In the center of the Moscow Kremlin, on Cathedral Square, stands the snow-white cathedral dedicated to Archangel Michael. It is the only cathedral in Moscow whose domes are not covered in gold. Here lies the oldest family burial place of Russian princes and tsars.

History of the Construction of the Archangel Cathedral

In the 13th century, Alexander Nevsky's brother, Prince Mikhail Khorobrit, built a wooden church in Moscow in honor of his heavenly patron, Archangel Michael. In 1333, Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita replaced it with a cathedral made of white stone.

This majestic cathedral was erected in gratitude to the Lord for saving Russia from famine in a year of poor harvest. Ivan Kalita bequeathed to be buried here, and since then, the Archangel Cathedral became the royal family burial place for 180 years. Ivan Kalita was the first ruler buried in the temple.

During the reconstruction of the Kremlin, Prince Ivan III rebuilt the family burial place, inviting the Milanese architect Aloisio Lamberti da Montignano, known in Moscow as Alieviz Fliazin.

The construction of the cathedral was completed by the prince's son, Vasily III, who continued his father's work of uniting Russia. The new cathedral was consecrated on November 8, 1508.

The temple is dedicated to Archangel Michael, the heavenly patron of princes in their military exploits. Great princes prayed here before battles, and the tsar, leading a solemn procession, visited the tombs of his ancestors after ascending to the throne.

Architectural Features of the Archangel Cathedral

The Archangel Cathedral is located on Borovitsky Hill. The Italian architect had to create a temple-burial place, a monument to the grand princely lineage, under which Rus took its rightful place among powerful European states.

The 21-meter-high cathedral made of white stone was built in the traditional ancient Russian style: a five-domed cross-shaped temple with narrow windows. The five domes on drums of different diameters are arranged asymmetrically, creating an impression of lightness and upward aspiration. The main entrance is located in a wide recess. In the six-column five-apse structure with eight chapels, Italian and Byzantine architectural traditions intertwine.

Exterior Appearance of the Temple

The cathedral's special exterior appearance is achieved through decorative forms of finishing. The facade is divided into two tiers by a horizontal cornice, each of which looks like an independent floor, giving the cathedral the appearance of a two-story building. The lower tier is tall and powerful, with decorative arches, serving as a pedestal for the lighter upper tier, adorned with panels.

Vertical rectangular projections of the wall are divided horizontally and transformed into pilasters. High narrow windows are located along the middle line of each tier. The architectural decoration includes rounded medallion windows and large arched windows, bringing the cathedral closer to a Venetian palace.

Niches around the upper part of the facade are decorated in the form of seashells with pearls, which is unusual for Russian architecture. Pilasters topped with plant ornamentation and carved capitals add solemnity to the facade. The carvings decorating the portals are unique.

Interior of the Temple

The internal space of the temple is connected with ancient Russian architecture. A characteristic feature of the interior is its fragmentation and the presence of massive pillars, dividing the building into three longitudinal naves.

The central nave is wider and higher than the side ones, as its vault rests on elevated arches. The altar part is separated from the space for the worshippers by a high iconostasis. Alevis Novy used ordered decoration in the interior. The columns and pilasters are raised on high bases-pedestals, with a cornice running along the arms of the cross.

Burial Place

The custom of burial in churches came to Rus from Byzantium. The Archangel Cathedral of Ivan Kalita became the first grand princely burial place. Here, rulers of the Rurik dynasty, the Romanovs, and their relatives were buried until the 18th century. The cathedral served as a burial place for male members of the royal family. Tsarinas and princesses were buried in the Ascension Cathedral of the Kremlin's Ascension Monastery, which was destroyed in 1929. At that time, the burials from the monastery were transferred to the southern part of the Archangel Cathedral. A stone tombstone was erected over the grave, on which an icon, a candle, and a memorial dish were placed.

Tombs

In the cathedral, under forty-five tombstones and two memorial slabs, there are fifty-six burials. Bronze sarcophagi of white stone tombstones were installed during the reign of Mikhail Romanov. Opposite the tombstones are life-size images of all the great princes buried here.

The burials are arranged according to clear rules: grand princely burials along the southern walls, appanage princes along the western wall, and disgraced princes along the northern wall. At the southwestern pillars, Tatar nobility who served at the Russian court are buried. The burial place includes the son of Ivan the Terrible, tsars from the Romanov dynasty Mikhail Fyodorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich, as well as both brothers of Peter I.

The cathedral contains the empty tomb of Boris Godunov, whose remains were thrown into the street by order of False Dmitry I. Later, Boris Godunov's remains were buried in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

On the northern side of the cathedral, there is a shrine with the relics of Prince Mikhail of Chernigov, who was canonized. Memorial services were held in the cathedral on the days of the death of the buried high-ranking individuals.

Paintings of the Burial Place

In the 16th century, the cathedral was covered with artistic painting. During the time of Alexei Mikhailovich, wall paintings were created by 92 masters. Military themes and scenes of the struggle of Archangel Michael with Satan occupy a central place in the painting.

An interesting gallery of conventional "tomb" portraits of princes and tsars exists. The lower tier, the "portrait gallery" of real historical figures: over 60 "portraits" of princes. The gallery opens with an image of Ivan Kalita.

In the domes, the faces of prophets and patriarchs, episodes from the life of the Savior, on the vaults, scenes from the New Testament. In the central drum, figures of Adam and Eve. In the western domes, images of Archangel Michael and Gabriel, below, apostles and holy servants, warrior martyrs, and the temple's patron saint, Archangel Michael. The painting includes scenes of the struggle of Russian warriors with invaders.

The main Orthodox shrine of the cathedral is the four-tiered iconostasis with icons of "Michael Archangel with Life" and the icon of the Mother of God "Heaven of Grace." Above the altar, a composition from the Mother of God cycle, "Dormition of the Mother of God."

History of the Cathedral after 1918

In 1918, the temple was declared a cultural monument and closed for restoration, which lasted until the 1950s. Since 1955, a museum has operated in the building of the temple, and the first service after restoration took place in 1991. In 2008, the Archangel Cathedral celebrated its 500th anniversary. Today, the cathedral belongs to the "State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve 'Moscow Kremlin,'" and services are held there only twice a year, on the feast day and on Radonitsa. The oldest temple in the capital can only be visited with an organized tour.