During the sixteenth century Architecture
began to flourish throughout Russia. In this period the famous St. Basil’s
Cathedral was built, (1555) as well as the Cathedral of St. Michael
(1505). St. Basil’s is one of Russia’s most famous cathedrals.
Two architects built it by the name of Postnik and Barma. These brilliant
men combined many chapels into one large cathedral by adding the ever-famous
onion shaped domes. St. Basil contains the popular sixteenth century
style of polychrome arches, cupolas, and the fairy tale fantasy theme
that was adopted by Italian architects from the fifteenth century.
Sixteenth century architecture
combined festive ensembles with traditional Russian styles. It was important
for the architects who designed secular and sacred works, to incorporate
the cultural aspects of the nation. Attempts to achieve beautiful sacred
places were not easy for Italian architect. Many dedicated their whole
lives to these structures and some died without seeing their work completed.
The sixteenth century architectural styles laid out the foundation of
architecture in Russia till the seventeenth century.
