Annunciation cathedral

The Annunciation Cathedral is one of the oldest and richest works of art monuments of the Moscow Kremlin. It is located in the southern part of the Cathedral Square, on the border of Borovitsky Hill. The cathedral was built under the Grand Duke, the sovereign of "All Russia" Ivan III in 1484-1489. The Annunciation Cathedral has a special significance in the history of Russian architecture, since most of the buildings of the new grand-ducal residence of Ivan III were erected by Italian architects. The cathedral became an outstanding monument of the national architectural tradition. According to the chronicles, it was created by the Pskov masters. Annunciation Cathedral was the home church of the Russian great princes and kings for centuries. In documents of the 16th – 17th centuries, it was called “the temple in the sovereign's court”, “in the passage”, “at the crossings”, as the building of the temple was part of the complex of the grand prince and then the royal palace, which consisted of individual chambers. Sacred relics were preserved in the cathedral from ancient times: relics, especially revered icons, ancient books, precious vessels. The prior of the Annunciation Cathedral has traditionally been the clergyman of the king. In the cathedral, ceremonies of a family nature were performed: they christened the royal children, married them together, celebrated birthdays. The cathedral was closed after the revolution in 1917. In 1918, museums were organized in the Kremlin, and all further activities were aimed at studying, restoring and preserving the cathedral and works of art stored in it. In 1989, the Annunciation Cathedral celebrated its 500th anniversary. An exhibition of icons and church items related to the history of the cathedral was opened at the southern gallery. Since 1993, divine services have been resumed in the cathedral on the feast day of the Annunciation, which are performed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.