Since we are back in Moscow I thought that I would "revisit" St. Basil's Cathedral. On our tour, we were not allowed to take pictures inside -- although I saw a few people sneaking one once in awhile. Actually, because the rooms were dark, they probably would not have come out anyway. So, I though I would look on the internet and snag a few interior pictures.
Saint Basil's on Red Square (1555-61), named for Basil the Blessed
The colors are much more prominent at night. In 1848 it acquired its present colors.
The nine chapels are built on a single foundation. The eight side chapels are around the core. There are four large chapels and four smaller chapels. Each represents an assault on the city of Kazan. It is unsuitable for congregational worship. Workers discovered an unknown wood frame inside the interior and the exterior brick walls. The cathedral has survived natural disasters, enemy invasions, and fires. There have been many repairs, expansions and restorations over the centuries.
A fun aerial view looking down.
St. Basil the Blessed, silver casket in the lower level.
A maze of galleries wind from chapel to chapel and level to level via narrow stairways and low arches. The walls are painted in floral and geometric patterns.
Dome of the Church of Alexander Svirsky.
Secret hidden ladder.
Dome of the Central Church of the Intercession.
Iconostasis of the Central Church of the Intercession.
Steep stairs to a lower level.
The Dome of the Church of St. Nicholas Velikoretsky.
One of the three portals in the Central Church. The stucco wall has been painted to look like brick.
The Royal Gates Church of the Entry into Jerusalem
A hidden staircase discovered in the 1930's.
The outside walkways have been canopied.
Some walkways have been glass enclosed.
Many thanks to:
http://englishrussia.com (St. Basil's Cathedral from Inside)
and
http://www.awesomestories.com (Ivan the Terrible)
for the pictures.
