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Red Square has served as an arena for many centuries important events national history.

The emergence of Red Square dates back to the end of the 15th century, when, on the orders of Tsar Ivan III, wooden buildings around the Kremlin were demolished, which threatened the royal residence with constant fires. In their place, near the eastern Kremlin wall, a square was organized for small trade. Initially, it was called so - Trading, and in the 16th century it was called Trinity, because in the southern part of the square there was the Church of the Trinity. Red Square began to be called only in the 17th century.

The opening of the monument to Minin and Pozharsky by sculptor Ivan Petrovich Martos took place on February 20, 1818 in the presence of the emperor, empress, "with countless crowds of people."

The Russian sculptor Ivan Petrovich Martos (1754-1835), a native of the city of Ichni, Chernihiv region, was ordered to work by Emperors Paul I, Alexander I, Nicholas I.

The monument was originally intended for Nizhny Novgorod, but at the insistence of Martos, was staged in Moscow. They wanted to install it on Strastnaya Square, then they chose a place in front of the Upper Trading Rows building on Red Square, where it was installed.

I.P. Martos depicts the moment when Minin (the figure on the left) addresses the wounded Prince Pozharsky with a call to lead the Russian army and expel the Poles from Moscow.

Standing, he hands Pozharsky a sword with one hand, and with the other shows him to the Kremlin, urging him to defend the Fatherland.

The author himself commented on the idea of ​​the monument as follows: “Minin rushes to save the Fatherland, grabs his right hand Pozharsky's hand - as a sign of their unanimity - and with his left hand he shows him Moscow on the verge of death.

According to the traditions of classicism, of which Martos was a supporter, outwardly the figures resemble antique sculptures, but at the same time the sculptor tried to give them a national identity.

The Savior is depicted on Pozharsky's shield.

The antique tunic of Minin, worn over the ports, somewhat resembles a Russian embroidered shirt.

His hair is cut in a bracket.

After the revolution, the monument was lucky, it was included in the list of monuments of historical value.

Although one of the figures depicted the prince, the monument to Minin and Pozharsky was not demolished, despite the fact that after 1917 the monument to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (a participant in the Russian-Turkish war and the capture of Plevna) and the monument to Alexander II by A. M. Opekushina.

In 1931, the monument to Minin and Pozharsky was moved outside the fence of St. Basil's Cathedral, as it interfered with the passage of parades on Red Square.

Now Minin is pointing Pozharsky not at the Kremlin, but at the space in front of GUM, where this monument used to stand.

At the end of the 19th century, the main skating rink in Moscow was flooded around the monument to Minin and Pozharsky.

V last years this tradition has been restored - the skating rink is being poured on Red Square at the place where the monument to the saviors of the Fatherland stood for 113 years.

In the 30s of the 16th century, a platform was built on Red Square, which received the name Place of execution. This platform served as a kind of platform for the announcement of the most important government decrees and for solemn ceremonies.

Near the Execution Ground, executions were sometimes carried out on log platforms.

The Lobnoye Mesto has existed in its present form since 1786, after it was rebuilt according to the project of the architect M.F. Kazakov. It is a round stone elevation with a platform surrounded by a parapet and a staircase.

Trading rows

In 1786, according to the project of the architect J. Quarenghi, shopping arcades were erected opposite the Kremlin wall. This building was destroyed during Patriotic War 1812, was rebuilt in 1814-1815, and in 1818 a monument was erected in front of it to the heroes of the struggle against the Polish intervention, Kozma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. In 1930, this monument by the sculptor I. Martos was moved to the Intercession Cathedral.

State Historical Museum.

Resurrection Gate, a monument to Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov.

These buildings were built in pseudo-Russian style, echoing the towers and walls of the Kremlin.

Basil's Cathedral (Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat).

There are only 10 domes. Nine domes over the temple (According to the number of thrones: the Intercession of the Virgin (center), Holy Trinity (east), Entrance to Jerusalem (west), Gregory of Armenia (north-west), Alexander Svirsky (south -East.), Varlaam Khutynsky (southwest.), John the Merciful (formerly John, Paul and Alexander of Constantinople) (north-east.), Nicholas the Wonderworker Velikoretsky (southern.), Adrian and Natalia (formerly Cyprian and Justina) (sev.)) plus one dome over the bell tower. (In the old days, St. Basil's Cathedral had 25 domes, denoting the Lord and 24 elders sitting at His throne).

