The iconic symbol of Red Square in Moscow: St. Basil’s Cathedral in the daytime
It was simply amazing to see witness the colorful and unique architecture of the Red Square on our visit to Moscow, Russia. I was stunned at how beautiful Russia is! At least the capital and St. Petersburg will take your breath away! Two of the most incredible cities in the world. I think this was our favorite trip ever. You get a taste of Europe with the intrigue of the Kremlin and an eastern influence at the same time. For example, the colorful onion domes of the picturesque St. Basil’s Cathedral are for me, reminiscient of the Taj Mahal. Yes this nine-domed cathedral has become the iconic symbol of Red Square. This beautiful building welcomes stands next to one of the Kremlin gates and serves as the hub of activity in central Moscow.
I found myself returning to photograph it in the morning, evening and during the night. We stayed in a hotel right on the edge of Red Square, so it was accessible and very safe, with guards and Kremlin police everywhere in sight.
Ivan IV built St. Basil’s Cathedral to honor Russia’s victory over the Tatars at Kazan. It is said that Ivan the Terrible asked the chief architect if he would ever be able to build anything more magnificent than this structure and he said yes. So Ivan IV had the architects blinded so that they could never again design a building so beautiful.
The Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral were finalists in a campaign to choose the new Seven Wonders of the World. After visiting here, I can see why! It was an incredible experience in fascinating architecture. This is the second of many blog posts to come.
