Saint Basil's Cathedral facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cathedral of the Intercession of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat
Собор Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы, что на Рву (Russian)
Saint Basil's Cathedral as viewed from Red Square
Religion
Affiliation	Russian Orthodox Church
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	State Historical Museum with church services restored since 1991
Year consecrated	12 July 1561; 463 years ago (1561-07-12)
Status	Active
Location
Location	Red Square, Moscow, Russia
Architecture
Architect(s)	Ivan Barma and Postnik Yakovlev
Architectural type	Church
Groundbreaking	1555 (1555)
Specifications
Height (max)	47.5 metres (156 ft)
Dome(s)	10
Dome height (inner)	ff
Spire(s)	2
Materials
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv, vi
Designated	1990 (14th session)
Part of	Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow
Reference no.	545
Region	Europe

The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, also known as Saint Basil's Cathedral, is a famous Orthodox church in Red Square in Moscow, Russia. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of Russia.

The building is now a museum. Its official name is the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat. It was built between 1555 and 1561. Ivan the Terrible, a Russian ruler, ordered its construction. It was built to celebrate his victories in capturing the cities of Kazan and Astrakhan.

The original church was called Trinity Church. It had eight small chapels around a main central chapel. This central chapel was dedicated to the Intercession. Later, in 1588, a tenth chapel was added. It was built over the grave of a respected local saint, Vasily (Basil).

In the 16th and 17th centuries, people saw the church as a symbol of the "Heavenly City". It was often called "Jerusalem". It even played a role in the yearly Palm Sunday parade. The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Tsar would attend this parade.

Saint Basil's Cathedral has nine domes. Each dome belongs to a different church inside. The building looks like the flame of a bonfire rising into the sky. It is very unique and unlike any other Russian building. Its design is complex and full of amazing details. The cathedral's style helped shape Russian architecture in the 17th century.

Today, the church is part of the State Historical Museum. It became a museum in 1928. It is owned by the Russian government. Since 1990, it has been a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. After the Soviet Union ended in 1991, church services started again in 1997. Now, weekly Orthodox Christian services are held there.

Building the Cathedral

Red Square in the early 17th century. This map shows the original bell tower and Trinity Church.

The area where the church stands was once a busy marketplace. It was located between the Moscow Kremlin and the city's outer areas. A church called Trinity Church, made of white stone, stood in the center of this market.

Ivan the Terrible built a wooden memorial church for each victory in the Russo-Kazan War. By the end of his campaigns, seven wooden churches surrounded Trinity Church. In 1554, Ivan ordered a wooden Church of Intercession on the same spot. A year later, he decided to build a new stone cathedral there. This was to celebrate his victories. Building a church to mark a military win was new for Moscow. Placing it outside the Kremlin showed support for common people.

Who Designed It?

The architect of Saint Basil's Cathedral is not fully known. People traditionally believe two architects, Barma and Postnik, built it. The official Russian heritage list names "Barma and Postnik Yakovlev". Some researchers think these names might refer to the same person.

A popular story says Ivan the Terrible blinded the architect. He supposedly did this so the architect could not build anything as beautiful again. However, many historians believe this is a myth. The architect continued to work on other important buildings. For example, he helped build the Cathedral of the Annunciation, Moscow and the walls of the Kazan Kremlin.

There is also evidence that skilled stonemasons from Pskov in Russia and from German lands helped with the construction.

Architectural Style

The Ascension Church in Kolomenskoye (far left) likely influenced Saint Basil's Cathedral.

Saint Basil's Cathedral is unique. There is no other building quite like it from that time in Russia or the Byzantine tradition. This makes its design sources a mystery. Some experts thought its arches were Byzantine or Asian. One idea is that it was a recreation of a mosque destroyed in Kazan.

Many Russian writers in the 1800s believed the cathedral was inspired by old wooden churches in northern Russia. These wooden churches had designs that were then used in stone buildings. The cathedral is seen as a mix of Russian and Byzantine styles. It is considered a peak of Russian wooden architecture.

The church combines different architectural ideas. It has the layered design of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. It also has the central tent shape of the Church of Ascension in Kolomenskoye. And it has the round shape of the Church of Execution of John the Baptist in Dyakovo. However, the origins of these buildings are also debated.

Some suggest that the unique shapes of the Intercession Church and the Church of Ascension show a new Russian renaissance. This style blended older Moscow elements with ideas from the Italian Renaissance. Many Italian architects worked in Moscow from 1474 to 1539. Greek refugees also arrived after the fall of Constantinople. These groups helped Russian rulers develop the idea of "Third Rome". This led to the blending of Greek and Italian cultures.

