2. St Basil’s Cathedral is also called the Cathedral of St. Vasily the
Blessed, the Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the
Moat, or Pokrovsky Cathedral . It was built from 1555 to 1561 on orders
from Ivan the Terrible and commemorates the capture of Kazan and
Astrakhan. St. Basil's marks the geometric center of Moscow. It has been
the hub of the city's growth since the 14th century and was the city's tallest
building until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600.
The original building, known as "Trinity Church" and later "Trinity
Cathedral", contained eight side churches arranged around the
ninth, central church of Intercession; the tenth church was erected in 1588
over the grave of venerated local Saint Vasily (Basil). The building is
shaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky, a design that has no
analogues in Russian architecture.
The Cathedral is now a museum.
One service a year is held in the Cathedral, on the Day of Intercession in
October.

50. Images and text: Internet
P. I. Tchaikovsky :”Piano Concert #1” Adriana