Tourism in Russia > Moscow city > Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

The magnificent Cathedral of Christ the Saviour soars into the sky near the Kremlin. This monumental piece of architecture has a unique history. It was originally built in 1883 and the building campaign was financed by the faithful. In 1931 the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin issued a personal order to have the cathedral blown up. There was a plan to build a huge Palace of the Soviets there, but the project never realized. Instead, for many years the land was used for a large public swimming pool called "Moscow". In 1994 a decision to rebuild the cathedral was made. It took only 6 years to build the grandiose monument anew. In comparison, the original 19th century construction took 45 years.