The cathedral consists of eight temples, the thrones of which were consecrated in honor of the holidays that fell on the days of the decisive battles for Kazan: the 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 Peter's Lent), Gregory of Armenia (September 30 ).

All these eight churches (four axial, four smaller between them) are crowned with onion domes and grouped around the ninth pillar-shaped church towering above them in honor of the Intercession Mother of God, completed with a tent with a small cupola. All nine churches are united by a common foundation, 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 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 Holy Mother of God, 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 Theotokos). 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.

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

In the main, Intercession Church, there is an iconostasis from the Kremlin Church of the Chernihiv Wonderworkers, which was dismantled in 1770.

Sculptor V. M. Klykov. Architect Yu. P. Grigoriev.

Not far from Red Square is Bolotnaya Square, on which there is a sculptural composition "Children - victims of the vices of adults."

Material sources: Wikipedia, http://www.hrono.ru, http://www.openmoscow.ru.

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St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square has the official name of the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, or the people of the Intercession Church. An amazing evidence of Russian architecture is included in the list of cultural heritage and historical significance UNESCO.

The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God is an unsurpassed creation of Russian architecture of the mid-16th century. The building was built at the behest of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in honor of historical event the defeat of the Kazan principality and the capture of Kazan. Ivan the Terrible issued a decree to build a church that cannot be equaled.

Construction history

With the construction of the temple, Ivan the Terrible immortalized the memory of the defeat of the Golden Horde. The construction of the building began 2 years after the capture of Kazan on the site where the Trinity Church stood and St. Basil the Blessed was buried, who was considered a man of God and a miracle worker, the tsar himself had reverence for him. There is a myth that he asked for money to build the cathedral.

Vasily himself walked almost naked, and the locals loved him for his gentle character. Later, the son of Ivan the Terrible ordered to take the limit, where they placed the remains of the holy fool. The cathedral was built for five years.

There are several myths about who is the creator of St. Basil's Cathedral:

• According to one legend, the author of the artistic design is Metropolitan Macarius, and the architects Barma and Postnik carried out the construction.
• According to another legend, the construction was led by a Pskov architect.
• According to the third myth, Ivan the Terrible asked the architect who built the temple if he could build exactly such a structure. The king did not like the affirmative answer and he ordered the master to be blinded.

During its existence, the Pskov temple suffered from a fire in the middle of the 16th century and the invasion of the Napoleonic army in 1812. Napoleon liked the cathedral so much that he had a desire to move the building to Paris, but such a technique did not exist. Then gunpowder was put into the building, but people began to pray for salvation, which came in the form of heavy rain.

The cathedral miraculously survived during the October Revolution, only a few shells hit the walls of the building. The persecution of religion and the destruction of churches did not affect the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, it was included in the list of monuments of cultural significance.

Useful articles:

The temple was given the status of the State Historical Museum, the vaults were removed from it and divine services were banned in St. Basil's Cathedral. In the post-Soviet period, the cathedral passed into the general management of the Orthodox Church of Russia and the historical museum.

Cathedral style

The current appearance of the cathedral is very different from the early structure, which had white walls painted like bricks, and later plant painting appeared. The building represents a unique complex of a central tent and eight domes around it in eight cardinal directions.

According to the project, the cathedral consists of forms in the form of squares, which form a star with directions to eight parts of the world, as a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sign eight has symbolic meaning resurrection of the Savior. The building was erected from modern brick in those days. Details of decorations, base and plinth were made of white brick, and the roof is decorated with polychrome tiles and kokoshniks.

One of the original features of the cathedral is the connection of the building with a common base and a gallery. The style combines European and Russian architecture of the Renaissance period. Distinctive features have arched openings, strong walls in the building and no basement. The northern part of the roof of the building does not have any pillars to support it.

In the 17th century, the building was rebuilt and decorated in different colors. There was painting with frescoes on domes and pillars. This view can be observed by visitors at the present time.

The domes of St. Basil's Cathedral are onion-shaped, and the central structure ends with a cone. All chapters differ from each other in color and texture.

How to get there

The temple is located opposite the building of the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin composition. This is the most famous attraction among foreign tourists. Any foreign citizen will definitely visit the Red Square, the Lenin Mausoleum and the Church of the Intercession.

