The most beautiful religious buildings Anneau d'Or russe

One of the most remarkable monuments of Russian art, Pokrovsky Sobor (СОБОР ВАСИЛИЯ БЛАЖEННОГО) is the symbol of Moscow. Commissioned by Ivan the Terrible, it was a centre of power: it was on the platform in front of its gates (nicknamed the Square of Skulls) that public executions were held and Ukases (decrees) were read. Today the cathedral charges for visits. One can buy an entrance ticket coupled with the State Historical Museum.

If there is only one cathedral to visit, this is it. Of all the monuments of the Orthodox faith in Russia, the Dormition Cathedral is the most majestic, the most beautiful, and also the most inviting to meditation. This church has always been an important sanctuary where princes were crowned and metropolitans were buried, but it was Ivan the Great who undertook to make it a symbol of the power of the nascent Moscow nation by calling on the Italian architect Fioravanti to transform the building. The latter worked on what became the masterpiece of his career. He used the rules of the Italian Renaissance, playing with space and light, which he combined with the Slavic style, which played with colours, wood carvings and shapes. The result is awe-inspiring: the interior of the cathedral, decorated with gold, commands respect, and the shimmering reds and blues that paint it make it seem larger. Today you can also see the throne of Ivan the Terrible, a relic of the past with wood decorated with scenes of everyday life of his time (1550).

The iconostasis of the cathedral dates from 1652 and its famous icon of Our Lady of Vladimir is to the left of the central entrance (a 15th-century copy of the 12th-century Byzantine original is in the Tretyakov Gallery). All in all, take at least an hour to soak up the almost mystical atmosphere of a plunge into the heart of the Russian Orthodox faith and the power of the Tsars.

The Annunciation Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Russian religious architecture, influenced by the Italian Renaissance. It served as the family church of the tsars, hence its more intimate character. The iconostasis is said to have been decorated by two of the greatest Slavic icon painters: Theophanes the Greek and Andrei Rublev. The door of the southern facade was added by Ivan the Terrible who, excommunicated, could only attend services behind this gate.

You may have seen a few statues of Lenin when you first came to Moscow? Well, you will have the opportunity to see that the man is smaller in life size. Especially since the famous intellectual, revolutionary and leader, already not tall in his lifetime (1.65 m), was shrunk during his mummification. The result is therefore not so impressive and it is often a vague impression of disappointment that we feel at the end of this agonizing journey constituting the visit of the mausoleum. Still, we recommend this pilgrimage, although it has not been de rigueur since the late 1980s, as it is captivating to have access to this piece of world history, preserved after a century of morbid fascination.

The mausoleum itself has a history : it dates back to 1929 and was built after nearly 500,000 Soviet citizens rushed to pay their respects to the remains of the (not-so-)great man, a week after his exposure to the general public in a temporary structure had begun. Lenin had to share his spot for eight years with an even smaller (1.62m) man, Stalin, before he was removed during de-Stalinization and relocated to the Kremlin walls. Since then, Lenin has been alone again as nostalgic, fanatical and mocking people pass by. Today, there is more and more talk about the possibility of paying him a last trip to St. Petersburg in the family vault: a solution that is requested by many, but never voted.

The third basilica of the Kremlin (АРХАНГЕЛЬСКИЙ СОБОР) benefited most from the contributions of the Italian Renaissance. The decoration is martial: frescoes depict great battles in Russian history; a 10 m high golden iconostasis (1681) supports the icon of the Archangel St. Michael attributed to Andrei Rublev. It is in this building that the princes and tsars of Moscow up to Peter the Great are buried: there are 46 gravestones, including the tomb of Ivan the Terrible.

Built by architects from Pskov, it was to serve as a counterpoint to the Italian influence. The church (ЦЕРКОВЬ РИЗОПОЛОЖЕНИЯ) was that of the patriarchs, before becoming in the 17th century that of the great princes. There are beautiful frescoes and a remarkable iconostasis by the painter Nazari Istomine (1627). Today it is possible to visit it and admire its iconographic treasures. In addition, the north gallery of the church is used as an exhibition space.

Built in the 15th century according to an asymmetrical plan, on the tomb of St. Sergius of Radonezh, it was one of the first buildings of Moscow Russia. The cathedral is the oldest building, built in white stone, symbol of wealth and refinement. It is for it that Andrei Rublev painted the icon of the Trinity, currently exhibited at the Tretiakov Gallery. Adjacent to this church, the sacristy is more recent since it dates from the beginning of the 19th century. It houses a museum with all kinds of religious objects made of precious metals and stones.

The Cathedral of the Dormition (Uspenski sobor) was built between 1559 and 1585 on the central square, on the model of the one in Moscow. The work was begun under Ivan the Terrible and completed under Feodor Ivanovich. It is easily recognizable by its five domes: four painted blue, with stars, and a fifth, gilded. Among its 17th century icons are those of Simon Ushakov, one of the three most famous artists of ancient Russia.

The Church of the Savior, in baroque style, dating from 1686-1692, is decorated with carved half-columns, shells and stylized bunches of grapes; its walls are painted with red, yellow, blue and green checks. Inside, there is a beautiful carved iconostasis and some baroque paintings. This is where the Lavra once welcomed the tsars, who never failed to visit the service. The hall, topped by a 17th century groin vault, is very large and richly decorated with a red-brown jasper floor.

The term "laure", of Greek origin, refers to the most important monasteries of the Orthodox religion. This one (ТРОИЦА СЕРГЕЕВА ЛАВРА) was founded in 1340 by Saint Sergius of Radonezh. Lavra, which is included in the UNESCO list of World Architectural Heritage Sites, is the beating heart of the Russian Orthodox faith. There are seven churches, two collegiate churches, a seminary, an ecclesiastical academy, administrative buildings, a former hospital and a museum of applied arts.

