It is not for nothing that Orthodox Rus', referred to in historical sources, can boast of hundreds of ancient temples and monasteries, whose artistic value is enormous. In every small village, in every town, there is certainly a church. The history of many of them dates back several centuries, so it is not easy, and unreasonable, to judge which is more important.

We present to your attention a dozen temples known for their artistic, architectural and historical value.

Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir

This UNESCO heritage-listed white-stone cathedral is top of our list for a reason. Before the rise of Moscow, it was he who was the main temple of Rus', and it was built and painted even before the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

Now this temple also houses a museum, and you can visit it at any time when church services are not going on.

Kazan Cathedral

The famous temple of Nevsky Prospekt, built in early XIX century, known to every tourist.

This Empire-style building does not look like a typical Orthodox church, but services are held in it. The cathedral, made in the image of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, served as the Museum of Religion and Atheism in the Soviet years and was significantly damaged, but by 2000 it was completely restored and re-consecrated.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral

There are still legends about the construction of the cathedral in the middle of the 16th century, because if the customer is known, then three people at once claim the role of the performer. Known version about a blinded master is not documented, but is very common among tour guides.

Having become a museum in the USSR, the temple was in distress for a long time, but in 1946 it was completely restored. Recently, services have begun to be held here again, but you can also visit it as a museum.

Church of the Intercession on the Nerl

Founded in 1165, the modest temple over the river is widely known for its exquisite beauty, simplicity and elegance of forms. Unlike the magnificent metropolitan temples, it is small, not covered with carvings and patterns, but is appreciated by historians and artists.

The reflection of the temple in the water of a quiet river has been depicted and photographed thousands of times and never ceases to attract tourists who are not too lazy to walk a couple of kilometers from the nearest village to admire the temple at sunset and dawn.

Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior

Rebuilt in 1997, the temple has become the most controversial religious project in Russia. On the one hand, this is just a restored cathedral of the 19th century, on the walls of which the names of soldiers and officers who died in battles with the Napoleonic army were written. On the other hand, it is a fashionable place where it is “customary to appear” at Russian politicians and businessmen.

By the way, many parishioners of the temple note that putting less than 500 rubles in the urn for donations is considered bad form here.

Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on about. Kizhi

The wooden octagonal church on the island of Kizhi was built in early XVIII century and is now in a deplorable state. Architects insist on its complete reconstruction, but can not decide how to do it.

In the meantime, while they argue, tourists who go to the island to admire the 22-domed church risk their health by approaching the emergency building.

Ensemble of the former Ferapontov Monastery

Founded at the end of the 14th century by St. Ferapont, the monastery stands on a hill between two lakes in the Vologda region. He is listed cultural heritage UNESCO and especially valuable historical objects of Russia. For several centuries it was the largest monastery in this region, but with the advent of Soviet power, it did not escape the fate of the museum.

Litigation about the fate of the former monastery is still going on between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ministry of Culture.

St. George's Cathedral in Yuryev-Polsky

The massive, squat white-stone cathedral was built in 1230 by order of Prince Svyatoslav.

It was distinguished by architecture unusual for that period and numerous carvings on the walls of the temple. The frescoes that decorated it from the inside were repeatedly erased from time to time and restored by local masters, so now they differ from the original ones, although the plots have been preserved.

Church of the Savior on Nereditsa

Not far from Veliky Novgorod, on the banks of the river, stands a 12th-century church built by order of Prince Yaroslav in memory of his two dead sons. Erected in less than a year, it is characterized by a massive structure and unique frescoes that cover all the walls from floor to ceiling.

The church was badly damaged by the Nazis during the Second World War and was completely restored only in 2004. Now it is open as a museum object, but services are held there on holidays.

Each of these buildings is beautiful in its own way, and worth a visit even if you are not a religious person.

Since ancient times, mankind has been building grandiose castles and palaces, as if competing in architectural skill. But there are buildings that were created in honor of God and his power, which helps people in difficult moments. What temples and cathedrals have come down to us from ancient times and amaze our contemporaries with their beauty and grandeur.

Ulm Cathedral, Ulm, Germany


Ulm Cathedral is the highest cathedral in Europe, its height is 161.5 meters. The construction of this architectural work began on June 30, 1377, at the expense of local residents at that time about 10 thousand people lived in the city. For a number of reasons, the cathedral was completed only on May 31, 1890, with the installation of a crucifer on the spire of the building. 513 years passed from the start of construction to the end of construction. During World War II, when almost the entire city was bombed, the cathedral was one of the few that survived. The cathedral is made in the Gothic style, you can admire its beauty for hours. The cathedral is 123 meters long and 49 meters wide., at the same time it can be up to 20 thousand people. Climbing 768 stone steps to a height of 143 meters, you get to an observation deck from which you can enjoy magnificent views of the city and the Alpine beauty.