Services in St. Basil's Cathedral are held every week on Sundays, and on August 15, on the day of St. Basil the Blessed, and on October 14 in the Most Holy Theotokos.

Schedule of St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square:

• in the summer 10:00 - 19:00;
• in autumn - 11:00 - 18:00;
• in winter until April - 11:00 - 17:00;
• in May - 11:00 - 18:00.

The Lord is always with you!

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 east side 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 Russia, 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 Russia, 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 Russia. 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 platform is crowned with a tall octagonal tent, the edges of which are decorated with tiles. different color(white, blue, yellow, brown). Its edges are covered with green figured tiles. At the top of the tent 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. Distinctive feature Cathedrals are and The height of the temple (according to the highest dome) is 65 m. The names of the churches of the Cathedral: St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Trinity, the Martyrs Adrian and Natalia, the Entrance to Jerusalem, Varlaam Khutynsky, Alexander Svirsky, Gregory of Armenia, the 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 17th 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 St. Basil the Blessed in Moscow was referred to the objects world heritage UNESCO.

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. From August 15, 1997, festive and Sunday services. Since 2011, previously inaccessible side chapels have been opened to the public, in which new expositions are arranged.

One of the most interesting and beautiful sights of the Russian capital is St. Basil's Cathedral (photo below), also known as the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, built back in the 16th century by order of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. Almost every person in the country knows that it is located on Red Square, but not everyone knows the history of its construction and the legends associated with it. But still, it will not be enough to learn only about the cathedral. The saint, in whose honor the chapel was built, and later the temple itself became known, bore the name of St. Basil the Blessed. The history of his life, deeds and death is no less interesting than the story of the construction of the cathedral.

Versions about the creators

(its photo is decorated with many postcards for tourists) was erected in the period from 1555 to 1561 in memory of the capture of the fortress city of Kazan by Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich. There are many versions of who was the true creator of this architectural monument. Consider only three main options. The first of them was the architect Postnik Yakovlev, who bore the nickname Barma. It was a well-known Pskov master at that time. The second option is Barma and Postnik. These are two architects who participated in the construction of this temple. And the third - the cathedral was erected by some unknown Western European master, presumably from Italy.

In favor of the latest version is the fact that most of buildings of the Kremlin was built by people from this country. The unique style in which St. Basil's Cathedral was created (the photos perfectly demonstrate it) harmoniously combined the traditions of Russian and European architecture. But it should be noted right away that this version has absolutely no documentary evidence.

There is also a legend according to which all the architects who worked on the project of the temple were deprived of their sight by order of Ivan the Terrible - with the aim that they would never be able to build anything similar again. But there is one problem here. If the author of the temple is still Postnik Yakovlev, then he could not be blinded in any way. Just a few years later, he was also working on the creation of the Kremlin in Kazan.

Temple structure

The cathedral has only ten domes: nine of them are located above the main building, and one - above the bell tower. It includes eight temples. Their thrones were consecrated only in honor of those holidays during which the decisive battles for Kazan took place. All eight churches are located around the highest ninth, which has a pillar-like structure. It was built in honor of the protection of the Mother of God and ends with a tent with a small cupola. The rest of St. Basil's domes look traditional at first glance. They have a bulbous shape, but differ from each other in their design. All nine temples stand on a common foundation and are interconnected by vaulted internal passages and a bypass gallery, which was open in the original version.

In 1558, a chapel was added to the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God, which was consecrated in honor of St. Basil the Blessed. It was erected on the spot where the relics of this saint had previously been. Also, his name gave the cathedral a second name. Approximately 20 years later, the temple acquired its own hipped bell tower.

First floor - basement

I must say that St. Basil's Cathedral (the photo, of course, does not show this) does not have a basement. All of its constituent churches stand on the same foundation, called the basement. It is a structure with rather thick (up to 3 m) walls, divided into several rooms, the height of which is more than 6 m.

The northern basement has, one might say, a unique design for the 16th century. Its vault is made in the form of a box without supporting pillars, despite the fact that it has a large length. In the walls of this room there are narrow openings called air ducts. Thanks to them, a special microclimate is created here, which remains unchanged throughout the year.

Once all the premises of the basement were inaccessible to parishioners. These deep recesses in the form of niches were used as vaults. Previously, they were closed with doors. But now only loops are left of them. Until 1595, the royal treasury and the most valuable property of wealthy citizens were kept in the basement.

