Barma is a nickname that perhaps meant a skilled person, just 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 Postnika”, 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.

A more logical text is 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 the master was Barma and his comrades.” Only one master is named here, but, obviously, not due to the author’s ignorance of the second master (Postnik), but because it was the same person. [C-BLOCK]

Subsequently, another source was found showing that the names Postnik and Barma actually refer to one, and not two, persons. It follows from it that the manuscript of the Code of Laws 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. And thus the mythical “two masters”, one of whom was called Barma, and the other Postnik, are combined into one historical figure- Fasting (this, of course, is not baptismal name, but something like a modern surname) nicknamed Barma, which meant that this person was skilled in crafts.

Moreover, the master Postnik of that time is known for the construction of a number of other buildings, namely: the Kazan Kremlin, St. Nicholas and Assumption Cathedrals in Sviyazhsk. However, this fact, brilliantly proven back in 1957 by the domestic archaeologist N.F. Kalinin, still passes by the attention of many historians and art critics, and they habitually talk about “Barma and Postnik as two builders of the Intercession Cathedral.”

• Address: Russia, Moscow, Red Square, 2
• Start of construction: 1555
• Completion of construction: 1561
• Number of domes: 10
• Height: 65 m.
• Coordinates: 55°45"09.4"N 37°37"23.5"E
• Cultural heritage site Russian Federation
• Official website: www.saintbasil.ru

On July 12, 2011, the most famous Orthodox church Russia - Intercession Cathedral, or St. Basil's Cathedral.

History of the cathedral

St. Basil's Cathedral is just the popular name for the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the Moat. What kind of ditch is this? The fact is that until the 19th century, Red Square was surrounded by a defensive moat, which was filled in in 1813. It was near this ditch that the temple was built.

Until the mid-16th century, there was a small church on the southern side of Red Square. It is not known for certain whether it was stone or wooden, but most researchers are still inclined to the version of the Trinity Church, cut down from wood.

This is probably why one of the churches of the temple was consecrated in the name of the Trinity. In the middle of the 16th century, the wooden church was demolished, and in its place a new one, also wooden, was founded. And only a year later, in 1555, it was dismantled and a stone temple was laid in honor of the capture of Kazan.

And who built St. Basil's Cathedral?

There are several versions of who was the architect of the Russian miracle.

According to one of them, the architects Postnik and Barma worked on the creation of the temple. When they finished construction, Ivan the Terrible allegedly ordered both their eyes to be gouged out so that they could not repeat their masterpiece. However, it is documented that Postnik later participated in the creation of the Kazan Kremlin, which means he did not lose his sight.

According to another version, Postnik and Barma were one person - the Pskov master Postnik Yakovlev, nicknamed Barma. In the chronicles we can find references to both two architects: “... God gave him [Ivan the Terrible] two Russian masters, according to the orders of Postnik and Barm, and was wise and convenient for such a wonderful work,” and about one: “the son of Postnikov, according to the order of Barm "

The third version says that an overseas architect, probably from Italy, worked on St. Basil's Cathedral - hence the unusual appearance temple. However, this version has never been confirmed.

10 churches on one foundation.

The temple received its popular name thanks to the parish of St. Basil, which was added at the end of the 16th century. In 1557, the famous holy fool and wonderworker Vasily died, who sat for a long time at the temple and bequeathed to be buried next to it. By order of Fyodor Ioannovich, a church was built in which the relics of the saint rest.

The main advantage of St. Basil's Cathedral is its unusual architecture. If you look at the temple from above, you can see how it was built. In the center is the main pillar-shaped church in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God.

Around it there are four axial churches and four smaller ones. Each of them is also consecrated in honor of one of the holidays on which the decisive battles during the capture of Kazan took place. All nine churches rise on a common base, with a circular gallery and internal stepped vaults. Additionally, there is St. Basil's Parish and a hipped bell tower, built at the end of the 17th century.

