The Cathedral of St. Isaac of Dalmatia

1 Isaakiyevskaya Ploshad

Built from 1818-1858, St. Isaac's Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church is St. Petersburg. The building was designed by Auguste Montferrend and named for St. Isaac of Dalmatia, the "patron" of Peter the Great. The gilded cupola of the Cathedral, which dominates the skyline of the city, stands 101.5 meters in the air making it the fifth highest cathedral in Europe. The collonade offers visitors the option of climbing the 300 stairs to the observation deck to see the breathtaking view of the city. The facades of the building are decorated with 112 monolithic columns made from Karelian granite. The outside of the building is covered in beautiful sculptures inculding 24 monumental bronze angels.

The inside of St. Isaac's is just as breathtaking as it's exterior. The columns in the portico of the cathedral are made of single pieces of red granite that each weigh about 80 tons. Many of the church's icons are exquisite mosaics and the iconostasis is decorated with 8 malachite and 2 lapis lazuli columns. In 1928 the church, which can hold 14,000 worshippers, suspended its religious services until the 1990's when they were reinstated on major religious holidays. Today, in addition to being open to the public as a museum, the cathedral continues to offer festive services.

The Cathedral of the Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul

Peter and Paul Fortress

This cathedral was the first Orthodox church in St. Petersburg and was built from 1712-1733 on Zayachy Island within the Peter and Paul Fortress. The cathedral was designed by Domenico Trezzini and has a 122.5 meter high bell-tower, which is surmounted by a gilt copper spire crowned with a weather vane. The weather vane depicts an angel holding a cross. The interior of the cathedral is decorated with artificial marble and gilded carvings. The gilded iconostasis is famous for it's intricate Russian carvings, it is made of the wood from a lime tree and was built without the use of nails. The altar is a symbol of the power of Russia and resembles a triumphal arch. The cathedral is also famous for its collection of Russian paintings, the 43 icons depicting "The Life and Passions of Christ" are both unique and beautiful. In 1725, the funeral service for Peter the Great took place in a special chapel within the cathedral. Today the cathedral remains the official burial place of the Russian Tsars. Inside the cathedral there are 32 tomb stones made of semiprecious stones, 30 are made of white Carera marble and 2 (marking the graves of Alexander II and his wife) are made of jasper and rodonite.

The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity - St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra

1 Alexander Nevsky Ploshad

In 1710, according to the order of Peter the Great, the St. Alexander Nevsky Monastery was founded to commemorate the victory of the Russian troops in the Neva battle of 1240. The main church of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, The Holy Trinity Cathedral, was designed by Ivan Starov and built from 1776-1790. Today the cathedral is a functioning Russian orthodox church, however it has endured difficult times in the past. In 1933 the cathedral was closed along with the other churches within the monastery after the buildings were taken over by city authorities. Both the relic of St. Alexander Nevsky and the cathedral's sarcophagus were removed at this time. After the persistent demands of many supporters the cathedral was returned to the Orthodox Church in 1956 and reconsecrated on September 12, 1957. Finally in 1989 Alexander Nevsky's relic was solemnly replaced and November 25, 1996 marked the official date of the monastery's rebirth.

The Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

2 Kazanskaya Ploshad

Kazan Cathedral was built between 1801-1811 by the architect Andrei Voronikhin who was greatly inspired by the architecture of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The Cathedral was built as a Russian version of St. Peter's and was supposed to serve as the main church in Russia. Following the war of 1812, the cathedral became a monument to Russian victory and the banners captured from enemy troops were displayed within the church. The cathedral was named after an icon of Our Lady of Kazan, that was believed to produce miracles, which the church housed until the early 1930s. In 1929 the Bolsheviks closed the church and services were no longer held there. Beginning in 1932 the building housed the collections of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. Recently, within the last few years, religious services have resumed at the cathedral, however the cathedral still shares the grounds with the Museum of the History of Religion (no longer including Atheism).

The Smolny Cathedral of the Resurrection

Rastrelli Ploshad

The Smolny Cathedral, which was built from 1748-1769, is one of the most amazing examples of the work of Bartolomeo Rastrelli (architect of the Winter Palace, Yekaterininsky Palace in Pushkin, Grand Palace in Peterhof, and other major landmarks). The cathedral is at the center of the convent which was built for Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. The funding for the convent which was supplied by Elizabeth was quickly cut when her reign came to an end. Thus, Rastrelli was unable to build the huge bell tower that he had originally planned or to finish the interiors of the building. It was not until 1832-1835 that the interiors were finally completed and since by this time architectural styles had changed, the interior was completed in the neo-classical style which differs sharply from the exterior facade. Today the Smolny Cathedral is used mostly as a concert hall which houses both performances and exhibitions of Russian church music.

The Cathedral of the Resurrection (Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood)

2 Naberezhnaya Kanala Griboyedova

The Cathedral of the Resurrection, which is also known as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, was erected in memory of Tsar Alexander II. On March 1, 1881, the Tsar was assasinated by a terrorist (I. Grinevitskij) on the exact spot of the church's current location. The church was designed by Alfred Parland and was built from 1883-1907 with money donated by the royal family as well as private donors. Both the inside and outside of the building are decorated with ornate mosaics designed by a group of prominent Russian artists which included Victor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov, and Andrei Riabushkin. The mosaics were created from original works done by the painters (Vasnetsov and Nesterov) using an array of semi precious stones.

During the 1930s the church was closed due to the destruction taking place nationwide as the Bolsheviks stormed and ruined many churches. The Cathedral of the Resurrection was reopened in August of 1997 after almost 3 decades of careful restoration. Today the Cathedral is fully restored and remains open to visitors.

The Cathedral of St. Prince Vladimir, Equal of the Apostels 26 Blokhina Ulitsa	The Naval St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Epiphany 1/3 Nikolskaya Ulitsa	The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity of the Izmailovsky Life-Guards Regiment 7 Ismailovsky Prospekt
The Cathedral of Andrei Pervozvanny 11 6th Line of Vasilievsky Ostrov	St. John's Convent 45 Naberezhnaya Reki Karpovki	The Transfiguration Cathedral of All the Guards 1 Preobrazhenskaya Ploshad
The Cathedral of St. Sampson the Hospitable 41 Bolshoi Sampsoniyevsky Prospekt	The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God 20 Vladimirsky Prospekt	The Church of the Holy Trinity ('Easter Cake and Paskha') 235 Prospekt Obukhovskoy Oborony
The Church of the Nativity of St.John the Baptist 12 Lensoveta Ulitsa	Konjushennaya Church 1 Konjushennaya Ploshad	The Church of St. Martyr and Healer Pantaleon 17 Solianaya Lane
The Church of the Resurrection 116 Naberezhnaya Obvodnogo Kanala	The Church of the Nativity of St.Ioan Predtecha 7 Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt	The Church of St. Prophet Ilia 75 Shosse Revolutsii