Candy Colored Onion Domes

Saint Basil's Cathedral

Saint Basil's Cathedral

Constructed by Ivan the Terrible in 1561 to commemorate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan, Saint Basil’s Cathedral is one of the most iconic examples of a Russian Orthodox church and among the few to survive Soviet communism. As one of the earliest churches constructed in Moscow, Saint Basil’s introduced several architectural and artistic elements into Russian Orthodox church design.

Domes of Saint Basil's

The cathedral is most notable for its vibrant colors throughout both the interior and exterior of the church. However, when the cathedral was first constructed, the exterior was painted white and most of the tin domes were layered with gold. In the 1600’s, after the rise of icons and mural arts, many artists had access to more colorful palettes of paints and dyes and began favoring the use of brighter colors (2). As a result, each of the nine onion domes was painted a different color and many pieces of metal were bent and placed on top of the domes to create colorful artistic patterns. 

Map of Red Square (Saint Basil's on Right)

Similarly, the interior of the church also reflects the use of vibrant colors. The floral patterns on the wall, the murals of icon paintings, and gold layered doors contribute to a colorful masterpiece within the interiors of the church. With its colorful interior designs and exterior onion domes, many described Saint Basil’s Cathedral as a church “like no other Russian building. Nothing similar can be found in the entire millennium of Byzantine tradition from the fifth to fifteenth century” (3). As we will see in later churches of the tour, many of Saint Basil’s early artistic and structural components have inspired the design of newer Russian Orthodox churches.