Each church is crowned with an onion dome, traditional for Russian temple architecture. Each onion is unique - carvings, patterns and all kinds of colors create a festive, elegant look. But scientists are still arguing about what exactly this or that paint symbolizes. According to one version, such variegated colors can be explained by the dream of blessed Andrei the Fool, the same one who was honored with a vision Holy Mother of God. Tradition says that he saw in a dream the Heavenly Jerusalem, and in it gardens with beautiful trees and fruits of indescribable beauty.

Temple structure

There are only 10 domes. Nine domes over the temple (according to the number of thrones):

1. Intercession of the Virgin Mary (central),
2. Holy Trinity (East),
3. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (zap.),
4. Gregory of Armenia (north-west),
5. Alexander Svirsky (southeast),
6. Varlaam Khutynsky (southwest),
7. John the Merciful (formerly John, Paul and Alexander of Constantinople) (north-east),
8. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Velikoretsky (south),
9. Adrian and Natalia (formerly Cyprian and Justina) (northern))
10. Plus one dome over the bell tower.

In the old days, St. Basil's Cathedral had 25 domes, representing the Lord and the 24 elders sitting at His throne.

The cathedral consists of eight churches, the thrones of which were consecrated in honor of the holidays that occurred during the decisive battles for Kazan:

Trinity,
- in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (in honor of his Velikoretskaya icon from Vyatka),
- Entry into Jerusalem,
- in honor of the 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 Peter’s Lent),
- Gregory of Armenia (September 30).

All these eight churches (four axial, four smaller ones between them) are crowned with onion domes and grouped around the ninth pillar-shaped church in honor of the Intercession, towering above them Mother of God, completed with a tent with a small dome. All nine churches are united by a common base, a bypass (originally open) gallery and internal vaulted passages.

In 1588, a chapel was added to the cathedral from the northeast, consecrated in honor of St. Basil the Blessed (1469-1552), whose relics were located on the site where the cathedral was built. The name of this chapel gave the cathedral a second, everyday name. Adjacent to the chapel of St. Basil's is the chapel of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which he was buried in 1589 blessed John Moscow (initially the chapel was consecrated in honor of the Deposition of the Robe, but in 1680 it was reconsecrated as the Nativity of the Virgin). In 1672, the discovery of the relics of St. John the Blessed took place there, and in 1916 it was reconsecrated in the name of Blessed John, the Moscow wonderworker.

A tented bell tower was built in the 1670s.

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

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

The last (before the revolution) rector of the cathedral, Archpriest John Vostorgov, was shot on August 23 (September 5), 1919. Subsequently, the temple was transferred to the disposal of the renovation community.

FIRST FLOOR

Podklet

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

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

Previously, the basement premises were inaccessible to parishioners. The deep niches in it were used as storage. They were closed with doors, the hinges of which have now been preserved.

Until 1595, the royal treasury was hidden in the basement. Wealthy townspeople also brought their property here.

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

In the basement there are icons of the Intercession Cathedral. The oldest of them is the icon of St. St. Basil's at the end of the 16th century, written specifically for the Intercession Cathedral.

Two 17th-century icons are also on display. - “Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos” and “Our Lady of the Sign”.

The icon “Our Lady of the Sign” is a replica of the façade icon located on the eastern wall of the cathedral. Written in the 1780s. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. The icon was located above the entrance to the chapel of St. Basil the Blessed.

CHURCH OF ST. BASIL

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

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

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

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

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

The iconostasis was completed in 1895 according to the design of the architect A.M. Pavlinova. The icons were painted under the guidance of the famous Moscow icon painter and restorer Osip Chirikov, whose signature is preserved on the icon “The Savior on the Throne”.

The iconostasis includes earlier icons: “Our Lady of Smolensk” from the 16th century. and the local image of “St. Saint Basil against the backdrop of the Kremlin and Red Square" XVIII century.

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

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

The floor is covered with Kasli cast iron slabs.

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

SECOND FLOOR

Galleries and porches

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

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

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

Previously, daylight penetrated into the gallery from windows located above the passages in the walkway. Today it is illuminated by mica lanterns from the 17th century, which were previously used during religious processions. The multi-domed tops of the outrigger lanterns resemble the exquisite silhouette of a cathedral.
The floor of the gallery is made of brick in a herringbone pattern. Bricks from the 16th century have been preserved here. - darker and more resistant to abrasion than modern restoration bricks.

