Cathedral of the Archangel Church

Address: Moscow Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

Website: https://www.kreml.ru/en-Us/

Hours: Cathedral open daily; hours vary (typically 10:00am-6:00pm)

Admission: Free (entry to Kremlin complex varies; Cathedral may be free)/museum sections may charge

The Cathedral of the Archangel (Arkhangelsky sobor) is a Russian Orthodox church located on Cathedral Square inside the Moscow Kremlin, built in the early 16th century for the burial of Moscow’s rulers. It forms part of the group of Kremlin cathedrals and is historically important as a princely and tsarist necropolis.

The interior contains an array of royal tombs and a richly decorated iconostasis together with wall paintings and icons from the 16th and 17th centuries. The cathedral’s art and funerary monuments document the succession of Muscovite grand princes and early tsars.

Construction of the present building took place between 1505 and 1508 under the patronage of the Grand Prince of Moscow; an Italian architect known as Aloisio the New was involved in the design. Over subsequent centuries the cathedral was used for state religious ceremonies and as the principal burial church until the relocation of the imperial capital.

The cathedral sits on Cathedral Square within the Moscow Kremlin in central Moscow, adjacent to the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and near the Dormition Cathedral. It is in the historic core of the city and is reached through the Kremlin’s visitor entrances.

• Visiting within the Kremlin complex: The cathedral is one of the Kremlin’s principal churches and is visited as part of the Kremlin complex ticket; photography rules and visiting hours follow wider Kremlin regulations.

What to See#

• Royal tombs: The cathedral’s interior royal tombs, which hold the remains of Russian princes and tsars from the medieval period through early modern Russia.
• Iconostasis and frescoes: The iconostasis and the cathedral’s surviving wall paintings and icons dating mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries, which form part of the site’s artistic heritage.

The Cathedral of the Archangel is inside the Kremlin complex, adjacent to Red Square in central Moscow. Nearest metro stations include Biblioteka Imeni Lenina and Okhotny Ryad-both a short walk to the Kremlin gates. Visitor access is via the Kremlin ticket office.

• Visit early to avoid crowds lining Red Square and for better light on the cathedral facades.
• Dress respectfully-this is an active religious site as well as a museum complex in places.
• Combine a visit with the Kremlin and Red Square for a compact day of Moscow's historic core.