th ▁century ▁AD , ▁celebr ating ▁when ▁the ▁ro be ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Mary ▁was ▁taken ▁from ▁Palest ine ▁to ▁Constantin ople , ▁where ▁it ▁protected ▁the ▁city ▁from ▁being ▁conquer ed . ▁For ▁example , ▁tradition ▁says ▁that ▁during ▁the ▁Rus '- By z antine ▁War ▁of ▁ 8 6 0 ▁the ▁patri arch ▁placed ▁the ▁Virgin ' s ▁Rob e ▁into ▁the ▁sea , ▁causing ▁a ▁storm ▁that ▁destroyed ▁the ▁inv ading ▁Rus ' ▁ships . ▁ ▁A ▁four - level ▁icon ost asis , ▁created ▁by ▁Naz ary ▁Ist omin ▁Sav in ▁in ▁ 1 6 2 7 , ▁has ▁been ▁preserved ▁in ▁the ▁church , ▁and ▁has ▁fres co es ▁painted ▁by ▁Ivan ▁Bor is ov , ▁Sid or ▁Pos pe ev ▁and ▁S emy on ▁Abr am ov ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 4 . ▁The ▁church ▁itself ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁traditional ▁Early ▁Russian ▁style , ▁character ized ▁by ▁" a ▁notice able ▁t endency ▁towards ▁more ▁elev ated ▁proport ions , ▁the ▁overall ▁structure ▁being ▁extended ▁by ▁being ▁placed ▁on ▁raised ▁found ations , ▁and ▁the ▁drum ▁supporting ▁the ▁single ▁d ome ▁also ▁being ▁raised ." ▁As ▁with ▁the ▁C athedral ▁of ▁the ▁Ann unci ation , ▁the ▁intr icate ▁interior ▁detail ▁and ▁orn ament ation ▁were ▁characteristic ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁architecture ▁of ▁this ▁period . ▁ ▁Origin ally , ▁the ▁church ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁private ▁chap el ▁of ▁the ▁Patri arch ▁of ▁Moscow , ▁but ▁during ▁the ▁mid - 1 7 th ▁century ▁it ▁was