1. 1. St Basils Cathedral is also called the Cathedral of St. Vasily theBlessed, the Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on theMoat, or Pokrovsky Cathedral . It was built from 1555 to 1561 on ordersfrom Ivan the Terrible and commemorates the capture of Kazan andAstrakhan. St. Basils marks the geometric center of Moscow. It has beenthe hub of the citys growth since the 14th century and was the citys tallestbuilding until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600.The original building, known as "Trinity Church" and later "TrinityCathedral", contained eight side churches arranged around theninth, central church of Intercession; the tenth church was erected in 1588over the grave of venerated local Saint Vasily (Basil). The building isshaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky, a design that has noanalogues in Russian architecture.The Cathedral is now a museum.One service a year is held in the Cathedral, on the Day of Intercession inOctober.
2. 2. Images and text: InternetP. I. Tchaikovsky :Piano Concert #1 Adriana