Saint Basil's Cathedral on red. Intercession Cathedral on the Moat (St. Basil's Cathedral)

1. Why was the Intercession Cathedral built on Red Square
2. Who built the Intercession Cathedral on Red Square
3. Postnik and Barma
4.Architecture of the Intercession Cathedral on Red Square
5. Why is the Intercession Cathedral on Red Square called St. Basil's Cathedral
6. Basil the Blessed
7.Cultural layer at the Pokrovsky Cathedral on Red Square
8. Bell tower and bells
9.Additional information about bells and ringing
10. Intercession Cathedral on Red Square. Facade icons
11. Heads of the Intercession Cathedral

Cathedral of the Intercession Holy Mother of God, which is on the Moat or, as it is more often called, is a unique monument of ancient Russian architecture. For a long time, it has served as a symbol not only of Moscow, but of the entire Russian state. Since 1923, the cathedral has been a branch of the Historical Museum. It was taken under state protection in 1918, and services in it ceased in 1928. However, in the 1990s of the last century, divine services resumed and are held every week in St. Basil's Church, in other churches of the cathedral - on patronal feasts. Services are held on Saturdays and Sundays. Sunday services are held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Sundays and on religious holidays, excursions to St. Basil's Church are not conducted.

Why was the Intercession Cathedral built on Red Square

The cathedral was erected in honor of the conquest of the Kazan Khanate. The victory over Kazan was perceived at that time as the final victory over the Golden Horde. Going on a Kazan campaign, Ivan the Terrible made a vow: in case of victory, to build a temple in her honor. The construction of temples in honor of the most important events and military victories was an old Russian tradition. At that time, sculptural monuments, columns, obelisks were unknown in Russia. However, commemorative temples have been erected since ancient times in honor of important state events: the birth of an heir to the throne or a military victory. The victory over Kazan was marked by the construction of a memorial church, consecrated in the name of the Intercession. On October 1, 1552, a decisive assault on Kazan began. This event coincided with the celebration of a great church holiday - the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. The central church of the cathedral was consecrated in the name of the Intercession of the Virgin, which gave the name to the entire cathedral. The first and main consecration of the temple is the votive church. His second dedication is the capture of Kazan.

Who built the Intercession Cathedral on Red Square

The construction of the memorial church was blessed by Metropolitan Macarius. Perhaps he is the author of the idea of ​​the temple, because Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible at that time was still very young. But it is categorically impossible to assert this, since very few written sources have come down to us.

In Russia, it often happened that, having erected a temple, they wrote down the name of the temple builder (king, metropolitan, noble person) in the annals, and forgot the names of the builders. For a long time it was believed that the Intercession Cathedral was erected by the Italians. But at the end of the 19th century, a chronicle was discovered, from which the true names of the builders of the cathedral became known. The chronicle reads as follows: “Pious Tsar John, having come from the victory of Kazan to the reigning city of Moscow, soon put stone churches near the Frolovsky Gate above the moat(Frolovsky - now the Spassky Gate) and then God gave him two masters of Russian advertising(i.e. by name) Fasting and Barma and higher wisdom and more convenient for such a wonderful deed ".

Postnik and Barma

The names of the architects Postnik and Barma appear in the sources telling about the cathedral only at the end of the 19th century. The oldest source that tells about the Church of the Intercession on the Moat is the Degree Book of the Royal Genealogy, written under the guidance of Metropolitan Athanasius in 1560-63. It tells about the votive construction of the Intercession Cathedral. No less important is the Front Chronicle. It tells about the laying of the cathedral, its construction and consecration. The most important, most detailed historical source is the life of Metropolitan Jonah. The life was created in the 1560-1580s. This is the only source where the names of Postnik and Barma are mentioned.
So, the official version for today sounds like this:
Church of the Intercession, which was erected on the Moat by Russian architects Barma and Postnik. According to the unofficial version, this cathedral was built by foreigners, and of unknown origin. If the Italians were mentioned earlier, now this version is highly questioned. Without a doubt, when starting the construction of the cathedral, Ivan the Terrible called on experienced architects. In the 16th century, many foreigners worked in Moscow. Perhaps Barma and Postnik studied with the same Italian masters.

Intercession Cathedral on Red Square. Architecture

Intercession Cathedral is not one huge church, as it might seem at first glance, but several completely independent churches. It consists of nine temples on a single foundation.

Heads of the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin, which is on the moat

A tented church rises in the center. Tent temples in Russia are considered to be those that have not vaulted, but pyramidal completion. Around the central hipped church there are eight small churches with large beautiful domes.

It was from this cathedral that the ensemble of Red Square began to take shape, to which we are accustomed now. Completions Kremlin towers were built on in the 17th century, they were built on with an eye to the Pokrovsky Cathedral. The tent on the Tsarskaya tower-gazebo to the left of the Spasskaya Tower repeats the hipped porch of the cathedral.

