Cathedral Square If the heart of Russia is the Kremlin, then its soul is the oldest area within the Kremlin, Cathedral Square, the so-called "City of God". Six buildings, including 3 three enormous cathedrals edge the square. Most of them, the work of Italian architects during the late 15th and early 16th Century.
TheAssumption Cathedral (Cathedral of the Dormition) The oldest and largest church in Cathedral Square-Uspenski Sobor or the Cathedral of the Assumption was commissioned by Ivan the Great to be the main church of Moscow. From the 16th Century until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, all of the Russian Grand Princes and Czars were crowned here. The massive, virtually unadorned grey limestone facade, capped with its 5 golden cupolas was the work of Russian masters, under the guidance of the Italian Aristotle Fioravante. Inside, well over 100 figures of saints and martyrs adorn the pillars, window jams, and reinforcing arches. The floor to ceiling partition, that divides the sanctuary from the naive consists of tier after tier of icons. Jesus Christ. Mary. Saints. Scenes from the Bible. St. George is probably the oldest icon in Uspenski, but the most famous icon is the legendary Madonna of Vladimir, even though it is only a 15th Century copy of the 11th Century Byzantine original.
The Archangel Cathedral The second largest cathedral, the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael stands on the Southeast corner of the square. Construction on this classic Italian Renaissance building started under Ivan the Great in the early 1500's, but was modified many times in succeeding years. Although some of the original 16th Century artwork has been restored, most of the interior was repainted in 1681 in the Russian Baroque style. The walls of this cathedral are lined with over 50 coffins of Russian royalty, including the remains of Czar Ivan the Terrible and his sons, as well as the first two Czars of the Romanov Dynasty.
Ivan the Great Bell Tower Dominating the Kremlin skyline, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, on the Northeast corner of the Cathedral Square, is said to mark the exact center of Moscow. In addition to the main belfry, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower consists of the smaller domed Bono Tower, and the steepled tower of the Patriarch Philaret, both added to the original 16th Century structure. The belfry, heightened to its present 263 feet by Czar Boris Godunov, provides a view extending some 20 miles. The structure originally served as the alarm and watchtower for the Kremlin. Its 21 bells would sound the alarm if the enemy was approaching.