A Unique Russian Icon: Moscow’s Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed
Larger Than Life: Art that inspires us through the ages
For centuries, people have marveled at the ornate brickwork and distinctive polychrome onion domes of the Church of Intercession of Most Holy Theotokos (Mary Mother of God) on the Moat, commonly known as the Cathedral of Basil the Blessed, in Moscow. Remarkably, the cathedral took just six years to complete, with the building work finished around 1561.
Csar Ivan IV (the Terrible) commissioned the church to commemorate his victory over the khanate (kingdom) of Kazan, a win that culminated on the Day of Intercession, in 1552.
St. Petersburg’s Sumptuous Winter Palace
Larger Than Life: Art that inspires us through the ages
Russia’s monumental pastel-green Winter Palace in St. Petersburg was once home to some of the country’s most notable emperors and empresses. The palace encompasses many types of art and architecture, including Baroque, Neoclassical, and Gothic styles, through to Rococo.
In 1754, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna commissioned Italian architect Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli to build a Baroque winter palace that would surpass the beauty of the best European palaces.
Constructed over eight years, the palace contains more than 460 sumptuous rooms. But not all the rooms were decorated according to the original Baroque design. In 1762, just after her coronation, Empress Catherine II (Catherine the Great) took up residence in the Winter Palace. She favored the new Neoclassical style of architecture, and so the palace took on a more refined style.