Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan in Moscow

The history

The Kazan Icon Cathedral of the Mother of God was erected in memory of the liberation of the Russian state from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders, which was achieved with the help and intercession of the Mother of God, who showed his mercy through the Miraculous Kazan icon. The temple was built at the expense of the first tsar of the Romanov Mikhail Feodorovich dynasty and consecrated in 1636. Since the construction of the temple became one of the most important churches in Moscow, his abbot occupied one of the first places in the clergy of Moscow.

Throughout its history, the cathedral was rebuilt several times, in the 1760s, 1802-05, 1865.

In the 1920s the renovationists served in the cathedral for some time. In the years 1925-1933. The restoration of the cathedral was carried out under the direction of the architect P.D. Baranovsky In 1928 the bell tower of the cathedral was demolished. In 1930, the Kazan Cathedral was closed, and in 1936 – demolished.

The cathedral was restored in 1990-1993. at the expense of the Moscow City Hall and donations from citizens. Kazan Cathedral is the first of the Moscow temples completely lost during the Soviet era, which was recreated in its original forms. It was possible to recreate the historical appearance of the temple thanks to the measures taken by the architect P.D. Baranovsky before the destruction of the temple, and the studies of historian S.A. Smirnova On November 4, 1993, the church was consecrated by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II.

Thrones

The main throne was consecrated in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the northern corridor – St. Guria, archbishop of Kazan and San Barsanuphius, bishop of Tver. South hall in honor of the schmchch. Hermogenes and Tikhon, Patriarchs of Moscow and All Russia (not consecrated).

Sanctuaries

Worship

Every day, hours and liturgy at 9.00, night worship begins at 17.00, Sundays and holidays; the liturgy is at 7.00 and 10.00, the day before, the all-night vigil at 17.00 and on Fridays after the end of the eve, a prayer service with the Akathist of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God with blessing.

The temple is open every day from 9 am until the end of the night service.
Kazan Cathedral on the corner of the Red Square in Moscow has a difficult destination. It was completely demolished in 1936 and restored after 57 years. Today it is an active temple in which the services are carried out. The main sanctuary of the cathedral, which the faithful come from all over the country, is the icon of the Mother of God “Kazan”, revered by the miraculous, with a pagan guardian. The rector of the church is the archpriest Nikolai Inozemtsev.

Moscow tours for adults and children

Individual and group. Tourist excursions Excursions to the Red Square and the Kremlin. Water walks on the Moscow river. Excursions for children and schoolchildren.

All excursions

Tourists visit the cathedral more frequently when they examine the main attractions of the capital: the Red Square, the Alexander Garden, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the State History Museum and other popular sites near the Moscow Kremlin.

Hotels near Kazan Cathedral in Moscow

Service hours of the Kazan Cathedral in Red Square
Those who wish to receive the Sacrament of Baptism can contact the ministers for a reading talk every Saturday at 3pm.

Religious events are held daily in the temple:

09:00 (working days) 07:00 and 10:00 (weekends) – liturgy,
17:00 – night services (parastas, night vigil).
On the Kazan Cathedral site, you can see a detailed schedule of events for the current month, as well as know the names of the clergy who will perform the rites and their assistants.

Calendar of services 2019 on the official website of the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

Icon of Moscow Kazan Cathedral

The Kazan icon of the Mother of God is one of the most revered shrines not only in the Kazan Cathedral, but also in Christianity in general. It is worth noting that the temple does not store the original icon, but a list, but this does not detract from it. There is a copy in Dmitrovsky’s side chapel.

The first appearance of the icon of the Mother of God occurred in 1579 in Kazan. Its location was shown by the matron girl, who had a prophetic dream. After obtaining the icon, he was repeatedly transferred to other churches in the country, many copies of him were written, almost indistinguishable from the original.

To avoid damage and theft, temples were often exposed with copies, and the original was carefully kept. However, in 1904 the icon was stolen, the farmer Chaykin turned out to be the kidnapper, who said he had burned the relic. Later versions were presented according to which the destruction of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was questioned. Until now, historians cannot reach a definitive opinion on whether the original Kazan Icon of the Mother of God has been preserved and where it can be located.

In the following years, the temple was rebuilt and repaired repeatedly. The last restoration was carried out in 1925. The architect Pyotr Baranovsky wanted to restore the building to its original appearance. The work lasted 4 years, and when there was very little left, the Moscow City Council decided to demolish the temple. The restoration was halted, the bell tower was destroyed in the same year, and the cathedral’s facilities until 1936 were used as a warehouse to store construction materials for the subway station. After the demolition of the Kazan Cathedral, a pavilion was placed in honor of the III International in its place.

In 1990, the Moscow authorities decided to rebuild the cathedral and, therefore, began collecting donations. The sanctuary was restored from photographs and drawings preserved in archives. The reconstruction work of the Kazan Icon Cathedral of the Mother of God was completed in 1993.

Architecture

The Kazan Icon Cathedral of the Mother of God is a typical example of temple architecture in the first half of the 17th century. This is a single-domed temple with two aisles. The north and south corridors are joined by a gallery that surrounds the structure from three sides.

The exterior of the cathedral is decorated with mosaic icons in the Russian style. They represent the Virgin, Jesus Christ, Saint George, the Patriarch of Moscow and other saints.

How to get

Kazan Cathedral is located in the center of Moscow, on Nikolskaya Street. Reaching it will not be difficult: there are several metro stations and public transport stops within walking distance of the sanctuary. Alternatively, take a taxi or drive by car.

Subway

The subway is perhaps the most convenient transport in the capital. From the Okhotny Ryad station closest to the cathedral (red line), walk about 100 meters from exit number 7. In addition, the Teatralnaya station (green line) is not far away, and a little further is the “Plaza de la Revolution “(blue line).
Public transport
At 300 meters, near the Okhotny Ryad metro station, there are stops: Okhotny Ryad Metro and Manezhnaya Square. There are buses and minibuses: No. M2 (to Riga station), M3, M10, M27, N1 (night to Sheremetyevo airport), H2 (night), H11 (night to Vnukovo airport), 101, 144, 904 .

A little further (from the opposite side of the Red Square, near the St. Basil’s Cathedral) there is another bus stop: “Red Square”. From there there are buses No. M5 and 158.

Moscow public transport portal

Car

Since the cathedral is located right in the center of the city, a car trip would not be the most convenient option. In addition to the fact that parking is paid, finding a free place is very problematic. Therefore, if a trip by public transport is not suitable, it is better to use a taxi or a transfer. The capital has many mobile applications to order a taxi: Yandex. Taxis, Lucky, Uber, Gett, Maxim and others.