The Intercession Cathedral on Red Square is already 452 years old!
The unique terem temple is rightfully considered one of the symbols of Russia. It is less known that during its construction almost all the possibilities of brick and masonry methods were used., that is, the cathedral is not only an architectural masterpiece, but also a monument of building skill.
Initially, on the site of the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed there was a wooden Trinity Church. During the Kazan campaign of Ivan the Terrible, separate chapels were attached to it, named in honor of the saints, on the days of whose memory there were major victories of the Russian troops. The idea to perpetuate the victory with a monumental memorial temple probably belonged to Metropolitan Macarius.
The Intercession Cathedral stands at the southern end of Red Square without a basement. The first tier is made up of massive podklets. The thickness of the masonry at the base reaches three meters. Airflow system in the thickness of the brickwork does not allow moisture to accumulate in the premises and creates an excellent microclimate, thanks to which the basements were effectively used for storing valuables. The construction of the northern basement is completely unique for its time: here the box vault is held on the walls without supporting pillars … In 1588, on the first tier, the church of the canonized Basil the Blessed was equipped over the grave of the holy fool.
The second floor of the cathedral unites nine churches. Central Intercession Church is crowned stone tent, around it is located bypass gallery and eight temples with their own chapters creating brick intricate silhouette of the cathedral.
The dominant motive is alternation octals and semicircles, which enhances the dynamics of the structure. Today it is difficult to imagine that the galleries were originally open, the outer walls were whitewashed, and the domes were golden …
However, the ensemble of the cathedral took shape over the centuries, preserving not so much a historical image as the ideas of later architects about how the temple-tower of the times of Ivan the Terrible should have looked.
Be that as it may, a lot of bricks from the times of Barma and Postnik have been preserved in the decoration of the Intercession Cathedral. Carved portals-entrances are made of curved bricks in the process of construction, and voluminous decor performed on site.
The floor of the gallery is brick "in a Christmas tree" lined with darker and more abrasion-resistant bricks, which are somewhat akin to modern clinker. The vault is covered with a flat brick ceiling, which was extremely difficult to implement.… For his device, many small bricks were laid in the form of caissons, the edges of which were taken out with shaped bricks.
Brick flooring mostly resembles modern parquet flooring, although there are halls laid out "in the socket" … The walls were painted somewhere, somewhere not tiled, but in places plastered and covered with paintings imitating brickwork in full size.
In the Trinity Church, located on the eastern side of the Intercession Cathedral, preserved in the vault of the dome spiral lined with small bricks - a symbol of eternity. And below the walls are mounted voices - clay vessels that act as resonators.
Today St. Basil's Cathedral does not seem huge. However, until the erection of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Kremlin, it was he who was the tallest building in Moscow. 65 meters is the approximate size of a modern 20-storey building … Let's remember that this "20-storey building" built of bricks in the 16th century … However, due to the abundance of brick lace on the facade, clear proportionality and good location, the Cathedral is precisely the decoration of the place, without conflict with the Kremlin ensemble.
It is not surprising that the temple, which has no analogues in world architecture, amazed contemporaries - both Russians and foreigners. The scope and conceptual idea itself were in the spirit of the times and personality traits of Ivan the Terrible. The whole city gathered to meet the king from the campaign. Eyewitnesses wrote that nothing like this had happened before: general jubilation, Ivan the Terrible in the center of the army. The Intercession Cathedral became one of the stages in promoting the concept of "Moscow - the third Rome". As noted by the outstanding art historian Mikhail Ilyin, this is why the church located directly at the entrance to the second tier is named in honor of the Entry into Jerusalem - a holiday that has nothing to do with the victories in the Kazan campaign. The entire cathedral was conceived as a heavenly Jerusalem - an ideal city, a fairy tale, which the Orthodox autocrat sought to make come true.
The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed was historically disliked by foreign conquerors. It was plundered under False Dmitry, Napoleon set up stables here, and when retreating he wanted to blow it up. But in Soviet times, the Intercession Cathedral became almost the only religious building that has been systematically restored since 1923. According to legend, Lazar Kaganovich proposed to place one of the metro stations at the southern end of Red Square. Presenting to Stalin a model of reconstruction, he removed the Cathedral of the Intercession from the plan, to which Joseph Vissarionovich muttered into his mustache: "Lazar, put it back!"
And until today, we can admire and admire an amazing work brick craftsmen medieval Russia!
Information provided by the company "Kirill"