To get into these previously secret rooms of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, one had to go through a white stone staircase inside the walls, which only the initiates knew about. Later, as unnecessary, this move was laid down and forgotten about, but in the 30s of the last century it was accidentally discovered.

Chapel, organized in honor of St. Basil the Blessed

It is a cubic church. It is covered with a groin vault with a small light drum crowned with a cupola. The covering of this temple itself is made in the same style as upper churches cathedral. There is a stylized inscription on the wall here. She reports that the Church of St. Basil the Blessed was built in 1588 right above the burial place of the saint immediately after his canonization by order of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich.

In 1929 the temple was closed for worship. Only at the end of the last century, its decorative decoration was finally restored. The memory of St. Basil the Blessed is venerated on August 15. It was this date in 1997 that was the starting point for the resumption of worship in his church. Today, over the very burial place of the saint, there is a shrine with his relics, decorated with fine carvings. This Moscow shrine is the most revered among the parishioners and guests of the temple.

Church decoration

It must be admitted that it is impossible in one article to reproduce in words all the beauties that St. Basil's Cathedral is famous for. Describing them would take more than one week, and possibly months. Let us dwell only on the details of the decoration of the church, consecrated in honor of this particular saint.

Its oil painting was timed to coincide with the 350th anniversary of the beginning of the construction of the cathedral. Basil the Blessed is depicted on the southern and northern walls. Pictures from his life represent episodes about a miracle with a fur coat and rescue at sea. Under them, on the lower tier, there is an ancient Russian ornament made of towels. In addition, on the south side of the church there is a large-sized icon, the drawing of which is made on a metal surface. This masterpiece was written in 1904.

The western wall is decorated with a temple image of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. The upper tier contains images of saints who patronize the royal house. This is the martyr Irina, John the Baptist, and Theodore Stratilat.

The sails of the vault are occupied by the image of the Evangelists, the crosshairs - by the Savior Not Made by Hands, John the Baptist and the Mother of God, the drum is decorated with the figures of the forefathers, and the dome - by the Almighty Savior.

As for the iconostasis, it was made according to the project of A. M. Pavlinov in 1895, and the famous Moscow restorer and icon painter Osip Chirikov supervised the painting of the icons. His original autograph is preserved on one of the icons. In addition, the iconostasis also has more ancient images. The first is the icon "Our Lady of Smolensk", referring to XVI century, and the second - the image of St. Basil the Blessed, where he is depicted against the backdrop of Red Square and the Kremlin. The latter dates from the 18th century.

Bell tower

In the middle of the 17th century, the previously built belfry was in a terrible state. Therefore, it was decided to replace it with a bell tower in the 80s of the same century. By the way, it's still standing. The basis for the bell tower is a high and massive quadrangle. On top of it, a more elegant and openwork octagon was erected, made in the form of an open area, which is fenced with eight pillars, and they, in turn, are connected at the top by arched spans.

The bell tower is crowned with a fairly high octagonal tent with ribs, decorated with multi-colored tiles with blue, white, brown and yellow glaze. Its edges are covered with green figured tiles and small windows, which, when the bells ring, can significantly amplify their sound. At the very top of the tent there is a small onion dome with a gilded cross. Inside the site, as well as in the arched openings, bells are suspended, which were cast back in the 17th-19th centuries by famous Russian masters.

Museum

Intercession Cathedral in 1918 was recognized Soviet power historical monument of architecture not only of national but also of international importance and taken under state protection. It was then that it began to be considered a museum. Its first caretaker was John Kuznetsov (archpriest). I must say that after the revolution, the temple was, without exaggeration, in a very distressed situation: almost all the windows were broken, the roof was full of holes in many places, and in winter snowdrifts lay right inside the premises.

Five years later, on the basis of the cathedral, it was decided to create a historical and architectural complex. E. I. Silin, a researcher at the Moscow Historical Museum, became its first head. Already on May 21, the temple was visited by the first visitors. Since that time, work began on staffing the fund.

In 1928, the museum, called Pokrovsky Cathedral, became a branch of the Historical Museum. A year later, the temple was officially closed for worship and all the bells were removed. In the 30s of the last century, rumors spread that they were planning to demolish it. But he was still lucky to avoid such a fate. Despite the fact that the temple has been underway here for almost a century, it is always open for Muscovites and guests of the capital. For all the time the museum was closed only once, when the Great Patriotic War was going on.

