Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
Standing on the northern bank of the Moskva River just southwest of the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is the principal cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church and, at 103 meters, the tallest Orthodox Christian church building in the world. The original structure was raised between 1839 and 1883 to give thanks for Russia's deliverance from Napoleon's 1812 invasion, its gleaming gilded dome dominating the Moscow skyline.
In 1931 Stalin's government dynamited the cathedral, intending to replace it with a colossal Palace of the Soviets crowned by a statue of Lenin. That project never materialized; the flooded foundation pit eventually became the world's largest open-air heated swimming pool. After the Soviet collapse, the church was meticulously reconstructed between 1995 and 2000, recreating the white marble facades, golden domes, and richly painted interior of the lost original.
The rebuilt cathedral serves as the seat of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and hosts the most solemn liturgies of Russian Orthodoxy. Entry is free, and the soaring interior, ringed with galleries commemorating the heroes of 1812, draws large numbers of worshippers and visitors throughout the year.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 1,000,000
- Location
- 55.7444, 37.6056
- Local time
- 01:37 (Europe/Moscow)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sun | 08:00–18:00 |
approximate; may close on eve of major Orthodox holidays; free entry
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Christ the Saviour Saint
Cathedral dedicated to Christ; principal cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church
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Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Saint
Widely venerated; icons and relics honoured in the cathedral
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Theotokos (Virgin Mary) Saint
Major icons of the Mother of God venerated within
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Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow Saint
Modern Russian saint; canonization linked to the cathedral's rebuilding era, relics venerated
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Saint Alexander Nevsky Saint
National Russian saint commemorated among the 1812 victory imagery
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Saint Sergius of Radonezh Saint
Patron saint of Russia, venerated with icon in the cathedral
Care & donations
Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
Free entry; donations accepted
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