1. St Basils Cathedral is also called the Cathedral of St.
Vasily theBlessed, the Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy
Theotokos on theMoat, or Pokrovsky Cathedral . It was built from
1555 to 1561 on ordersfrom Ivan the Terrible and commemorates the
capture of Kazan andAstrakhan. St. Basils marks the geometric
center of Moscow. It has beenthe hub of the citys growth since the
14th century and was the citys tallestbuilding until the completion
of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600.The original building,
known as "Trinity Church" and later "TrinityCathedral", contained
eight side churches arranged around theninth, central church of
Intercession; the tenth church was erected in 1588over the grave of
venerated local Saint Vasily (Basil). The building isshaped as a
flame of a bonfire rising into the sky, a design that has
noanalogues in Russian architecture.The Cathedral is now a
museum.One service a year is held in the Cathedral, on the Day of
Intercession inOctober.
2. Images and text: InternetP. I. Tchaikovsky :Piano Concert #1
Adriana