St. Basil's Cathedral - Moscow, Russia
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 55° 45.138 E 037° 37.390
37U E 413584 N 6179370
Commonly known at St. Basil's, this most recognizable orthodox church has the official name "Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat" or Pokrovsky Cathedral. It is now a World Heritage Site.
Waymark Code: WMK1Q6
Location: Russia
Date Posted: 01/30/2014
Views: 25
This Liberian stamp was issued in 2001 as part of a series called "A Philatelic Tour of The World". The stamp depicts St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square and pairs it for some reason with Mount Elbrus..a mountain far away from Moscow near the border with Georgia. The Russian flag is set in the foreground. The depiction is not true to life but almost a cartoonish version of the Cathedral.
The church has become the icon representing Russia just as the Eiffel Tower represent France and the Statue of Liberty is instantly connected to the USA. The Cathedral is considered one of the great buildings of the world and it's architectural style had no precedent. Construction began in 1555...and it is considered to be the gepgraphic center of Moscow.
Wikipedia (
visit link) further informs us that the church was erected "... in 1555–61 on orders from Ivan the Terrible. It commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan.
St. Basil's marks the geometric center of Moscow. It has been the hub of the city's growth since the 14th century and was the city's tallest building until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600."