Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Eastern Orthodox church museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia
Saint Isaac's Cathedral is an Orthodox church building and museum in central Saint Petersburg, recognizable by its golden central dome. The structure rises 101 meters above ground and is built from granite and marble, with four smaller corner towers surrounding the main dome.
French architect Auguste de Montferrand submitted the design in 1818 and supervised construction until the building was finished in 1858. After the 1917 revolution, the Soviet government converted it into a museum rather than allowing it to remain a working church.
The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, the patron saint of Peter the Great, who was born on his feast day. Since the 1990s, services have been held in the left-hand side chapel, while the main body is used only on feast days. A 2017 proposal to transfer the building to the Russian Orthodox Church was not carried out after citizens protested.
The museum closes each Wednesday and opens between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, extending until 9 p.m. during summer months. Visitors can also climb a steep spiral staircase to reach the observation deck in the dome, which offers views across the city.
The foundation rests on 25,000 piles driven into the fenland, and the columns were cut as single blocks at the Pyterlahti quarry in Virolahti, Finland. During World War II the dome was painted grey to hide it from enemy aircraft, and a geodetic intersection point was placed in its skylight to locate German artillery batteries.
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