[SRC PHOTO] Christmas tree stands in the Moscow Kremlin

[congeries]

© Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo

A Christmas tree stands in the Moscow Kremlin, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2002.
Shown from left, in the background are: Archangel and Annunciation cathedrals, the Great Kremlin Palace.

New Year's is the biggest holiday of the year in Russia, and is followed by the Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7.

Comments

[centralasian.livejournal.com]

oi-oi :) who told you that it was stalin who ordered to rebuild them? i think you confuse different things :)

these are VERY old churches... initially constructed from wood, they were later rebuilt in stone, but it happened many centuries ago... well before stalin :)

stalin, in fact, ordered to destroy one of the beautiful and the largest cathedrals in moscow (but those one was built relatively recently, in 19th century... (well, lenin and stalin ordered to demolish many churches, but this was one of the most prominent act of vandalism : (

a few years this cathedral was rebuilt... i have few pics of this cathedral, and will try to post them later...

as for the islamic influence... good eye you have :) you're right, russian church architecture was influenced by islamic styles, which could be also seen in the onion-like shapes of the church toppers... obviously, many russian now furiously refuse to accept this :)