As you enter the Red Square you are greeted by as the Resurrection Gate and the Iberian Chapel.
The Iberian Chapel is a tiny little chapel, no bigger than a small room where royalty used to pray before entering through the gate. I had to cover my hair before entering the little chapel, luckily it was cold outside so I had a hat with me.
As I entered the Square through the Resurrection Gate, I found on my left the Kazan Cathedral. This is a very small but charming Cathedral that was built in the 17th century and is painted an ice-cream pink colour.
The building is a small square topped with a cluster of domes and encircled by a gallery. In the one corner there is a bell-tower, and has luck would have it the bells started ringing just before I entered. The cathedral is still in use today so you are not allowed to take any pictures inside. This doesn’t bother me as I always feel uncomfortable taking pictures inside churches.
Entering the small cathedral I again had to cover my head as a sign of respect. I learned quickly to carry a head scarf with me in Moscow whenever I went church or monastery hunting.
Inside the church I was greeted by incense and lit candles, people were standing around praying in front of all the gold and wood icons that adorn the church. I stood around watching and then followed their example by buying my little candle and lighting it in front of the icon of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers.
I love sitting in churches and looking at all the icons, smelling the incense and just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. In this little church there were no benches though as the people stand during services so I stood around for a while just observing the people.
