This Week in Christian History: John Wesley Comes to America, Martin Luther Earns His Doctorate

St. Basil Cathedral Holds First Worship Service in Over 60 Years — October 14, 1991

This week marks the anniversary of Russia's most notable church, the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, which held its first worship service over 60 years after the Soviet government closed it down.

Also called, among other names, "The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat," St. Basil's was constructed in the 16th century to celebrate the conquest of Kazan by Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

The cathedral was closed down in 1929 by the Soviet Union government and turned into a museum, with serious consideration made by some to demolish the sacred structure.

As the Soviet Union neared its collapse, the cathedral was the sight of a special divine service. Services are still periodically held at the cathedral, though it remains a museum.