Patriarch's Palace

Patriarch's Palace and the Church of the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles of the Moscow Kremlin and Museum of Applied Art and Everyday Life of 17th Century Russia on Cathedral Square

on a sunny day...

So, why don't we just call this the Patriarch's Palace, the Twelve Apostles Church and the Museum because they are all contained in this one building.

The Patriarch's Palace is one of the best and rarest monuments of Moscow mid 17th century civil architecture.  The palace was erected 1653-1655 by Russian masters.  It has five helmeted domes in a conservative style.  There are two large arches to allow passage from the Cathedral Square to the Patriarch's Cathedral.

Built for Patriarch Nikon (1605-81) in the 17th Century to replace the previous patriarch's humbler residential quarters, the palace was decorated with murals and connected to the patriarch's private Twelve Apostles' Church.  

Its finest room is the Cross Chamber, which was used as a reception hall.  Today the room displays precious artworks, bound bibles, churchware and ecclesiastical robes.

The Cross Chamber was a novelty in 17th century Russia.  For the first time, an enormous room (3,000 square feet) was covered by just one vault without a support in the center.  In this room church synods took place, bishops were elected and proclaimed, foreign ambassadors were received, solemn receptions and feasts were held.  In addition, the Chamber was the main reception room of the Patriarch.

In 1763, a stove was installed here for the preparation of chrism -- the holy oil, used during a baptism, a coronation or a consecration of a newly-built church.  The chrism for all the churches was prepared once in three of four years.  Its composition included around fifty different herbs, roots and oils.  During the consecration, a few drops of the old chrism were added to the newly-prepared oil.  In the 19th century, a carved gilded canopy was built above the stove.  

The Twelve Apostles Church was a private home church of Russian Patriarchs.  The patriarchal residence was seriously damaged when the Bolsheviks shelled the Kremlin in October 1917.  Subsequently the church was restored in order to accommodate the applied arts museum.  The original iconostasis did not survive.  The present iconostasis (above) was salvaged from the demolished Ascension monastery and transported into the church in 1929.

No pictures were allowed inside.

Virtual tour:

http://patriarchs-palace.kreml.ru/en-Us/virtual-tour/

About the museum:

http://www.kreml.ru/en-Us/about-museums/Kremlin/

Or, see:  Museums of the Moscow Kremlin

visited:  Saturday, November 21, 2015