Southern porch of the Intercession Cathedral with a tent
The Tsarskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is located opposite the Pokrovsky Cathedral

Eight churches surround the central hipped temple. Four churches are large and four are small.

Church of the Holy Trinity - Eastern. Church of Alexander Svirsky - southeast. Church of St. Nikola Velikoretsky - southern .. Church of Varlaam Khutynsky - southwestern. Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem - Western. Church of St. Gregory of Armenia - northwestern. Church of Cyprian and Justina - north.
St. Basil's Church, behind it - the Church of the Three Patriarchs of Constantinople - northeast.

Four large churches are oriented to the cardinal points. The northern temple overlooks Red Square, the southern one overlooks the Moskva River, the western one overlooks the Kremlin. Most of the churches were devoted to church holidays, the days of celebration of which fell on the most important events Kazan campaign.
The service in eight side churches was only once a year - on the day of the patronal feast. In the central church, they served from Trinity Day until its patronal feast - October 1.
Since the Kazan campaign fell on summer time, then all church holidays also fell on the summer. All churches of the Intercession Cathedral were built as summer, cold. In winter, they were not heated and services were not conducted in them.

Today the cathedral has the appearance that it had in the XVI-XVII centuries.
Initially, the cathedral was surrounded by an open gallery. Around all eight churches on the second floor there is a belt of windows.

In ancient times, the gallery was open, there were no ceilings above it, open staircases led upstairs. Ceilings and porches above the stairs were erected later. The cathedral looked and was perceived completely differently than we perceive it today. If now it seems like a huge multi-domed church of an incomprehensible design, then in ancient times this feeling did not arise. It could be seen that on an elegant light foundation there were nine churches looking up.

Height at that time was associated with beauty. It was believed that the higher the temple, the more beautiful it is. Height was a symbol of greatness, and in those days the Intercession Cathedral was visible 15 miles from Moscow. Until 1600, when the bell tower of Ivan the Great was built in the Kremlin, the cathedral was the tallest building in the city, and indeed in all of Muscovy. Up until the beginning of the 17th century, it served as a town-planning dominant, i.e. most high point Moscow.
All churches of the cathedral ensemble are united by two bypass galleries: external and internal. Overlappings over the open space and porches were made in the 17th century, because in our conditions it turned out to be an unaffordable luxury to have open galleries and porches. In the 19th century, the gallery was glazed.
In the same 17th century, a hipped bell tower was built on the site of the belfry to the southeast of the temple.

The hipped bell tower of the Pokrovsky Cathedral

The outer walls of the cathedral are restored about once every 20 years, and the interiors - once every 10 years. Icons are inspected every year, since our climate is harsh and icons are not immune from swelling and other damage to the paint layer.

Why is the Intercession Cathedral on Red Square called St. Basil's Cathedral

Recall that the cathedral consists of nine churches on a single foundation. However, ten multi-colored domes rise above the temple, not counting the bulb above the bell tower. The tenth green dome with red spikes is below the level of the domes of all other churches and crowns the northeast corner of the temple.

Head of Saint Basil's Church

This church was added to the cathedral after construction was completed. She was erected over the grave of a very famous and revered holy fool of that time, St. Basil the Blessed.

Basil the Blessed

This man was a contemporary of Ivan the Terrible, he lived in Moscow, there were many legends about him. (The miracles of St. Basil are described in the article) From the current point of view, the holy fool is something like a madman, which, in fact, is absolutely wrong. In the Middle Ages in Russia, foolishness was one of the forms of asceticism. Basil the Blessed was not a holy fool from birth, he is a holy fool for Christ's sake, who became one quite consciously. At the age of 16, he decided to devote his life to God. It was possible to serve the Lord in different ways: go to a monastery, become a hermit, and Vasily decided to become a holy fool. Moreover, he chose the feat of a hunter, i.e. he went without clothes both in winter and summer, lived on the street, on the porch, ate alms and spoke incomprehensible speeches. But Vasily was not crazy, and if he wanted to be understood, he spoke intelligibly and people understood him.

Despite such harsh living conditions, St. Basil the Blessed lived a very long life even in modern times and lived to be 88 years old. They buried him next to the cathedral. Burial near the temple was commonplace. At that time, according to Orthodox tradition Each temple had a cemetery. In Russia, holy fools have always been revered both during their lifetime and after death, and they were buried closer to the church.

After the death of Basil the Blessed, he was canonized as a saint. As a saint, a church was erected over his grave in 1588. It so happened that this church turned out to be the only winter one in the whole cathedral, i.e. only in this temple there were services every day all year round. Therefore, the name of this small church, built almost 30 years later than the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat itself, was transferred to the entire Intercession Cathedral. It began to be called St. Basil's Cathedral.

Cultural layer at the Pokrovsky Cathedral on Red Square

An interesting detail can be seen from the eastern side of the temple. There grows rowan in ... a pot.