Notre Dame de la Paix, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast


Notre Dame de la Paix is ​​the largest church in the world, listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Catholic Church built in the image and likeness of St. Peter's Cathedral. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace was built over 4 years from 1985 to 1989. The height of the building reaches 158 meters, the area of ​​the basilica is 30 thousand square meters, thanks to the spacious nave, the cathedral can accommodate 18 thousand people, 7000 seats and 11 standing. The cathedral is made of marble, 121 thousand square meters of marble and 7000 square meters of stained-glass windows were used for its construction. Thanks to stained glass sunlight, getting into the cathedral creates incredibly beautiful images. Pope John Paul II consecrated the Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, laid a stone, on the site of which the leaders of the poor African country promised to build a hospital. Almost 30 years have passed, the stone has remained in place, and the funds for the construction of the hospital have not been found.


The construction of the Gothic cathedral in Cologne began in 1248 and continues to this day. There is a legend that as soon as all the work to improve the Cologne Cathedral is completed, the end of the world will come. Cologne Cathedral is the tallest church with two towers, the height of the towers reaches 157.4 meters. The total length of the building from the outside is 144.58 meters, the width is 86.25 meters. The area of ​​the cathedral is 7914 square meters. Stained-glass windows on the windows of the cathedral have been preserved since the Middle Ages. Climbing 509 steps, you can get to the top of the cathedral and admire the views from the height of a 50-story building. Cologne Cathedral has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996.


St. Peter's Cathedral is the most grandiose building in the entire Christian world. In its modern form, the cathedral was built in 1626, such masters of architecture as Raphael and Michelangelo had a hand in its creation. Although its history dates back to the 4th century with the construction of a small basilica, where the Apostle Peter is supposedly buried. Today, the majestic building rises to the sky to a height of 132.5 meters, its length is 187 meters, the width is 114.5 meters, and the area is 44,000 sq. m. At the same time, 60,000 people can be inside the building and about 400 thousand more in the area near it. The grandeur of the building is also emphasized in the architecture of the cathedral, it has marks showing the size of other Christian churches that are inferior to it in size and grandeur.


The largest Catholic cathedral in France is located in the city of Rouen. The first mention of a church in this city was back in 314, after which the churches were liquefied and destroyed during various wars. Modern look acquired in 1877, completed the construction of the Catholic Cathedral. The church is made in the Gothic style, due to the fact that it was built over for long years gives it even more color and brilliance. Building height 151 meters, it is the tallest cast iron tower in the world. The length is 137 meters, the width of the facade is 61.6 meters. Rouen Cathedral is one of the monuments of the national heritage of France.

Strasbourg Cathedral, Strasbourg, France


For 250 years it was the tallest building in the world. The cathedral was erected in 1439, its height is 142 meters. Because of geographical location the decoration of the church was influenced not only by French, but also by German culture. In addition to the magnificent architecture, the cathedral is known for its astronomical clock, which not only shows time to the nearest second for several centuries. Thanks to the work of the best minds in France, the watch counts every year church holidays dates that change annually and show the orbits of all the planets that were known to mankind in 1832, at the time this feature was introduced. The slowest part of the clock shows the precession of the earth's axis - a complete revolution occurs in 25,800 years.

Seville Cathedral, Seville, Spain


Seville Cathedral was built on the foundation of a mosque, as a sign of the victory of Christians over Muslims in the struggle for the Iberian Peninsula. This is the largest Gothic cathedral in all of Europe, its construction began in 1401 and was completed in 1519. The building impresses not only with its architectural grandeur and beauty, according to legend, the remains of Christopher Columbus lie here, and the cross that flaunts on top of the cathedral is made of the first gold, brought from South America. Also, the cathedral is decorated with paintings by such masters of painting as Murillo, Velazquez and Goya. The area of ​​the temple is 11520 sq. meters, length 116 meters, width 76 meters, height of the central nave 42 meters. Seville Cathedral is on the list world heritage UNESCO since 1987.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior


height: 103 meters


Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior (Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ) in Moscow - Cathedral Russian Orthodox Church near the Kremlin on the left bank of the Moscow River. The existing building is an external reconstruction of the temple of the same name, created in the 19th century, carried out in the 1990s. The names of officers of the Russian army who fell in the war of 1812 and other close military campaigns were inscribed on the walls of the temple.
The original temple was erected in memory of the Napoleonic invasion: “to preserve the eternal memory of that unparalleled zeal, fidelity and love for the Faith and the Fatherland, with which the Russian people exalted themselves in these difficult times, and to commemorate Our gratitude to the Providence of God, which saved Russia from the threatened her death." It was designed by the architect Konstantin Ton. Construction lasted almost 44 years: the temple was founded on September 23, 1839, consecrated on May 26, 1883.
The newly built Cathedral of Christ the Savior is considered the largest cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church. The temple is designed for
10,000 people