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

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

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

On the upper platform of the northern 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.

CHURCH OF ALEXANDER SVIRSKY

The southeastern church was consecrated in the name of St. Alexander of 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 Yapancha on the Arsk field.

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

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

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

CHURCH OF BARLAM KHUTYNSKY

The southwestern church was consecrated in the name of St. Varlaam of Khutyn.

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

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

The Tyablo iconostasis was reconstructed in the 1920s. and consists of icons from the 16th - 18th centuries. A feature of the church’s architecture—the irregular shape of the apse—determined the shift of the Royal 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 sexton of the Khutyn monastery of disasters threatening Novgorod: floods, fires, “pestilence”.

The icon painter depicted the panorama of the city with topographical accuracy. The composition organically includes scenes of fishing, plowing and sowing, telling about everyday life ancient Novgorodians.

CHURCH OF THE LORD'S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

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

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

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

The current iconostasis was moved in 1770 from the dismantled Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. It is richly decorated with openwork gilded pewter overlays, which give lightness to the four-tier structure.

In the middle of the 19th century. The iconostasis was supplemented with wooden carved details. The icons in the bottom row tell the story of the Creation of the world.
The church displays one of the shrines of the Intercession Cathedral - the icon “St. Alexander Nevsky in the Life of the 17th century. The icon, unique in its iconography, probably comes from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

In the middle of the icon the noble prince is represented, and around him there are 33 stamps with scenes from the life of the saint (miracles and real historical events: Battle of the Neva, the prince’s trip to the Khan’s headquarters).

CHURCH OF GREGORY OF ARMENIAN

The northwestern church of the cathedral was consecrated in the name of St. Gregory, the enlightener Great Armenia(d. 335). He converted the king and the entire country to Christianity, and was the bishop of Armenia. His memory is celebrated on September 30 (October 13 n.st.). In 1552, on this day, an important event in the campaign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible took place - the explosion of the Arsk Tower in 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 a displacement of the apse. The violation of symmetry is caused by the need to create a passage between this church and the central one - the Intercession of Our Lady. The light drum is covered with a vault.

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

The tyablovy (tyabla are wooden beams with grooves between which icons were attached) iconostasis was reconstructed in the 1920s. It consists of windows from the 16th-17th centuries. The Royal Doors are shifted to the left - due to a violation of the symmetry of the internal space.

In the local row of the iconostasis is the image of St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria. Its appearance is connected with the desire of the wealthy investor Ivan Kislinsky to re-consecrate this chapel in honor of his heavenly patron (1788). In the 1920s the church was returned to its former name.

The lower part of the iconostasis is covered with silk and velvet shrouds depicting Calvary crosses. The interior of the church is complemented by the so-called “skinny” candles - large wooden painted candlesticks of an antique shape. In their upper part there is a metal base in which thin candles were placed.

The display case contains items of priestly vestments from the 17th century: a surplice and a phelonion, embroidered with gold threads. The 19th century candilo, decorated with multi-colored enamel, gives the church a special elegance.

CHURCH OF CYPRIAN AND JUSTINE

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

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

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

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

CHURCH OF NICHOLAS VELIKORETSKY

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

In 1555, by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, they brought miraculous icon procession along the rivers from Vyatka to Moscow. Big event 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 a vault. Its height is 28 m.

The ancient interior of the church was badly damaged during the fire of 1737. In the second half of the 18th century early XIX V. a single complex of decorative and fine arts: carved iconostasis with full ranks of icons and monumental plot painting of the walls and vault. The lower tier of the octagon presents the texts of the Nikon Chronicle about the bringing of the image to Moscow and illustrations to them.

In the upper tier the Mother of God is depicted on a throne surrounded by prophets, above are the apostles, in the vault is the image of the Savior Almighty.

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

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

IN late XVIII V. The floor of the church was covered with white stone slabs. During restoration work, a fragment of the original covering made of oak checkers was discovered. This is the only place in the cathedral with a preserved wooden floor.

