History of St Basil's Cathedral. St Basil's Cathedral was completed in 1561 to celebrate Russian victory over the Khanate of Kazan. Its official name is the Cathedral of the Intercession, but it is most commonly known as St Basil's Cathedral, named after the holy fool Vasily who lived in the 16th century. The cathedral was recognised as significant and irreplaceable national monument by the Soviets. It underwent extensive restoration and became a museum of architecture, history, politics, and religion. Unlike many historical buildings, St Basil’s escaped demolition during Stalin’s regime. The background to the construction of St Basil’s Cathedral was the Kazan campaign of Tsar Ivan IV’s reign, the last in over a century of wars waged between the Khanate of Kazan and Russia. Before his pivotal campaign to capture the city of Kazan in 1552, Ivan the Terrible vowed to erect a cathedral to celebrate Russia’s victory. After Kazan fell to the Russians on 2nd October, the wooden Trinity Cathedral was constructed, fringed by seven chapels. When the Kazan Khanate finally acceded to the Russian state in 1555, Ivan ordered the reconstruction of the cathedral’s ensemble in stone. No one is certain who exactly designed St Basil’s Cathedral, though it is generally considered to be Russian architects Barma and Postnik. Did you know? Legend has it that Ivan the Terrible was so impressed by the cathedral that he had the architect blinded, so that its unique beauty and magnificence would never be recreated. The cathedral was to be rebuilt with eight independent churches encircling a larger central temple. Each church was consecrated in honour of important events in Russian spiritual or political life. St Basil’s Cathedral was completed in July 1561 and consecrated in honour of the Day of the Protection of the Holy Virgin. The cathedral was to be rebuilt with eight independent churches encircling a larger central temple. Each church was consecrated in honour of important events in Russian spiritual or political life. St Basil’s Cathedral was completed in July 1561 and consecrated in honour of the Day of the Protection of the Holy Virgin. Did you know? The central cupola of St Basil’s Cathedralis 65 metres tall. It remained the tallest building in Moscow for 39 years following its completion! The official name given was the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat (Pokrovsky Sobor), but it is more commonly known as St Basil’s Cathedral (Sobor VasiliyaBlazhennogo). Saint Vasily (Basil) was a holy fool and soothsayer, whose miraculous abilities even gained the respect of Ivan the Terrible. Ivan’s son ordered a chapel to be erected in Vasily’s honour, which was completed in 1588 on the site of his grave. The chapel was open day and night and was the only heated church in the cathedral ensemble; soon, it became synonymous with the cathedral as a whole. St Basil’s Cathedral fell under grave threat during the Patriotic War of 1812. When Napoleon’s army invaded Moscow, theyplundered the cathedral and set up stables inside. On retreating from Moscow, Napoleon ordered his chief of artillery to destroy the cathedral; however, the pouring rain extinguished the lit fuses of the explosives.
| 1 | Location | : | Red Square, Moscow, Russia | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Year consecrated | : | 12 July 1561 | ||
| 3 | Church | : | 10 churches | ||
| 4 | Tall | : | 46 metres (151 ft) | ||
| 5 | Height | : | 38 meters | ||
| 6 | Width | : | 38 meters) |
Notre-Dame de Paris, also called Notre-Dame Cathedral, cathedral church in Paris. It is the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages and is distinguished for its size, antiquity, and architectural interest
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