St. Basil's Cathedral
St. Basil's Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Intercession, is a very famous cathedral in Moscow, Russia. It is officially known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, or Pokrovsky Cathedral. It was commissioned by Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), for Saint Basil the Blessed. It is in the area called Red Square. It was built in 1555-1561.
The cathedral is has eight distinctive onion-shaped towers. The building itself is made up of separate chapels. There is a ninth spire in the middle, forming an eight-point star.
The cathedral has been close to destruction many times. Napoleon Bonaparte decided to take it to Paris, but such an undertaking would have been impossible. Instead, he ordered it to be demolished. Explosives were lit, but torrential rain suddenly started, extinguishing the fuses.
Joseph Stalin also ordered it to be destroyed, since it interfered with parades. Pyotr Baranovsky, who was the architect in charge, objected and was sent to the GULAG but the demolition was cancelled. The city of Moscow also caught fire numerous times, and the cathedral wasn't spared. Even so, it still stands to this very day.
St. Basil's Cathedral Media
Ascension Church in Kolomenskoye (far left), a probable influence on the cathedral,
Front elevation drawing of the cathedral's façade and overhead view of floor plan
This is a photo of a cultural heritage object in Russia, number:
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in front of the cathedral in 1988
The small dome on the left marks the sanctuary of Basil the Blessed (1588)
Colour scheme of the cathedral seen by night
Red Square before the great fire of 1812 (Fyodor Alekseyev, 1802)
Postcard, early 20th century
Saint Basil's Cathedral in 1910
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