Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is located in Moscow and is the tallest Eastern Orthodox church in the world, as well as one of the largest. The cathedral was commissioned by Tsar Alexander I on December 25, 1812, following the Napoleonic Wars, to give thanks to Christ the Saviour “for saving Russia from defeat and disgrace” and to commemorate the Russians who died in the war.

Construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour began in 1837, with the main structure largely completed by 1860. However, it took approximately another 20 years to finish the elaborate interior decorations and frescoes. On May 26, 1883, the same day as the coronation of Tsar Alexander III, the cathedral was officially completed. Unfortunately, after the Russian October Revolution, the Russian Orthodox Church suffered persecution, and the cathedral was closed. In 1931, the Central Committee of the Communist Party decided to build the massive Palace of the Soviets on the site of the cathedral, which led to its demolition. Starting in early 1931, the cathedral’s gilded domes, crosses, bronze bells, upper colonnades, and bas-reliefs were gradually removed. Its bronze doors, frescoes, wooden panels, marble sculptures, chandeliers, and remaining Orthodox relics were also taken away. On December 5, 1931, the remaining structure of the cathedral was blown up and razed to the ground. Due to lack of funds, unstable foundations, flooding from the Moscow River, and the outbreak of war, the Palace of the Soviets was never built. On the eve of the Soviet Union’s dissolution, the Russian Orthodox Church received numerous appeals to rebuild the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. In February 1990, a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction was held on the original site. After the dissolution of the USSR, a reconstruction fund was established in 1992, and substantial donations were received in 1994. In 1996, the lower part of the new cathedral, the Church of the Transfiguration, was consecrated. The full reconstruction of the cathedral was completed on August 19, 2000.

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Must-visit reason: The tallest Eastern Orthodox church in the world

Continent: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region: Russia[Russia]

Province/State: Moscow Autonomous City [Moscow]

City: Moscow [Moscow]