Saint Basil’s Cathedral or the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed is an Orthodox Church located in the Red Square of Moscow, Russia and is a popular cultural symbol in Russia. The building is now a museum and began construction in 1555 as directed by Ivan the Terrible. It commemorates the captures of Kazan and Astrakhan which were two battles fought during the Russo-Khazan Wars in the mid 1500s. The building itself contained eight chapels surrounding a ninth chapel in the center. Later on, a tenth chapel was created in honor of the local saint, Vasily or Basil. Because of the date of its creation and immense historical significance surrounding it, it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.
