St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Isaac's Is One of World's Largest Domed Cathedrals

St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg is one of the world's largest domed cathedrals, holding 14,000 people. This massive church and its golden dome can be seen from many locations in St. Petersburg.

St. Isaac's was commissioned in 1818 by Tsar Alexander I to celebrate the victory over Napoleon, and the French architect Auguste de Montferrand was the designer. St. Isaac's took 40 years to build, and Montferrand died the year it opened. It sits on a marshy bank of the Neva River, and thousands of huge wooden pilings were sunk into the mud to support the church. The exterior of St. Isaac's is of Renaissance and Baroque design, and the interior is spectacular because of the mosaics and many precious stones and minerals used. The golden dome is covered with 220 pounds of gold. During the Soviet era, the Orthodox Church was closed to worshipers and became a museum of atheism. Fortunately, many of the wonderful 19th century works of art were retained and decorate today's St. Isaac's.

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View of St. Isaac's Cathedral from the Ambassador Hotel in St. Petersburg	St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia	Inside the Dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia	Looking Up into the Dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg
Interior Door of St. Isaac's Cathedral	Interior of the St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia	Last Supper Mosaic in St. Isaac's Cathedral of St. Petersburg, Russia	St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg
Ceiling of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg	Iconostasis in St. Isaac's Cathedral	Iconostasis of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia	Malachite and Lapis Lazuli Columns in St. Isaac's Cathedral