They planted a tree, as expected, in the ground, and not in a pot. Over the years, a cultural layer of considerable thickness has formed around the cathedral. Intercession Cathedral, as it were, "rooted into the ground." In 2005, it was decided to return the temple to its original proportions. For this, the “extra” soil was removed and taken out. And by that time, mountain ash had already been growing here for more than a dozen years. In order not to destroy the tree, a wooden case was made around it.

Belfry and bells

Since 1990, the cathedral has been in the joint use of the state and the Russian Orthodox Church. The building of the Intercession Cathedral belongs to the state, since its funding comes from the state budget.

The bell tower of the temple was built on the site of the dismantled belfry.

The cathedral bell tower is active. Museum staff call themselves, they were trained by one of the leading bell ringers in Russia, Konovalov. Museum workers themselves provide support church service bell ringing. Ringing the bells must be a specialist. Museum workers do not trust the collection of bells of the Intercession Cathedral to anyone.

Fragment of the bell tower of the Intercession Cathedral

A person who does not know how to ring, even a fragile woman, can send the tongue incorrectly and split the bell.

More information about bells and chimes

The ancient cathedral belfry was three-tiered, three-span and three-roofed. Bells hung in each span on each tier. There were several ringers and they were all downstairs. The ringing system was ochepnaya or ochepnaya. The bell was tightly fastened to the beam and they rang it, swinging not the tongue, but the bell itself.

The bells of the Intercession Cathedral were not undermined to a certain sound, they had only three main tones - one tone at the bottom of the skirt, the second - in the middle of the skirt, the third - at the top, and there were also dozens of overtones. It is simply impossible to play a melody on Russian bells. Our ringing is rhythmic, not melodic.

For the training of bell ringers, there were characteristic rhythmic chants. For Moscow: "All monks are thieves, all monks are thieves, and the abbot is a rogue, and the abbot is a rogue." For Arkhangelsk: "Why tres-ka, why tres-ka, two kopecks and a half, two kopecks and a half." In Suzdal: "They baked with golyaks, they baked with golyaks." Each locality had its own rhythm.

Until recently, the heaviest bell in Russia was the Rostov bell "Sysoy" weighing 2000 pounds. In 2000, the "Big Assumption" bell spoke in the Moscow Kremlin. It has its own history, each sovereign cast his own Great Assumption, often pouring over the one that existed before him. Modern weighs 4000 pounds.

When the bells ring in the Kremlin, both the bell tower and the belfry ring. Ringers are at different levels and do not hear each other. On the steps of the Assumption Cathedral stands the main bell-ringer of all Russia and claps his hands. All the ringers see him, he beats the rhythm to them, as if conducting the bells.
Listening to Russian bells for foreigners was a martyr's torment. Our ringing was not always rhythmic, often chaotic, the bell ringers did not fall well into the rhythm. Foreigners suffered from this - they called everywhere, their heads were splitting from an unrhythmic cacophonous ringing. Foreigners liked the western ringing more, when the bell itself was swayed.

Intercession Cathedral on Red Square. Facade icons

On the eastern outer wall Intercession Cathedral is the facade icon of the Mother of God. This is the very first facade icon that appeared here in the 17th century. Unfortunately, almost nothing remains of the 17th-century letter due to fires and multiple renovations. The icon is called the Intercession with the upcoming Basil and John the Blessed. It is written on the wall of the temple.

Intercession Cathedral belongs to the Mother of God churches. All the local facade icons were painted especially for this cathedral. The icon, which had been on the south side of the bell tower since the moment of its writing, fell into a terrible state by the end of the 20th century. The south side is most exposed to the damaging effects of the sun, rain, wind and temperature changes. In the 90s, the image was removed for restoration and restored with great difficulty.
After the restoration work, the salary of the icon did not fit in its original place. Instead of a salary, they made a protective box and hung the icon in its original place. But due to the large temperature fluctuations characteristic of our climate, the icon began to collapse again. After 10 years, it had to be restored again. Now the icon is in the Church of the Intercession. And for the south side of the bell tower they wrote a copy right on the wall.

Icon on the bell tower of the Intercession Cathedral

The copy was consecrated when the 450th anniversary of the cathedral was celebrated, on Intercession Day in 2012.

Domes of the Intercession Cathedral

The tops of churches that we call domes are actually called heads. The dome is the roof of the church. It can be seen from inside the temple. Above the domed vault there is a crate on which the metal sheathing is fixed.

According to one version, in the old days at the Intercession Cathedral the domes were not onion-shaped, as they are now, but helmet-shaped. Other researchers argue that on such thin drums as those of St. Basil's Cathedral, helmet-shaped domes could not have been. Therefore, based on the architecture of the cathedral, the domes were onion, although this is not known for certain. But it is absolutely certain that the chapters were originally smooth and monochrome. In the 17th century, they were briefly painted in different colors.

