St. Basil's Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat |
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Собор Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы, что на Рву (Russian)
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Saint Basil's Cathedral as viewed from Red Square
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Russian Orthodox |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | State Historical Museum with occasional church services since 1991 |
| Year consecrated | 12 July 1561 |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Red Square, Moscow, Russia |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Barma and Postnik Yakovlev |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 1555 |
| Specifications | |
| Height (max) | 47.5 metres (156 ft) |
| Dome(s) | 10 |
| Dome height (inner) | ff |
| Spire(s) | 2 |
| Official name: Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 1990 |
| Reference no. | 545 |
| State Party | Russia |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Session | 14th |
| Website | |
St. Basil's Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Intercession, is a very famous cathedral in Moscow, Russia 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 1555-1560.
The cathedral is very magnificent. It has 8 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 should not be mistaken for the Moscow Kremlin.
The cathedral has escaped 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. However, his architect stood on the stairs and demanded that he leave the cathedral, or he would slit his own throat then and there. Miraculously, Stalin agreed. The city of Moscow also caught fire numerous times, and the cathedral wasn't spared. Even so, it still stands to this very day.
Images for kids
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Red Square, early 17th-century. Fragment from Blaeu Atlas. The structure with three roof tents in the foreground left is the originally detached belfry of the Trinity Church, not drawn to scale. Trinity Church stands behind it, slightly closer to the road starting at St. Frol's (later Saviour's ) Gate of the Kremlin. The horseshoe-shaped object near the road in the foreground is Lobnoye Mesto.
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Ascension Church in Kolomenskoye (far left), a probable influence on the cathedral, and the Dyakovo church (centre)
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Crowd on the Red Square in front of the St. Basil Cathedral
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Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in front of the cathedral in 1988.
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The small dome on the left marks the sanctuary of Basil the Blessed (1588).
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Colour scheme of the cathedral seen by night.
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Red Square before the great fire of 1812 (Fyodor Alekseyev, 1802)
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Postcard, early 20th century
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Saint Basil's Cathedral in 1910
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Trinity Cathedral under construction (Apollinary Vasnetsov, 1902)
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Palm Sunday procession (Dutch print, 17th century).
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Intercession Cathedral looms over the streets of Zaryadye (Fyodor Alekseyev, 1802).
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See also
In Spanish: Catedral de San Basilio para niños