Some researchers have noticed similarities between the cathedral's floor plan and Italian designs. Others have seen resemblances to sketches by Leonardo da Vinci. However, it is unlikely Leonardo's work was known in Moscow at that time.

Some historians believe German craftsmen likely built the church. During Ivan's rule, Germans and Englishmen became more influential than Italians. German influence is seen in the rough stone pillars of the central church. This style was more common in Northern Europe than in Italy.

Most experts agree that the church is a mix of Russian wooden and stone traditions. It also includes some ideas from Italian architects who worked in Moscow. For example, the brickwork style in the vaults is Italian.

Layout of the Cathedral

Drawing of the cathedral's front and a view of its floor plan.

Instead of a random layout, Ivan's architects chose a more balanced design. They placed eight side churches around a central one. This created a very organized plan. The central church and the four larger churches are shaped like octagons. They are placed at the main compass points. The four smaller churches are placed diagonally. They are cuboid, but their shape is hard to see because of later additions. The larger churches have strong foundations. The smaller ones are on raised platforms, looking like they float.

The cathedral as a whole is not perfectly symmetrical. The large central church is slightly off-center to the west. This was done to make room for its larger apse on the eastern side. This small difference makes the church look complex from the north and south. But from the west, facing the Kremlin, it looks perfectly balanced. This balanced look is made stronger by the fortress-like features of the western church. These features look like the real walls of the Kremlin.

Inside, the cathedral is a maze of narrow vaulted hallways. It also has the tall, round spaces of the churches. Today, the cathedral has nine separate chapels. The largest, central one, the Church of the Intercession, is 46 metres (151 ft) tall inside. But its floor area is only 64 square metres (690 sq ft). The hallways were used as indoor gathering areas. The western hallway, with its unique flat ceiling, served as the entrance area.

The original bell tower of Trinity Church stood separately. It was likely to the southwest or south of the main building. Old plans show it as a simple structure with three tent-like roofs.

How it was Built

The small dome on the left marks the sanctuary of Basil the Blessed (1588).

The foundations of the cathedral were built with white stone, as was common in medieval Moscow. The churches themselves were built with red brick. Brick was a relatively new material at the time.

Studies of the building show that the basement level is perfectly straight. This means professional drawings and measurements were used. However, each level above becomes less regular. Restorers found that the thick brick walls hide a wooden frame inside. This frame runs the entire height of the church. It was built as a life-size model of the cathedral. Then, it was slowly covered with solid brickwork.

The builders loved the flexibility of the new brick technology. They used red bricks for decoration both inside and out. They left as much brickwork visible as possible. If stone walls were needed, they were painted to look like brick. A new idea in this church was using only architectural shapes for outside decoration. There are no sculptures or religious symbols from earlier Russian buildings. The flower patterns were added later. Instead, the church has many different 3D brick designs.

Colors of the Cathedral

The cathedral's colors at night.

The church got its bright colors in stages, from the 1680s to 1848. In the 17th century, Russians started to prefer bright colors. Art like icons and murals began using many more paints and dyes. The original colors of the church were much simpler. They were inspired by descriptions of the Heavenly City in the Book of Revelation:

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats, I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

— Revelation, 4:3–4 (KJV)

The 25 seats mentioned in the Bible are hinted at in the building's structure. There are eight small onion domes around the central tent. Four more are around the western side church, and four others elsewhere. This arrangement stayed the same for most of the 17th century. The church walls had a mix of bare red brick or painted fake bricks with white decorations. The domes were covered with tin and were gilded (covered in gold). This created a bright but traditional look of white, red, and gold. Some green and blue ceramic pieces added a touch of rainbow, as the Bible described.

Historians agree on the color of the 16th-century domes. However, their exact shape is debated. Some believe they were onion-shaped like today's domes. But other churches from that time had flatter, round domes.

Changes Over Time

From 1583 to 1596

The original Trinity Church burned down in 1583. It was rebuilt by 1593. In 1588, a ninth chapel was added. It was dedicated to Basil Fool for Christ (who lived from the 1460s to 1552). This chapel was next to the north-eastern chapel. Another local holy man, Ivan the Blessed, was buried at the church in 1589. A chapel in his memory was built in 1672.

From 1680 to 1683

Murals in the galleries

A major renovation and expansion happened between 1680 and 1683. The nine churches themselves looked the same. But the ground-floor arches and the first-floor platform were greatly changed. What was once nine separate churches became one large temple.

The open ground-floor arches were filled with brick walls. This new space held altars from thirteen wooden churches. These wooden churches had been built on the site of Ivan's executions in Red Square. Wooden shelters over the first-floor platform and stairs were rebuilt in brick. This created the current wrap-around galleries with tented roofs over the entrances.

