The centuries-old history of the Russian state is reflected in the monuments of art, architecture, literature. The capital of a huge country is Moscow, its center is the Kremlin, which today is not only the seat of the government and the president, but also a museum that reflects all the milestones in the formation of a great power. Unique in its architecture and history, the complex can tell the visitor a lot of interesting things. Each of its buildings bears a part of our past: towers, squares, gardens, temples of the Moscow Kremlin. The Annunciation Cathedral is one of the most ancient buildings, the shrines stored in it date back to the period of the formation of Christianity in Russia.
Location
The architectural center of the Moscow Kremlin is Cathedral Square. Two magnificent historical monuments are located along its perimeter. The southwestern part of the square is occupied by the Annunciation Cathedral, which is oftencalled Golden-Domed, it was consecrated in the name of the Annunciation of the Virgin. The temple is a unique representative of ancient Russian architecture, the pearl of the Kremlin. Over the centuries-old history of its existence, it was rebuilt many times, decorated with each next representative of the royal dynasty, but at the same time it did not lose its main purpose and original form. In order to determine who built the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, it is necessary to refer to the history of its creation. It is reliably known from chronicle sources that at the end of the XIV cathedral it already existed.
History
The wooden Church of the Annunciation, according to unspecified data, was erected in 1290. According to legend, the order for the construction was given by Prince Andrei, who was the son of Alexander Nevsky. Who built the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin in the original wooden version is unknown, but by the end of the 14th century it existed in this form. The need to strengthen and restore the church arose after the Byzantine icon of the Savior in the White Sacristy was delivered to it. It is with this event that the first annalistic mention of the future cathedral is connected. To this day, no information has come down from the original version of the building. The size, the author of the building, the interior and exterior decoration of the church remain a mystery that cannot be unraveled. From the beginning of the XIV century, the construction of a stone church began, which later became known as the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. History of furtherthe transformation of the temple is inextricably linked with the princely and then royal families ruling in Russia.
XV century
The temple owed its incarnation in stone to Vasily I (son of Dmitry Donskoy), it was he who ordered the construction of a house church for the princely family. The main condition for the construction was its proximity to the living quarters of the chambers, so the townspeople called the cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin the Blagoveshchensky temple “in the hallway”. In 1405, the interior decoration was painted by famous Russian icon painters (F. Grek, A. Rublev). The architectural features of the created building, its design reflected the influence of the Byzantine style, which was strong due to the formation of Christianity in Russia at that time. For more than 70 years the temple served unchanged and in 1483 it was destroyed by order of Ivan III.
Building the Cathedral
Full renovation of the Kremlin buildings begins in 1480. Moscow Prince Ivan III invited Italian masters to work, but with the condition of restructuring the entire complex of buildings in the Old Russian style. Who built the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin? From the annals of that time, a fact is reliably known, which indicates that the temple was erected by Russian architects. For these works, Pskov architects were involved, who, with the assistance of Moscow masters, began the construction of the temple in 1984. The foundation for it was the old basement, i.e. the cathedral was built in the same shape as the old one.
The Russian masters had a difficult task, it consisted inin order to harmoniously fit the temple into the complex of buildings of the Kremlin. From the annals of the late XIV century, you can even find out the names of those who built the Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow, these are the architects from Pskov Myshkin and Krivtsov. It should be noted the talent of these people, thanks to their efforts, the Kremlin acquired another unique building, saturated with the history of the state over the centuries of its service.
Architecture
In 1489, the construction of the cathedral was completed, it was illuminated by Metropolitan Gerontius. Typical features of the architectural traditions of Moscow and Pskov masters can be traced in this building. Like the previously existing temple, it had the shape of a square and was crowned with three heads. In the central part there was a pillar, from which low arches radiated to each wall. The cross-domed building was surrounded by covered galleries. A system of passages connected the temple with the residential buildings of the Kremlin complex. The apse (closed small altar recess) was located on the east side. The main (religious) purpose did not exclude the practical use that the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin bore. The description of the altar suggests that the state treasury could be stored in the basement.