In 2005-2006 The iconostasis and monumental paintings 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 Intercession Cathedral was built on the site of the ancient Trinity Church, after which the entire temple was often named.

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. During the restoration of the 1920s. In this church, the ancient architectural and decorative decoration was most fully restored: half-columns and pilasters framing the entrance arches of the lower part of the octagon, the decorative belt of the arches. In the vault of the dome, a spiral is laid out with small 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 built into the walls - clay vessels designed to amplify sound (resonators). The church is illuminated by the oldest chandelier in the cathedral, made in Russia at the end of the 16th century.

Based on restoration studies, the shape of the original, so-called “tyabla” iconostasis was established (“tyabla” are wooden beams with grooves between which the icons were fastened close to each other). Features of the iconostasis: unusual shape low royal gates and three-row icons forming three canonical orders: 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 of the second half of the 16th century.

CHURCH OF THE THREE PATRIARCHES

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 remembrance 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 coming 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 turn 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. Due to the transfer of the throne cathedral church Gregory of Armenia, it was reconsecrated 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, its bringing to King Abgar in the Asia Minor city of Edessa, as well as scenes from the lives of the Patriarchs of Constantinople.

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

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

BELFRY

The modern bell tower of the Intercession Cathedral was built on the site of an ancient belfry.

By the second half of the 17th century. the old belfry had become dilapidated and unusable. In the 1680s. it was replaced by a bell tower, which still stands today.

The base of the bell tower is a massive high quadrangle, on which an octagon with an open platform is placed. The site is fenced with eight pillars connected by arched spans and crowned with a high octagonal tent.

The ribs of the tent are decorated with multi-colored tiles with white, yellow, blue and brown glaze. The edges are covered with figured green tiles. The tent is completed by a small onion dome with eight-pointed cross. There are small windows in the tent - the so-called “rumors”, designed to amplify the sound of the bells.

Inside the open area and in the arched openings, bells cast by outstanding Russian craftsmen 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.

The height of the temple is 65 meters.

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

The Intercession Cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Russia. For many inhabitants of planet Earth, it is a symbol of Moscow (the same as the Eiffel Tower for Paris).

St. Basil's Cathedral, 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 all of Russia.

In the place where the cathedral now stands, in the 16th century there stood the stone Trinity Church, “which is on the Moat.” There really was a defensive ditch here, stretching along the entire Kremlin wall along Red Square. This ditch was filled in only in 1813. Now in its place is a Soviet necropolis and Mausoleum.

Ivan the Terrible, who personally led the army in the campaign to conquer the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms in 1552, vowed, in the event of victory, 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 build one large stone church in place of the eight wooden churches that had been built - for centuries.

The temple has many different names. The most famous of them are:

St. Basil's Cathedral, Intercession Cathedral, Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God on the Moat, Intercession Church, Trinity Church.

Until the 17th century, the Church of the Intercession was most often called the Trinity Church, because originally on this site stood the Trinity wooden church on the moat - dating back to the mid-16th century. In fact, it stood on a hill - next to the moat that surrounded the medieval Kremlin and was filled in in the 19th century.

It was built by order of Ivan the Terrible, in honor of the victory of the Russian army over the Kazan Khanate. (then the Khanate was part of the Golden Horde)

By the way, many historians claim that Ivan the Terrible was a merciless and evil tyrant. Can a tyrant order the construction of a cathedral to express his gratitude? heavenly patrons? I don’t want to speculate and focus attention... We still won’t know the truth. But I believe more that Ivan was an adequate guy, and he created more.

Why the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God

Everything is very logical. All historical information refer to the day when the Russian army successfully stormed the walls of Kazan. Featured everywhere exact date On October 1, 1552, on this day in Rus' the Feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God was celebrated. I didn't have to think long about the name.

Why St. Basil's Cathedral

And here everything is very logical and simple - in honor of St. Basil. But few people are “familiar” with the personality of the latter. And in general, why Blessed, why Foolish (not to be confused with ugly).

