Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles
The three-storey palace of the reforming patriarch Nikon, with the Cathedral
of the Twelve Apostles which served as his private chapel, now houses the
Museum of 17th Century Russian Art and Culture.
Erected in 1653-56, the
building reflects Nikon's objection to the tent roof as reminiscent of
secular building, and his dislike of the Old Russian or "fairy-tale"
style. Like the Cathedral of the Dormition,
it is a compact mass on a high base, with a cruciform plan and five domes.
The Patriarch's Palace is a fascinating complex of architectural structure,
comprised of residential chambers and public premises, characteristic of
Russian seventeenth-century architecture. Of special interest is the huge
cross-arched chamber roofed by a shallow vault without supporting columns
in the center. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Matvei
Kazakov rebuilt some of the chambers in the palace, including the
cross-arched one.
© State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin.
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