It's no secret that since ancient times in Russia, the starting point of the construction of the city was the Orthodox church. It was the basis of each locality. Moreover, it was customary that the building be erected on the spot where the relics of the saint rested. They symbolized the "heart of the city." And the name of the saint became the "secret name" of the village.
And, of course, in this regard, of particular interest is the question of what “religious” object was paramount when Moscow was born. Every Russian is simply obliged to know that this is the Assumption Cathedral, located on the territory of the Cathedral Square of the capital. However, it has another name - the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God. It is not known for certain on what relics of which saint the White Stone was erected. But the fact that the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow was by no means a spontaneous event is beyond doubt. How did it all begin?
History of creation
The history of the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow is already remarkable. Initially, in the 12th century, in its place was an ordinary wooden church.
One century later, Prince Daniil Alexandrovich planned the first construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. And he managed to put his idea into practice. But after a quarter of a century, his successor decided to build a new temple. But Metropolitan Peter of Kiev and All Russia thought of it. They decided that the object was dilapidated and a new one should appear in its place. And it would be great ignorance not to know the answer to the question: "The construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow under the prince was carried out?" And at the same time he is a major historical figure. It was he who multiplied the borders of the Russian state and gave the final rebuff to the Golden Horde. Those who possess this information can easily guess under which ruler the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow was started. Under Prince Ivan 3, of course. Moreover, the Russian ruler spent a lot of money on this project. But after its implementation, Belokamennaya, from an architectural point of view, significantly became closer to such cities as: Kiev and Vladimir.
Transform Sample
Surely someone who cannot answer the question: “The construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow: when did it begin?” Does not have the slightest idea about what kind of architecture was taken as the basis for the construction of the main temple of the capital.
And yet, with a stretch, it can be called the grandeur of architectural art. We are talking about the St. George Cathedral of the city of Yuryev-Polsky. The latter was built by Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in 1234. Earlier on this place was the St. George Church, which was the starting point at the base of the city of Yuryev-Polsky.
First stage
The construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow began in 1472. The old temple was dismantled, and the architects began the construction of a new facility. But in 1474, an earthquake occurred in Belokamennaya. The cathedral, which is under construction, received serious damage. Ivan 3 orders to disassemble what he managed to build and start all over again. The work was to be performed by architects from Pskov - Myshkin and Krivtsov.
For what reasons did our architects refuse?
However, they refused this request. Why? One of the annals says that the "craftsmen" from an independent republic were simply afraid to carry out the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow (century - 13) due to the complexity of the work itself. However, taking into account the steep burrows of the Russian prince, it is hard to believe in this. There must be one more reason, and historians associate it with a heresy that only the Italian Aristotle Fiorovanti could “morally” resist. The fact is that the cathedral, which was ultimately designed by a foreigner, is almost perfect in terms of observing the traditions of Russian architecture.
The only thing that caused doubt was the holy relics. Perhaps there was good reason to believe that the "resting" relics belong to a person who led by no means a righteous lifestyle. At the same time, Sophia Poleolog, having married Ivan 3, brought with her as a dowry many things of religious significance. And if we assume that during the restoration of the cathedral there was a change of relics, then, taking into account the principles of domestic urban planning, the "secret name" and, accordingly, the "fate" of the village changed. Meanwhile, historians say that just under Ivan 3 the rhythm of the country's development has changed dramatically.
Alien
One way or another, but Sophia Paleolog convinced her husband and his inner circle that the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow was carried out by an “overseas” architect. She specifically sends ambassadors to Italy to persuade and bring to the White Stone the eminent Italian engineer Aristotle Fiorovanti, who became famous for being able to move the bell tower in his homeland. Soon the overseas architect arrives at Belokamennaya. It is noteworthy that for a foreign guest the construction of an Orthodox church was a completely new thing. Before starting work, Fiorovanti went to Vladimir to get acquainted with the buildings of Russian architecture. The master first decided to make a pilot project and built a brick factory near the Andronikov Monastery.
After he had already started his main job, the pay for which amounted to 10 rubles a month.
Architectural component
So, the construction by Aristotle Fioravanti of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow began in 1475. The construction process lasted four years
The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was taken as an example of a new architectural masterpiece. Thus, the Russian ruler wanted to demonstrate that Moscow would become the successor of Vladimir in terms of the primacy of cities. The construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow was to be a weighty argument in favor of the fact that Belokamennaya would become the capital of Russia. Moreover, it was expected that the new temple will raise the international authority of the new capital as the heir to Byzantium and Rome.
The dimensions of the Assumption Cathedral were impressive. Fiorovanti, adhering to the architectural traditions of the European Renaissance, was able to consolidate into a single whole the traditional forms of the Russian - Byzantine church and the modernist Renaissance, taken as a basis in the arrangement of space. The Italian engineer not only was able to accurately reproduce the magnificence and beauty of the Vladimir Church, but also embodied in the new Assumption Cathedral the most advanced achievements in Romano-Gothic and Russian-Byzantine architecture.
Without touching the main components of the Orthodox monastery (altar apses, zakomarny coverings, cross-dome combination), Fiorovanti added to the architectural project a “good portion” of his own vision, which had few points of contact with traditional Russian architecture. For example, he put into practice the author’s solution in choosing a three-dimensional model of the cathedral. The Italian made it so that the branches of the central cross were not massive and attracted attention.
