Exercises on the History of Saint Basil's Cathedral

St. Basil's Cathedral is located on Red Square, on the outskirts of Moscow's fortified center, the Kremlin. Currently, it is one of the main postcards of the city of Moscow and, therefore, visited by thousands of tourists. The history of Saint Basil's Cathedral is quite old and dates back to the 16th century, when the Romanov dynasty was not even established yet. This cathedral was built during which reign:

a) Yury Dolgoruky

b) Nicholas II

c) Nicholas I

d) Peter the Great

e) Ivan the Terrible

It was a very common practice for Russian emperors to order the construction of great monuments as a way of highlighting their power and/or commemorating important events and achievements. In the case of Saint Basil's Cathedral, its construction was ordered for this reason:

a) In commemoration of the institution of Saint Basil as the new Patriarch of the Moscow-based Orthodox Church.

b) In commemoration of the expulsion of the Poles from the city of Moscow in the middle of that century.

c) In commemoration of the birth of Theodore Ivanocih, heir to the Moscow king.

d) In commemoration of the military victory of the campaign carried out against the Tatars in Kazan.

e) In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the expulsion of the Mongols from Russia.

St. Basil's Cathedral is officially called the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. The popular name “Saint Basil” refers to:

a) a Russian prophet who was known for talking to animals

b) a Russian prophet who was known for predicting Russian defeat in Kazan

c) a Russian hermit known for having gifts of clairvoyance and being a friend of Ivan IV

d) a Russian priest who played a leading role in the war against the Tatars in the 17th century

e) a Russian preacher who was persecuted by the Orthodox inquisition and burned to death in 1557

Some information about the construction of Saint Basil's Cathedral is quite obscure and shrouded in a series of legends that historians seek to demystify. One of these legends involves the architects responsible for the construction of this cathedral, Barma and Postnik. What is this legend?

a) Legend has it that both architects were blinded by Ivan IV so they wouldn't build another building as beautiful as St. Basil's Cathedral.

b) Legend says they were expelled from Russia by Peter the Great because they hadn't built the required number of towers.

c) Legend states that they had their hands cut off for not having built the cathedral in the time required by the emperor.

d) Legend states that they were imprisoned for the rest of their lives so that they would be available whenever the emperor needed them.

e) Legend says they were killed for refusing to build a monument to the emperor.

Letter E

St. Basil's Cathedral was built during the reign of Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible. The Russian Emperor ordered the construction in commemoration of the victory won against the Tatars in Kazan.

LETER D

St. Basil's Cathedral was built in commemoration of Moscow's victory against the Tatars located in Kazan. That region was part of the Khanate of Kazan, and the Muscovite emperors had been fighting the Tatars since the mid-15th century. That war ended in October 1552, when Muscovites led by Ivan IV managed to conquer the city and, eventually, this khanate.

LETER C

St. Basil was a Russian hermit who was known for his gift of clairvoyance, that is, for predicting the future. Saint Basil lived on the streets of Moscow in the time of Ivan IV, and his supposed gift of clairvoyance made him known and attracted the attention of the Emperor. Saint Basil died in 1557 and became a saint in the Orthodox Church after his canonization in 1588.

LETER A

Russian legends narrate that the two architects responsible for the construction of Saint Basil's Cathedral had their eyes blinded at the behest of the Russian Emperor, Ivan IV, so that they could not build such a beautiful building. as for the cathedral. Historians, however, argue that this story is probably false, as one of the architects responsible for the cathedral was involved in other constructions later.