Saint Basil's Cathedral (Russia)

Christian Church

Saint Basil's Cathedral, with its colorful patterned onion domes, is the most recognizable land mark of Russia. It was ordered by Ivan the Terrible to mark the 1552 capture of Kazan from Mongol forces, and was completed in 1560. Originally it was painted white with gold domes. In 1860, the Cathedral was repainted with the more ornate, decorative designs that it displays today in Moscow's Red Square.