The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, located here in Abakan, Russian Siberia, is certainly a do-not-miss attraction IF you have any interest at all in the Russian Orthodox Church. I visited in December and it was in the minus 20°F temperature range. The Cathedral was not open so I was not able to enter. To the East of the Cathedral is the very large Preobrazhensky Park. After photographing the Cathedral I walked into the park and explored its various monuments and sights. En route back to...

The foundation stone for Dnipro’s cathedral was laid by Empress Catherine the Great at the city’s inauguration in 1787. But that proved to be a bit of a false start, as construction didn’t begin until 1830. The church ended up having more modest proportions than the spiritual centre intended by Count Grigory Potemkin, but it’s beautiful all the same and is a Ukrainian national monument.

In a tale echoed by many churches in the country the Transfiguration Cathedral’s decoration was...

Когда вижу соборы домонгольского периода, то удивляюсь, как они выстояли 10 веков, и восхищаюсь их красотой. Спасо-Преображенский собор - один из шести памятников (из них пять соборов) домонгольской эпохи Чернигова. Его основатель - князь Мстислав, сын Владимира, крестителя Руси. Покняжив в Тмутаракани (современные Крым и  Кубань), он пожелал занять северский «стол» и ради этого пошел войной на брата Ярослава Мудрого. Одержав победу, обосновался в Чернигове, помирился с родственниками и в...