Archangel Cathedral

The Archangel Cathedral, located on Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin, is an outstanding monument of Russian architecture and one of the most important objects of Russia’s cultural heritage. This majestic temple, built by the Italian architect Aleviz Novy (Aloisio da Milano) at the beginning of the 16th century, served for several centuries as the burial place of Moscow’s princes and tsars. Today the cathedral is part of the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Moscow Kremlin” and attracts thousands of visitors who wish to touch the history of Russian statehood.

History of the Archangel Cathedral

The first churches on the site of the cathedral

The history of the shrine begins in the distant 13th century. The first wooden church dedicated to the Holy Archangel Michael was erected here in 1247–1248 on the orders of Prince Mikhail Khorobrit, brother of the legendary Alexander Nevsky. This modest structure became a spiritual centre for the princely family and a place for important religious ceremonies. Eighty-five years later, in 1333, Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita decided to build a new white-stone church on the site of the dilapidated wooden one. According to historical sources, the construction of the stone cathedral was linked to deliverance from terrible calamities. One version claims that the church was built in gratitude for salvation from famine caused by a poor rye harvest; another asserts that the construction was dedicated to deliverance from the plague. The new white-stone cathedral reached a height of 20 metres and became the largest church in the Kremlin at that time. Notably, Ivan Kalita himself bequeathed to be buried within the walls of the church under construction, becoming the first Moscow prince to be laid to rest here. From that moment the Archangel Cathedral acquired the status of the grand-princely necropolis, which it retained until the reign of Peter I.

Construction of the present building

By the beginning of the 16th century the white-stone church of Ivan Kalita had fallen into disrepair. Grand Prince Ivan III, who was carrying out a large-scale reconstruction of the Kremlin, decided to erect a new cathedral. In 1505 the old building was dismantled and the princely tombs were temporarily removed. The Italian architect Aleviz Novy, renowned for his skill and knowledge of the latest Renaissance architectural techniques, was invited to design and build the new cathedral. Work progressed rapidly, and already in October 1507 the princely burials were transferred to the new church. The cathedral was consecrated in 1508, completing the grandiose reconstruction of the grand-princely residence conceived by Ivan III.

Trials and restorations

Throughout its long history the Archangel Cathedral has endured many trials. In 1547 the church suffered severe damage in a fire that destroyed the original iconostasis. After restoration, the cathedral was repeatedly repaired in the 17th–18th centuries. The 18th century was particularly difficult, when the building twice fell into a dangerous condition requiring urgent reinforcement. In 1772, following a design by the outstanding architect Vasily Bazhenov, a southern annex was built to strengthen the structure. Terrible damage was inflicted on the cathedral during the Patriotic War of 1812. French soldiers looted the church, stealing precious icon covers and ornaments, and used the icons from the lower tiers of the iconostasis as benches and beds. After the expulsion of the invaders, a large-scale restoration was required, during which the interior decoration and iconostasis were renewed and new carved royal doors were made. In 1918 the cathedral was closed for services and designated a monument of architecture. Restoration work continued until the 1950s, and in 1955 the church opened as a museum. Divine services resumed only in 1991, when liturgies began to be celebrated on patronal feast days and on Radonitsa.

Architectural features of the cathedral

Exterior appearance

The Archangel Cathedral is a unique combination of Russian architectural traditions and elements of the Italian Renaissance. The church is built of brick with white-stone details and has a rectangular plan elongated along the east–west axis. It is a five-domed, six-piered cross-domed church with characteristic narrow slit-like windows. The five domes are shifted towards the eastern part and have an asymmetrical arrangement. The drum diameters vary, creating an impression of dynamism and freedom of composition. This architectural solution by Aleviz Novy was innovative for Russian architecture of the period. The façades clearly show the influence of Venetian architecture. A two-tier order with pilasters decorated with vegetal capitals is used. The zakomaras are executed as semi-circular pediments typical of 15th-century Venice. Renaissance motifs are widely employed in the wall decoration, including “shells” in the zakomaras and multi-profiled cornices.

Interior space

The interior of the Archangel Cathedral is distinguished by its solemn atmosphere and special layout. Aleviz Novy was the first in Russian church architecture to apply order decoration inside the building. The church is divided by massive piers into three longitudinal naves, with the central nave significantly wider and taller than the side ones. A characteristic feature of the interior is its compartmentalisation and a certain cramped feeling created by the square piers: two are located in the altar area and four in the main space. The piers and corresponding wall pilasters are raised on high pedestal-bases, adding extra solemnity to the interior. The cylindrical vault of the central nave rests on raised transverse arches, forming a cruciform space. In the western part of the church, choirs (palati) were arranged, containing four side chapels. In the mid-16th century a single-domed chapel of the Intercession of the Virgin was added on the eastern side, and later a symmetrical chapel dedicated to the Finding of the Head of St John the Baptist was built.

Wall paintings and iconostasis

Frescoes of the Archangel Cathedral

The interior decoration of the cathedral is striking in the richness of its wall paintings, which create a solemn twilight atmosphere. Researchers believe that when the church was originally decorated under Vasily III, frescoes were not planned. The first frescoes appeared in 1564–1565 under Ivan the Terrible, as evidenced by the surviving paintings above the western entrance and in the southern pre-altar area. The present frescoes were created in the mid-17th century on the orders of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. In 1652 four privileged icon-painters — Simon Ushakov, Stepan Ryazanets, Yakov Kazanets and Sidor Pospeev — made careful tracings of the old paintings. In total, 92 masters participated in creating the new pictorial ensemble. Of particular interest is the gallery of conventional portraits of the princes and tsars buried in the cathedral. The wall paintings include scenes of the heroic struggle of Russian warriors against foreign invaders and legendary episodes from the life of the Archangel Michael, the heavenly patron of princes and protector of the Russian army.