The heads were covered with iron, painted blue or green colors. Such iron, if there were no fires, withstood 10 years. Green or blue paints were obtained on the basis of copper oxides. If the heads were covered with German tinned iron, then they could be silvery. German iron lived for 20 years, but no more.

In the 17th century, in the life of Metropolitan Jonah, “figured domes of various designs” are mentioned. However, they were all monochrome. They have become variegated since the 19th century, maybe a little earlier, but there is no confirmation of this. Why are the chapters multi-colored and different shapes, according to what principle they were painted, now no one can say, this is one of the mysteries of the cathedral.

In the 60s of the 20th century, during a large-scale restoration, they wanted to return the cathedral to its original appearance and make the domes monochrome, but the Kremlin officials ordered that they be left in color. The cathedral is recognizable, first of all, by its polychrome domes.

During the war, Red Square was guarded by a continuous field of balloons to protect it from bombing. When anti-aircraft shells exploded, the fragments, falling down, spoiled the skin of the heads. Damaged chapters were immediately repaired, because if you leave holes, then strong wind could completely “undress” the dome in 20 minutes.

In 1969, the domes were covered with copper. 32 tons of sheet copper 1 mm thick went to the heads. During a recent restoration, the domes were found to be in perfect condition. They just had to be repainted. The central dome on the Church of the Intercession has always been gilded.

Each chapter, even the central one, can be entered. A special staircase leads to the central chapter. The side chapters can be entered through external hatches. Between the ceiling and the crate there is a space as high as a person, where you can walk freely.
Differences in the sizes and colors of the domes, the principles of their decoration are not yet amenable to historical analysis.

We will continue our acquaintance with the Intercession Cathedral inside the temple,.





The article is based on the materials of a lecture given by a methodologist of the State Historical Museum in February 2014.

One of the most significant sights of Russia is St. Basil's Cathedral (Pokrovsky Cathedral), which is an invariable symbol of Moscow for many inhabitants of our planet.

Proudly rises on Red Square St. Basil's Cathedral, until the 17th century it was called Trinity, because the first wooden church on this site was built in honor of the Holy Trinity

Today, the Intercession Cathedral (its second name) houses a branch of the State Historical Museum, and the building itself is part of the objects world heritage UNESCO

In 1931, the famous bronze monument to Minin and Pozharsky was erected in front of the temple.

Unlike many European cathedrals that took centuries to build, St. Basil's Cathedral was built in just 5 years. Construction lasted from 1555 to 1560. The initiative belonged to Ivan the Terrible, who decided to perpetuate the memory of the capture of Kazan and the victory over the Kazan Khanate by building a temple

According to one legend, after the construction of the magnificent building of the cathedral was completed, its architects were deprived of their sight so that they would never repeat their achievement. But this is just a legend, and there is no historical evidence for this. except that the cathedral is actually unique

Initially, the Intercession Cathedral was decorated with 25 domes, denoting the Lord and 24 elders at his throne, but today there are only 10 of them: one above the bell tower, and the other nine - each above his throne

Thus, the cathedral consists of 8 churches, each of which was consecrated in honor of the holidays that fell on the days of the key battles for Kazan. These 8 temples are crowned with onion domes, surrounding the main pillar-shaped Church of the Intercession towering above them. Mother of God topped with a tent with a small cupola. All 9 temples have a common gallery and base

The current name - St. Basil's Cathedral - appeared after an extension in 1588 in honor of St. Basil the Blessed, whose relics were at the construction site. Nearby is the chapel of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where the relics of St. John the Blessed have been buried since 1672.

The hipped bell tower was erected in the 1670s

The cathedral was rebuilt many times, for example, until the 17th century, all its domes were golden, and the cathedral itself was white, at the same time asymmetric outbuildings and tents over the porches were added to it

In the central Church of the Intercession there is an iconostasis from the Church of the Chernihiv Wonderworkers dismantled in 1770

The last rector of the cathedral was Archpriest John Vostorgov, who was shot on August 23, 1919, after which the cathedral was taken over by the renovationist community

In 1929, all churches were closed en masse. The Intercession Cathedral was no exception - the shrine was closed, the domes were removed, and only six decades later, on October 14, 1991, on the feast of the Intercession, the cathedral was not reopened for worship

After the opening of the cathedral, its museum resumed replenishing its collection of bells, and those 19 bells that are collected in its exposition are one of the richest collections in Russia. The bells were brought from all over the world, the oldest of them was cast back in 1547, and the last one - in 1996. The cathedral also exhibits an interesting collection of weapons from the time of Ivan the Terrible.

In the old days, St. Basil's Cathedral was more beautiful and elegant than now: with more complex painting, and the temple tent was girded with small onions that did not survive to us, and the central dome had the same complex relief shape as the side domes

The height of the Cathedral is 65 meters. Compared to the tallest cathedrals in the world, this is not an achievement, but in terms of beauty and uniqueness it is not inferior to any of them, besides being one of the largest cathedrals in terms of volume.

