Domingo, Dexter Jay Plan 201 February 16, 2019

2011-51190 Homework 1

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

Whenever I think of Russia, I imagine the picture of the very colorful “church” in the

middle of Moscow which I honestly don’t know the name before I researched about it when I

started this paper. My first impression as I look up at some pictures of the cathedral was it

somehow resemble a jester’s hat, but contrary to the jolly thought of a court fool I found out that

the inspiration for such an art is the pain and suffering of thousands afflicted by wars waged by

their bloodthirsty leaders which history proclaims as their nations’ champions. As I was reading

through articles on the internet, I was mesmerized and intrigued by the history and symbolisms

that the church embodies for the Russian people (and those who were once a part of their great

empire) throughout the course of its lifetime.

Ivan IV Vasilyevich of Russia has credentials that ought to make him standout as one of

the most polarizing figure in human history. Also known as Ivan Grozny in his native language

has a biography and legacy as confusing as his moniker. During Ivan’s time, his adversaries may

have called him The Terrible or The Fearsome for his infamous temperament, however his

friends and allies can contend with the former and declare him The Formidable for his intellect

and ability as a statesman and conqueror, but none of these people can deny that his order to

build the Saint Basil’s Cathedral will be one of the lasting relics of his reign.

The building of the cathedral can be seen as a microcosm of Ivan’s rule in his country as

it is riddled in ironies and contrasts. Situated in the iconic Red Square, Saint Basil’s Cathedral

was built from 1555 until 1561 after Ivan IV purged Kazan of its citizens and annexed

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Astrakhan, which were once Tatar (as what Mongols called themselves) settlements who raided

the Tsar’s subjects in the Northeast of Russia when he was younger. Building the church was a

testament of Ivan’s cruelty and his fervent Christian devotion or maybe him showcasing his

power while concealing it with Christian piety. To add to this, there was a rumor or rather a myth

that Ivan blinded the architect or architects (there were two of them although there was a claim

that it is only one person) were blinded so that no other structures will be ever be built to be as

beautiful by this bloodstained house of God.

Initially the church was called the Trinity Cathedral which was later renamed after Saint

Basil of Moscow (a contemporary of Ivan IV) after his canonization in 1588, the saint who was

known for his clairvoyance and a Fool-for-Christ, as he was labeled a madman during his

lifetime because of his antics like walking barefooted in the street of Moscow in the city’s

scorching summer and freezing winter. Like his king that put up the church Saint Basil was

pestered by his mental instability but aside from that similarity they may cannot be more

different as he was as compassionate to the people as Ivan was cruel to those who oppose him.

Structurally, the cathedral was a complex of nine churches with the ninth surrounded by

the other eight. The whole structure was slowly built church after church which are then

connected by galleries and passageways (Gazeta, 2016). Each of the individual churches

signifies a victory of Tsar Ivan over the Kazans and after annexing Astrakhan, the original

church was surrounded by seven subsidiary churches, whereas the last one was built in honor of

one Ivan’s critics which was Saint Basil after his canonization in 1588.Nikolay Brunov a 17th

century Russian architect merged the nine separate churches into a monolithic temple, but still

preserving the world renown aesthetic of the structure.

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 The church was built using red bricks with white rocks as its foundation which was

common in medieval Russia. The even flooring of the church tells that modern (during that time)

engineering and architectural techniques were employed when the cathedral was being built.

According to historians the cathedral shape was supposedly derived from a flame rising

from a bonfire (Brunov, 1988). Although it is more popularly interpreted as a representation of

Jerusalem or the Heavenly City. The vivid colors of the church was not part of the original

design of the church but it was later added in the 17th century. The asymmetry of the church was

incorporated during this time by building a bell tower in one of the lesser churches.

The 19th century saw the cathedral being crowded commercial buildings which may have

been a common theme across the world during this time as the Industrial Revolution was

happening favoring modernization over the preservation of heritage sites like this one. Also in

1812, it was miraculously spared from Napoleon’s command to be blown up after the soldiers

who were supposed to carry on the mission failed to carry out the French emperor’s directive.

In 1813, William Hastie a city planner advised Tsar Alexander I to clear the surroundings

of the church up to the Moskva River to improve the condition of the environment around the

cathedral, his proposition was then realized but only to a certain extent.

Continuous improvement in the church infrastructures are done since the start of the 20th

century in order to boost the tourism of the attraction. A warm air heating system was put in

place in 1908 to combat the winter of Russia. However, the technology placed by the designers

of the air heating hired by the church administrators was not able to suffice the heat required for

the whole building which is why a water heating system was also put in place five years after.

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 The Cathedral of Saint Basil being situated in the infamous Red Square implies its

importance as a public structure as people tend to gather here for important events. For example,

the first public theater in Russia was built in the Red Square in 1702. During the 19 th and 20th

century the square had been the center of commerce for Russia as it was crowded by different

businesses. This Red Square has been a symbol of the Russian Government for centuries as

monumental events relating to Tsars, the Soviet Union and the residence of the president of

Russia.

The good thing about such a grandiose urban infrastructure like the Saint Basil’s

Cathedral is that it displays the cultural and traditional originality of a country to the foreigners

who come to know about the place and its people. As a tourist, it lets you share the history of the

inhabitants of that place. It tells stories about the people residing there. It tells you about their

experiences and how they came to be. As a resident, it gives you something to talk about and be

proud about your country when asked by outsiders. It gives you a better sense of what you are

because of how a structure reflects the values and character of your community.

In a planning perspective however, the existence of such structures limit the space where

you can place new and improved structures because of the sentimental or monumental value of

such historic sites especially that most of this places are protected by the government as a

national heritage of the people. This posts challenges to the planner in developing a plan because

one must keep in mind that the plan should be sensitive to the preservation of such structures and

such repercussion sometimes compromises the entirety of the plan.

As a planner, one must find that balance in preserving history and in moving forward to

the future.

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References;

1. Brumfield, William Craft (1997). Landmarks of Russian Architecture: A Photographic

Survey. Routledge. ISBN 978-90-5699-537-9.

2. Brunov, N. I. (1988). Hram Vasilia Blazhennogo v Moskve

3. Colton, Timothy J. (1998). Moscow: Governing the Socialist Metropolis. Harvard University.

4. Moffett, Marian; Fazio, Michael; Wodehouse, Lawrence (2003). A world history of

architecture. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

5. Schmidt, Albert J. (1989). The architecture and planning of classical Moscow: a cultural

history