Churches and Monasteries

St Basil's Cathedral

Metro: Ploshchad Revolutsii.
Hours: 10-4:30 Mon, Wed-Sun. Closed first Mon of each month.

One of the most famous Red Square sights. Named after Saint Basil the Blessed whose remnants are buried inside, the twisting cupolas and clashing colors of the onion domes make it the best known landmark in Moscow. Confusion still exists over who actually built the cathedral but legend goes, that Ivan the Terrible, who commissioned the construction, was so overcome with its beauty that he put out the eyes of its architect to prevent him from ever creating something so perfect again.

The Church of Christ the Saviour

Metro: Kropotkinskaya
Hours: 10- 6 daily.

The largest church in Russia. The original cathedral, but between 1839-1881, was commissioned by Tsar Alexander I to commemorate Russia's victory over the French in the Napoleonic Wars. It was destroyed in 1931 on Stalin's instructions, to make way for the Palace of Soviets. The palace was designed as a 450m high tower including 150m tall Lenin monument on top, dominating over Moscow and symbolizing victory of Communism over the world. The palace was never built: its construction was first postponed due to the war, then it was discovered that the ground was too unstable for such a construction. After Stalin's death they decided to abandon the palace project and built a swimming pool. The cathedral was reconstructed as closely as possible to the original design in the 1990s to mark Moscow's 850th Birthday.

Novodevichy Convent

1 Novodovichy Proyezd,
Metro: Sportivnaya,
Hours: 8- 7 daily.

A beautiful 16th century convent established in 1524 to commemorate the recapture of Smolensk by Russian forces. The best time to come is Sunday at 10am when the choir perform the liturgy in the Church of the Dormition. The cemetery is also the resting place of some of Moscow's most famous artists, writers and politicians.

Cathedral Square (Kremlin)

M: Alexandrovsky Sad.
Open daily 10-6

This was the focal point of political power until Peter the Great moved the capital from Moscow to St Petersburg in 1710 and still today has an atmosphere of old tsarist Russia. Clustered around the square are several cathedrals, churches, towers, and palaces, most of which are open to visitors. The domes of the Cathedral of the Annunication are covered in real gold, on the orders of Ivan the Terrible.