In St. Petersburg there is a temple that is somewhat reminiscent of the Moscow Cathedral, and it is not surprising - the St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow was the prototype of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg

It is surprising that such a handsome cathedral in the very heart of Moscow has been preserved at all. There are many legends about this. For example, the story of how Kaganovich showed Stalin a model of the reconstructed Red Square, and for the convenience of holding demonstrations, he removed the model of St. Basil's Cathedral from the square, thus clearing the extra space. Stalin, in response to this, objected: "Lazar, return to the place!".

• The Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Basil the Blessed (XVI century) is a symbol of Russian church architecture that time.
• AT Soviet time there was a museum here, services resumed in 1991. Now held every week.
• Architect, who built St. Basil's Cathedral, was called Barma Postnik.
• The magnificently decorated church was a thanksgiving to the Almighty for an outstanding military success - capture of Kazan.
• The cathedral is made up of nine separate churches, which are located on the same foundation and are connected by two galleries.
• The relics of St. Basil the Blessed, the holy fool who lived in Moscow in the 16th century, are buried in the temple.

The narrow galleries between the churches also have decoration: in the 17th century. they were painted with floral ornaments, and a little later - with narrative frescoes. Particular attention should be paid to the basement, which used to be a treasury. Its space is covered with complex box vaults. In addition, a collection of icons is exhibited in the basement, as well as silver utensils, samples of weapons and a beautiful cover on St. Basil's shrine, embroidered in the 16th century.

St. Basil the Blessed and shrines of the cathedral

Saint Basil the Blessed, whose relics are buried in the Cathedral, lived in Moscow in the 16th century. and was a holy fool - a religious ascetic who rejected worldly blessings. His life says that he walked around without clothes all year round, slept on the street and observed a strict fast. According to legend, he performed many miracles and possessed the gift of providence: Ivan the Terrible himself was afraid of his speeches. The saint was greatly revered, and his memory has survived to this day. The church also houses the tomb of Blessed John of Moscow.

The temple has many different names. Of these, the most famous are:

St. Basil's Cathedral, Pokrovsky Cathedral, Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God on the Moat, Intercession Church, Trinity Church.

Until the 17th century, the Intercession Church was most often called the Trinity Church, because originally the Trinity wooden church on the moat stood on this site - dated to the middle of the 16th century. In fact, he stood on a hill - next to the moat that surrounded the medieval Kremlin and was filled up in the 19th century.

It was built by order of Ivan the Terrible, in honor of the victory of the Russian army over the Kazan Khanate. (then the khanate was part of the Golden Horde)

By the way, many historians claim that Ivan the Terrible was a merciless and evil tyrant. Can a tyrant give an order to build a cathedral, expressing his gratitude to heavenly patrons? I don’t want to argue and draw attention ... We still won’t know the truth. But I believe more that Ivan was an adequate uncle, and he created more.

Why the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God

Everything is very logical. All historical references they refer to the day when the Russian army successfully stormed the walls of Kazan. Everywhere appears the exact date of October 1, 1552, on this day in Russia the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God was celebrated. It didn't take long to think about the name.

Why St. Basil's Cathedral

And here everything is very logical and simple - in honor of St. Basil the Blessed. But few people are “familiar” with the personality of the latter. And in general, why Blessed, why Holy Fool (not to be confused with ugly).

So: in the old days, eccentrics who rejected worldly values ​​were considered holy fools. An ascetic way of life and a bit of madness are the main features in all holy fools. And one of the synonyms for "holy fool" was the word - "blessed". In Old Slavonic, those who did good, good deeds were considered blessed, and in a broad sense, blessed is anyone who sees God in heaven. For me, a happy person is blessed. And in Christianity, the blessed is a special face of saints.

Basil the Blessed is an interesting story.

Saint Blessed Basil, the Moscow miracle worker, was born in December 1468 on the porch of the Elokhov Church near Moscow. His parents were simple and sent their son to shoemaking as an apprenticeship. During the teachings of the Blessed, his master had to witness one amazing chance when he realized that his student was not like everyone else.

One merchant brought bread to Moscow on barges and went into the workshop to order boots, asking them to make them such that he would not wear them out for a year. Blessed Basil shed a tear: “We will sew for you such that you will not wear them out.” The merchant did not attach any importance to the eccentric's tears, paid and left. The master immediately asked the disciple why he was crying. Then the student explained that the customer would not wear boots, as he would soon die. A few days later, the prophecy came true.

