Kazan Cathedral on Red Square is a small but very memorable building. Find out more about its construction later in the article.
Temple history
Kazan Cathedral in Moscow has been rebuilt several times since its construction. In 1625, a wooden church was built on this site with the money of Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. She received the name after the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
The fire of 1635 destroyed the church, and soon it was replaced by a stone cathedral, built by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov. The following year, the church was consecrated by Patriarch Joseph. Gradually, it becomes one of the most important places of worship. In 1812, during the war with Napoleon, Kutuzov received a blessing here. This event made the cathedral the first monument of World War II.
Kazan Cathedral on Red Square noticeably changes its appearance from the 17th to the 19th centuries. As a result of the rebuilding, the temple becomes little distinguishable from other Moscow cathedrals and churches. In 1925, the reconstruction of the religious building begins. The temple returns to its original form. However, the updated cathedral did not last long. In 1936, the Soviet government decided to demolish it. The temple did not meet the purpose of the main square of the state - the holding of ceremonial events.
Instead of the cathedral, the square housed a pavilion dedicated to the International and a public toilet. In 1990, the toilet was closed, and the construction of the temple began again. New Kazan Cathedral (see photo below) repeated the features of the previous one. It was possible to recreate the previous look with the help of drawings and measurements made by Peter Baranovsky before the demolition of the temple.
Icon of the Kazan Mother of God
The acquisition of the icon dates back to 1579, when a strong fire turned part of Kazan and the Kazan Kremlin into ruins. Sagittarius Daniil Onuchin, whose housing was badly damaged by fire, immediately began to rebuild a new house, and under a layer of ash he discovered the icon of the Mother of God.
According to legend, the Virgin Mary three times appeared in a dream ten-year-old daughter of the archer. The Mother of God asked the girl to find the hidden icon. At first, no one believed the child, but when he went to the indicated place, Daniel found a sacred image wrapped in fabric. Soon, rumors of miraculous healings spread throughout the city thanks to the icon.
The Kazan icon has long served as a symbol of protection and patronage for Russian soldiers. Before the Battle of Poltava, Tsar Peter I prayed for victory, during the Russo-French War - Mikhail Kutuzov. During the war with the Poles, Russian troops carried with them miraculous lists of icons, and upon the successful end of the battle it was promised to build a temple on Red Square in honor of the Mother of God of Kazan.
Kazan Cathedral: photo and description of architecture
Initially, the stone temple had the features of typical architectural structures of the late XIV century. The small pillarless cathedral repeated the outlines of the Rubtsovskaya Church of the Intercession of the Virgin and the cathedral in the Donskoy Monastery.
Unlike similar temples, the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square was deprived of symmetry. The composition was violated in that the chapel was only on one side. Later, another chapel is attached to the cathedral in honor of Saints Guria and Barsanuphius. A tented bell tower appears - one of the first of its kind in Moscow. Later it is replaced first by a two- and then a three-tier bell tower.
At the top of the temple, the kokoshniks were staggered. Small and large were arranged in turn, giving the temple a toy and solemn appearance. In the second half of the XIX century, the architect Nikolai Kozlovsky was engaged in the redesign of the facade. The temple acquired a classic look, having lost its distinctive features. Many parishioners were outraged by this transformation of the shrine, and Metropolitan Leonty even compared it to a typical village church.
Thanks to the architect Baranovsky, who saved and restored more than one Russian church, we can see the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in almost its original form. This is a square in plan single-headed structure, made in red and white colors. The top of the temple is decorated with kokoshniki. The main dome of the temple is covered with gold. Three have galleries leading to the bell tower. Alternating between small and large kokoshniks create the effect of volumetric and patterned composition.
Location, opening hours of the temple
Kazan Cathedral is located on Red Square, opposite the State Historical Museum, on Nikolskaya Street, 3. Next to it are three metro stations: “Ploshchad Revolyutsii”, “Okhotny Ryad”, “Teatralnaya”. The entrance to the temple is located on the side of Red Square.
The cathedral is open daily from 8 am to 8 pm. On holidays and on Sundays from 7 to 10 in the morning, church services are performed.
Conclusion
Kazan Cathedral on Red Square was first erected in 1625. Since that time, it was destroyed several times, and went through numerous reconstructions, each time changing its appearance. The newly erected in 1990, the cathedral is now a monument to the history and architecture of Russia, testifying to the important historical events of the country.