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Getting dark over St. Basil

Getting dark over St. Basil

Here is the photo of the famous St. Basil Cathedral, wich was built on the Red Square in the middle of 16th century. I would like to tell you here a part of it's history after October Revolution 1917.

In 1918 the communist authorities shot the archpriest Ioann Vostorgov, who was the cathedral's senior priest, confiscated its property, melted down all its bells, and closed the cathedral down. They did the same with many churches and convents in Russia. and a lot of churches and convents, monasteries was destroyed before WWII, but fortunately this famous cathedral survived by providence. In the 1930s Lazar Kaganovich, Stalin's associate and director of the reconstruction plan, proposed that the cathedral should be knocked down to clear the area for public parades and vehicle movement on Red Square. It is said that he prepared a special model of Red Square in which the cathedral could be removed, and brought it to Stalin to show how the cathedral was an obstacle for marches and traffic. Then he said: 'But if we knock it down, like that!..' and with these words he jerked the cathedral out of the square. Stalin looked, thought for a bit and then pronounced the immortal words: 'Lazar! Put it back!'

During WWII, to consolidate all power of the big state Stalin promised to all people (nations in USSR), if we can win this terrible war I'll give more freedom to the Russian Orthodox church and even start to restore and open convents and churches. He kept his word and from the end of 40s - beginning of 50s they stared to restore and open the churches for public. Some churches as like St. Basil, churches inside the Kremlin they made as museums opened for public. St. Basil's cathedral nowadays isn't active church, it is museum with price for the tickets for foreigners about 3,5 USD.

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Random customer's Responses & Recommendations.
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ALI SHAPIRO CHALFIN & DENISE ADAMS
Email: By Request
From: NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK
Date: 2006-06-05 18:23:20

MOSCOW CAME ALIVE THANKS TO THE AMAZING TALENTS OF ARTHUR...THE SITES, SMELLS
AND SPIRT OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE WILL BE MEMORIES THAT WE WILL CHERISH FOREVER.ARTHUR'S IMPECABLE
COMMITTMENT TO SERVICE AND HIS THROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF RUSSIAN HISTORY MADE OUR TRIP UNFORGETTABLE!!!
WE COVERED IT ALL ...FROM THE UNBLEIVABLE MOSCOW SUBWAY SYSTEM TO THE KREMLIN
TO THE SYMPHONY AND REAL RUSSIAN FOODS...WE GOT TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE MOSCOW WITH A REAL PRO..THERE IS NO ONE IN MOSCOW LIKE ARTHUR!!!HE IS THE BEST AMBASSADOR RUSSIA HAS EVER PRODUCED!!! WE CAN'T WAIT TO RETURN AND SEE ARTHUR AGAIN!!!!!
ALI AND DENSIE





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