Panikadilo and Frescoes at Western Wall of Assumption Cathedral

Interior of Assumption Cathedral with view of a beautiful bronze panikadilo, or church chandelier in Orthodox temple, and magnificent frescoes on its walls. The church was erected on the grounds of Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra in 1559-1585 by orders of the first Russian tsar, Ivan IV The Terrible, and was modeled on its namesake in Moscow Kremlin, but it is even larger. In 1684, almost a hundred years after its construction, the biggest temple on the grounds of the monastery was adorned with magnificent frescoes covering all its walls, columns and vaults by a team of 35 icon painters from Yaroslavl and Troitsk who completed their amazing work within 100 days. At that time, two bronze chandeliers made in the 17th century by craftsmen from Kremlin Armory workshops were hung to light up the large church: the bigger one in front of the iconostasis, and a smaller one above the west entrance. This picture shows the smaller panikadilo, which is topped with a double-headed eagle, the state symbol of Russia.

Photo #323 taken on February 02, 2015 during a one-day countryside tour to Sergiyev Posad with my repeat Brazilian clients from USA, Orival and Pedro.