This temple is known far beyond the borders of Russia, because it stands on Red Square. Historians know the original appearance of the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat only from the records of foreigners who visited Moscow from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. There are practically no references to the architectural masterpiece in Russian chronicles.
The Capture of Kazan
In 1552, Tsar John III the Terrible undertook the third and last campaign against the Kazan Khanate. Before the speech, the emperor prayed for a long time and made a vow to God - in case of a successful outcome, to build a temple of unprecedented beauty. As a result of the offensive, Kazan became part of the Russian state, and in 1555 the construction of the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat began on Red Square.
The king called on architects to build the promised temple. Metropolitan Macarius offered to dedicate the cathedral, which is being built on the moat, to the Intercession of the Mother of God, because the campaign against Kazan began on October 1, when the Orthodox celebrate this holiday. The sovereign liked the idea, and he set before the buildersdifficult task: to build a temple that would symbolize heaven on earth.
The Church of the Intercession on the Moat was decided to be built in the form of a symbol of the holiday - the star of the Most Holy Theotokos. To do this, the architects erected an ensemble of nine separate temples on a single foundation. Together, the churches form the figure of the Star of Bethlehem. This is especially evident in photographs from a height.
The top view resembles a star on the icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Basil the Blessed
The mother of the future saint was praying on the porch of the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo when the contractions began. The birth was so swift that the baby was born right on the steps of the temple. The baby was named Vasily.
It was decided to teach the grown-up boy the art of shoemaking, as his parents considered this craft to be quite profitable. The lad Vasily studied diligently, and once he surprised his boss so much that he realized that the young man was not an ordinary person. The merchant turned to the workshop with a request to sew such boots, which "will not be demolished." Vasily, ahead of the master, blurted out: "There will be people like you that you can't take down forever!"
The surprised shoemaker wanted to scold the apprentice for such liberties, but Vasily explained that the merchant would die before trying on the product. When the prophecy came true, the master realized that his disciple was endowed with a gift from the Lord.
Becoming an adult, Vasily left his teacher for Moscow, where he voluntarily took upon himself one of the hardest ways to save the soul - the feat of foolishness. ATIn the capital city, the saint walked naked at any time of the year, frightening passers-by.
At first they made fun of the blessed one, sometimes they even beat him, but soon they recognized him as perspicacious and even feared him. Tsar Ivan the Terrible also respected Vasily.
One day a crowd of people attacked the holy fool. Angry townspeople beat Vasily for breaking the gate icon of the Mother of God at the Varvara entrance to the Kremlin. The Lord saved his faithful son from being killed, and the crowd suddenly calmed down.
Then Vasily asked to remove the top layer of paint from the broken icon and people saw a devil's face under the holy image of the Mother of God. It was a cunning plan of the Satanists. The unsuspecting people who passed through the gate crossed themselves and bowed to the image of the devil.
Blessed more than once denounced dishonest merchants, forcing them to confess their tricks. He healed the sick and helped those who did not ask for help, but really needed it. He scared away demons from the homes of righteous people and prayed for the conversion of sinners to the true faith.
Once Vasily, invited to a feast to the sovereign, spilled wine on the floor three times. The king asked him in bewilderment about the reasons for such behavior, and the saint replied that he was putting out a fire in Novgorod. After some time, messengers arrived at Ivan the Terrible with news of a fire that an unknown old man had put out.
Ensemble architecture
Churches of the Intercession on the Moat:
- St. Basil the Blessed;
- Alexander Svirsky;
- Varlaam Khutynsky;
- Entry of the Lord intoJerusalem;
- Gregory of Armenia;
- Cyprian and Justina;
- Nikola Velikoretsky;
- Holy Trinity;
- Three Patriarchs;
- Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos (central);
- St. John the Blessed.
Church of the Holy Trinity
Basily the Blessed did not have housing and other property in Moscow. Most often, people found it in the Church of the Holy Trinity, on the site of which today stands the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat. In 1557 the saint fell ill and died. He was 88 years old. They buried St. Basil the Blessed in the fence of the Church of the Holy Trinity, which by that time had already been demolished. In its place, the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat was being built. In memory of the holy fool, Ivan the Terrible in 1588 ordered the construction of another, tenth church.
She worked around the clock, received pilgrims and wanderers, gave them shelter and warmth. St. Basil's Church on the basement of the Church of the Intercession on the Moat was the only heated room in the ensemble. Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the temple every day. Over time, the whole ensemble of the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat began to be called the name of St. Basil the Blessed.
Church of St. Alexander Svirsky
Southeastern Church was named after the saint in honor of the battle during the campaign against Kazan. At the end of the summer of 1553, the cavalry of Prince Yapanchi was defeated on the Arsk field. Thanks to this, the siege of Kazan ended successfully, because the army of the prince went to the rescue of the khan.
The Temple of Alexander Svirsky is one of the small churches in the ensemble of the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat. Her heightabout fifteen meters. The walls of the church are painted in imitation of brickwork, and the dome is decorated with a "brick spiral" symbolizing eternity. The interior of the temple was repeatedly restored, the last time - in the eighties of the last century.
Church of Varlaam Khutynsky
This part of the ensemble is also dedicated to the important date of the Kazan campaign. In November 1552, on the day of memory of St. Varlaam (the founder of the Khutyn Monastery), Ivan the Terrible solemnly returned to Moscow with a victory. The king loved this saint, his father, Vasily the Third, before his death took monastic vows with the name Varlaam. The abbot is revered as the patron saint of kings.
Like the temple of Alexander Svirsky, the church rises fifteen meters. The structure has a zest - an irregularly shaped apse. Such a defect is explained by the presence of a passage to the central temple of the ensemble. The Church of Varlaam Khutynsky illuminates a fifteenth-century chandelier, the oldest in the cathedral.
In the temple there is an interesting icon "Vision of Sexton Tarasius". The plot of the icon depicts a scene from the life of Saint Barlaam. The sexton of the Khutyn Monastery experienced a vision of numerous troubles threatening Novgorod. In addition to the main plot, the icon contains scenes of the life of the ancient inhabitants of the city and a very accurate map of that time.
Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem
Western temple of the ensemble, one of the four large ones. It was in it that the Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Palm Sunday. The temple is really very big and solemn. The iconostasis was borrowed from the now demolished Alexander Nevsky Church. From thatthe icon of the blessed prince was transferred to the same cathedral.
Church of Gregory of Armenia
Another small structure named after the Enlightener of Armenia. The memory of the saint is celebrated on October 13, just on this day the Arskaya tower was taken in Kazan. The symmetry is broken in the church due to the passage to the central part. The interior is completely preserved, even the antique lamps.
Church of Cyprian and Justina
Like other temples of the ensemble, it is named after the day of celebration. On October 15, the day of remembrance of the Christian martyrs, Kazan was taken by storm. At the end of the eighteenth century, oil painting appeared on the walls of the church.
Architectural ensemble today
After the revolution, the cathedral was turned into a museum. But Muscovites say that even during the years of Soviet power, divine services continued in the temple, until 1930. After a sixty-year break in 1991, the Orthodox choir again sounded in the cathedral. Today, the architectural monument is in the joint use of the museum and the church. Liturgy is held there weekly on Sundays and patronal feast days.
St. Basil's Cathedral is available for visiting from ten o'clock in the morning.
