Discover the Top 9 Fascinating Fun Facts about St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow

1. Ivan the Terrible's Candy Crush

If St. Basil's Cathedral were a tasty pastry, it would be called "Ivan the Terrible's Candy Crush": But in reality, this brick-built masterpiece completed in 1561 under Ivan's tyrannical sweet tooth did not get its iconic colorful dome upgrade until the 17th and early 18th century, baking its way to become Moscow's symbol of confectionery architectural genius.
Source => bridgetomoscow.com

2. Colorful Hoisting Party

When life gives you domes, you simply can't avoid a colorful hoisting party: The architects of St. Basil's Cathedral, Barma and Postnik Yakovlev, allegedly constructed each dome separately, painting them with cheerful hues before hoisting them onto the building, resulting in its iconic asymmetric design. However, the true story behind these possibly sightless architects remains shrouded in Ivan the Terrible's mystery.
Source => macalester.edu

Did you know it took a "mere" 180 years to build the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, featuring stunning stained glass windows and unforgettable memories? Discover the fascinating story behind this Gothic masterpiece!

=> Fun Facts about Notre-Dame

3. Spinning Borscht Buffet

If you thought revolving restaurants were a Soviet quirk reserved for space-age towers with panoramic vistas, don't forget they even tried to make the faithful dizzy: St. Basil's Cathedral had a spinning eatery in the 1970s that rotated guests atop its iconic domes. Unfortunately, the thrill of munching borscht while feasting the eyes upon Moscow's majestic skyline was short-lived, as structural concerns led to the removal of this gravity-defying dining experience.
Source => cnn.com

4. Heavenly Ice Cream Spires

St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow's very own Willy Wonka-like chocolate factory of architecture, has onion domes that lure in soulful sugar-seekers, only to reveal a secret sweeter than candy: the swirling colors on its frosty, ice-cream-reminiscent spires are actually representing sacred flames ascending to heaven!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Ivan's Architect Envy

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but for Ivan the Terrible, it was more like, "You'll never make anything this beautiful again – I'll see to it!": Legend has it that the Russian ruler was so awestruck by St Basil's Cathedral that he had the architect blinded, ensuring that no other structure could ever rival its splendor. The architect, believed to be a collaborative effort between Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Barma, remains shrouded in mystery.
Source => expresstorussia.com

6. Not Robin Hood's Basil

Hold your Robin Hoods! St Basil's Cathedral wasn't named for a money-pinching, Russian sheriff-thwarting rebel in tights: The cathedral was actually named after Vasily the Blessed, a 16th-century holy fool and soothsayer who had Ivan the Terrible's seal of approval, eventually turning his chapel into a highly revered shrine within the famous Russian landmark.
Source => expresstorussia.com

7. Holy Love Triangle Masterpiece

In a twist only suitable for medieval Game of Thrones, a bafflingly holy love triangle between Ivan IV, Saint Nicholas, and Andrew the Fool culminates in one truly stunning Russian architectural masterpiece: St. Basil's Cathedral was erected in honor of Ivan's conquest of the Khanate of Kazan, with its central chapel dedicated to the Intercession, commemorating the Byzantine Saint Andrew's vision delivered by Saint Nicholas to one of Ivan's soldiers.
Source => artifactsblog.com

8. Croquembouche Inspiration

When life gives you onion domes, make croquembouche: A delicious theory suggests that St. Basil's Cathedral, with its stacked onion-shaped domes, might have inspired French pastry chefs in the royal court during Catherine the Great's reign to create the croquembouche, a mouth-watering tower of cream puffs held together by caramel. However, concrete evidence for this scrumptious speculation remains to be found on the menu of history.
Source => bridgetomoscow.com

9. Onion Puns and Shrouded History

If walls could talk, St. Basil's Cathedral would probably make some fantastically onion-y puns that would leave Russian tourists in tears: Oddly enough, the history behind this fascinating architectural masterpiece remains shrouded in mystery, as multiple theories persist about its construction, with some attributing it to strategic defense decisions, and others pointing to a celebratory tribute after triumphing over the Kazan Khanate.
Source => en.wikipedia.org