The St. Basil’s Cathedral is one of the most beautiful landmarks in Moscow. The church was built in the 16th century by order of the tsar of that time, Ivan IV. At first she was white and the domes were coated with leaf gold. In the 17th century the gold domes were replaced by today’s colourfully decorated ones. The white exterior facade also gave way to today’s red and white play of colours. In 1936 the cathedral was supposed to be knocked down as it was in the way during parades on the Red Square. Fortunately this was prevented.