Verkhospassky Cathedral, Eastern Orthodox church in Kremlin, Moscow, Russia
Verkhospassky Cathedral is an Orthodox church inside the Moscow Kremlin, topped by eleven gilded domes spread across a group of connected structures. Three separate church spaces share a single roof system, with six domes crowning the main sanctuary and five belonging to the adjacent St. Catherine Church.
The cathedral was built in the 1630s under Tsar Michael as a private chapel for the royal family, positioned directly above the Spassky Gate passage. It was later connected to the Grand Kremlin Palace when that complex was rebuilt in the 19th century.
The name Verkhospassky means "above the Savior" in Russian, a direct reference to the Spassky Gate below the structure. Today the building is visible from Red Square, its golden domes rising above the roofline of the Grand Kremlin Palace.
The cathedral is not open to the public as it forms part of the Grand Kremlin Palace, which serves as an official residence. Its gilded domes are clearly visible from Red Square and from the embankment on the opposite side of the river.
The cathedral sits directly on top of the Spassky Gate passage, meaning the royal family prayed above one of the busiest entrances to the Kremlin. This type of church built over a gate passage was a recognized form in Russian religious architecture and is known as a nadwratny church.
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