Saint Isaac's Cathedral


height: 101.5 meters


Saint Isaac's Cathedral ( official name- Cathedral of St. Isaac of Dalmatia) - the largest Orthodox church in St. Petersburg. Located on St. Isaac's Square. Has the status of a museum; The church community, registered in June 1991, has the opportunity to worship on special days with the permission of the museum directorate. It was consecrated in the name of the Monk Isaac of Dalmatia, revered as a saint by Peter I, since the emperor was born on the day of his memory - May 30 according to the Julian calendar.
Built in 1818-1858 by architect Auguste Montferrand; the construction was supervised by Emperor Nicholas I, the chairman of the construction commission was Karl Opperman.
St. Isaac's Cathedral - an outstanding example of late classicism

Transfiguration Cathedral


height: 96 meters

The Transfiguration Cathedral is an Orthodox cathedral in Khabarovsk, built on the steep bank of the Amur in 2001-2004. According to a number of sources, it is the third tallest church in Russia after the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow and St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, as well as the tallest building in Khabarovsk.
The height of the domes of the Transfiguration Cathedral is 83 meters, the height with crosses is 95 meters. For comparison, the height of the Radio House, located next to the temple, is a little over 40 meters. The temple was designed by architects Yuri Zhivetiev, Nikolai Prokudin and Evgeny Semyonov. The frescoes inside the temple (on the dome of the Almighty Savior and the Apostles) were made by a group of Moscow artists, specially invited to Khabarovsk on this occasion by Bishop Mark of Khabarovsk and Amur. Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral is able to simultaneously receive three thousand parishioners.




Smolny Cathedral


height: 93.7 meters

Smolny Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Smolny Cathedral) is part of the architectural ensemble of the Smolny Monastery, which is located in St. Petersburg on the left bank of the Neva on Smolnaya Embankment. It is also a concert venue for classical music.
According to the layout of the ensemble of the Smolny Monastery (stored in the Museum of the Academy of Arts), a high 140-meter five-tiered bell tower was to be built. Thus, the height of this bell tower by 18 meters would exceed the height of the spire of the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, and could become the tallest building in Europe. The first tier of the bell tower was supposed to serve triumphal arch- the main entrance to the monastery, the second - the gate church, and in the remaining three belfries should have been located. The bell tower was to be completed by a small turret with three round windows and a dome with a cross crowning it.
However, contrary to popular belief, the ensemble of the Smolny Monastery was left without a bell tower at the behest of Rastrelli himself, and not because of a lack of funds (the construction of the bell tower was suspended in 1756, before Russia entered the Seven Years' War), although both of these facts could become decisive.



and here is the layout of "Smolny"

Alexander Nevsky New Fair Cathedral


height: 87 meters

The Cathedral of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky (Novoyarmarochny) is an Orthodox cathedral (since 2009) in Nizhny Novgorod. It was built in 1868-1881 according to the project of the architect L.V. Dahl.
In the protruding western vestibule, on the choirs of the large cathedral, there is the winter church of Macarius Zheltovodsky and Unzhensky.
In 1856, the fair merchants expressed a desire to build a second Orthodox fair church in memory of Emperor Alexander II's visit to the fair and applied for the construction of a new cathedral to Bishop Anthony of Nizhny Novgorod, who, in turn, to Governor A. N. Muravyov. Donations were collected. The necessary funds (454 thousand 667 rubles 28 kopecks) were collected over 10 years.
On September 8, 1864, a symbolic laying of a stone in the foundation of the future temple took place. By 1864, the project of the provincial architect R. Ya. Kilevein was ready. It had to be reworked due to insufficient strength; after that, it turned out that there was not enough funding for such a project. New project, proposed by the young architect L.V. Dahl, was also not approved.
On November 18, 1865, the project of the church was approved by the government. The authorship of the government-approved project has not yet been established accurately. In 1866, L. V. Dal returned to Nizhny Novgorod for permanent residence from abroad and finalized the design of the cathedral.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral


height: 85 meters

Cathedral of the Annunciation is an Orthodox church of the Russian Orthodox Church, located in the center of the city of Voronezh. It was built according to the project of the architect V.P. Shevelev in the Russian-Byzantine style. The cathedral is located on Revolution Avenue on the territory of Pervomaisky Garden. Construction was carried out from 1998 to 2009. The construction of the temple was blessed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II during his visit to Voronezh.
In Voronezh, the Annunciation Cathedral (until 1836), the Smolensk Trinity Cathedral (closed in 1932), and the Intercession Cathedral (from 1948 to the present) had the status of a cathedral. The first two cathedrals were destroyed in their time.
Different researchers give different dates for the founding of the Cathedral of the Annunciation. Metropolitan of Kiev Eugene (Bolkhotnikov) believed that it was founded in 1620. Others believed that the date of foundation should be taken as 1586, that is, the year the city of Voronezh was founded.
Initially, the Church of the Annunciation was built of wood. Due to frequent fires, the temple was rebuilt, sometimes even moved to another place.

