The Church of the Ascension at the Kolomenskoye Estate in Moscow.

The Church of the Ascension is an impressive building on the large Kolomenskoye Estate in Moscow, Russia. It was built in 1532 by Prince Vasili III to commemorate the birth of the man who would become Tsar Ivan IV – better known as Ivan the Terrible.

In terms of architecture, this building signifies a significant change in Russian architecture. It is a tall and interesting building and very different to other churches that can be seen in Russia. The Church is entirely built out of stone and is the first stone hipped Cathedral in Russia. This type of brick that was used to built the church was first introduced by Italian architects towards the end of the 15th century. The walls are very thick and the Church has remained well preserved throughout the centuries.

Design plan of the Church of the Ascencion.

The ground plan of the church is in the form of a Greek equal-armed cross.Galleries and staircases surround the church. An imposing tower stretches into the sky and is topped with a small cupola and golden cross. We walked around the church a couple of times to admire all the details. Nothing is flashy about this church but in it’s simplicity it is remarkably beautiful. Beads can be seen on the roof and this type of decoration can be seen in the Italian Renaissance era.

Due to the thickness of the walls, the inside of the church is cramped. However, it is open from the floor to the top – almost 41m! We couldn’t go inside the Church but I have read that it is decorated with pilasters and fretted capitals that are styled in imitation acanthi leaves. Unfortunately the original decorations inside the church did not survive the passing of time but the church has been restored to what it looked like originally.

The Church of the Ascencion is part of the Kolomenskoye Estate that is a UNESCO Heritage site. The Kolomenskoye Estate is one of my favourite places in Moscow and one that comes highly recommended.

Underground: Kolomenskaya.