At the age of 16, the saint came to Moscow and began the thorny feat of foolishness. Into the scorching summer heat and in the bitter bitter cold he walked naked and barefoot through the streets of Moscow. His actions were strange: he would overturn a tray with rolls, then he would spill a jug of kvass. Angry merchants beat the Blessed One, but he gladly accepted the beatings and thanked God for them. And then it turned out that kalachi were poorly baked, and kvass was completely unusable. The veneration of Blessed Basil grew rapidly: he was recognized as a holy fool, a man of God, a denouncer of untruth.

Grafov Vitaly Yuryevich Moscow Wonderworker Blessed Vasily

Here is another case.

Once, one merchant decided to build a stone church on Pokrovka in Moscow, but three times its vaults collapsed. The merchant turned to the Blessed for advice, and he sent him to Kyiv: "Find poor John there, he will give you advice on how to complete the church." Arriving in Kyiv, the merchant found John, who was sitting in a poor hut and rocking an empty cradle. "Who are you rocking?" the merchant asked. "My dear mother, I pay an unrequited debt for the birth and upbringing." It was only then that the merchant remembered his mother, whom he had driven out of the house, and it became clear to him why he could not finish building the church. Returning to Moscow, he returned his mother home, asked her forgiveness and completed the construction of the church.

Preaching mercy, the Blessed One helped first of all those who were ashamed to ask for alms, but meanwhile needed help more than others. There was a case that he gave rich royal gifts to a foreign merchant who was left without anything and, although he had not eaten anything for three days, could not ask for help, as he wore good clothes.

The Blessed One severely condemned those who gave alms for selfish purposes, not out of compassion for poverty and misfortune, but hoping in an easy way to attract God's blessing to their deeds.

For the sake of saving his neighbors, Blessed Basil also visited taverns, where he tried to see a grain of goodness even in the most degraded people, to strengthen them with affection, to encourage. Many noticed that when the Blessed One passed by a house in which they were madly having fun and drinking, he hugged the corners of that house with tears. The holy fool was asked what this meant, and he answered:

“Sorrowful angels stand by the house and lament over the sins of people, and I begged them with tears to pray to the Lord for the conversion of sinners.”

In 1547 he predicted the great fire of Moscow; with a prayer he extinguished the fire in Novgorod; once he reproached Tsar Ivan the Terrible for having been busy thinking about building a palace on the Sparrow Hills during the divine service.

He constantly denounced lies and hypocrisy. Contemporaries noted that this was almost the only person whom Tsar Ivan the Terrible was afraid of. Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible honored and feared the Blessed One, "like a seer of human hearts and thoughts." When, shortly before his death, Vasily fell into a serious illness, the tsar himself visited him with Tsarina Anastasia.

Basil's relics

Basil the Blessed died on August 2, 1552 (sometimes 1551 is also mentioned). Ivan the Terrible and the boyars carried his coffin, and Metropolitan Macarius performed the burial.

In the description of the appearance of the saint, characteristic details were preserved: “all naked, with a staff in his hand.” veneration blessed basil has always been so strong that the Trinity Church and the attached Church of the Intercession are still called St. Basil's Cathedral.

Main dates

In 1552 on Red Square near the protective moat, in the place where the wooden Trinity Church previously stood, and the most revered Russian holy fool, St. Basil the Blessed, was buried, the construction of a new stone church began.

In 1588 at the behest of Tsar Fedor Ioannovich ( Grand Duke Moskovsky, the third son of Ivan the Terrible) in the Intercession Church, a chapel of St. Basil the Blessed was arranged, where his relics were placed in a silver cancer, and the cathedral was often called St. Basil's Cathedral.

Karl Ivanovich Rabus.

Another version is a legend

Church of the Intercession built in 1555-1561 by Russian architects Barma and Postnik Yakovlev (or perhaps it was one master - Ivan Yakovlevich Barma).

There is a legend that, having seen the temple, Ivan the Terrible ordered the craftsmen to be blinded so that they could not build such a miracle anywhere else. As if to the king’s question whether the master could build another equally beautiful temple or even better, he answered with a challenge: “I can!” and angered the king. "You are lying!" cried the Terrible and ordered to deprive both eyes so that this temple would remain the only one.

Popular rumor spread the rumor that Ivan the Terrible supposedly built this temple in honor of his father, Grand Duke Vasily III: “The people will remember me without churches for a thousand years, but I want my parent to be remembered.” That is why the temple is supposedly called St. Basil the Blessed.

The uniqueness of the architectural composition of the cathedral and its symbolism.

The idea of ​​the Intercession Cathedral is based on the apocalyptic symbolism of Heavenly Jerusalem. Eight domes, located around the central ninth tent, in plan form a geometric figure of two squares, combined at an angle of 45 degrees, in which it is easy to see an eight-pointed star.

The number 8 symbolizes the day of the Resurrection of Christ, which, according to the Hebrew calendar account, was the eighth day, and the coming Kingdom of Heaven - the Kingdom of the "eighth century" (or "eighth kingdom"), which will come after the Second Coming of Christ - after the end of earthly history associated with the apocalyptic number 7.