Savior on Spilled Blood


height: 81 meters

The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on Blood or the Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg is an Orthodox memorial single-altar church in the name of the Resurrection of Christ; It was built in memory of the fact that on this place on March 1, 1881, as a result of an assassination attempt, Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded (the expression on the blood indicates the blood of the king). The temple was built as a monument to the Tsar-Martyr with funds collected from all over Russia.
It is located in the historical center of St. Petersburg on the banks of the Griboedov Canal next to the Mikhailovsky Garden and Konyushennaya Square, not far from the Field of Mars. The height of the nine-domed temple is 81 m, the capacity is up to 1600 people. It is a museum and a monument of Russian architecture.
On March 1, 1881, on the embankment of the Catherine Canal, Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded as a result of an attack by the Narodnaya Volya terrorist I. I. Grinevitsky.
Already on March 2, at an emergency meeting, the City Duma asked Emperor Alexander III, who had ascended the throne, "to allow the city public administration to erect ... a chapel or a monument at the expense of the city." He replied: "It would be desirable to have a church ... and not a chapel." However, it was still decided to build a temporary chapel.
The project was entrusted to the architect L. N. Benois. The work was carried out quickly, so that on April 17, 1881, the chapel was consecrated and commemorative requiems began to be held in it. It cost practically nothing to the Duma: it was installed by the merchant of the 1st guild Gromov, the construction work was paid for by the merchant Militin, who also became the headman. This chapel remained on the embankment until the beginning of the construction of the temple - until the spring of 1883, after which it was moved to Konyushennaya Square, where it stood for another 9 years and was finally dismantled.

Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral


height: 80 meters

Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral (Trinity Cathedral) - Orthodox Cathedral on Trinity Square in the Admiralteysky district of St. Petersburg. Full name - Holy Cathedral Life-Giving Trinity Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment.
The parish of the temple belongs to the St. Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, is part of the Admiralty deanery district. Rector - Archpriest Gennady Bartov.
Under Emperor Peter I, a wooden chapel stood on this site.
After the flood, the architect V.P. Stasov was asked to develop a project for a new stone church. At the same time, the old wooden church should have remained a model.
The laying of the new church was made on May 13 (25), 1828 by Metropolitan Seraphim (Glagolevsky). The celebration was attended by Empress Maria Feodorovna and Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich. The construction was carried out at the personal expense of Emperor Nicholas I and government money. The cost of building the cathedral was 3 million rubles. Four years later, the building was rough ready and interior decoration began. During the construction process, it was necessary to restore the dome, which was torn down by a storm on February 23 (March 7), 1834, and rewrite some of the images.

Trinity Cathedral


height: 78 meters

The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Pskov is an Orthodox church, the cathedral of the Pskov and Velikoluksky diocese. It is part of the architectural ensemble of the Pskov Krom and is its main building.
Today's fourth building of the cathedral was built in 1699, in the same place where the previous temples stood. The first cathedral, built in the 10th century, by order of Princess Olga, was wooden, and stood until the first half of the 12th century, when it was destroyed by fire. The second cathedral was already made of stone and, according to church legend, was founded in 1138 by the holy noble prince Vsevolod Mstislavich.
In 1363 the vault of the temple collapsed and in 1365 a new cathedral was laid on the old foundation. In 1609, during a strong fire, a gunpowder warehouse exploded in the Kremlin, and the third building of the cathedral was destroyed by the blast wave. In 1699, the construction of the fourth cathedral, which has survived to this day, was completed.

Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery


height: 77 meters

Nikolo-Ugresh Monastery is an Orthodox male stauropegial monastery. Located at the address: Moscow region, mountains. Dzerzhinsky, St. Nicholas Square, 1 (m. Lyublino).
The monastery was founded in 1380 by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy on the site of the appearance of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. According to legend, it was in this place that the army of the Grand Duke stopped to rest on the way to the Kulikov field. The appearance of the icon strengthened Dmitry Donskoy with faith and hope, which is why the Holy Blessed Prince said “This is all sinning my heart” (“It all warmed my heart”). Since then, this place has been called Ugresha, and the monastery itself has been called Nikolo-Ugreshsky.
The monastery was repeatedly burned and ruined, but quickly restored. In 1521, the monastery was burned to the ground during a raid on Moscow by the Crimean Khan Mehmed I Giray, but, as in previous cases, it was quickly restored.

