The Cathedral's Square in Moscow Kremlin

This gorgeous box was painted by Mikhail Strunin from the village of Mstera. It depicts a view of the The Cathedral's Square in Moscow Kremlin. Probably, working on this box the artist used some old paintings drawn in the 18th or 19th centuries.
In the center of the composition we can see famous St.Basil's Cathderal (another name is Pokrovskiy) biult in 1561. This is a view to the Red Square from the inside of Kremlin's walls.
Painted in red,yellow, blue and brown tones this scene opens up a grandiose panorama before the viewer's eyes. It helps to imagine how ancient Moscow looked like, and observe everyday life of people who lived then. White-stone cathedrals and splendid palaces rise behind the strong fortifications, the burnished gold onion domes glisten on the sun, and the townspeople are occupied with their daily routine: some of them carry vegetables to the market, the others pasture goats and sell their goods; while the nobility rides in carriages. The overall detail in this scene is simply incredible!
The edges of the lid and the box's sides are decorated with elegant gold floral patterns. Gold is also used to add various details in the depicted scene, but in very minimal amounts. Sided of the box are also decorated with a rich gold ornamentation.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the box while red lacquer completes the interior of the work. The box is hinged from the top of the composition, and rests on four legs. The box is signed with the artist's name, the village of Mstera and the title: "The Cathedral's Square in Moscow Kremlin" at the bottom of the composition on the lid.