Situated on Red Square in Moscow, Saint Basil’s Cathedral is a church that is widely recognized as one of Russia’s most iconic structures. Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered the church’s construction in the sixteenth century to use it as a votive sacrifice in remembrance of his victories over the Astrakhan and Kazan Muslim khanates. In the centuries that followed, Saint Basil’s Cathedral saw a few changes. During its existence, the monument came dangerously close to destruction twice. Luckily, the plans to destroy the church were foiled on both occasions, allowing it to remain standing to this day.

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