The old separate bell tower was taken down. Its square base was used for a new bell tower. This new bell tower had a tall, single tented roof. This style was popular during the reign of Tsar Alexis I. It greatly changed the look of the cathedral. It added a strong, unbalanced weight to the church. This is most noticeable from the south and east sides.

The first decorative paintings appeared in the cathedral during this time. They started with flower patterns inside the new galleries. The towers kept their original brick patterns. Finally, in 1683, the church was decorated with a tiled cornice in yellow and blue. This cornice had the church's history written on it in Old Slavic letters.

From 1737 to 1784

In 1737, a large fire damaged the church. It was later restored by Ivan Michurin. The inscriptions from 1683 were removed during repairs between 1761 and 1784. The church got its first figurative paintings inside the chapels. All the outer and inner walls of the first two floors were covered with flower designs. The bell tower was connected to the church by a ground-floor addition. The last open arches of the old ground-floor area were filled in during this time. This removed the last sign of what was once an open platform.

From 1800 to 1848

Red Square before the great fire of 1812 (1802).

Paintings of Red Square from 1800–1802 show that the church was surrounded by many shops. These shops made Red Square look like a closed-off yard. In 1800, a moat (a ditch) still existed between the Kremlin wall and the church. This moat was filled in 1801 for the coronation of Alexander I.

French troops who occupied Moscow in 1812 used the church as stables. They stole anything valuable. The church survived the Fire of Moscow (1812) that destroyed much of the city. It also survived Napoleon's order to blow it up. The inside was repaired in 1813, and the outside in 1816. Instead of replacing missing ceramic tiles on the main tent, the church was simply covered with a tin roof.

The area around the church was debated by city planners after 1813. Eventually, the area between the church and Lobnoye Mesto was cleared. The Kremlin Hill was also changed to open Red Square to the Moskva River. This made Saint Basil's Cathedral stand out more on the hill. Minor repairs continued until 1848, when the domes got their current colors.

From 1890 to 1914

Postcard, early 20th century.

Groups dedicated to preserving historical sites wanted the church to be properly restored. But this was often delayed because there wasn't enough money. The church did not have its own regular worshippers. It had to rely on donations from public campaigns. Government and city officials did not want to pay for the restoration. In 1899, Nicholas II agreed that the expense was necessary. But still, no one wanted to pay.

The restoration, led by Andrey Pavlinov and Sergey Solovyov, lasted from 1896 to 1909. About 100,000 roubles were raised. The work started by replacing the dome roofs. Solovyov found that many original tiles were missing or discolored. After much discussion, all the tiles on the tented roof were replaced with new ones. Another decision allowed the use of standard bricks, which were smaller than the original 16th-century ones. Restorers decided to replace the 19th-century paint with a "truthful recreation" of older patterns. They had to guess these patterns from medieval art. In the end, they chose a mix of deep red and deep green, which is still seen today.

Saint Basil's Cathedral in 1910.

In 1908, the church got its first warm air heating system. It did not work well because of heat loss. In 1913, a pumped water heating system was added to heat the rest of the church.

From 1918 to 1941

After the Russian Revolution, the church became a public museum in 1923. However, religious services continued until 1929.

In the 1930s, the church became a problem for Joseph Stalin's city plans. There were ideas to tear down the church. But people who wanted to save historical buildings, like Pyotr Baranovsky, fought against this. There are many stories about how the church was saved. One popular story says that Stalin's assistant, Lazar Kaganovich, was looking at a model of Red Square without the church. Stalin supposedly told him, "Lazar, put it back!"

In 1933, the church was removed from the list of protected heritage sites. Baranovsky was asked to survey the church before it was to be demolished. He was then arrested for speaking against the demolition. While he was in prison, attitudes changed. By 1937, even strong supporters of the Soviet government agreed the church should be saved. In 1939, the church was locked, possibly because demolition was considered again. However, a detailed book about the church's survey from 1939–1940 was published in 1941, suggesting it was safe.

From 1947 to Today

St Basil's on a 1947 postage stamp marking the renovation.

After World War II, restorers worked to bring back the historical ground-floor arches and pillars. They also cleaned the vaulted ceilings in the galleries. They removed "unhistoric" 19th-century oil paint murals inside the churches. Another round of repairs in 1954–1955 restored the original paint that looked like brickwork. This also allowed restorers to find the wooden frame inside the walls. In the 1960s, the tin roofs of the domes were replaced with copper.