After the end of the war, all measures were immediately taken to restore the cathedral, so by the day of the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the capital, the museum started working again. He gained wide popularity in the days of the Soviet Union. It should be noted that the museum was well known not only in the USSR, but also in many other countries. Since 1991, the temple has been in use by both the Orthodox Church and the State Historical Museum. After a long break, services have finally resumed here.

Saint's childhood

Future Moscow miracle worker Blessed Basil was born at the very end of 1468. According to legend, this happened right on the porch of the Elokhov Church, erected in honor of Vladimir icon Holy Mother of God. His parents were ordinary people. When he grew up, he was sent to learn shoemaking. Over time, his mentor began to notice that Vasily was not like all the other children.

An example of his eccentricity is the following case: once a merchant brought bread to Moscow and, seeing the workshop, went to order boots for himself. At the same time, he asked that he could not wear shoes for a year. Hearing these words, Blessed Basil wept and promised that the merchant would not even have time to wear down those boots. When the master, who did not understand anything, asked the boy why he thought so, the child explained to his teacher that the customer would not be able to put on the boots, as he would soon die. This prophecy came true just a few days later.

Recognition of holiness

When Vasily was 16 years old, he moved to Moscow. It was here that his thorny path as a holy fool began. According to eyewitnesses, Blessed Basil walked the streets of the capital barefoot and naked almost all year round, regardless of whether it was a bitter frost or a scorching summer heat.

Not only his actions were considered strange, but also his actions. For example, passing by market stalls, he could spill a vessel filled with kvass, or overturn a counter with rolls. For this, Basil the Blessed was often beaten by angry merchants. Strange as it may sound, he always gladly accepted beatings and even thanked God for them. But as it turned out later, the spilled kvass was unusable, and the kalachi were badly baked. Over time, he was recognized not only as a detractor of untruth, but as a man of God and a holy fool.

Here is another incident from the life of a saint. Once a merchant decided to build a stone church in Moscow, on Pokrovka. But for some reason, its arches collapsed three times. He came to St. Basil the Blessed to ask for advice on this matter. But he sent him to Kiev, to poor John. Upon arrival in the city, the merchant found the person he needed in a poor hut. John sat and rocked the cradle, in which there was no one. The merchant asked him who he was pumping after all. Na answered him that he was lulling his mother for his birth and upbringing. Only then did the merchant remember his mother, whom he once kicked out of the house. It immediately became clear to him why he was unable to complete the church. Returning to Moscow, the merchant found his mother, asked her forgiveness and took her home. After that, he easily managed to complete the church.

Acts of a miracle worker

Blessed Basil always preached mercy to his neighbors and helped those who were ashamed to ask for alms, while needing help more than others. On this occasion, there is a description of one case when he gave all the royal things donated to him to a visiting foreign merchant, who, by chance, lost absolutely everything. The merchant had not eaten for several days, but he could not ask for help, as he was wearing expensive clothes.

Basil the Blessed always severely condemned those who gave alms out of selfish motives, and not out of compassion for poverty and misfortune. For the sake of saving his neighbors, he even went into taverns, where he comforted and tried to encourage the most degraded people, seeing in them grains of kindness. so purified his soul by prayers and great deeds that the gift of foresight was revealed to him. In 1547 the Blessed One managed to predict great fire that happened in Moscow, and with his prayer he put out the flames in Novgorod. Also, his contemporaries claimed that once Vasily reproached Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible himself, since during the service he was thinking about building his palace on Sparrow Hills.

The saint died on August 2, 1557. The then Moscow Metropolitan Macarius and his clergy performed the burial of Vasily. He was buried at the Trinity Church, where in 1555 they began to build the Intercession Church in memory of the conquest of the Kazan Khanate. 31 years later, on August 2, this saint was glorified by the Council, headed by Patriarch Job.

Contemporaries described him in much the same way, and they necessarily mentioned three features: he was extremely thin, wore a minimum of clothes and always had a staff in his hand. This is how St. Basil the Blessed appears before us. Photos of icons and paintings with his image are presented in this article.

The veneration of this holy wonderworker among the people was so great that the Pokrovsky Cathedral began to be called his name. By the way, his chains are still preserved in the Theological Academy of the capital. Anyone who wants to admire the beautiful monument medieval architecture, can find it at the address: St. Basil's Cathedral.