In 1552 Ivan IV set off to subjugate the Khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan and pledged to build a church for every victory. When he was done, 7 wooden churches stood clustered around the old Trinity Church at the marketplace just outside the moat of the Moscow Kremlin.

In 1555 Ivan ordered it be replaced with a brand new cathedral. Architect Yakovlev made a unique design of 8 separate chapels build around a central church, internally connected by narrow corridors.
The builders used red bricks, a then new material, guided by a full size internal timber frame.

In 1588 another chapel was added over the tomb of local hero Vasily, the later St. Basil. From then on the cathedral became known as St. Basil's Cathedral.

The vivid colors and onion-shaped domes were added 200 years later. Neither Napoleon nor the Soviets succeeded in plans to demolish the iconic building.

St. Basil's cathedral on the Red Square is one of Moscow's most prominent sights.

We visited late on a cloudy afternoon in August 2019 and despite the low light conditions enjoyed the colors inside.