Imagine Moscow in your head right now – what do you see? Many of you probably imagine the spectacular St. Basil’s Cathedral, an incredible, colourful piece of architecture with some fascinating history behind it. It’s more than just a vivid centrepiece – and it’s certainly more than just a symbol of Russian architecture.
The cathedral has stood in Moscow for hundreds of years – and yet, much of it still remains a mystery to many of us. Thankfully for you, then, I’m here to break down some of the biggest facts and figures about this famous building. Whether you want to swot up for the next pub quiz or just want to build on your knowledge of Russia – let’s dive straight in!
1. It’s actually made of several different chapel buildings.
If you take a look at St. Basil’s, you’ll probably be able to tell that it’s actually made of several different structures. Built around the cathedral, too, are 11 separate worship spaces, with nine facing at different points of the compass.
Spaces within the cathedral honour the likes of the Holy Trinity, the Three Patriarchs, St. Alexander Svirksy, the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem, the Laying of the Veil, and St. Basil himself.
2. It wasn’t initially built to honour St. Basil.
In fact, the cathedral first served as a protection site of the Virgin Mary, hence why one of the chapels is dedicated to the Protecting Veil. Some time later, the cathedral was eventually renamed to observe Vasily Blazhenny, who was also known as St. Basil the Beatified.
St. Basil was something of a character – referred to as being “idiotic for Christ’s sake”!
3. It was ordered by Ivan the Terrible.
Infamous Russian ruler Ivan the Terrible ordered the building of the cathedral all the way back in the 16th century. Specifically, construction started in 1555, and would finish by 1561.
Ivan Vasilyevich, to give his full name, ordered the construction to commemorate a major military victory. Specifically, the cathedral officially marks the defeat of Kazan (and other khanates in Astrakhan) – something of a present to himself!
Ivan didn’t gain his nickname of “The Terrible” by playing nice! He was a ruthless military dominator who was no stranger to conflicts across Russia.
4. No one’s too clear on who actually built the cathedral.
Naturally, we know that Ivan the Terrible ordered the design and construction of the chapels, but who actually did the physical labour? On that note, there’s a few different stories.
One of the most enduring ones is that there were two local architects responsible for the job – specifically, Postnik and Barma. Other stories suggest that St. Basil’s was actually built by a foreign architect from the west of Europe.
However, there’s no real evidence that this was ever the case – it’s simply a theory that’s been raised by people looking closely at the architectural style, which has a few touches of European mastery from the time period.
5. Did Ivan blind the architect?
Regardless of which “architect theory” you believe, there’s an even more bizarre story that seems to have gained steam over the centuries. Specifically, it’s thought that Ivan the Terrible was such a ruthless boss, he personally blinded the architect of St. Basil’s Cathedral!
He didn’t do this during the project, of course – but after it had been completed! Rumours claim this was a form of insurance on Ivan’s part – effectively making sure the architect would never replicate the majestic cathedral he just built.
As bizarre as this story might be, we don’t actually have any proof to say Ivan was that terrible – but then again, no one can refute the story, either!
6. The cathedral wasn’t always this colourful.
The first thing many people notice about St. Basil’s Cathedral is that it’s incredibly colourful – to the extent where many architecture fans feel it’s just as bizarre as it is spectacular! However, it wasn’t always this bright and vibrant when it was first erected.
Originally, it’s thought Ivan’s cathedral vision was purely red and white – and that the multicolour patterns wouldn’t appear until near the end of the 17th century. Ivan might never have got to see how colourful his victory present actually became!
7. The inside of the cathedral is just as magnificent.
So – you’ve seen the outside of St. Basil’s, but have you ever looked inside? The internal artwork and flourishes are just as eye-popping – and you can even take a tour inside.
The chapels inside the cathedral hide treasure coves, sacred shrines, and perfect singing spots – the acoustics inside are thought to be perfect for choirs.
What’s also really interesting about St. Basil’s Cathedral is that you can take photos inside! In Russia, most churches, cathedrals, and chapels ban internal photography.
8. It was initially made of wood.
As soon as Kazan fell to Ivan the Terrible, the initial cathedral was raised, made out of rudimentary wood – and, at the time, it had seven chapels. As of 1555, after the state took over Kazan completely, Ivan demanded that the building be reconstructed in stone, a rebuilding with eight chapels.
