KAZAN CATHEDRAL

Description

Essentials about the Kazan Cathedral in brief

The Kazan Cathedral is one of the smaller church buildings in Moscow. Nevertheless, the salmon-pink and white church is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. The former usually “stumble” upon the small cathedral rather by chance, as it is squeezed in at the north end of Red Square between the luxury GUM Department Store and the State Historical Museum. Locals, on the other hand, seek out the cathedral specifically because it houses an icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, who is especially venerated by Russian Orthodox believers. Therefore, its official name is “Cathedral of Mary of Kazan”.

The history of the Kazan Cathedral

The Kazan Cathedral building was first built on its site in the 1620s, although the exact date of its construction has not been handed down. However, it is known that the construction of the church was donated by Prince Dmitry Posharsky. Poscharski, who a few years earlier had been one of the organizers of the successful popular uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian invaders in Russia, had the cathedral built to commemorate the victory over the Poles and had it consecrated to the icon of Our Lady of Kazan.

Originally, the church was built of wood, as was common in Russia at that time. In 1635 it burned down completely, after which Tsar Michael I had it rebuilt of stone. In 1636 the new building was consecrated. Since that time the Kazan Cathedral was considered one of the most important church buildings in Moscow. In the middle and end of the 17th century the church building was additionally expanded and received, among other things, a bell tower and a newly designed parade entrance.

Although the Kazan Cathedral “survived” the October Revolution of 1917 and was even thoroughly renovated again in the late 1920s, it was demolished in 1936 and replaced by a building for the Communist International.

In 1990, following suggestions from the church and the public, the Moscow city government decided to have the Kazan Cathedral rebuilt on its original site. Over the next three years, the church was rebuilt and consecrated on the anniversary of the Victory over Poland-Lithuania in 1993. The rebuilding of the Kazan Cathedral was thus one of the first reconstruction projects for Russian Orthodox church buildings destroyed during the Soviet era.

Last but not least, a small note for visitors: In the evening, the Kazan Cathedral is an even more beautiful sight than during the day. This is because after dark, the facade is illuminated by a series of spotlights, making it look especially festive.