One of the best-known landmarks in Moscow is St. Basil’s Cathedral. It is located on the edge of Red Square and is easily recognized by the eight uniquely painted onion shaped domes. Each dome has an individual chapel beneath it. A ninth chapel with spire was added in 1588 to house the tomb of its namesake, Basil the Blessed. St. Basil’s was built on the site of the earlier Trinity Cathedral, which now gives the name to the neighboring square. Ivan the Terrible commissioned the cathedral around 1555 to commemorate his victory over Kazan in 1552. The architect was Postsnik Yakovlev and the story is told that Ivan the Terrible had him blinded when the cathedral was completed, so that he could never again build anything that was as beautiful. The cathedral was originally called the “Cathedral of Intersession of the Virgin Mary.” It was nicknamed “St. Basil’s” because of the popularity with the Muscovites of the holy fool, “Basil the Blessed” who foretold the Moscow fire of 1547.

The eight domes have religious significance, celebrating the day of Christ’s resurrection....They form an eight-sided star, with the spire of the ninth dome in the center that is also a symbol of the Christian Church. Originally, the domes were unpainted and the carved designs on them stood out vividly against the red bricks. In the next two hundred years, the swirling designs were painted. The interior of the cathedral is rather cramped and dimly lit and is decorated in delicate floral designs. The cathedral has escaped destruction many times since its creation.