As mentioned, a ninth chapel dedicated to St. Basil himself came later on – as weird as that might sound!
9. St. Basil was something of a miracle worker.
St. Basil was one of several “holy fools” that performed tricks and entertained others – and, in this case, Basil was also something of a soothsayer and clairvoyant!
It’s thought that even the immovable Ivan the Terrible was fascinated by the fool – and, by 1588, Ivan’s son ordered an extra chapel to be built in his honour. Why? St. Basil is actually buried on the church grounds – and, over time, his name became attached to the whole building, not just the ninth chapel.
10. It was commandeered and damaged over the years.
During the Russian Revolution, Bolsheviks took over St. Basil’s Cathedral and murdered the arch-priest – and set about melting down the bells inside. And yet, that wouldn’t be the last time the building came under threat.
The infamous dictator Josef Stalin would later decide that the cathedral was blocking his parades! However, this never came to pass – partly thanks, allegedly, to an architect who was tasked with its demolition threatening to commit suicide on its steps.
It’s not clear if Stalin changed his mind by this threat, but he still had the architect – Piotr Baranovsky – thrown in prison for a few years. And, thankfully, his threat has allowed us to keep enjoying the building through the decades since!
11. A hidden space was discovered in just the last 60 years!
The cathedral is full of fascinating secrets – when it was undergoing a restoration of sorts in the 1970s, workers managed to find an entire spiral staircase that had been hidden within a wall! This incredible find goes to show just how intricate and secretive the building was designed to be.
People can navigate between the cathedral’s main altars and even spot the staircase if they’re eagle-eyed enough.
12. It’s an icon of Red Square.
Thanks to buildings and artefacts like St. Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square in Moscow has become something of a cultural landmark – a feast for the eyes as well as one of historical importance. For example, the area is also home to Lenin’s tomb, and it’s also where you’ll see the fortress of the Kremlin, Russia’s main government HQ.
Visitors can also see the Lobnoye Mesto and the state historical museum – meaning there’s more than just this majestic, super-colourful building to behold.
13. It’s been recognised by UNESCO.
UNESCO World Heritage has rightly recognised and protected St. Basil’s Cathedral as part of its growing collection of sites – and it’s one of 16 sites, at present, based within Russia alone. The cathedral received the accolade all the way back in 1990, meaning it’s been protected for over 30 years.
14. Did Ivan leave his library beneath the cathedral?
Remember what I said about hidden treasure in the cathedral itself? Well, for book lovers, there might well be an even bigger treasure trove somewhere beneath the building.
There are legends abound that claim Ivan the Terrible’s extensive library of books was actually buried beneath St. Basil’s after he died. However, no one has uncovered the collection just yet!
That hasn’t stopped intrepid explorers from having a good look around. The collection, if it’s real, is said to be super valuable from a historical perspective. That’s because there could be documents and books that date all the way back to Byzantine rule! What a find that would be for the Red Square museum!
15. The domes are actually protected with metal.
Remember what I said about the cathedral originally being made from wood, then stone? Well, you can throw copper in the mix there, too.
Look closely at the domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral, and you might notice that they’re actually covered in very thin sheets of copper – however, as thin as it appears (at around one milimetre), that’s a lot of weight to bear!
It’s thought that the cathedral domes bear an incredible weight of up to 32 tons – that’s because, even at 1mm thick, there’s around 1,900 square miles to cover!
16. The cathedral has a bell tower that was added long after the building.
Again, another design feature added to St. Basil’s after the death of Ivan the Terrible was the famous bell tower – a slightly detached-standing structure in an octagonal shape.
It’s up here where you can also see an icon of the Veil, depicting John the Blessed and St. Basil himself.
17. St. Alexander Svirsky has his own space.
The life and influence of prominent Orthodox Christian Alexander Svirksy, who was offered sainthood, is also celebrated within the walls of the cathedral. Specifically, the interior of his chapel is embellished with creative brickwork-style murals and spirals.
St. Alexander’s life and work are celebrated outside of the chapel, too. He has a memorial day on August 30th every year – largely because he’s credited with having introduced Orthodoxy to the North of Russia many centuries ago.