Ascension Cathedral


height: 74.6 meters

Ascension Military Cathedral - an Orthodox church in Novocherkassk, the second cathedral of the Rostov and Novocherkassk diocese and main temple Don Cossacks. The remains of the Don atamans M. I. Platov, V. V. Orlov-Denisov, I. E. Efremov, Ya. P. Baklanov are buried here.
After the Ruski brothers left Russia in 1818, the construction of the cathedral was continued by the architect Amvrosimov. In 1846, during the reduction of the main dome, part of the temple suddenly collapsed. The same thing happened in 1863 with the second version of the cathedral, built according to the project of I. O. Valprede.
Initially, all the domes of the cathedral were covered with pure gold, and the main cross was inlaid with rock crystal. The height of the central dome with a cross reaches 74.6 meters. IN Soviet time the gilded copper coating was removed from the domes, in return the temple was to be covered with sheets of iron, but this was not done for a long time and the building was constantly exposed to the actions of the elements - it was flooded, covered with snow, and the heating system was also disabled. In 1903-1923 the priest-martyr Zacharias (Lobov) was the dean of the cathedral. In 1934, the Ascension Cathedral was closed, the building itself was used as a warehouse.
The cathedral was reopened in 1942, during the German occupation. IN post-war years in the basement there was a food warehouse, and church services were going on upstairs. In 2001, large-scale restoration work began. In 2005, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Novocherkassk and the 100th anniversary of the opening of the cathedral, the restoration of the facade of the building was successfully completed. A lighting system and projections of biblical scenes on the facade are equipped. In 2010-2011, the domes were again covered with gold sheets, and a rock crystal stone was inserted into the cross.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior


height: 73 meters

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is the main Orthodox church in Kaliningrad, designed by architect Oleg Kopylov. Designed for 3,000 people. Height (up to the cross) reaches 73 meters. The temple is located on central square Kaliningrad - Victory Square. The temple was built in the style of Vladimir-Suzdal temple architecture.
It has been under construction since 1995 (the foundation stone has been installed). In 1996, the President of Russia B. Yeltsin and Metropolitan Kirill laid a capsule with earth taken from the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior at the base of the building. The construction was actively promoted by the governor of the region L. Gorbenko.
The upper Church of the Resurrection of Christ was consecrated on September 10, 2006 by Patriarch Alexy II, the consecration was timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the opening of the first Orthodox church in Kaliningrad.
The lower temple serves as a temple of military glory and is a memorial temple in memory of Russian soldiers who died in the Seven Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars, the First world war and World War II in East Prussia, the current Kaliningrad region.

temple
The highest Orthodox churches in the world, the height of which exceeds 70 meters.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Moscow


1. The newly built Cathedral of Christ the Savior is considered the largest cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church. The temple is designed for 10,000 people. The height of the temple with a dome and a cross is currently 103 m (1.5 m higher than St. Isaac's Cathedral)

Saint Isaac's Cathedral

2. St. Isaac's Cathedral (the official name is the Cathedral of St. Isaac of Dalmatia) is the largest Orthodox church in St. Petersburg. Built in 1818-1858 by architect Auguste Montferrand; construction was supervised by Emperor Nicholas I. Height - 101.5 m, internal area - more than 4,000 m².

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral
Khabarovsk

3. Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral - an Orthodox cathedral in Khabarovsk, erected on the steep bank of the Amur in 2001-2004. The height of the domes of the Transfiguration Cathedral is 83 meters, the height with crosses is 95 meters.

Smolny Cathedral
Saint Petersburg

4. Smolny Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Smolny Cathedral) is part of the architectural ensemble of the Smolny Monastery, which is located in St. Petersburg on the left bank of the Neva on Smolnaya Embankment. The height of the cathedral is 93.7 meters.

Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky (New Fair)
Nizhny Novgorod

5. The Cathedral of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky (Novoyarmarochny) is an Orthodox cathedral (since 2009) in Nizhny Novgorod. It was built in 1868-1881 according to the project of the architect L.V. Dahl. The height of the temple is 87 meters

Tsminda Sameba
Tbilisi, Georgia

6. Tsminda Sameba (Georgian წმინდა სამება - "Holy Trinity"); Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Tbilisi - the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church; located in Tbilisi, on the hill of St. Ilya (left bank of the Kura). The height of the upper temple is 105.5 meters (without the dome cross 98 meters and the cross 7.5 meters)

Annunciation Cathedral
Voronezh

7. The Cathedral of the Annunciation in Voronezh was designed by the architect V.P. Shevelev in the Russian-Byzantine style. The height of the temple itself is 85 meters, and its highest point is 97 meters.

