Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is the principal Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, rising 103 metres on the northern bank of the Moskva River a few hundred metres southwest of the Kremlin. Originally built in the 19th century to commemorate Russia’s victory over Napoleon, it was demolished by Soviet authorities in 1931 and rebuilt between 1994 and 2000, making it both the tallest Orthodox Christian church building in Russia and one of the most visited religious monuments in the country.
At a glance
- Type
- Russian Orthodox cathedral
- Period
- Original: 1839–1883; demolished 1931; rebuilt 1994–2000
- Style
- Russian Revival (Neo-Byzantine)
- Location
- Ulitsa Volkhonka 15, Moscow 119019, Russia
- Coordinates
- 55.7446° N, 37.6054° E
- Height
- 103 metres (338 ft); third tallest Orthodox church in the world
Overview
The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour dominates the Moscow riverfront near the Kremlin and Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. With its gilt domes, white marble facades, and capacity of up to 10,000 worshippers, it serves as the seat of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the symbolic centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The current building is an architecturally faithful reconstruction of the 19th-century original, completed in time for Moscow’s 850th anniversary celebrations in 1997.
History
Tsar Alexander I vowed in 1812 to build a great church if Russia survived Napoleon’s invasion; construction of the original cathedral to designs by Konstantin Ton began in 1839 and was consecrated in 1883 under Tsar Alexander III. In December 1931 Stalin’s government dynamited the building to make way for an unrealised Palace of the Soviets; for decades the site held an outdoor swimming pool. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Moscow Patriarchate launched a reconstruction project in 1994, and the rebuilt cathedral was consecrated on 19 August 2000.
What you see
The exterior is clad in white marble from the Ural Mountains and crowned by five gilded domes, the central drum rising to 103 metres. The interior holds elaborate frescoes and mosaics executed by contemporary Russian artists following the iconographic programme of the 19th-century originals. A lower-level church, the Transfiguration Church, occupies the podium beneath the main nave. The surrounding embankment plaza offers panoramic views across the Moskva River to the Kremlin towers and cathedrals.
Cultural significance
The cathedral is a potent symbol of national memory, commemorating the 70,000 Russian soldiers killed in the Napoleonic Wars; the names of officers fallen in battle are inscribed in marble on the walls. Its destruction in 1931 and reconstruction after 1991 mirror the broader arc of Russian religious and political history across the 20th century, making it one of the most charged sacred spaces in contemporary Russia.
Practical information
- Address
- Ulitsa Volkhonka 15, Moscow 119019, Russia
- Hours
- Check official website for current visiting hours; open for services daily
- Admission
- Free entry for worship; small fee for observation deck access
Getting there
The nearest Moscow Metro station is Kropotkinskaya on the Sokolnicheskaya (red) line, a two-minute walk from the cathedral. Trolleybus routes also serve Ulitsa Volkhonka. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is immediately adjacent, making a combined visit straightforward.