St. Isaac's Cathedral
St. Isaac's Cathedral was originally the city's main church and the largest cathedral in Russia. It was built between 1818 and 1858, by the French-born architect Auguste Montferrand, to be one of the most impressive landmarks of the Russian Imperial capital. One hundred and eighty years later the gilded dome of St. Isaac's still dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg. Although the cathedral is considerably smaller than the newly rebuilt Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow, it boasts much more impressive fades and interiors.
The cathedral's facades are decorated with sculptures and massive granite columns (made of single pieces of red granite), while the interior is adorned with incredibly detailed mosaic icons, paintings and columns made of malachite and lapis lazuli. A large, brightly colored stained glass window of the "Resurrected Christ" takes pride of place inside the main altar. The church, designed to accommodate 14,000 standing worshipers, was closed in the early 1930s and reopened as a museum. Today, church services are held here only on major ecclesiastical occasions.
Foreign visitors should buy entrance tickets just inside the right-hand door in the southern facade (not at the street-level ticket booth). We also recommend that you climb the 300 steps up to the cathedral's colonnade, and enjoy the magnificent views over the city.
| Address: | 4, Isaakievskaya Square |
|---|---|
| Metro: | Admiralteyskaya |
| Open: | Daily 10.30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5.30 pm. Evening openings of the Cathedral in the summer only (May 1 - September 30): 6 pm to 10.30 pm. Evening openings of the Colonnade in the summer only (May 1 - October 31): 6 pm to 10.30 pm. Night openings of the Colonnade in the White Nights only (June 1 - August 20): 10.30 pm to 4.30 am. |
| Closed: | Wednesday |
| Telephone: | +7 (812) 315-9732 |
| Website: | http://eng.cathedral.ru/isakievskii_sobor/ |
| Admission: | Cathedral: Adult: RUB 250.00. Children: RUB 50.00. Audio-guide (in Russian, English, German, French, Italian or Spanish): RUB 100.00. Colonnade: RUB 150.00. Evening openings of the Cathedral in the summer only: RUB 400.00. Evening openings of the Colonnade in the summer only: RUB 300.00. Night openings of the Colonnade in the White Nights only: RUB 400.00 |
| Photo and video: | free/included |
| Accessibility note: | The cathedral is wheelchair accessible: there are wheelchair lifts at entrance and exit. Please contact administrator for assistance. |
