Icons of Russia.
Russia is a very old country. It has a very long and
interesting history. It is famous for its beautiful cities with ancient
architecture. Many of them compose a Golden Ring of Russia. All these
cities have the majority of sights or the so-called "Icons of Russia".
It is very difficultFor example, the Kremlin, which is situated in the
heart of Moscow, the Bolshoi Theater, which is also in Moscow and many
others. Saint-Petersburg is famous by its magnificent architecture.
Almost every building in the city looks like a rare masterpiece. Many
people take trips along some Russian cities, called Golden Ring. The
Golden Ring of Russia includes such cities as Suzdal, Vladimir, Ivanovo,
Yaroslavl and many others. These cities are famous for their rich
history and ancient churches. Also, tourists can take part in some
authentic festivals when visiting these cities. Another famous sight in
Russia is situated in the center of Asia. It’s called Altay. Many
tourists want to see this amazing region, which is known for its crystal
clear lakes, high mountains and other natural wonders. The deepest lake
in the world, Baikal, is also situated in Russia, in the East Siberian
region. to choose which of the sights to describe.
Russia is also famous for its Churches. Let's speak about one of them. Saint Basil the Blessed, also called Pokrovsky Cathedral, Russian Svyatoy Vasiliy Blazhenny or Pokrovsky Sobor, church constructed on Red Square in Moscow between 1554 and 1560 by Tsar Ivan
IV (the Terrible), as a votive offering for his military victories over
the khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan. The church was dedicated to the
protection and intercession of the Virgin, but it came to be known as
the Cathedral of Vasily Blazhenny (St. Basil the Beatified) after Basil,
the Russian holy fool who was “idiotic for Christ’s sake” and who was
buried in the church vaultsWhile the church is widely known as St. Basil's, or Vasily Blazhenny, the official name dating back to the mid-1500s is Pokrova Bogoroditsy, based on the Russian Orthodox holiday Pokrov
Den, when the tsar's forces took Kazan. Only later was the church
popularly referred to as St. Basil's — not after the Russian Orthodox
St. Vasily, but after Vasily Blazhenny, a pauper who sat outside the
church seeking alms. Some 60 years after the church was finished, a cozy
little chapel was added in the name of Vasily Blazhenny. This addition
not only spoiled the symmetry of the church, but it effectively changed
its name.
The church that may have inspired Ivan to maim his
architects was, in fact, quite different from the one that stands on Red
Square today. Indeed, the original architects, even with their vision
intact, would not be able to recognize their original masterpiece, a
symmetrical, eight-domed structure: four greater domed towers with four
smaller ones in between. The larger, tented Pokrovsky tower stood over
the central chapel, and all of the towers were then united by an
open-air gallery.
The composition of the church is particularly
interesting. It originally had no main facades, only towers topped by
simple metal domes. St. Basil's also represents a breakthrough in
building technology. It is one of the first Moscow monuments in which
bricks instead of white limestone were used.
According to
some studies, the builders of the cathedral were so fascinated with the
color and texture of bricks that they did not paint over them, mixing
the red brick with some limestone details.
But the striking
effect of today's St. Basil's is the result of a major reconstruction
undertaken in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. At that time the
smaller, metal domes that were part of the original design were replaced
by the merrily painted, exaggerated onion domes we see today. The
exterior surfaces were subject to the same colorful decoration. The
slightly leaning Pokrovsky bell tower was also added, and the open
gallery was enclosed in glass.
St. Basil's is also
unique for its synthesis of styles. Although rich with elements of
Italian Renaissance style, such as the elaborate entablements and
rusticated columns, there are also elements reminiscent of English Tudor
style, such as the triangular frontons. .