St Basil Cathedral
The Intercession Cathedral on the Moat, which in the last couple of centuries became better know as St. Basil's Cathedral, was built in 1555-1561 by Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) in fulfillment of a vow, "because the Lord entrusted him, the sovereign, with the Kingdom of Kazan".
By its architectural design, the St. Basil Cathedral comprises nine individual churches each crowned by a unique tower. The main church of the Mother of God is in the middle and 8 chapels crowned with onion domes positioned around the central form an eight-pointed star. This symbolizes the supremacy and protection of the Mother of God over all the Orthodox Church and over the Russian lands.
The church's design is based on deep religious symbolism and was meant to be an architectural representation of the New Jerusalem - the Heavenly Kingdom described in the Book of Revelation of St. John the Divine.
St. Basil's cathedral, Beautiful Domes
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