The cathedral’s iconostasis

The original 1508 iconostasis perished in the fire of 1547. The present four-tier iconostasis was executed by tsar’s carvers in 1679–1680, and most of the icons also date from that period. The main shrine of the cathedral is the temple icon “Archangel Michael with Acts”, created in the 14th–15th centuries. This icon is regarded as a pinnacle of ancient Russian icon-painting and, according to tradition, was commissioned by Princess Eudoxia, widow of Dmitry Donskoy. Also noteworthy is a copy of the miracle-working icon of the Annunciation of Ustyug. Some icons in the upper tiers are painted on old boards that belonged to icons from 1547 and earlier. The uppermost row of the iconostasis is crowned by the Crucifixion of the Lord, executed by masters Fedor Zubov and Mikhail Milyutin.

The Archangel Cathedral as the grand-princely necropolis

System of burials

Since the time of Ivan Kalita the Archangel Cathedral has served as the burial place of Moscow’s rulers. The arrangement of burials followed strict rules reflecting the hierarchy of the princely family. Grand-princely tombs were placed along the southern walls, appanage princes were buried by the western wall, and disgraced princes rested by the northern wall. At the altar screen along the southern wall lie Grand Princes Vasily II, Ivan III, Vasily III and Tsarevich Dmitry. In the 1560s Tsar Ivan the Terrible added a new chapel specifically for the tsar’s necropolis, where Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich, Ivan the Terrible himself and his son Tsar Fedor Ivanovich were buried.

Burials and relics

In total, the Archangel Cathedral contains 54 burials of members of the princely and tsarist families. Most graves are located beneath the floor slabs, above which decorative tombstones adorned with ornaments and inscriptions bearing the names of the deceased were erected in the 17th century. The relics of the holy Tsarevich Dmitry of Uglich, transferred here in 1606 and placed near the middle northern pier, lie openly in the church. In 1774 the relics of the holy Prince Mikhail of Chernigov and his boyar Fedor were moved from the Sretensky Cathedral and now rest in a shrine behind the iconostasis near the northern wall. In 1928 the burials of women from the Rurikid and Romanov dynasties from the demolished Ascension Convent were transferred to the crypt (underground necropolis) of the southern annex. Among those buried in the cathedral are Tsars Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich, as well as both brothers of Peter I.

Practical information for visitors

Opening hours and ticket prices

The Archangel Cathedral is open daily except Thursday. Summer schedule (15 May – 30 September): 9:30 – 18:00. Winter schedule (1 October – 14 May): 10:00 – 17:00. Ticket prices for the architectural ensemble of Cathedral Square:

• Full ticket (no concessions) — 700 rubles
• Concession ticket for pensioners, students, children under 16 (any citizenship), persons under 18 (Russian citizens) — 500 rubles
• Ticket with audio guide — 1000 rubles

A guided tour of the museums of Cathedral Square, including the Archangel Cathedral, lasts about 1.5 hours. It is recommended to arrive early, as exchanging vouchers for tickets at the ticket office can take up to 40 minutes.

How to get there

The most convenient way to reach the Kremlin is by metro. Nearest metro stations:

• «Alexandrovsky Sad»
• «Arbatskaya»
• «Biblioteka imeni Lenina»
• «Boroviсkaya»

Follow the signs for “Kremlin” after exiting the metro. Entry to the Kremlin territory is through the Kutafya Tower — the only surviving barbican tower of the Moscow Kremlin.

What to see nearby

A visit to the Archangel Cathedral is easily combined with viewing other sights of Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin:

• The Assumption Cathedral — the main church of the Russian state
• The Annunciation Cathedral — the house church of the Moscow princes
• The Patriarch’s Palace with the Church of the Twelve Apostles
• The Ivan the Great Bell Tower with its unique viewing platform
• The Church of the Deposition of the Robe

After the tour you can stroll through the Alexander Garden, located along the western wall of the Kremlin, where you will find the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal Flame and memorial stelae to hero cities.

The significance of the Archangel Cathedral

The Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin is not merely an architectural monument but the most important symbol of Russian statehood and Orthodox culture. Dedicated to the Archangel Michael — the heavenly patron of Russian warriors and princes — the church for centuries was the place where rulers prayed before military campaigns, received oaths of loyalty and found their final rest. Today the cathedral functions as a museum, preserving the memory of the great princes and tsars whose deeds shaped the course of Russian history. On patronal feast days and Radonitsa services are held here, returning the church to its original spiritual purpose. Visiting the Archangel Cathedral offers a unique opportunity to touch centuries of Russian history, to see masterpieces of ancient Russian art and to feel the grandeur of the era when the Muscovite state was formed. It is a must-see destination for anyone interested in the history, architecture and cultural heritage of our country. Interesting fact: In 2008 the Archangel Cathedral celebrated its 500th anniversary. Over five centuries of existence the church has survived fires, wars, looting and restorations, yet has preserved its majesty and spiritual significance for the Russian people.