So: in the old days, eccentrics who rejected worldly values ​​were considered holy fools. An ascetic lifestyle and a little madness are the main features of all holy fools. And one of the synonyms for “holy fool” was the word “blessed.” In Old Slavonic, those who did good, good deeds were considered blessed, and in in a broad sense blessed is everyone who sees God in heaven. For me, the blessed one is the one who is happy. And in Christianity, the blessed one is a special face of saints.

There is an interesting story about St. Basil.

Saint Blessed Basil, the Moscow wonderworker, was born in December 1468 on the porch of the Yelokhovsky Church near Moscow. His parents were simple people and sent their son to study shoemaking. During the teaching of the Blessed One, his master had to witness one amazing incident when he realized that his student was not like everyone else.

One merchant brought bread to Moscow on barges and went into the workshop to order boots, asking them to make them so that he wouldn’t wear them out in a year. Blessed Vasily shed tears: “We will sew you such that you will not wear them out.” The merchant did not attach any importance to the eccentric’s tears, paid and left. The master immediately asked the student why he was crying. Then the student explained that the customer would not put on the boots because he would soon die. A few days later the prophecy came true.

At the age of 16, the saint came to Moscow and began the thorny feat of foolishness. In the scorching summer heat and biting bitter frost, he walked naked and barefoot along the streets of Moscow. His actions were strange: he would knock over a tray of rolls of bread, or spill a jug of kvass. Angry merchants beat the Blessed One, but he joyfully accepted the beatings and thanked God for them. And then it turned out that the kalachi were poorly baked, and the kvass was completely unusable. The veneration of Blessed Basil quickly grew: he was recognized as a holy fool, a man of God, a denouncer of untruth.

Here's another case.

Once, a merchant decided to build a stone church on Pokrovka in Moscow, but its vaults collapsed three times. The merchant turned to the Blessed One for advice, and he sent him to Kyiv: “Find poor John there, he will give you advice on how to complete the church.” Arriving in Kyiv, the merchant found John, who was sitting in a poor hut and rocking an empty cradle. “Who are you rocking?” - asked the merchant. “Dear mother, I pay the unpaid debt for my birth and upbringing.” Then the merchant only remembered his mother, whom he had kicked out of the house, and it became clear to him why he could not finish building the church. Returning to Moscow, he returned his mother home, asked her forgiveness and completed the church.

Preaching mercy, the Blessed One helped first of all those who were ashamed to ask for alms, and yet needed help more than others. There was a case when he gave rich royal gifts to a foreign merchant, who was left without everything and, although he had not eaten anything for three days, could not ask for help, since he was wearing good clothes.

The Blessed One severely condemned those who gave alms for selfish purposes, not out of compassion for poverty and misfortune, but hoping in an easy way to attract God’s blessing to their deeds.

For the sake of saving his neighbors, Blessed Basil also visited taverns, where he tried to see the grain of goodness even in the most degraded people, to reinforce them with affection, and to encourage them. Many noticed that when the Blessed One passed by a house in which they were madly having fun and drinking, he hugged the corners of that house with tears. They asked the holy fool what this meant, and he answered:

“Sorrowful angels stand at the house and lament over the sins of people, and with tears I begged them to pray to the Lord for the conversion of sinners.”

In 1547 he predicted great fire Moscow; prayer extinguished the fire in Novgorod; once reproached Tsar Ivan the Terrible for being preoccupied with thoughts of building a palace on the Sparrow Hills during divine services.

He constantly exposed lies and hypocrisy. Contemporaries noted that this was almost the only person whom Tsar Ivan the Terrible was afraid of. Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible honored and feared the Blessed One, “as a seer of human hearts and thoughts.” When, shortly before his death, Vasily fell into a serious illness, the Tsar himself visited him with Tsarina Anastasia.

Saint Basil died on August 2, 1552 (sometimes the year 1551 is also mentioned). Ivan the Terrible and the boyars carried his coffin, and Metropolitan Macarius performed the burial.

The description of the saint’s appearance retains characteristic details: “all naked, with a staff in his hand.” The veneration of Blessed Basil has always been so strong that the Trinity Church and the attached Church of the Intercession are still called the Church of St. Basil.

