The Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin looks like a stern giant in comparison with the small Annunciation Cathedral standing opposite it with joyfully shining gold. Yes, and their purpose was different: in the Annunciation Cathedral from ancient times, they baptized members of the family of rulers and crowned princes, and in Arkhangelsk they were buried.
The sacred significance of the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin
In general, the trinity of cathedrals: Arkhangelsk, Annunciation, Assumption, which frame the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin, embody the idea of Grand Duke Ivan III (1440-1505) and his successors to demonstrate the power and greatness of Moscow, to show the exclusiveness of the monarch's power. But Ivan Vasilyevich did not have time to see the monumental building of the Archangel Cathedral.
The Archangel Kremlin Cathedral is a Russian cathedral, over the construction of which the architect from Venice Aleviz New worked since 1505. The temple was consecrated on November 8, 1508 in honor of the Archangel Michael. The full name is the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael.
Archangel Michael is one of the highest angels and the main fighter against Satan and lawlessness. In the church he is also called the archangel, which means "senior warrior, leader" of the Heavenly Forces. It is considered the militant patron saint of the grand ducal family and the reigning family of the Romanovs. Archangel Michael is considered the protector of the souls of the dead. He leads the angelic army, and the sovereign of the earth.
The predecessor of the current cathedral of the Archangel Michael was a stone church named after him, built by the Grand Duke Ivan Kalita in 1333. The prince bequeathed to bury him in it. This is how the tradition of burying sovereigns in the Archangel Church arose. After 172 years, this church was demolished, and in its place a tall white-stone cathedral, which we see today in the heart of the Kremlin, grew up.
Architecture
The construction of the Archangel Cathedral was supervised by the Italian architect Aleviz Novy, who managed to combine in it the internal structure, traditional for Russian churches, and the appearance of a Venetian palazzo, complemented by church domes traditional in Russia.
The cathedral seems to be two-story due to the fact that the walls are visually divided horizontally by a cornice. The lower tier is more powerful, the upper one is lower and looks light and airy due to the windows framed by panels.
Elements typical of Venetian architecture of the Renaissance, Aleviz used to decorate his Moscow brainchild. For example, he placed a group of round windows-medallions in the central zakomara of the western facade of the cathedral, and in the rest of the zakomaras - Italian relief "shells". He built decorative arches, and on the western wall he made large arched windows and a wide portal.
The drums of the five chapters of the cathedral are decorated with carvings and narrow windows. Each capital of 35 pilasters imitating columns is covered with its own floral ornament.
The original appearance has subsequently undergone some changes. In the middle of the 16th century, the chapel of John the Baptist was added to the cathedral from the south, and from the north, the chapel to the martyr Huar. Each with its own entrance.
The brainchild of the Italian turned out to be atypical for ancient Russian architecture and violated the previous temple-building canons, but over time, its beauty conquered even its most ardent critics.
Paintings and icons
Under Ivan Vasilievich the Terrible, the cathedral was decorated with unique murals. The sovereign pursued the goal of presenting the monarch as God's chosen ruler, given from above. On the walls, portraits of Moscow princes with halos over their heads are created, regardless of whether they were canonized or not. Next to each is his patron saint.
Previously, it was customary to place images of soldiers and martyrs on pillars as pillars of faith. In the Archangel Cathedral, images of princes are written on the pillars.
In the cathedral there is an ancient hagiographic icon of the Archangel Michael with deeds, written around 1410. According to legend, her writing is associated with Princess Evdokia, the widow of Dmitry Donskoy. Once in a dream, an archangel appeared to her, after which she ordered this icon.
Necropolis
Since the time of Ivan Kalita, the Archangel Cathedral has become a princely necropolis. Each new burial was supposed to emphasize the inviolability and continuity of the power of the Rurikovichs and Moscow. However, in 1591, the last direct descendant of the reigning family died - Tsarevich Dmitry. In 1606, his remains were transferred to the tomb of his ancestors and are now considered the main relic of the Archangel Cathedral.
During the invasion of Napoleon, when “civilized” French soldiers used the icons of the temple as benches and beds, the relics of the prince disappeared. Subsequently, it turned out that they were saved by the priest of the Resurrection, now defunct, monastery.
After accession, the Romanovs began to erect their tombs around Dmitry Uglitsky, thereby trying to show continuity. There was a tradition in the cathedral in which people left notes addressed to the king. Except for him, no one had the right to take them. Under Peter I, this custom ceased to exist. But each new emperor, after his wedding to the kingdom in the Assumption Cathedral, marched to Arkhangelsk, where he bowed to his father's graves.
The last to be buried here was the grandson of Peter the Great, fourteen-year-old Peter II in 1730.
The burials are located in a special order: the great Moscow princes are separate from the appanage ones, who fell into disgrace or died forcibly away from others.
The gravestones of Ivan the Terrible with his sons Ivan and Fyodor are located separately in the altar of the cathedral.
Russian grand duchesses, and later tsarinas, were buried in the Ascension Cathedral, founded by the pious princess Evdokia. She herself was the first of the Russian princesses to be buried in it in 1407. The Ascension Monastery was demolished in 1929. The sarcophagi with the remains of high-ranking women were rescued and moved to the basement of the Archangel Cathedral.
