Cathedral of the Annunciation
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The Cathedral of the Annunciation (Благовещенский собор in Russian, or Blagoveschensky sobor) is a cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, dedicated to the Annunciation of the Theotokos.
Formerly, the cathedral was a home church of the Muscovite tsars. Its abbot has been a personal confessor of the royal family until the early 20th century. The Cathedral of the Annunciation was built on the Sobornaya Square (Cathedral Square) by architects from Pskov in 1484-1489. It was erected on the spot of an older 14th century cathedral of the same name, which had been rebuilt in 1416. Initially, the Cathedral of the Annunciation had three cupolas (two of them built around 1572). It was surrounded by parvises from three sides. In 1562-1564, they built four single-cupola side chapels over the arched parvises. The north and west entrances from the parvise are decorated with whitestone portals of the 16th century. The fretwork is clearly influenced by the Italian Renaissance architecture. The copper doors of the north and west portals are decorated with golden foil. The floor of the Cathedral of the Annunciation is made of jasper, which was brought from a cathedral in Rostov Velikiy in the 16th century. The walls contain fragments of murals, painted by Theodosius (1508) and others (second half of the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries). The iconostasis includes icons of the 14th-17th centuries, including the ones painted by Andrei Rublev, Feofan Grek and Prokhor, and 19th century, as well.
[edit] External links
- Satellite photo of the Cathedral of the Annunciation
- The Deesis Range of the Annunciation Cathedral
- The Church Feasts Range of the Annunciation Cathedral
- The article «“The Deesis painted by Andrey Rublev” from the Annunciation Church of the Moscow Kremlin» by Dr. Oleg G. Uliyanov
Moscow Kremlin |
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| Dormition Cathedral | Archangel Cathedral | Annunciation Cathedral |
| Church of the Twelve Apostles | Church of the Deposition of the Robe | Saviour Church |
| Chudov Monastery | Ascension Convent |
| Ivan the Great Bell Tower | Tsar Bell | Tsar Cannon |
| Grand Kremlin Palace | Palace of Facets | Terem Palace | Amusement Palace | Patriarchal Chamber |
| State Kremlin Palace | Senate | Arsenal | Armoury | Diamond Treasury |
| Hill | Sobornaya Square | Ivanovskaya Square |
| Wall | Towers | Armorial Gate | Necropolis | Stars | Chiming Clock |
