ARCHANGEL CATHEDRAL IN MOSCOW
In the cathedral there are tombs of many appanaged princes of Moscow royal family – of Yuri of Zvenigorod, Vasily Kosoy, Yuri of Dmitrov, Vasily Yaroslavich of Borovsk, Andrei of Uglich and also a hero of the Kulikovo battle Vladimir the Brave, prince of Serpukhov. Russia’s entire history personified in the names of its supreme rulers sleeps inside the Cathedral of the Archangel walls. While alive, many of them were enemies to each other but now appeased by death rest side by side.
The Archangel Cathedral, probably, was painted right after its construction. But the now existing painting of the temple dates back to 1652-1666. Its authors are famous “isographs” of that time – Guriy Nikitin, Sila Savin, Simon Ushakov, Stepan Resanets and Fyodor Zubov. According to E. S. Sizov’s words, in the painting art of the Archangel Cathedral “Russia’s history in faces is revealed.” An entire portrait gallery passes before our eyes – the great princes of Kiev Russ, princes of Vladimir Suzdal Russ, Moscow’s great princes and appanaged princes of Moscow royal family… It is not portraits but some “imagined likenesses,” the images of the princes. Their figures form one beautiful procession heading for the altar.
The painting of the Archangel Cathedral also includes compositions on the theme of exploits of Archangel Michael, the leader of the heavenly hosts, waging an invisible war with the powers of evil. The murals are on the northern and southern walls of the temple. Several scenes depicting Russia’s war against the Tatars are interwoven into the heavenly plot.
The first iconostasis of the Cathedral was lost in a fire in 1547. The now existing iconostasis was made in 1680-1681 by a group of Moscow icon painters headed by Dorofei Zolotarev, the author of the iconostasis of the Novodevichy Monastery’s Cathedral in Smolensk. The golden carving of the iconostasis was done by the masters especially well; the decorative forms they used played a significant role in forming a new art style later to be called “Moscow Baroque.” The murals of the Archangel Cathedral were many times restored. The biggest restoration was carried out after 1812, when the French, who occupied Moscow, turned the Cathedral into a storage of their victuals. At the same time, after 1812, the iconostasis was renewed.
The main sanctuary of the Cathedral is the Temple Icon “Archangel Michael’s living.” A legend connects its making to the name of princes Eudokia, Dmitry Donskoy’s widow. Written by a master from the Circle of Andrew Rublev, the Archangel Michael icon became a symbol of protection of the entire nation and whole Russian land from the Tatars’ oppression and raids of the enemies. The author who wrote the icon was one of the biggest masters of old Russia but his name remains unknown to us. His icon Archangel Michael by its artful value can be put in the same row with the highest masterpieces of old Russian art.
Construction of the Archangel Cathedral made Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin solemn to the uttermost. The young capital of the unified Russian state obtained an architectural ensemble that matched its recently gained importance – the image of the heavenly city, the Jerusalem from Above. The many-domed golden-topped temples crowned the Borovitskiy Hill. And high above them the golden cross of the Ivan the Great Belfry soared in the sky.
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