He aligned them both in height and in width. Such a non-standard approach created a feeling of solidity and unity of the whole temple, which, as one of the chroniclers put it, was perceived as “as if it were one stone.”
The five-domed Assumption Cathedral, consisting of blocks of white stone, delighted the descendants with the majestic height, space and clarity of geometric proportions. These parameters became the starting point in the realization that the masterpiece of the Italian master Fiorovanti is the main object of Orthodoxy in Ancient Russia.
Interior
The construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow under Ivan 3 was completed in 1479. And for the next three years, he did not have any decorative elements. Only then did several masters, including the icon painter Dionysius, begin the painted works, which lasted a long 33 years. Unfortunately, due to objective reasons, decorating the premises of the temple took a long time. After several decades, the dampness and temperature changes damaged the frescoes, and the Assumption Cathedral had to be painted again. In addition to this, the architectural masterpiece of Fiorovanti has been repeatedly tested for strength by natural elements. It burned as a result of fires, so the cathedral regularly needed restoration.
A place for the wedding of kings
After a while, the heirs of Ivan 3 realized that the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow (date: 1475) was a necessary and timely action. In 1547, a wedding ceremony was held in it for the kingdom of Ivan the Terrible. And after him, the heirs of the Russian throne were the main participants in this rite precisely within the walls of the Assumption Cathedral. And in 1613, the Zemsky Sobor was held here, at which it was decided that Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov would rule Russia. In 1624, the brainchild of Fiorovanti was again threatened with collapse: at any moment the vaults could not stand it. I had to conduct another reconstruction, which involved the strengthening of load-bearing structures. But the strength tests of the Assumption Cathedral did not end there.
In 1812 he was ruined by the French invaders. Our soldiers managed to save part of the “religious” props and transport it to Vologda.
Temple in the 20th century
In 1917, in the architectural masterpiece created by Fiorovanti, The All-Russian Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church was organized, which rehabilitated the institution of the patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church. And soon, in the walls of the Assumption Church, a ceremony of intronization of the new Patriarch Tikhon took place.
In 1918, after the Easter service, the architectural heritage of Ivan 3 was closed to the Orthodox. During the Second World War, the Assumption Cathedral by some miracle remained untouched by the Nazis. And only in the mid-50s the temple opened its doors again, but already in the status of a museum. But the temple again needed restoration work, and they lasted several decades. In the early 90s, with the permission of the Russian Orthodox Church and the leadership of the Moscow Kremlin museums, it was again possible to hold liturgies in the Assumption Cathedral and listen to church chants. Divine services are held here at Easter, and at Christmas, and at the Assumption of the Mother of God.
Temple Cultural Heritage
The construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow (year 1475) was the main prerequisite for Belokamennaya to become the heart of the Russian state. Naturally, the most valuable relics for the Russian Orthodox man should have been in the new church. And that was really so. The Cathedral of the Assumption previously housed the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir. Initially, it was the property of the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir. But for the sake of safety, Prince Vasily I brought her to Moscow. Now she is in the temple-museum of St. Nicholas in the Tolmachy at the Tretyakov Gallery. But in the Assumption Cathedral you can also find the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, but not the original, but a copy made by the apprentice of Dionysius.
Another priceless object of the temple’s cultural heritage is the rare icon “Savior on the Throne”. This work of the Byzantine master was previously stored in the church of Hagia Sophia (Veliky Novgorod). Ivan 3 himself moved it to the Assumption Cathedral.
One way or another, but the collection of holy images of the period 11-12 centuries in the architectural masterpiece of Fiorovanti is considered one of the richest in the world.
Interesting Facts
It is noteworthy that the decoration work of the masters, which included the icon painter Dionisy, which began three years after the construction of the temple, was so highly appreciated by Ivan 3 (he, in fact, initiated the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow (year 1475)), and the metropolitan, that they unanimously uttered with admiration: "We see heaven."
There was one more interesting fact. In the restoration work of the church from 1642 to 1644, the stolnik Grigory Gavrilovich Pushkin, who was a direct ancestor of the great Russian poet, took part.
By order of Ivan the Terrible, immediately before the iconostasis, a prayer zone was assigned for the ruler (“Monomakh Throne), which is a kind of symbol of the postulate that Moscow is the“ third Rome ”. The doors and walls of the prayer zone of the ruler are decorated with 12 bas-reliefs depicting scenes from "Tales of the Princes of Vladimir".
Within the walls of the Assumption Cathedral, weddings of Russian rulers were carried out. Here, in the 16th century, German Catherine the Second adopted the Orthodox faith.
In the era of Bolshevism, the temple was plundered several times.
Currently, the brainchild of Aristotle Fiorovanti, located within the Moscow Kremlin, has been elevated to the status of a museum. However, this fact does not mean at all that no services are held in the Assumption Cathedral, on the contrary, they are initiated on the great Christian holidays. But the object of cultural heritage of Ivan 3 is not one of the Cathedrals of the capital. Nevertheless, in the list of monuments to Russian Orthodoxy, the Assumption Cathedral occupies one of the honorable places.