Tour of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

The cathedral was built anew in the late 1990-s after the original temple was blown up in 1931. Instead of the demolished cathedral the government intended to build a gigantic Palace of Soviets topped with a statue of Lenin. But that plan was never realized. In Soviet time the state tried to minimize the influence of religion on people in every possible way, and the number of functioning churches decreased dramatically.

The loss of the original temple is even more bitter, as the construction works was financed with the help of public funds and the cathedral was dedicated to the victims of the 1812 war against Napoleon. It was a vey beautiful cathedral too. The temple was designed by Konstantin Ton, the favorite architect of emperor Nicholas I. Inside it was painted by the best artists of that time: Kreamskoy, Surikov, Semiradsky.

In the 1990-s the state reviewed its policy towards the church. Many temples were restored and made open to the public. It was then that the decision was taken to build the demolished cathedral anew. The construction was financed by various organizations and private individuals. It took 5 years to put up the new temple that looks practically the same as the original.

Today the cathedral is home to the most important annual religious services held by the Patriarch; they take place on Christmas and Easter. Quite often such services are attended by President or Prime Minister.

The cathedral boasts a beautiful observation gallery with breathtaking views of Moscow! The observation gallery is on the top floor. It is accessible via lift and can only be visited with the guided tour.

If you chose this cathedral for your visit, you will also learn about the history of the place, see the shrines of the temple and its interiors along with the unique iconostasis made of white marble.

It is recommended to combine this tour either with the tour of the metro or with the walking tour of old Arbat street.

The price above includes tour tickets for 5 people and the guide's services.

The price will be smaller if there are fewer people in the group.