Timisoara Cathedral of the Three Saints
Romania

8. Timisoara Cathedral of the Three Hierarchs (Rom. Catedrala Mitropolitană din Timișoara Trei Ierarhi) is a cathedral in Timisoara. Built in 1936-1940 from concrete and brick and dedicated to the Three Hierarchs-Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

The height of the cathedral is 83.7 m, it is the highest church in the country and one of the highest Orthodox churches. It accommodates more than four thousand parishioners.

Savior on Spilled Blood
Saint Petersburg

9. Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on the Blood or the Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg - an Orthodox memorial single-altar church in the name of the Resurrection of Christ; It was built in memory of the fact that on this place on March 1, 1881, as a result of an assassination attempt, Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded (the expression on the blood indicates the blood of the king). The temple was built as a monument to the Tsar-Martyr with funds collected from all over Russia.

It is located in the historical center of St. Petersburg on the banks of the Griboedov Canal next to the Mikhailovsky Garden and Konyushennaya Square, not far from the Field of Mars. The height of the nine-domed temple is 81 m, the capacity is up to 1600 people

Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral
Saint Petersburg

10. Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral (Trinity Cathedral) - an Orthodox cathedral on Trinity Square in the Admiralteysky district of St. Petersburg. The full historical name is the Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment. The height of the cathedral is about 80 meters. Accommodates over 3,000 people.


Church of the Dormition at the Rogozhsky cemetery
Moscow

11. Erected at the expense of Old Believer merchants immediately after the lifting of restrictions on the construction of Old Believer churches in 1907-1910. The height of the bell tower is about 80 meters

Temple of Saint Sava
Belgrade

12. The Church of St. Sava (Serb. Temple of Svetog Sava) in Belgrade on Vracar was built on the site of the burning of the relics of St. Sava by the Ottoman authorities in 1594. The height of the temple is 79 meters.

Trinity Cathedral
Pskov

13. Holy Trinity Cathedral in Pskov - an Orthodox church, the cathedral of the Pskov and Velikoluksky diocese. It is part of the architectural ensemble of the Pskov Krom and is its main building. The cathedral stretches upwards for 78 meters.

Monastery of Sepyntsa-Peri
Romania

14. The highest wooden temple in the world. Height 78 meters

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery
Moscow region, mountains. Dzerzhinsky

15. Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery - Orthodox male stauropegial monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church. Founded in 1380 by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy on the site of the appearance of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Height 77 meters, designed for 7000 people.

Big Chrysostom
Ekaterinburg

16. Temple-bell tower, destroyed in 1930 and recreated in 2006 - 2013 near its historical foundation. According to the contractor, the height of the restored temple is 65 meters.

Cathedral of the Kazan Icon Mother of God
Stavropol

17. Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (Kazan Cathedral) - the cathedral church of the Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was originally built in 1843-1847, but was destroyed in the 1930s. Restored in 2004-2012 on the old foundation. Built on the highest point of Stavropol. The height of the temple together with the dome is 76 meters.

Holy Trinity Cathedral
Morshansk

18. Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity (Trinity Cathedral) - the second cathedral of the Michurin and Morshansk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, the main Orthodox church in the city of Morshansk Tambov region. The project was approved in 1830 with the note "do not build higher than Isaac." The height of the cathedral is 75.6 m

Assumption Cathedral
Astrakhan

19. Assumption Cathedral (official name - Cathedral of the Assumption Holy Mother of God) is located on the territory of the Astrakhan Kremlin. It was built in 1699-1710 under the supervision of stone master Dorofey Myakishev; construction was supervised by Metropolitan Sampson. Cathedral height

Ascension Cathedral
Novocherkassk

20. Ascension Military Patriarchal Cathedral - an Orthodox church in Novocherkassk, the second cathedral of the Rostov and Novocherkassk diocese and the main temple of the Don Cossacks. The remains of the Don atamans M. I. Platov, V. V. Orlov-Denisov, I. E. Efremov, Ya. P. Baklanov are buried here. Initially, all the domes of the cathedral were covered with pure gold, and the main cross was inlaid with rock crystal. The height of the central dome with a cross reaches 74.6 meters.

Ascension Cathedral
Dace

21. Ascension Cathedral - the main Orthodox church in the city of Yelets, the cathedral church of the Yelets diocese. The height of the cathedral together with the cross is 74 meters, length 84 meters, width 34 meters.

St. Michael's Cathedral
Cherkasy

22. St. Michael's Cathedral - an Orthodox cathedral in Cherkasy built in 1994-2002 and named after the Archangel Michael. The height of the cathedral is 74 m, length - 58 m, and width - 54 m. With these parameters, it has become the largest temple in Ukraine, capable of accommodating 12,000 believers.

