Photo postcard with St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow, circa late XIX C.
The size is 3 ¼" x 5 ½", Russian and French text. Manufactured by V. Karnatz Publishing. Postally unused and unmarked. The captions on the obverse state the place and the name of the church. The image of the cathedral is in amazingly sharp focus. The back is undivided and features the inscription along the left-hand edge saying "this side is only for the address". The header reads "Global Postal Union. Russia. Open Letter." also in Russian and French. Knowing French was a sign of good upbringing and upstanding societal status in Russia of the 19th century. A good portion of t
The size is 3 ¼" x 5 ½", Russian and French text. Manufactured by V. Karnatz Publishing. Postally unused and unmarked. The captions on the obverse state the place and the name of the church. The image of the cathedral is in amazingly sharp focus. The back is undivided and features the inscription along the left-hand edge saying "this side is only for the address". The header reads "Global Postal Union. Russia. Open Letter." also in Russian and French. Knowing French was a sign of good upbringing and upstanding societal status in Russia of the 19th century. A good portion of the Russian middle class and especially nobility were quite fluent in French.
The card is in good to very good condition showing mild to moderate soiling. A small portion of the photo layer is missing at the lower left-hand corner making the underlying cardboard visible. However, the wear does not contrast with the color tone of the postcard and is not too intrusive to the eye. The verso is mostly clean, showing just a couple of tiny stains.
The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, commonly known as St. Basil's Cathedral, was built between 1555 and 1561 by Ivan the Terrible. Legend has it that the czar ordered the cathedral's builder blinded after the construction was completed so that a building of this beauty could never be created again. And when you look at our last photo, you will understand why, in the case of Ivan the Terrible, this legend may actually be a true story!
Please note that the penny in our photo is for size reference.
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