Key dates

In 1552 On Red Square, near the protective moat, on the spot where the wooden Trinity Church previously stood, and the most revered Russian holy fool, St. Basil, was buried, construction began on a new stone church.

In 1588 by order of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich ( Grand Duke Moskovsky, the third son of Ivan the Terrible), a chapel of St. Basil's was built in the Intercession Church, where his relics were placed in a silver shrine, and the cathedral was often called the St. Basil's Cathedral.

Another version is a legend

Intercession Church erected in 1555-1561 by Russian architects Barma and Postnik Yakovlev (or perhaps it was the same master - Ivan Yakovlevich Barma).

There is a well-known legend that, having seen the temple, Ivan the Terrible ordered the craftsmen to be blinded so that they could not build such a miracle anywhere else. As if when the king asked whether the master could build another equally beautiful temple or an even better one, he answered defiantly: “I can!” - and angered the king. "You're lying!" - cried the Terrible and ordered to deprive both eyes so that this temple would remain the only one.

Popular rumor spread the rumor that Ivan the Terrible supposedly built this temple in honor of his father, Grand Duke Vasily III: “People will remember me even without churches for a thousand years, but I want my parent to be remembered.” That’s why the temple is supposedly called St. Basil’s.

The uniqueness of the architectural composition of the cathedral and its symbolism.

The design of the Intercession Cathedral is based on the apocalyptic symbolism of the Heavenly Jerusalem. The eight chapters, located around the central ninth tent, form a geometric figure in plan from two squares combined at an angle of 45 degrees, in which it is easy to see an eight-pointed star.

The number 8 symbolizes the day of the Resurrection of Christ, which according to the Hebrew calendar was the eighth day, and the coming Kingdom of Heaven - the Kingdom of the “eighth century” (or “eighth kingdom”), which will come after the Second Coming of Christ - after the end of earthly history associated with the apocalyptic number 7.

The square expresses the firmness and constancy of faith and is a cosmic symbol of the Universe: its four equal sides mean the four cardinal directions, the four winds of the Universe, the four ends of the cross, the four canonical Gospels, the four evangelist apostles, the four equilateral walls of Heavenly Jerusalem. The combined squares symbolize the preaching of the Gospels to the four cardinal directions, that is, to the whole world.

The eight-pointed star - a reminder of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the Magi the way to the infant Christ, the Savior of the world - symbolizes the entire Christian Church as a guiding star in human life to the Heavenly Jerusalem.

The eight-pointed star is also a symbol of the Most Holy Theotokos - the Lady of the Church and the Queen of Heaven: in Orthodox iconography, the Mother of God is depicted in a maforia (veil) with three eight-pointed stars on her shoulders and on her forehead as a sign of Her Eternal Virginity - before, during and after the Nativity of Christ.

The throne in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God is located in the central tented church, which unites the remaining chapters, as if gathering them around itself. This symbolizes the primacy, protection and intercession of the Mother of God over the Church of Christ and over the entire Russian land. The tent in Russian temple building symbolizes the canopy (canopy), which since ancient times was erected over sacred place as a sign of his God-preservation and holiness.

Tallest building in Moscow

The Intercession Cathedral on Red Square has become the most tall structure Moscow (its height is 60 meters) and was such until the end of the 16th century, when under Boris Godunov the bell tower of the Church of St. John the Ladder, 81 meters high, was built.

For all its external majestic splendor, the Intercession Cathedral has quite modest dimensions inside. During the service, a very small number of people could fit inside, so during large church holidays Moscow residents and clergy gathered on Red Square.

In 1737 During a huge fire, St. Basil's Cathedral suffered greatly and had to be restored. When wooden churches were removed from Red Square to prevent fires, fifteen altars of the demolished wooden churches were moved under its arches, and the altar in the name of the three patriarchs of Constantinople was renamed in the name of John the Merciful. The throne of Cyprian and Ustinia was also renamed, it began to bear the name of Saints Adrian and Natalia. In total, at that time the cathedral had 11 chapels.