18. You’ll find galleries and walls packed with fascinating artwork inside.
A wander through St. Basil’s will reveal scores of artwork in various different styles dating back to the 16th century. There’s landscape paintings, iconography, frescos, and more besides! In fact, it’s thought that there are more than 400 different artworks honoured here – but honestly, who’s counting?
19. It’s been modified by various rulers over the years.
What’s really interesting about St. Basil’s Cathedral is that it’s been something of a work in progress for centuries. It seems that, up until recent times, Russia’s various emperors and rulers have all played a part in adding to or modifying the look and purpose of the building slightly.
Whether that meant adding new chapels, making the building more colourful, or even threatening to remove the cathedral outright, it’s safe to say that St. Basil’s continues to have a remarkable cultural effect and influence. It’s world-famous among architecture fans for a reason – have you looked at it?
20. There are more bells than you might think inside the tower.
Now – typically, inside a belfry or bell tower, you might expect a couple of bells clanging together to ring out across a long distance. However, St. Basil’s – in typical style – goes even further, reportedly housing 19 different bells inside its octagonal keep.
This is – remember – even after rampaging Bolsheviks melted down some of them in an act of defiance against the Tsar! It’s also thought that the oldest bells in the cathedral might be around 500 years old – dating all the way back to the origins of the building.
Other bells, meanwhile, were added in the decades and centuries since – the youngest is thought to be around 20-30 years old.
21. The USSR eventually saw the cathedral as irreplaceable.
While the Bolsheviks certainly set about rampaging through St. Basil’s at the time of revolution, it didn’t take too long for the Soviet Union to realise just how important a cultural icon the building was to Russia.
Believe it or not, it was actually the USSR regime that turned the cathedral into a public museum – it was opened to the public for the first time back in 1923.
What’s more, the building has also been recognised as one of Russia’s own Seven Wonders – it has to be in the top seven, for sure!
22. The central point of the cathedral used to be a record-holder.
The very middle tower in St Basil’s Cathedral was a record-breaker, initially standing at around 65 metres in height. It kept the record of Moscow’s tallest building for an impressive 39 years – now, that honour belongs to the East Tower in the Federation complex, which stands at an eye-watering 373.7 metres tall!
That’s over five times the height of St. Basil’s Cathedral at its peak! What would Ivan the Terrible have made of this modern usurper…?
23. It might be recognizable to retro video game fans.
If you ever played early versions of the puzzle video game Tetris, you’ll have spotted St. Basil’s Cathedral in the background and even in the logo in some cases!
It’s become synonymous with older versions of the game – to the extent where a certain generation of people might initially see it as “the building from Tetris”!
Tetris is, of course, another major Russian cultural landmark all of its own – with a pretty deep story we might just save for another day.
24. There’s a replica of the building elsewhere in Asia!
Thankfully, Ivan the Terrible wasn’t around to see a replica built of what he likely thought of as his magnum opus! There’s actually a scale model that you can find in the northeast of Mongolia.
It’s actually home to something of a science museum – and, believe it or not, a shop full of fake fossils. Now you know!
FAQs About St. Basil’s Cathedral
Why is St. Basil’s Cathedral so famous?
The cathedral is mainly famous for its amazing, colourful architecture – it’s regarded as an incredible feat of engineering, bringing together several churches, and has since become a genuine visual icon of Red Square, Moscow, and Russia in general. When you think of Moscow, you might well think of the cathedral first.
Who is buried underneath St. Basil’s Cathedral?
Fittingly, the “holy fool” himself, St. Basil, is buried under the building. A chapel dedicated in his honour was built after his death, and the whole building eventually became synonymous with him.
Why wasn’t St. Basil’s Cathedral destroyed?
The infamous Josef Stalin ordered the demolition of the cathedral simply because it was getting in the way of his plans – but eventually, the state called off its destruction completely. After the architect in charge threatened to cut his throat on its steps, the project was halted – but no one knows for sure why this was the case.
Further reading
https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/moscow_basil_cathedral.html
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/01/17/architectural-treasures-of-moscow-st-basils-cathedral-a76060
Do you know any interesting facts about St. Basil’s Cathedral? Share them in the comments below!