The Cathedral Mosque appeared in Moscow because of Tatar population keeping growing in the city. By the early 20th century, the Tatars lived not only in Zamoskvorechye, but also in Sretenka, Myasnitskaya, Trubnaya, and other streets.
Since 1894, the Muslim Community repeatedly appealed to Moscow authorities for permission to build the second mosque in the city. However, they had always been turned down.
In 1902, a Moscow bourgeois S. Bakirov and a Kasimov merchant Kh. Akbulatov presented a petition, which was attested by the Orenburg Muslim Spiritual Assembly. They requested to transfer them lands that they owned in Vipolzov Lane "to build there the second Muhammadan mosque".
In December, 1903, the Moscow government, headed by Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, Governor General of Moscow, approved the project. The construction of the Mosque was completely financed by Tatar merchant Salih Yerzin, who lost all his money after the 1917 Revolution, but did not emigrate. He worked then as a watchman in the Vakhtangov Theatre in Arbat. "The Zodchy" magazine (No. 32, 1994) published the following information: "The Muslim Community of Moscow has started building the second mosque. For this purpose, they bought a plot for 35,000 roubles. A Byzantine building has been designed by architect Nikolay Zhukov and features a gallery. The Mosque will place 2,000 prayers." The Mosque was built surprisingly fast. It took just five months to construct the huge building. On 27 November 1904, the first imam of the new mosque Badriddin khazrat Alimov applied to the authorities for permission to start services.
During the Soviet period, the Mosque had not been closed and was the only functioning one in the city.
Before the summer Olympics of 1980 in Moscow, the Mosque was about to be demolished because of its close proximity to the Olimpiyskiy Sports Complex. However, Moscow religious figures and ambassadors of Arab countries protected it from breaking.
Since 1996, Russian Muftis Council has occupied a separate building within the area of the Cathedral Mosque.
In May, 2005, a large-scale reconstruction of the Mosque has begun.
The Church of St. Nicholas "Red Chime" is located in Kitay-gorod, one of the Moscow oldest historical districts, in Yushkov Drive (later known as Vladimirova Drive, and since 1992 as Nikolsky Lane) connecting Varvarka Street and Ilyinka Street. The church was first mentioned in the 16th-century chronicle.
The name of "Red Chime" was given to the...
The original church with a high altar dedicated to SS. Boris and Gleb was there since the second half of the 14th century (to the south of the now-existing church, as archaeological data evidence) and appeared, most likely, as a house church of a rich estate owned by merchants. The wooden church was named after SS. Boris and Gleb. It was first ment...