The latest renovation finished in September 2008. The building is still partly a museum today. Since 1991, the Russian Orthodox Church has used it for services. Since 1997, Orthodox Christian services are held regularly. Every Sunday at Saint Basil's church, there is a divine liturgy at 10 a.m. with prayers to Saint Basil.

Names of the Cathedral

The building was first called "Trinity Church". It was officially opened on July 12, 1561. It was later given the status of a sobor, which is a large assembly church. "Trinity" refers to the easternmost chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The central chapel is dedicated to the Intercession of Mary. These two, along with the westernmost chapel of the Entry into Jerusalem, form the main east-west line. Other chapels are dedicated to individual saints.

The name "Intercession Church" became common later. It was used alongside "Trinity Church". From the late 1500s to the late 1600s, people also called the cathedral "Jerusalem". This was because of its chapel of Entry into Jerusalem and its role in religious ceremonies. Finally, the name of Vasily (Basil) the Blessed became linked to the church in the early 17th century. He died during its construction and was buried there.

Today, two names are commonly used in Russia: the official "Church of Intercession on the Moat" and the "Temple of Basil the Blessed". When both names are listed, the informal name, "Temple of Basil the Blessed", is always second.

In Western countries, it is often called "Cathedral of Basil the Blessed" or "Saint Basil's Cathedral". These names incorrectly give the church of Basil the status of a cathedral. However, they are widely used.

Its Role in the City

Trinity Cathedral under construction (1902).

A Miraculous Discovery

On the day it was officially opened, the church itself became part of a miracle story. Legend says that its "missing" ninth chapel was "miraculously found". This happened during a ceremony with Tsar Ivan IV and Metropolitan Makarius. It was believed to be with the help of Saint Tikhon. A chronicle from the 17th century describes it:

And the Tsar came to the dedication of the said church with Tsaritsa Nastasia and with Metropolitan Makarius and brought the icon of St Nicholas the Wonderworker that came from Vyatka. And they began to offer a prayer service with sanctified water. And the Tsar touched the base with his own hands. And the builders saw that another sanctuary appeared, and told the Tsar. And the Tsar, and Metropolitan, and all the clergy were surprised by the finding of another sanctuary. And the Tsar ordered it to be dedicated to Nicholas ...

— Piskaryov Chronicle, 1560 (7068 per Byzantine calendar)

Symbol of Jerusalem

Palm Sunday procession (Dutch print, 17th century).

When the ground-floor arches were built in the 1680s, they made the nine churches look like one building. Before this, people saw it as nine separate churches on a shared base. It was a symbol of the Orthodox Heavenly City. From a distance, the separate churches looked like towers of a distant fortress. This idea was strengthened by real religious ceremonies. In these, the church played the role of the biblical Temple in Jerusalem:

The capital city, Moscow, is split into three parts; the first of them, called Kitai-gorod, is encircled with a solid thick wall. It contains an extraordinary beautiful church, all clad in shiny bright gems, called Jerusalem. It is the destination of an annual Palm Sunday walk, when the Grand Prince must lead a donkey carrying the Patriarch, from the Church of Virgin Mary to the church of Jerusalem which stands next to the citadel walls. Here is where the most illustrious princely, noble and merchant families live. Here is, also, the main muscovite marketplace: the trading square is built as a brick rectangle, with twenty lanes on each side where the merchants have their shops and cellars ...

— Peter Petreius,  History of the Great Duchy of Moscow, 1620

The last "donkey walk" ceremony happened in 1693. All religious processions during that time started from the Dormition Church. They passed through St. Frol's (Saviour's) Gate and ended at Trinity Cathedral. For these events, the Kremlin itself became an open-air temple.

A City Center

Intercession Cathedral looms over the streets of Zaryadye (1802).

Many people think the Kremlin is the center of Moscow. But the actual center of the city's main ring road is outside the Kremlin walls, right where the cathedral stands.

In the 1960s, Gennady Mokeev suggested a different idea of how Moscow grew. He believed medieval Moscow grew mainly northeast. The main road from the Kremlin went through St. Frol's Gate. It then split into two main streets, forming the central market square.

Tsar Ivan's decision to build the church near St. Frol's Gate made this eastern area very important. It created a key point between the Kremlin and the Kitai-gorod area. The cathedral was the main church for the common people. It was also seen as a part of the Kremlin reaching out to the public. It was next to Lobnoye mesto, a platform where the Tsar made public announcements.

Replicas

A smaller copy of Saint Basil's Cathedral has been built in Jalainur, Inner Mongolia. This is near China's border with Russia. The building there houses a science museum.

See also

In Spanish: Catedral de San Basilio para niños