Visit the Cathedral of St.Basile of Moscow: tickets, prices, schedules

What to see and what to do in Russia? In the capital, here is how to visit the St.Basile Cathedral of Moscow!

At the evocation of the name, no large world would recognize the building. Yet, when one evokes the city of Moscow, one imagines all the huge colored meringue and its towers in the form of sweet candy, on the Red square . Well, this is the Cathedral of St. Basil of Moscow! Built between 1555 and 1561, the cathedral – also known as the “Saint-Basile-le-Bienheureux Cathedral – was erected on the orders of Tsar Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584) following the victory of the Russian troops against the Kazan Khanate (disappeared during the founding of the Russian Empire).

Today, it symbolizes the traditional Russian architecture. But we're not gonna tell you everything right now! Discover in this article our guide to visit the St.Basile Cathedral of Moscow!

Visit the St.Basil Cathedral of Moscow: History and Presentation

The most famous cathedral in Moscow is a building of the Orthodox Christian religion, whose origin and history are enamelled with mysteries. We do not know who was the architect of the St. Basil Cathedral of Moscow. It is assumed that it had been an Italian – the Italians having built many buildings of the Kremlin -, other theories evoke a Russian name: Postnik Yakovlev (Barma). We also say that tsar Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) stirred the eyes of the architects so that they would no longer be able to reproduce such a beautiful building (if they had known what the heads of state reserve to those who create masterpieces...).

Originally built in wood, the cathedral was burned, renovated in the 16th century with red bricks and bulb bells that are known today. The cathedral is 65 metres at its highest point. In all, the building is decorated with nine domes and a campanile. The building is in fact made up of eight distinct churches, each of which is covered by a tower: these eight churches would symbolize eight victorious battles that took place during the capture of the Kazan Khanate, along with several religious festivals.

Threatened by destruction by the Napoleonic troops in 1812, who wanted to energize the monument and lacked time, it was again under the saddle of human inaccuracies: Stalin, at the end of the 1920s, planned to demolish it as a place of worship and an enemy symbol of the communist revolution. It is the Soviet architect Piotr Baranovski who managed to save her from Stalinist madness. In 1990, a few days before the fall of the USSR, the site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

What to see and do at the Cathedral of the Holy Basil of Moscow?

Visit the Cathedral of Saint-Basile from Moscow allows to enter into a unique building in the world. Most tourists simply photograph it from the outside on the Red Square, but entering it gives a different look.

First, observe from the outside the ten cupolas including the dôme de l’Intercession-de-la-Vierge . On the first level, visit Chapel of Basile dating from 1588, very decorated with frescoes and icons dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The other adjoining rooms are all small, with various religious and historical rooms.

A narrow spiral staircase leads you to the second floor where you will discover the Central chapel , culminating at 64 meters high. On the programme, iconostases and frescoes of the 18th century. Note that the iconostasis of the central chapel, in fact, comes from Ukraine . The chapels are connected by passages to the walls decorated with floral motifs created in the 17th century. From the windows you will enjoy a unique view of Moskova docks and Zaryadye Park.

By descending, pass to basement of the cathedral : the basement was once a secret room where the treasures of the tsars and the wealthy Moscovites were hidden. This basement consists of several rooms under ceiling of 6.5 meters, and whose walls, thick 3 meters, are covered by large arches.

How to go to the Cathedral of the Holy Basil of Moscow?

Access to visit the St. Basil Cathedral of Moscow is relatively easy. Located in the city centre of Moscow, we can't miss it! Four subway stations serve it:

• Okhatny Ryad on line 1
• Teatralnaya on line 2
• Ploschad Revolutsii on line 3
• Kitai-gorod on lines 6 and 7

Get out of the subway, cross the Red Square: you are there!

The visit lasts between 30 minutes and 1 hour and is done at its own pace: there is therefore no sense of compulsory visit.

It should be noted that the stairs to climb to the floors of the cathedral are very narrow: persons with reduced mobility and children in pushchair so will not be able to access it.

Schedules and prices of the website of the Cathedral of St. Basil of Moscow

HORARI

The St. Basil Cathedral of Moscow is open daily of the year, except the first Wednesday of each month to allow maintenance personnel to clean the monument.

Here are the schedules:

• From November to April: from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
• May, September and October: from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
• From June to August: from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The ticket office closes 45 minutes before closing of the cathedral: make sure you don't get too late.

Good to know: If mercury descends below the -15°C bar in winter, schedules can change and be restricted.

RATES

The price was 1 000 rubles (13,7 €) at the end of 2018. But the price fluctuates with sports and cultural events organized in Moscow. For example, the rate reached 1,000 rubles during the 2018 Football World Cup.

The visit is free for minors under the age of 16.

A reduced fare 150 roubles (2,06 €) exists for minors between the ages of 16 and 18 and for students (on presentation of an international card).