Saint Basil's Cathedral, Moscow. Photograph by Vanessa Hagerbaumer
«I'm currently traveling as a Museum representative on a Travel with the Met cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg. One of our first stops in Moscow was Saint Basil's Cathedral. Legend has it that Ivan the Terrible ensured that nothing quite like it could be built again . . . by taking out the eyes of the chief architect.»
Our guide informed us that Saint Basil's is the best architectural expression of the Russian princes' intentions in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to make Moscow the "third Rome" (after Constantinople). This iconic cathedral represents the absolute power of the monarchy and, like Saint Peter's in Rome, designates ground zero from which the rest of the city radiates.
About Travel with the Met
The Travel with the Met program invites art lovers to gain new insights and fresh perspectives on art and culture. Itineraries are offered year-round to more than two dozen exciting destinations.