VIRTUAL CATHEDRAL OF THE DORMITION BY ALEXEY TRUSOV
Moscow Kremlin, Russian Federation
by Doug De Rusha
Editorial Director's Note:
When I first saw this VR I had a similar feeling as when I first saw Tribute in Light from Jook Leung. But there was something somehow scary, something from the inside, arising, I spend about an hour watching and listening. Later I was wondering why I got so emotional, after all I saw thousands of VR's, and then suddenly I realized why: In my family, a few generations before, Domenico Trezzini, he was a Swiss architect, travelled to St Peterburg, called by the Czar Peter the Great, to build the city on the Neva, he married a Russian woman, and so in my veins there is some Russian blood. I think this VR, with the great soundtrack, is truly an emotional insight into Russian culture.
Enjoy! - Marco TrezziniThe Cathedral of the Dormition – Moscow, Russia Constructed in 1475-1479 under the supervision of Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti, the Cathedral of the Dormition is one of the oldest and most historic architectural monuments in the Kremlin. It was in this cathedral that czars and emperors were crowned and patriarchs consecrated and buried in tombs beside the walls. It stands on the site of Moscow' s first stone cathedral built by Ivan Kalita in 1325-26, which replaced an even older wooden structure dating back to the 12th-century. During the 16th and 17th centuries, many Russian architects used the cathedral extensively as a quintessential model. Remarkably, the Cathedral of the Dormition remains substantially in its original form, although a fire in 1547 resulted in some alterations to the facade and some minor interior repairs were done in the mid-17th century. Fortunately, much of the original artwork in the cathedral remains intact, including intricate murals from 1642-43, and the oldest icon of the cathedral - Georgy Pobedonosets (Victorious) - from the end of the 11th century. Russian restorers have also uncovered part of an original 15th-16th century mural, previously believed to have been lost. Among the other historical treasures found here are the carved wooden czar's seat of Ivan the Terrible from 1551, and the Icon of the Savior of the Fiery Eye from the 14th century, which portrayed the artist’s view of Christ as the judge of the World. Russian photographer Alexey Trusov, who lives in the ancient Russian city of Veliky Novgorod, has captured the exquisite interior of the Cathedral of the Dormition in a new cubic VR panorama. Because the use of tripods is forbidden in the cathedral itself, Alexey had to shoot the pano hand-held with no leveling devices, ultimately making stitching a very difficult task. The pano is comprised of eight shots taken with a Nikon CoolPix 4500 and a FC-E8 fisheye lens, and includes a haunting audio track to provide added atmosphere. And be sure to check out Alexey’s Virtual Tour of Veliky Novgorod.
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