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.