The Church of Laying Our Lady’s Holy Robe was a home church of Russian Metropolitans and Patriarchs. It was built in 1484-1485 by Pskov’s stone-layers. The name of the church is linked with a Byzantine festival known since V century. According to a legend, the festival was set up to the memory of transferring of Virgin Mary’s Holy Robe from Palestine to Constantinople. The Cathedral’s main icon ( to the right of the King’s gate) represents the ceremonial laying of the holy on the altar throne of the Court Emperor’s Cathedral. The four-tiered iconostasis of 1627 has been preserved almost intact. The major part of its icons were painted by tsar’s icon-painter Nazary Istomin Savin. The iconostasis and murals form the unique artistic ensemble. The scenes of the murals illustrate the life history of Virgin Mary and the solemn chant in honour of Our Lady - Acathistus. On the pillars, Russian Metropolitans and Moscow Princes are depicted. The interior is adorned with ancient items of cathedrals’ decoration - the candelarium and so called “lean (gaunt) candles”. In the gallery of the Church you can see a rare exhibition of Russian wooden sculpture of XV-XIX centuries. The Church of Laying of Our Lady's Holy Robe was built in 1484-1485 by Pskov makers on the place of a more ancient church. The architectural outlook of the small elegant church has no Pskov features. Brick ornamental tiers on the drum are the only point reminding us Pskov architecture.  The church is built in Moscow architectural traditions. It is a four-pillared church, built on high ground floor (podklet). Its walls have vertical sections topped by zakomaras. The terracotta ornamental frieze goes round the church's volume and the higher part of the altar apses. Thanks to the makers' craftsmanship and talent, the complicated architectural problem was solved successfully as the small church near to the monumental Assumption Cathedral looks very harmoniously. The contrast silhouettes of the Church of Laying of Our Lady's Holy Robe and the Assumption Cathedral adorn the whole Cathedral Square complex. The murals were created in 1644 by icon-painters Sidor Pospeev, Ivan Borisov and Semen Abramov. The programme follows medieval patterns: in the central dome there is the depiction of Saviour Almighty, in the vaults there are evangelical scenes,  on the walls one can see murals, thematically related to the consecrating of the church. The Church of Laying of Our Lady's Holy Robe is dedicated to the Feast of Our Lady, so the idea of the murals is "solemn praise to Our Lady". Two of the four tiers present Our Lady's life scenes, the other two - illustrate the solemn chant - the Great Acathistus. Murals are painted in the fresco technique (i.e on wet plaster) and covered with tempera. The iconostasis of the Church of Laying of Our Lady's Holy Robe is one of few iconostases created after the Great Distemper. It was ordered by Patriarch Filaret, father of Michael Fyodorovich Romanov, the first Tsar of the new Romanov Dynasty. The patriarchal order was executed by eminent icon-painter Nazary Istomin Savin, a member of the family of Rissian icon-makers.
In 1627, together with icon-makers of his team, he painted icons for the three upper tiers: the Deisis, the Festival and the Prophetical row. In the lower, Local tier, the Old Testamental Trinity icon was painted by Nazary Istomin Savin. He might have created the icon of Our Lady Hodegetria, now hidden under the later layer. L ean (gaunt) candles - was the name of large candlesticks, made of wax or wood, hollow inside. They were usually decorated with ornamental painting and inscriptions. Two wax "lean candles" were donated to the church by patriarch Josef in  1649.  There is a decorative inscription on one candle giving evidence to it. The candles have copper silvered stands, based on three lion figures and top bases for small candles.  The candles must have been executed by Moscow makers. Exhibition of Russian wooden sculpture in the northern gallery of the church helps to overcome the error idea of the absence of  sculpture in Russian Orthodox churches’ decoration. Monumental icon sculptures, carved icons, small crosses and folding icons give an idea of this kind of art's development in the XVth - XIXth centuries. The most ancient exhibit is the relief depiction of St. George of the late XIVth - early XVth century, one of the oldest Russian icons.