The square expresses the firmness and constancy of faith and is a cosmic symbol of the Universe: its four equal sides mean the four cardinal points, the four winds of the Universe, the four ends of the cross, the four canonical Gospels, the four evangelist apostles, the four equilateral walls of Heavenly Jerusalem. The combined squares symbolize the preaching of the Gospels to the four corners of the world, that is, to the whole world.

Photo: Slava Stepanov

The eight-pointed star is a reminder of Star of Bethlehem, who showed the magi the way to the baby Christ, the Savior of the world, - symbolizes the whole Christian Church as a guiding star in a person's life to Heavenly Jerusalem.

The eight-pointed star is also a symbol of the Most Holy Theotokos - the Lady of the Church and the Queen of Heaven: in Orthodox iconography The Mother of God is depicted in a maphoria (veil) with three eight-pointed stars on her shoulders and forehead as a sign of Her Eternal Virginity - before, during and after the Nativity of Christ.

The throne in honor of the Intercession of the Virgin is located in the central tent temple, which unites the rest of the chapters, as if gathering them around itself. This symbolizes the primacy, patronage and intercession of the Mother of God over the Church of Christ and over the entire Russian land. The tent in Russian temple building symbolizes a canopy (canopy), which from ancient times was erected over a sacred place as a sign of its God-protection and holiness.

Tallest building in Moscow

Intercession Cathedral on Red Square became the tallest building in Moscow (its height is 60 meters) and remained so until the end of the 16th century, when the 81-meter-high bell tower of the Church of John Lestvinchik was built under Boris Godunov.

With all its outward majestic splendor, the Intercession Cathedral inside has a rather modest size. During the service, a very small number of people could fit inside, so during major church holidays, Moscow residents and clergy gathered on Red Square.

In 1737 During a grandiose fire, St. Basil's Cathedral was badly damaged and had to be restored. When wooden churches were removed from Red Square to prevent fires, fifteen thrones of the demolished wooden churches were transferred under its vaults, and the throne in the name of the three patriarchs of Constantinople was renamed in the name of John the Merciful. The throne of Cyprian and Ustinia was also renamed, it began to bear the name of Saints Adrian and Natalia. In total at that time the cathedral had 11 chapels.

In the second half of the 18th century, during the reign of Catherine II, the Intercession Cathedral was reconstructed again. 16 small domes around the main towers were demolished, and the hipped bell tower was connected to the building of the cathedral itself. It was then that the cathedral became so colorful, as we know it now.

Another legend tells that Napoleon, during the days of the occupation of Moscow by his troops, wished to transport the building of the temple to Paris, and when it turned out that it was technically impossible to do this, he ordered the cathedral to be blown up along with the Kremlin. And then, when the fuses of the explosives were already lit, it was as if rain had come and extinguished them.

The years of the Great October Revolution brought many trials to the temple.

In September 1918 Archpriest John Vostorgov, rector of the cathedral, was shot. And the property of the temple was confiscated. The bells were removed and sent for melting down, the temple itself was closed, but not destroyed.

In the thirties of the 20th century Kaganovich, who was involved in drawing up a plan for the general reconstruction of Moscow in the spirit of the "proletarian capital", made a proposal to demolish the Pokrovsky Cathedral. To make room for parades and demonstrations, which were held on a fairly compact Red Square. And here it is worth telling about another legend.

They say that when Kaganovich made a model of Red Square with a removable Model of the Intercession Cathedral and brought it to Stalin, he began to show how the columns move along Red Square and how the cathedral interferes with them. “And if it were - r-time! ..” - saying this, he removed the temple from the square with one movement. Stalin looked, thought, and leisurely uttered the famous phrase: “Lazar! Put it in its place!”

One way or another, the temple survived. The architect P.D. Baranovsky is a true ascetic and enthusiast for the preservation of Russian culture. He was ordered to prepare the temple for demolition, but he categorically refused to do this, after which he sent a rather sharp telegram upward. What really happened after that is unknown, but Stalin canceled the demolition of the temple, and Baranovsky received several years in prison.

Photo: Slava Stepanov

Back in 1929, the Pokrovsky Cathedral began to be used as a branch of the State Historical Museum, and you can visit it now. The exposition contains samples of cold and firearms, armor of the 16th-17th centuries, in the church towers you can see a collection of ancient Russian icons of the 15th-17th centuries, artistic sewing, fabric samples, metal crafts. In the 70s, another reconstruction of the temple was carried out, during which a spiral staircase was discovered in one of the walls, through which the current visitors of the museum get to the central temple.

From myself I will add that to be in Moscow and not come to the walls of the Temple, this is ignorance in its purest form. Despite the abundance of ubiquitous tourists, it is worth a lot to stand at the majestic walls, think about the meaning of life, enjoy the stunning architecture, which has no analogues in the world (remember the above-mentioned legend).

