Moscow Kremlin cathedrals Postcard

Annunciation cathedral, Archangel cathedral and Ivan the Great bell tower. Cathedral of the Annunciation served as a personal chapel for the Muscovite csars, and its abbot remained a personal confessor of the Russian royal family until the early 20th century. The cathedral was built by architects from the city of Pskov in 1484-1489 as part of Grand Duke Ivan III plans for renovation of Moscow Kremlin. From the time of Ivan the Terrible’s coronation as Csar, royal family members worshipped, got married and baptized their children at the Annunciation Cathedral. Even after the relocation of Russian capital to St. Petersburg, the Annunciation Cathedral remained one of the most important churches of Russia. The Cathedral of the Archangel is dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It was constructed between 1505 and 1508 under supervision of an Italian architect Aloisio the New (the real name is not known for sure). Victories of the Russian military were celebrated in the Cathedral of the Archangel. Over the years the Archangel Cathedral has undergone several changes that have altered its initial appearance. Most significantly, two chapels were added to the sides of the cathedral in the late 1500s, and the central dome of the cathedral, which had previously been round, was replaced in the 18th century with a traditional onion-shaped dome. All Russian tsars and grand princes were buried in the cathedral (46 altogether) until the time of Peter the Great, who moved the czar necropolis to Saint Petersburg. The Cathedral of the Archangel was closed after the October revolution. Since 1955 it has been open to the public as a museum. Here you see the cathedral in wintertime against the silver sky and behind the red Kremlin walls.