All Saints Church
Minsk

23. All Saints Church (Minsk) (full name - Minsk Church-monument in the name of All Saints and in memory of the victims who served to save our Fatherland) - the temple of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The height of the temple is 72 meters, together with the cross - 74. At the same time, the temple will be able to receive 1200 worshipers.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Kaliningrad

24. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is the main Orthodox church in Kaliningrad, designed by architect Oleg Kopylov. Designed for 3,000 people. Height (up to the cross) reaches 73 meters.

Kazan Cathedral
Saint Petersburg

25. Kazan Cathedral (Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God) - one of the largest churches in St. Petersburg, made in the Empire style. Built on Nevsky Prospekt in 1801-1811 by the architect A. N. Voronikhin to store the honored list miraculous icon Mother of God of Kazan. After Patriotic War 1812 acquired the significance of a monument of Russian military glory. In 1813, commander M.I. Kutuzov was buried here and the keys to the captured cities and other military trophies were placed. The height of the cathedral is 71.6 m

Holy Trinity Cathedral
Magadan

26. Holy Trinity Cathedral (Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity) - the cathedral church of the Magadan diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Church-monument to the victims of political repressions, the second largest Orthodox church in Far East. total area Cathedral, taking into account the adjacent territory - more than 9 thousand square meters. meters. The height of the central dome with a cross is 71.2 m.

Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas
Kronstadt

27. Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - the last and largest of the Naval Cathedrals Russian Empire. Built in 1903-13. in Kronstadt according to the neo-Byzantine project of V. A. Kosyakov. The condition for drawing up the project was that the height of the dome allowed the cathedral to serve as a guide from the sea, and the cross of the sea temple was the first thing that caught the eye of the navigator.

Height to the base of the main dome - 52 meters; dome diameter - 26.7 m; external height with a cross - 70.5 meters. This is the tallest building in Kronstadt.

Cathedral of Peter and Paul
Peterhof

28. Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul - an Orthodox church in Peterhof. Located in New Peterhof, on the banks of the Olgin Pond, on St. Petersburg Avenue, near the Peterhof Palace and Park Ensemble. Externally, the temple has a pyramidal shape and is crowned with five hipped domes. Its height is about 70 meters.

Temples are architectural structures which are intended for the performance of religious rites and worship. However, it can be said that the significance of temples is often much broader than the ritual functions they perform and the religious ideas they embody.

The first temples of the world appeared in ancient times and not only as religious buildings - they reflected the search for God inherent in man. Throughout human history, they have been an integral part of the landscape of the city, and many of them have become so famous that they have become symbols.

Temples of the Ancient World

The earliest temples in Ancient Egypt, which are known modern science, were built in the fourth millennium BC. They were shaped like thatched huts. The last completed temple is at Philae. It ceased to be used for its intended purpose only in the VI century.

Karnak

One of the main attractions of Egypt is the heavily ruined Karnak. It is recognized as the largest ancient temple in the world. The building is a creation of many generations of Egyptian builders.

Karnak Temple consists of three buildings - small closed buildings and several external ones, located north of Luxor (2.5 km). It took several thousand years to build and organize the fortification of the majestic temple of Karnak. However, the bulk of the work at Karnak was carried out by the pharaohs of the New Kingdom. The most famous structure in Karnak is considered to be the Hypostyle Hall, whose area is 50 thousand square meters. It has 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows.

Temples of Abu Simbel

Temples of the world sometimes amaze with their unusualness. For example, the temples (double) of Abu Simbel were carved into the slopes of the mountain. This happened during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great in the 13th century BC. e. The temples have become an eternal monument to Ramesses and his queen Nefertari.

Temple of Edfu

Temples of the world were often built and dedicated to the gods. So the temple of Edfu was built in honor of the God Falcon Horus. It is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak and one of the best preserved. It began to be built in 237 BC. e. In those days, Ptolemy III was in power. The work was completed two centuries later (in 57 BC). The structure is made up of traditional elements of Egyptian temples, as well as several Greek elements, such as Mammisi (house of birth).

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Orthodox churches of the world were built in different countries. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was built on Mount Golgotha, the site of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here he was martyred.

It was founded by the mother of Emperor Constantine, Elena, in 335. Once she found in the underground premises of the temple of Venus, which had previously stood on this site, a cave with the Holy Sepulcher and the Cross on which Jesus was crucified. There is a legend that three absolutely identical crosses were found in the dungeon at once. In order to find out which of them is real, Elena in turn touched them to the Coffin with the body of the deceased. When the real Cross touched him, a miracle happened - the dead man was resurrected.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral

The most beautiful temples in the world are admired not only by parishioners. The tourists who visit them also admire the beautiful buildings. The majestic St. Isaac's Cathedral is a vivid example of Russian religious architecture. Many experts are sure that this is one of the most beautiful domed structures in the world. It is located in our northern capital. The temple can accommodate up to 12 thousand people at the same time. Previously, people came here for worship, but now it is mostly tourists. The temple received the status of a historical and art museum in 1937.

