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Situated within the fortified area of the Kremlin of Moscow, the Dormition Cathedral soon became the center of imperial life of the Russian nation as well as the first of the cathedrals that now form ''Cathedral Square''. In 1547, Ivan IV, characterized now as ‘’the terrible’‘, was crowned in Dormition cathedral as the first tsar of Russia. The coronation of the emperors and empresses of Russia continued to take place in the cathedral until the abdication of the last tsar, [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]]. The installation rites of the ruling Metropolitans and Patriarchs of the Church of Russia were also held in cathedral as well as being their final resting place.
The present area of the Kremlin, Cathedral Square, upon which Dormition Cathedral was built saw the construction of other cathedrals over the next century. The [[Cathedral of the Annunciation]] was built between 1484 and 1489 with additions built between 1562 and 1564. The [[Church of the Repository of the Robe of Mary]] was built in 1484 and 1485. In 1505, The [[Cathedral of Archangel MIchael (Moscow Kremlin)|Cathedral of the Archangel Michael]] was completed with additions made in early in the seventeenth century. The [[Belfry of Ivan the Great]] was built between 1505 and 1508 and was enlarged to its present 81 meter (375 feet) height in 1600.
During the dying days of tsarist Russia, the cathedral became the scene of the installation of the first [[patriarch]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] since the patriarchate was abolished by Emperor Peter I in the early eighteenth century. On [[November 21]], 1917, the Metropolitan of Moscow, [[Tikhon of Moscow|Tikhon (Belavin)]] was installed as patriarch. The Pascha service of the following Spring was the last religious service in the cathedral until the cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1990, as the Soviet Union was falling.
