Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Architecture
Moscow's streets are a textbook of Russian history, with churches, mansions, theatres and
hotels standing as testament to the most definitive periods. Despite the tendency to demolish
and rebuild (exhibited both in the past and in the present), Moscow has managed to preserve
an impressive array of architectural gems.
Medieval Moscow
Moscow's oldest architecture has its roots in Kyivan Rus. The quintessential structure is the
Byzantine cross-shaped church, topped with vaulted roofs and a central dome. In the 11th
and 12th centuries, Russian culture moved from Kyiv to principalities further northeast.
These towns - now comprising the so-called 'Golden Ring' - copied the Kyivan architectur-
al design, developing their own variations on the pattern. Roofs grew steeper to prevent the
crush of heavy snow; windows grew narrower to keep out the cold.
In many cases, stone replaced brick as the traditional building material. For example the
white stone Assumption Cathedral and Golden Gate, both in Vladimir, are close copies of
similar brick structures in Kyiv. In some cases, the stone facade became a tableau for a glor-
ious kaleidoscope of carved images, such as the Cathedral of St Dmitry in Vladimir and the
Church of the Intercession on the Nerl in Bogolyubovo.
Early church-citadel complexes required protection, so all of these settlements had sturdy,
fortress-style walls replete with fairy-tale towers - Russia's archetypal kremlins. They are
still visible in Suzdal and, of course, Moscow.
At the end of the 15th century, Ivan III imported architects from Italy to build two of the
three great cathedrals in the Moscow Kremlin: Assumption Cathedral and Archangel
Cathedral. Nonetheless, the outsider architects looked to Kyiv for their inspiration, again
copying the Byzantine design.
It was not until the 16th century that architects found inspiration in the tent roofs and
onion domes on the wooden churches in the north of Russia. Their innovation was to con-
struct these features out of brick, which contributed to a new, uniquely Russian style of ar-
chitecture. The whitewashed Church of the Ascension at Kolomenskoe is said to be the
earliest example of this innovative style, featuring open galleries at its base, tiers of
kokosh-
niki
(gables) in the centre, and the pronounced tent roof up top. Of course, St Basil's
Cathedral is the ultimate example of the Russian style, but there are plenty of other ex-
amples around Moscow.
In the 17th century, merchants financed smaller churches bedecked with tiers of
kokosh-
niki
(gables), colourful tiles and brick patterning. The Church of St Nicholas in Khamovniki
