St. Basil's Cathedral - The most famous landmark in Russia and one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, St. Basil's is a Russian Orthodox church located in Red Square, Moscow (although today it is state property).  It was built between 1555-61 on the orders of Ivan the Terrible to commemorate Russia's victory over the Tartars in the Russo-Kazan Wars.  The Russian Orthodox Church is based on Eastern Orthodox Christianity and St. Basil's is based on Byzantine architecture; although there really is no other building quite like it.  It looks almost like a cross between a church and a fun house, and is said to resemble flames of fire.  Legend has it that the building was designed by an architect named Postnik Yakovlev, and that, when it was completed, Ivan blinded him so that he could never create anything as beautiful ever again (interestingly, the construction of the Taj Mahal shares a similar legend).  Because it is so unique, sources for its inspiration are only speculation.  It's thought to be the designer's interpretation of what the New Jerusalem will look like in the Heavenly Kingdom.