Red Square, Moscow, 9-26-09

On the first day, Roman and I wandered the streets of Moscow until our train left for Saint Petersburg that night. The lady with the loudspeaker is advertising personalized tours of the area. You can see the Kremlin Wall, as I pan past Lenin's tomb, and finally rest on St. Basil's Cathedral. Ivan the Terrible commissioned St. Basil's in 1555 and it was so beautiful, it is said that he cut the eyes out of the architect who designed it, so he would not be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Each of the 8 domes of the Cathedral had a chapel beneath it. A ninth chapel with spire was added in 1588 to house the tomb of its namesake, Basil the Blessed. The eight domes form an eight-sided star, with the spire of the ninth dome in the center that is also a symbol of the Christian Church. Originally, the domes were unpainted and the carved designs on them stood out vividly against the red bricks. In the next two hundred years, the swirling designs were painted. The interior of the cathedral is rather cramped and dimly lit and is decorated in delicate floral designs. The cathedral has escaped destruction many times since its creation.