The Cathedral of the Assumption is the Kremlin's oldest and most important church and has been the protector of Russian Orthodoxy since the seat of the Church was transferred here from Vladimir in 1326. Its massive limestone walls and perfectly proportioned five gilt domes endow the cathedral with a certain stern serenity and set the tone for the Kremlin's magnificent Cathedral Square ensemble.
Today's cathedral stands on the site of Moscow's first stone church, built in the 14th century by Ivan Kalita on the advice of Metropolitan Peter, to resemble the 12th century Cathedral of the Assumption in the ancient city of Vladimir. Ivan's cathedral replaced still older structures, including a wooden church dating from the 12th century and a stone building from the 13th century. A year after the construction of the cathedral, Moscow became the capital of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, and later the capital of all Rus.
The Assumption Cathedral's interior is spacious and light and entirely covered with glowing frescoes, which were originally created by the famous icon painter Dionysius and his team of artists, but later restored in the 1640s and once again in Soviet times. As is the tradition in Orthodox churches, the cathedral's west wall features a depiction of the Apocalypse, showing Christ flanked by the saintly host and sinners being delivered to the satanic depths of Hell below. The upper tiers of the north and south walls illustrate the life of the Virgin and the cathedral's pillars are adorned with paintings portraying the saints and martyrs. The cathedral's five cupolas symbolize Jesus surrounded by the four evangelists and feature images of Christ. The west wall features a portrayal of the Day of Judgment, reminding religious visitors to the church of the trials yet to come.
The central part of the cathedral is separated from the chancel by the traditional five-tiered Russian Orthodox iconostasis, which in this case is a lofty 16 meters high. The iconostasis dates mainly from 1652, but with several older icons incorporated into it, including two attributed to the master Dionysius himself and another dating back to the 12th century. In the Assumption Cathedral the local tier was a symbol of the unity of the new Russian state and comprised icons brought from all the principalities that had been united under Moscow. The second tier is called "deisusny", from the Ancient Greek word deisus meaning intercession, and the thirds tier is the festival rank, and contains icons depicting the major festivals of the Orthodox Church. The fourth tier depicts the prophets and the final fifth tier is adorned with images of the Forefathers of the church.
The cathedral is illuminated by twelve gilt bronze chandeliers and several multi-tiered candelabra, dating mostly from the 17th century. Most impressive is the 46-branch Harvest Chandelier, made from the 5,330 kilos of silver that was plundered from the cathedral in 1812 by Napoleon and his French troops, and presented by the Cossacks who recaptured the stolen booty.

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