Moscow Must-Sees Getting There Moscow Now
An 850th anniversary and restorations at the Cathedral of St. Basil offer more than enough reason to visit Russia's premier city
September 10, 1997
Web posted at: 1:05 p.m. EDT (1305 GMT)MOSCOW (CNN) -- The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, one of Russia's most recognized symbols, has stood astride Red Square for more than 400 years, its 10 fanciful and brilliantly colored pillar-chapels an indispensable part of the Moscow skyline.
The city nearly lost St. Basil's twice -- Napoleon tried to burn it down, and Joseph Stalin wanted to demolish it to make way for military parades. Napoleon was unsuccessful, and Stalin's plans were halted, Muscovites say, when a famous architect threatened to slit his throat in protest on the cathedral steps.
The cathedral survived both incidents. Now, for the 850th anniversary of Moscow's founding -- celebrated the weekend of September 5 -- the chapel that gave St. Basil's its name has been carefully restored.
Humble beginnings
The unique cathedral had humble beginnings -- a series of small wooden churches marking Russia's defeat of the Tatars in the mid-16th century. For each major Russian victory, a church was built in honor of the saint on whose feast day the battle was won. After the final defeat, Moscow's Grand Prince Ivan IV, better known as Ivan the Terrible, ordered stone churches built to replace the eight wooden ones.
Master architects Barma and Posnik fulfilled the commission of Russia's first czar with flair -- they created eight onion-domed, multi-level chapels, surrounding a ninth, taller church.
The center chapel, with a tent-like roof, was dedicated to Feast of the Intercession of Our Lady (October 1), the day Russia overwhelmed the Tatar capital of Kazan -- and the entire complex was called the Cathedral of the Intercession.
A tenth chapel was added in 1588, over the grave of Basil the Blessed, a jester said to be one of the only people who dared to speak up to the infamous Ivan the Terrible. From that point on, the church was known as the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed.
Following the restoration, a screen of religious icons known as the Ikonstasis gleams with new paint, and ceilings and walls are alive again with intricate designs. And religious services have returned, after being forbidden in 1928.
Outside the cathedral, celebratory folk songs have marked the occasion. Restoring the church has touched a chord among Muscovites, who are reawakening to the beauty of their city. "The pride of our history," they call St. Basil's. "The most beautiful cathedral in the world."
The Muscovites may naturally be a bit biased, but the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed is a magnificent, unforgettable structure in a city marking 850 years of vivid memories.
CNN Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.
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