In the second half of the 18th century, during the reign of Catherine II, the Intercession Cathedral was reconstructed once again. 16 small domes around the main towers were demolished, and the hipped bell tower was connected to the building of the cathedral itself. It was then that the cathedral became as colorful as we know it now.

Another legend tells that Napoleon, during the days of the occupation of Moscow by his troops, wanted to transport the temple building to Paris, and when it turned out that this was technically impossible, he ordered the cathedral to be blown up along with the Kremlin. And then, when the fuses of the explosives were already lit, it was as if rain came and extinguished them.

The years of the Great October Revolution brought many trials to the temple.

In September 1918 The rector of the cathedral, Archpriest John Vostorgov, was shot. And the property of the temple was confiscated. The bells were removed and sent for melting down, the temple itself was closed, but not destroyed.

In the thirties of the 20th century Kaganovich, who was drawing up a plan for the general reconstruction of Moscow in the spirit of the “proletarian capital,” made a proposal to demolish the Intercession Cathedral. To make room for parades and demonstrations, which were held on the fairly compact Red Square. And here it is worth telling about another legend.

They say that when Kaganovich made a model of Red Square with a removable Model of the Intercession Cathedral and brought it to show Stalin, he began to show how columns move along Red Square and how the cathedral interferes with them. “And if only he - r-time!..” - saying this, he removed the temple from the square in one motion. Stalin looked, thought and slowly uttered the famous phrase: “Lazarus! Put it in its place!..”

One way or another, the temple survived. The architect P.D. also played a big role in this. Baranovsky is a true devotee and enthusiast for the preservation of Russian culture. He was ordered to prepare the temple for demolition, but he categorically refused to do this, after which he sent a rather harsh telegram to the top. What actually happened after this is unknown, but Stalin canceled the demolition of the temple, and Baranovsky received several years in prison.

Back in 1929, the Intercession Cathedral began to be used as a branch of the State Historical Museum, and you can still visit it today. The exhibition includes samples of bladed weapons and firearms, armor from the 16th-17th centuries; in the tower-churches you can see a collection ancient Russian icons 15-17 centuries, artistic sewing, fabric samples, metal crafts. In the 70s, another reconstruction of the temple was carried out, during which a spiral staircase was discovered in one of the walls, through which current museum visitors get to the central temple.

On my own behalf, I will also add that to be in Moscow and not come to the walls of the Temple is ignorance in its purest form. Despite the abundance of ubiquitous tourists, it is worth a lot to stand a little near the majestic walls, think about the meaning of life, and enjoy the stunning architecture, which has no analogues in the world (remember the above-mentioned legend).

Found a mistake? Select it and press left Ctrl+Enter.

The chronicle names the Russian architects Postnik and Barma as the authors of St. Basil's Cathedral, who, quite likely, built the cathedral without any drawings at all. There is a legend according to which Ivan the Terrible, having seen the cathedral built according to their design, was so delighted with its beauty that he ordered the architects to be blinded so that they could not build a temple anywhere else equal in beauty to the Intercession Cathedral. Some modern historians offer a version according to which the architect of the temple was one person - Ivan Yakovlevich Barma, who was nicknamed Postnik because he held strict fast. As for the legend about the blinding of Barma and Postnik, its partial refutation can be the fact that the name of Postnik later appears in the chronicle in connection with the creation of other significant architectural structures.

St. Basil's Cathedral is a symmetrical ensemble of eight pillar-shaped churches surrounding the ninth - the tallest - temple, topped with a tent. The chapels are connected to each other by a system of transitions. The pillar-shaped churches are topped with onion domes, none of which is identical in architectural decoration to the others. One of them is densely dotted with golden cones, they are like stars in the sky dark night; on the other, scarlet belts run in zigzags across a bright field; the third resembles a peeled orange with yellow and green segments. Each dome is decorated with cornices, kokoshniks, windows, and niches.

Until the end of the 17th century, until the Ivan the Great Bell Tower was built on the territory of the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral was the tallest building in Moscow. The height of the cathedral is 60 meters. In total, St. Basil's Cathedral has nine iconostases, which contain about 400 icons of the 16th-19th centuries, representing the best examples of the Novgorod and Moscow icon painting schools.