St Petersburg’s extraordinary cathedrals & churches

Famous for its ornate, onion-bulb domes and the extraordinary gold mosaics housed within the spectacular façade, the Church of the Resurrection (more commonly known as the Church of the the Spilled Blood) is one of St Petersburg’s finest religious sites – a must-see, even for those who wouldn’t normally visit a church.

Built in 1881 in memory of Alexander II, the church stands on the spot where he was assassinated, when a bomb was thrown into his carriage. Outside, the domes are exuberantly decorated in bold golds and teal, and covered with jeweller’s enamel.

Inside, the scale of the mosaics is jaw-dropping; floor-to-ceiling gold-leaf depictions of different scenes from the bible, set against a vivid, deep blue backdrop.

Considered by some to be St. Petersburg’s most impressive single church, Chesme has a unique candystripe frontage, in pink and white, and an elegant, rose-hued interior.

Looming over Nevsky Prospekt, the scale of Kazan is breathtaking. Modelled on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the church took ten years to build between 1801-11 and is famous for its impressive stone colonnade.

A huge, Baroque confection, Kronstadt served as the main shrine for the Russian navy until the revolution in 1919. The Cathedral is actually two churches on separate floors, with opulent, gilded interiors.

The burial place of Russia’s Romanov tsars from Peter the Great to Nicholas II, the Cathedral was the first landmark to be built in the city, and is thus the oldest – dating back to 1733.

The stately dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral — the fourth-largest domed cathedral in the world — dominates the low skyline of St. Petersburg. Though deliberately designed to integrate into the Western European style of the city, the interior of the cathedral is magnificently decorated with traditional Orthodox icons and frescoes and has recently reverted to the Russian Orthodox Church. Note the scarred exterior columns, which were damaged during air raids in World War II.

For a magnificent panoramic view of St. Petersburg, climb up to the cathedral’s colonnade, which stays open much of the night during the White Nights.

The dazzling cupolas and sky-blue facade of Smolny Cathedral, rising up from its waterside location on the River Neva, are one of St. Petersburg’s most arresting sights. Commissioned by Peter the Great’s daughter, Elizabeth, to assuage her frequent pangs of Catholic guilt, Smolny was designed by her favourite architect, the Italian Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

Arguably his most magnificent creation, Rastrelli designed a traditional, five-domed Russian cathedral, but embellished it with exquisite interiors, and a baroque facade in her favourite shade of turquoise.

Climb the 277 steps to take in the spectacular views from the cathedral’s bell tower, and if you’re visiting independently, time it when a service is taking place, to witness the full drama of a Russian orthodox service.

Instantly recognisable by its bright blue domes, Trinity was a former regimental church of the Russian Imperial Army, and is famous for its icons, dating back to the 18th century.