The diameter of the outer dome of the temple is twenty-five meters. More than a hundred kilograms were spent on covering the central one, as well as the domes on the bell towers. From the colonnade, a hundred meters high, located above the dome, a striking view of the city center and the banks of the Neva opens.

The largest temples

Christian churches of the world differ in architectural styles, interior decoration, the presence of certain shrines. Nevertheless, all of them are priceless monuments of history and architecture.

The most majestic religious building in our country is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, located in Moscow. Initially, the temple was built according to the design of Ton. It began to be erected in 1839. Unfortunately, in 1931, the temple, as well as many cathedrals and churches in our country, was destroyed, and it was recreated in 1997.

The height of the temple is 105 meters. The structure has the shape of an equilateral cross (width - 85 m). The temple can simultaneously accommodate 10 thousand people. The interior decoration impresses with luxury, which was borrowed from the Byzantine religion (Orthodox).

Saint Paul's Cathedral

Famous temples of the world are places of pilgrimage. This fully applies to St. Peter's Basilica - the largest temple of the Vatican. It is believed that this is the largest temple in the world. Its length is 212 meters, width - 150 m, occupied area - more than 22 thousand m 2. Height with a cross on the dome - 136 meters. The cathedral simultaneously accommodates about 60 thousand people.

The temple was erected in the 16th century by such great masters as Raphael, Michelangelo. The magnificent building has been built for more than five centuries. Previously, there was a circus in this place, in which, in the time of Nero, Christians were tortured and put to a terrible death. He was also brought here and asked to be executed differently from Christ, and he was crucified head down.

Three centuries later, Emperor Constantine ordered the construction of a basilica in honor of St. Peter here, and in 1452, Nicholas V (Pope of Rome) began construction of the cathedral. The temple was under construction for 120 years. In 1667, J. designed the area in front of the cathedral, which accommodates all believers who wish to receive a blessing.

St. Peter's Basilica is the prototype for the creation of many major churches in the world, for example, Dame de la Pe in the city of Yamoussoukro. It was built in 1989. The building area is 30 thousand square meters. It can accommodate 20 thousand people. In addition, the cathedral served as a model for St. Paul's Church (London). The dimensions of the building are 170 x 90 m. The author of the project is architect Christopher Wren.

Temples of Peace: The Forbidden Mosque

This is the main shrine of the Muslim world. In her courtyard is the Kaaba. The mosque was built in 638. By order of the king Saudi Arabia Since 2007, the mosque has been reconstructed.

During construction works in the northern direction, the territory increased to 400 thousand square meters. Now the mosque can accommodate 1.12 million worshipers. But two minarets are still under construction. Taking into account the territory, two and a half million people will be able to participate in the ceremonies held here at the same time.

The most beautiful temples

Of course, for true believers, the most beautiful churches are in their cities, where they go to worship. Nevertheless, there are such cathedrals in the world that arouse the admiration of all people on our planet. We will tell you about some of them.

Cathedral of Notre Dame

The location of this cathedral on (Paris) is not accidental. In ancient times, there was a pagan temple of Jupiter, then - the first Christian church Paris (St. Stephen's Basilica). The construction of the cathedral began in 1163. It went on for over two hundred years.

The temple is made mainly in the Gothic style, but the towers differ greatly in their appearance. This is due to the fact that different architects took part in the work.

The cathedral carefully stores one of the most important Christian relics - Christ, who was brought here from Jerusalem. There is no traditional wall painting inside the cathedral. But the huge colored stained-glass windows on the windows illustrate biblical scenes. There is a legend that the famous Emmanuel bell, weighing 13 tons, was cast from women's jewelry.

Sagrada Familia

This cathedral is located in Barcelona (Spain). The construction of the grandiose structure lasted for more than forty years under the supervision and to date it has not been completed.

This is explained by the fact that the initiators of the construction set a condition: the temple should be built only on donations from parishioners. Modern experts believe that construction will be completed in 2026. The temple has the shape of a Latin cross, the facade is decorated with sayings from the Bible.

St. Basil's Cathedral

The magnificent Orthodox church is located in Moscow, on Red Square. It is named after Vasily (the holy fool), who dared to express dissatisfaction with the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

The temple was called Trinity until the 17th century. It was built in the middle of the 16th century. According to legend, Ivan the Terrible ordered the architect to be blinded so that he would never be able to create something similar in the future. For several centuries the temple has been calling card not only the capital, but the whole of Russia. Today it is included in the UNESCO heritage list. Today there is a branch of the historical museum.