Destination
The Grand Dukes, and then all the Russian tsars used the Kremlin's Annunciation Cathedral as a house church. All family sacraments (baptism, wedding) were performed in it. The rector of the cathedral became the confessor of the ruler of Russia, he confessed him, helped to draw up and certified a will, in long conversations he could giveadvice to the king. The Annunciation Church kept the values of the princely (royal) family (relics, icons, relics of saints). The first Moscow princes kept their treasury in it. Each subsequent representative of the dynasty, having ascended the throne, tried to improve the decoration of the cathedral, to add something of his own to its appearance, to leave a reminder of himself to posterity.
XVI century
Who built the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin that we see today? The question is not simple, the building was often updated due to fires in Moscow and as a result of wars and revolutions. The most significant changes in the appearance of the temple took place during the 16th century. Basil III during his reign ordered to paint the temple "richly". The best icon painters in Russia (Theodosius, Fedor Edikeev) were attracted to this work. The main motifs of the frescoes were preserved, but decorative and precious stones appear in the decoration of the cathedral. The number of domes increases to 9 (the symbol of the Most Holy Theotokos in ancient Russian Christianity), each of which is covered with gold, so the cathedral becomes Golden-domed. The southern entrance, according to his decree, is intended only for visiting the royal (princely) family, where they distributed alms and rested after the service.
Ivan the Terrible
In 1547, Moscow and the Kremlin buildings were significantly damaged by a great fire. The Annunciation Cathedral was no exception, so Ivan the Terrible ordered it to be completely restored (actually built). In 1564, the temple was erected, painted, decorated more richly than under his father (Vasily III), and illuminated. The porches were decorated with carved portals made of white stone, which were made by Italian craftsmen. Copper doors decorated with gold became unique for that time. The iconostasis and the painting of the arch, walls and columns of the temple were partially recreated. By order of Ivan the Terrible, a porch (Grozny) is attached to the Annunciation Cathedral, according to the giving, it was the place where the tsar saw the harbinger of his death.
Modern history
The Russian throne was occupied by the Romanov dynasty, who also kept and decorated the Cathedral of the Annunciation. Its subsequent history is an example of a careful attitude to ancient Russian shrines. The temple received the most significant damage in 1917; a shell hit destroyed the Grozny porch, which was not restored. The Bolsheviks moved the capital to Moscow and placed the leadership of the country in the Kremlin. Unique historical, religious, architectural sites have become inaccessible to ordinary people. The new government, after a long period, opened the entrance to the historical center of the city, creating the museums of the Moscow Kremlin. The Cathedral of the Annunciation functioned in this capacity until 1993. Today it is one of the most ancient operating shrines of Orthodoxy on the territory of our state.
Modern architecture
The Cathedral of the Annunciation was built over several centuries. It actually consists of several buildings of different times, which are quite harmoniously combined andform a temple familiar to modern man in appearance. In the 16th century, four chapels were added to the cathedral, each of which was crowned with a head, while three of the nine domes were decorative. The interior space is notable for its small size, since the cathedral was intended only for the grand-ducal (royal) family. The architectural style of the building can be described as Old Russian, with Byzantine traditions. The domed structure creates the effect of vertical movement due to lighting, and the Pskov architectural school can be traced in the manner of decoration (square pillars, sprung arches). Moscow craftsmen introduced patterned belts of walls and the shape of portals into the appearance of the cathedral. The Cathedral of the Annunciation is unique in its architecture and construction history.
Iconostasis
The collection, unique in composition and age, is arranged in several tiers (rows). Icons of the 14th, 15th, 16th centuries, unique relics of ancient Russian Christianity are presented in the temple. Among them are the works of Andrei Rublev and Theophan the Greek, which have survived to this day. Icons depicting the events of the life of Christ were created in the 16th century, their salaries were made by special order in 1896. The iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Annunciation is amazing because it left a place for the image of the king, who rules in a certain time period. After the death of the monarch, the icon with his image was transferred to the Archangel Cathedral and placed on the gravestone.
Painting
The most ancient authentic examples of frescoes were lost duringfires and reconstruction of the cathedral. Modern painting is their copy, it was made by artists of the 16th century, who tried to convey the color schemes, shapes and meaning of the plots. Surprising is the fact that, along with traditional biblical motifs, the faces of Russian princes and ancient philosophers are depicted on the walls, vaults, columns, this gives uniqueness to such a monument as the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin. Moscow, Russia has no more ancient examples of church painting. This museum contains works of religious art, which have no analogues. The image of the Annunciation belongs to the most ancient and rare type of iconography.