Located in the Kremlin, the cathedral (БОГОРОДИЦЕ РОЖДЕСТВЕНСКИЙ СОБОР) is the oldest monument in Suzdal. It was built in the 13th century, but only the lower part of the cathedral, which is made of stone and finished with an arched frieze, has survived from this period. An original souvenir is holy water in a beautiful samovar-shaped stoup. On the outskirts of the cathedral you will also find horse-drawn carriages for hire to take a tour of the kremlin or the village.

This small church at the corner of Red Square and Nikolskaya Street was built in 1636 to celebrate the victory of the Russo-Polish war (1612). It was destroyed by Bolshevism in 1936 and rebuilt identically in 1993. If your stay in Moscow is very short, we recommend this church to get acquainted with the orthodox culture because if its architecture is not exceptional, its icon is very famous and it is a very authentic church.

Built in the 12th century to house a very precious icon of the Virgin, which would become the palladium of the city of Vladimir, the Dormition Cathedral was the main religious centre of all Russia until the middle of the 14th century.
In its present state, the Vladimir Dormition Cathedral is the result of two different eras. It was partially destroyed in a fire at the end of the 12th century, then fortified and rebuilt.

This beautiful square was designed in the 14th century and is the heart of the Kremlin. The square owes its name to the three cathedrals facing it: the Dormition Cathedral, the Archangel Cathedral and the Annunciation Cathedral, reminding us of the historical links between power and the Church in Russia. On the square there are also the Palace of Facets, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe and the Church of the Twelve Apostles. Ivan's great bell tower still dominates the square, as it did when it was the tallest building in the kingdom.

This beautiful little white church has a rare and interesting architecture. It was built in 1476-1477. Its bell tower served, in those troubled times, as a watchtower to scan the surroundings. Each bell has its own name and characteristics. The walls are slightly sloped upwards to slim the construction, and a pretty frieze runs along the whitewashed brick facades. This is where Maximus the Greek, one of the greatest religious philosophers of the Orthodox tradition, was buried in the 16th century.

It was founded in the middle of the 14th century and belonged to the Narychkin boyars. The Vyssokopetrovskiy Monastery (ВЫСОКОПЕТРОВСКИЙ МОНАСТЫРЬ), i.e. St. Peter's Monastery, is linked to the name of Tsar Peter the Great. When he was born, the Narychkin family, to which the Czar's mother belonged, offered rooms in the monastery, where the Czar's grandfather lived. The history of the monastery is also linked to the war with Napoleon. It must be said that the monastery suffered a lot from the marauders. In the church of Our Lady of Bogolyubovo, French Marshal Mortier condemned Muscovites accused of setting fires in the streets of Moscow. The abbey church of the monastery was built in 1514-1517. Next to the Cathedral is the Church of Our Lady of Bogoliubovo (1684-1687) and the tomb of Ivan and Afanassy Narychkin, who were killed during the Strelet Revolt.

To the south, the church of Saint-Serge-de-Radonège (1690-1694), built in memory of the support given to Peter the Great during the revolt against the Tsar organized by his sister Sofia. Note a beautiful bell tower at the entrance and the Church of the Intercession (Pokrovskaya, 1690-1694). Within the monastery grounds, your attention will be drawn to the Church of Our Lady of Tolga (Tolgskaya). Near the southern gate stands the church of St.akhomiVeliky (1754-1755). The beautiful proportions and fine decoration of this church allow to attribute it to the architect D. Oukhtomsky.

At the exit of the Kitai-Gorod metro station, you have to look a little bit for this church (ЦЕРКОВЬ ТРОИЦЫ "В НИКИТНИКАХ") deliberately lost in Soviet constructions: one of the techniques set up by the Soviet regime to fight against religious feeling. The church itself is one of the masterpieces of 17th century Baroque architecture: its harmonious proportions and shimmering red and white colours make it one of the stars of photographers and Instagram.

It's a very pretty little church (ХРАМ ВСЕХ ВСЕХ СВЯТЫХ НА КУЛИШКАХ), which seems to have come straight out of a fairy tale and seems a little lost in the middle of the ocean of reinforced concrete that surrounds it. It was erected to celebrate the Kulikovskaya battle that marks the liberation of Russia from Tatar domination. After being almost destroyed by the Poles in 1610, it found its present form in 1680. Visit also the beautiful interior of this place of worship.

Situated in the heart of the city, between trendy restaurants and luxury boutiques, the synagogue building stands out and amazes. It is reminiscent of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem and has a unique and complicated history like that of the Jews of Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Initially, the synagogue was financed in 1883 by the industrialist and banker Lazarem Solomonovichem and designed by the architect M.N. Chichagov in a Moorish style. In the 1920s the synagogue began its adventures, its Jewish school for boys (the Heder) was closed and in December 1937 Rabbi Moshe Haim Gurtenberg was shot by the GPU (USSR State Police), two years later it became state property. For almost 40 years it served as a centre for amateur artists. In 1991 the synagogue was returned to the Jewish community of Moscow. It was erected by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson as a representation of the ultra-orthodox Lubavitch movement on Russian territory. The new building of the synagogue on Bolshaya Bronaya Street was built in memory of the Jewish victims of the 20th century.

On the top floor, there is a nice kosher Jerusalem restaurant (Yerousalim) which offers specialities from the Caucasus and the Middle East, including a variety of grilled meat and fish that can be enjoyed in summer on their terrace with a lovely view of the city.