| Assumption Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Успенский Собор | |
 The Cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin, (south façade, viewed from Cathedral Square, summer) | |
 Assumption Cathedral | |
| 55°45′04″N37°37′01″E / 55.75111°N 37.61694°E /55.75111; 37.61694 | |
| Location | Moscow |
| Country | Russia |
| Denomination | Russian Orthodox |
| Website | assumption-cathedral |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 1479 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Russian |
| Years built | 1475–1479 |
| Groundbreaking | 1326 |
TheCathedral of the Dormition (Russian:Успенский собор,romanized: Uspenskiy sobor), also known as theAssumption Cathedral orCathedral of the Assumption, is aRussian Orthodoxchurch dedicated to theDormition of the Theotokos. It is located on the north side ofCathedral Square of theMoscow Kremlin inRussia, where a narrow alley separates the north from thePatriarch's Palace with the Twelve Apostles Church. Separately in the southwest, also separated by a narrow passage from the church, stands thePalace of Facets. The cathedral is regarded as themother church ofMuscovite Russia.
The cathedral was originally constructed using stone in 1326 underIvan I.[1] The cathedral was rebuilt between 1475 and 1479 at the behest of the grand princeIvan III to a design by the Italian architectAristotele Fioravanti.[2] From 1547 to 1896, thecoronation of Russian monarchs took place here. In addition, the cathedral is the burial place for most of the MoscowMetropolitans andPatriarchs of theRussian Orthodox Church; it also serves as a part ofthe Moscow Kremlin Museums.
Archaeological investigations in 1968 indicated that the site of the present cathedral was a medieval burial ground, supporting the hypothesis that a wooden church existed on the site in the 12th century. This was replaced by alimestone structure built around 1326,[3] which has been mentioned in historical records.
In the 14th century,Metropolitan Peter persuadedIvan I (Ivan Kalita) that he should build acathedral to theTheotokos (Blessed Virgin Mary) inMoscow like theCathedral of the Dormition in the capital cityof Vladimir. Construction of the cathedral began on August 4, 1326, and the cathedral was finished andconsecrated on August 4, 1327. At that time, Moscow became the capital of theVladimir-Suzdal principality.
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By the end of the 15th century, the old cathedral had become dilapidated, and in 1472, the Moscow architects Kryvtsov and Myshkin began construction of a new cathedral. Two years later, in May 1474, the building was nearing completion when it collapsed due to an earthquake.[4]
Following the disaster,Ivan III then invitedAristotele Fioravanti, a celebrated architect and engineer fromBologna,Italy, to come to Moscow and entrusted him with the task of designing the cathedral from scratch in the traditions ofRussian architecture.[5] The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was once again taken as a model for the building, and so Fioravanti travelled to Vladimir in order to study Russian methods of building. He designed a light and spacious masterpiece that combined the spirit of theRenaissance with Russian traditions. The foundation for the new cathedral was laid in 1475, and in 1479 the new cathedral was consecrated byMetropolitan Geronty. The interior was painted withfrescoes and adorned with manyicons, including theTheotokos of Vladimir andBlachernitissa.[6]
The design of the new church, with its five domes (symbolic ofJesus Christ and theFour Evangelists), proved immensely popular and was taken as a template for numerous other churches throughout Russia.
In 1547, thecoronation of the first RussianTsar,Ivan the Terrible, took place in this cathedral.[7] From 1721, it was the scene of thecoronation of the Russian emperors. The ritual installation ofmetropolitans and patriarchs of theRussian Orthodox Church also took place in this cathedral, and their tombs are to be found here.
The cathedral suffered from many disasters in its history, including fires in 1518, 1547, 1682, and 1737[8] and looting under the armies of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth during theTime of Troubles in 1612. During theFrench occupation of Russia, it was looted and used as a horse stable.
It was thoroughly restored in 1894-1895 and from 1910 to 1918. On November 21, 1917, the cathedral was the setting for the installation ofTikhon (Bellavin), theMetropolitan of Moscow, as the first patriarch of the restoredPatriarchate of Moscow. However, following the1917 Russian Revolution, the newBolshevik government closed all churches in the Moscow Kremlin and converted the cathedral into a museum. By special permission fromVladimir Lenin, the lastPascha (Easter service) was held in 1918. The final moment of this Paschal service was the subject of an unfinished painting byPavel Korin entitledFarewell to Rus. Most of the church treasures were transferred to theKremlin Armory, or were sold overseas.
The building was repaired in 1949/50, 1960 and 1978.
In 1990, the Dormition Cathedral was returned to the church for periodic religious services, shortly before thedissolution of the Soviet Union. It was restored to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991.
The Dormition Cathedral is an impressive structure, featuring six pillars, five apses, and five domes. Its design was inspired by the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, especially in its use of limestone masonry set on a raised limestone foundation. The cathedral follows a three-nave layout and includes a vaulted cross-dome, showcasing classic elements of its architectural roots. It is built of well-trimmed white-stone blocks. However, Fioravanti did not usecantilever vaults as was common in Russian architecture, but introducedgroin vaults and transverse arches. For the upper portion of the building, he used specially-madebricks, larger than the standard Russian size, which reduced weight and allowed for more slender arch supports. Thus, the easternmost pair of columns in front of theapses is typically Russian in the use of massive rectangular open piers, whereas the remaining four are simplerCorinthian columns. The slim shape of these columns contributes significantly to the light, spacious effect of the interior.
Inside, the church decoration is dominated by itsfresco painting. The hugeiconostasis dates from 1547, but its two highest tiers are later additions from 1626 and 1653/1654 underPatriarch Nikon. In addition to its liturgical function, the iconostasis also served as a sort of trophy wall, in that Russian Tsars would add the most important icons from cities they had conquered to their collection. One of the oldest,icons with the bust of Saint George dates from the 12th century and was transferred to Moscow by TsarIvan IV on the conquest of the city of Veliky Novgorod in 1561.
However, one of the most important icons of the Russian Orthodox Church, theTheotokos of Vladimir kept at the cathedral from 1395 to 1919, is now at theTretyakov Gallery.
Near the south entrance to the cathedral is the Monomach Throne of Ivan IV (1551).
The plaza in front of the cathedral is the setting for the famous Coronation Scene inMussorgsky's operaBoris Godunov.
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