Cathedral of Christ the Savior – The Tallest Eastern Orthodox Church
Largest Sacred Sites and Artifacts | April 1, 2010Located on the bank of the Moksva River in Moscow, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Khram Khrista Spasitelya) is supposedly the largest Orthodox Church on Earth. After being ruined by Stalin, the original monument is now given a new look and feel that is totally outstanding as you see it today. On December 31, 1999 in Moscow, the newly built Cathedral of Christ the Savior was inaugurated for the public. The cathedral is a breathtaking testimony to the regained supremacy and esteem of the Orthodox Church.
Spotted Differences
The guide started explaining the story behind the construction of the current marvel. He described that the architects wanted the new amazing structure to retain the glory of the original one, in the sense that they wanted it to resemble the old as maximum as possible. Therefore, they did every possible thing to know about the old monument. Despite lot of success in their goal, there were still two major differences between the old and the modern architecture.
According to him, the original cathedral was on the hill, while this one was built on a completely new base. Today, this region is the home of the Church of the Transfiguration, the Hall of Church Councils, the Hall of the Holy synod, many Dining Halls, a Patriarchal suite, and offices for the Cathedral staff. The other difference was that some of the modern technologies and materials were utilized during the new construction.
The Church
Being the largest cathedral in Russia, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior can accommodate 10,000 people. Along the main entry, there is a unique iconostasis – white-octahedral chapel. The key holy objects are the icon of Christ’s Birth, six original restored canvases, and the original throne of Apostolic Patriarchy Tychon in the main altar.
The immense structure of the new monument is made up of marble and granite wherein the massive doors of bronze are adorned with reliefs of the saints. In the interior, its walls ornately show the list of awards, battles, list of those slain and honored in the war with Napoleon in 1812. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior celebrates the Divine Intervention due to which Russia could defeat Napoleon. This makes the cathedral to be hold important from both the religious and historic points of view.
The cathedral is enclosed in two-storey galleries wherein the frescoes depict religious and historical characters and episodes. They are particularly dedicated to the Russian history and the War of 1812. On the first floor, the marble plank marks the members of the War of 1812. On the other hand, the frescoes in the second storey exhibit different historical events and figures who contributed to the decisions of the Orthodoxy Church or the nation’s history.
In the main building, you will come across three altars out of which the middle one is dedicated to the Birth of Our Lord and the remaining two, in the balcony of the second floor, are devoted to Saints Nicholas and Alexander Nevsky. The side altar in the northern zone is devoted to Prince Alexander Nevsky who protected the Emperor Alexander I, who in turn, made Alexander II vowed to build the Cathedral. On the other hand, the southern wing of the gallery temple of Nicholas who protected Emperor Nicholas is worth visiting.
Off the main cafeteria hall is the gallery worth a look even from outside. I am saying this because the rule is that no visitors are permitted in the gallery with an exception of the small excursion group.
Magnificent Views
The tactical location of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior offers you some ideal views from the height of 40 m. You can have the panorama of the central Moscow – the Kremlin and Zamoscvorechje and a glimpse of streets and avenues.
Tip
Women are required to cover their head. Do not take mobiles or cameras within the cathedral.
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The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a Church in Moscow, Russia, on the bank of the Moskva River, a few blocks west of the Kremlin. It is the tallest Orthodox church in the world.