The Cathedral of the Dormition is considered to be the mother church of Muscovite Russia. It is also the oldest fully preserved building in Moscow. In its present form it was constructed in the 15th century by the celebrated Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti. This light and spacious masterpiece combines the spirit of the Renaissance with Russian traditions. The design of the cathedral proved immensely popular, and was taken as a template for numerous other churches throughout Russia. For centuries the cathedral was the civil and religious center of Russia. Russian monarchs were crowned in the church, metropolitans and patriarchs were installed and sometimes buried there. The cathedral suffered from many disasters in its history, including numerous fires and lootings. During the Patriotic War of 1812, the French used it as a horse stable.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 06:51:04 +0000
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