After a bit of wandering we reached Saint Isaac's Cathedral. Built from 1818 to 1858, it is the largest cathedral in Saint Petersburg, at 101.5 m (333 feet) high, and in contrast to the exterior, which could pass as a traditional western church, is very ornate inside, with many icons at ground level and huge green malachite columns at one end. In the early Soviet years the cathedral housed the state antireligious museum. During World War II the dome was painted gray to avoid attention. It is now mostly a museum about itself, but does hold religious services on feast days.

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Page created 15 August 2007, Last modified 15 August 2007 19:21 Pacific Daylight Time