Moscow, the Medieval and the Contemporary
Before the Bolshevik Revolution declared that religion was the "opiate" of the masses, the faithful were drawn to Orthodox churches throughout Russia where transfixed by the heavenly images inside their ornately decorated churches,  they would stand, lighted candles in hand, waiting for the miracle that would deliver them from their toil and suffering.  The images of the holy icon, the Madonna, Christ, or a holy saint would flicker in the candlelight as the priest waved a metal ball billowing with incense and chanted in a deep, vibrant voice the sacred hymns that bound together the inhabitants of their land, Holy Russia.

Today, in Moscow, and throughout the country, Russian's are returning to their churches.  The one church that to the rest of the world outwardly represents the   Russian Orthodox Church is the picturesque, labyrinthine cathedral, St. Basil's, built in 1560 by Ivan the Terrible. With its colorful cupolas resembling Christmas ornaments, St. Basil's sits across Red Square from the Kremlin, a huge complex of government offices, czarist palaces, and medieval churches, surrounded by an imposing stone wall standing up to 70 feet in height and surmounted by 19 towers. The Great Kremlin Palace, completed in 1849, is the most imposing structure within the Kremlin. Other notable palaces are the Granovitaya Palace (1491) and the Terem (1636). The Cathedral of the Assumption and the Archangel Cathedral, each with five gilded domes, and the Cathedral of the Annunciation with nine gilded domes date back to the the 13th and 14th Century.  The  Palace of Congresses built in 1961 is the most recent addition to the Kremlin complex.

Today Moscow boasts the strongest economy of any city in Russia. For more on this fascinating city click on the following links.

If this page was not accessed from the main home page and you would like to start at the beginning of "A Russian Journey" click on the image below. You will open a new browser window.

basilbevel.gif (22725 bytes)
Ivan the Terrible's Wonderful Cathedral
Click on picture to interactively explore St. Basil's and Red Square. Find Ivan the Terrible inside his cathedral and discover why he was so terrible!


moscuniv.jpg (117586 bytes)

Modern Moscow
It's a cosmopolitan city on the go, looking towards the future. Click on Moscow University above for the Official Site of the Russian National Tourist OfficeExploring Moscow

Other Links