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Basil's Cathedral in Moscow on Red Square - main temple capitals of Russia. Therefore, for many inhabitants of the planet, it is a symbol of Russia, just like the Eiffel Tower for France or the Statue of Liberty for America. Currently, the temple is a branch of the State Historical Museum. Since 1990, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Russia.

From the history of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow on Red Square

On October 1, 1552, on the feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God, the assault on Kazan began, which ended in the victory of the Russian soldiers. In honor of this victory, by decree of Ivan the Terrible, the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, now known as St. Basil's Cathedral, was founded.

Previously, on the site of the temple there was a church in the name of the Trinity. According to legend, in the crowd among the walkers one could often see the holy fool Basil the Blessed, who left home in his youth and wandered around the capital. He was known for having the gift of healing and clairvoyance and raising money for a new Church of the Intercession. Before his death, he gave the collected money to Ivan the Terrible. The holy fool was buried at the Trinity Church. When the Intercession Church was built, his grave was at the very wall of the temple. Later, 30 years later, at the direction of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, a new chapel was built, consecrated in honor of St. Basil the Blessed. Since then, the temple began to be called by the same name. In the old days, the Intercession Cathedral was red and white, and the domes were golden. There were 25 domes: 9 main and 16 small, located around the central tent, aisles and the bell tower. The central dome had the same complex shape as the side domes. The painting of the walls of the temple was more complex.

There were very few people inside the temple. Therefore, during the holidays, divine services were held on Red Square. Intercession Cathedral served as an altar. The ministers of the church went out to the place of execution, and the sky served as a dome. The temple has a height of 65 meters. Before the construction of the Ivanovskaya bell tower in the Kremlin, it was the highest in Moscow. After a fire in 1737, the temple was restored, and in the second half of the 18th century, 16 small domes around the towers were removed, and the bell tower was connected to the temple, which became multi-colored.

During its history, the temple was on the verge of destruction several times. According to legend, Napoleon kept his horses in the temple and wanted to transfer the building to Paris. But at the time it was impossible to do so. Then he decided to blow up the temple. The sudden pouring rain extinguished the lit fuses and saved the structure. After the revolution, the temple was closed, the bells were melted down, and its rector, Archpriest John Vostorgov, was shot. Lazar Koganovich proposed to demolish the building in order to open car traffic and hold demonstrations. Only the courage and perseverance of the architect P.D. Baranovsky saved the temple. Stalin's famous phrase "Lazar, put it in its place!" and the demolition decision was reversed.

How many domes on St. Basil's Cathedral

The temple was built in 1552-1554. at a time when there was a war with the Golden Horde for the conquest of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms. After each victory, a wooden church was built in honor of the saint whose feast day was celebrated on that day. Also, some temples were built in honor of significant events. By the end of the war, there were 8 churches on one site. Saint Macarius Metropolitan of Moscow advised the tsar to build one temple in stone with a common foundation. In 1555-1561. architects Barma and Yakovlev built eight temples on the same foundation: four of them are axial and four are smaller between them. All of them are different in architectural decoration and have onion domes, decorated with cornices, kokoshniks, windows, niches. In the center rises the ninth church with a small cupola in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God. In the 17th century, a bell tower with a hipped dome was built. Considering this dome, there are 10 domes on the temple.

• The northern church was consecrated in the name of Cyprian and Ustina, and later in the name of St. Andrian and Natalia.
• The eastern church is consecrated in the name of the Trinity. The southern church is in the name of Nikola Velikoretsky.
• The Western Church was consecrated in the name of the Entrance to Jerusalem in memory of the return of the troops of Ivan the Terrible to Moscow.
• The northeastern church was consecrated in the name of the Three Patriarchs of Alexandria.
• The southeastern church is in the name of Alexander Svirsky.
• The southwestern church is in the name of Varlaam Khutynsky.
• Northwestern - in the name of Gregory of Armenia.

Eight chapters, built around the central ninth, in plan form a figure consisting of two squares located at an angle of 45 degrees and representing an eight-pointed star. The number 8 symbolizes the day of the Resurrection of Christ, and the eight-pointed star is a symbol of the Most Holy Theotokos. The square means firmness and constancy of faith. Its four sides mean the four cardinal points and the four ends of the cross, the four evangelist apostles. The central temple unites the rest of the churches and symbolizes patronage over all of Russia.

Museum in St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow on Red Square

Now the temple is open as a museum. Its visitors can climb the spiral staircase and admire the iconostases, which contain icons from the 16th-19th centuries, and see the patterns of the inner gallery. The walls are decorated with oil paintings and frescoes from the 16th-19th centuries. The museum presents portrait and landscape painting, as well as church utensils of the 16th-19th centuries. There are opinions that it is necessary to preserve St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow, not just as a monument of extraordinary beauty, but also as an Orthodox shrine.