SAINT BASIL'S, Saint Basil's

Hi, my name’s Marcy, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World, St. Basil’s Cathedral.

St. Basil’s Cathedral, originally known as Trinity Church, is actually dedicated to the Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat, but is known by its current name because it houses the remains of St. Basil. It was built between 1555 and 1561 at the request of Tsar Ivan IV to commemorate the capture of the Mongol strongholds of Kazan and Astrakhan.

A masterpiece of Russian art, the colorful cathedral is like no other in the world. It is actually a complex of nine churches and the highest tower reaches 46 meters high.

The cathedral's architects designed a completely symmetrical layout, with eight side churches placed around a central one. The central core and four larger churches have an octagonal shape and rest firmly on solid foundations, while the four smaller churches, with quadrangle bases, are built on raised platforms. In 1588, a tenth chapel was added, built right on the tomb of Saint Basil....