1. Sacred Destinations
2. Russia
3. Sacred Sites in Russia

Sacred Sites in Russia

Below is an illustrated index of the sacred sites and religious places in Russia profiled so far on Sacred Destinations, listed in alphabetical order by name. Please note this list is far from comprehensive - many more great sites remain to be added. You can also view these sites on an interactive map of Russia.

• Ivolginksy Datsan
  Ivolginsk, Russia
  The small town of Ivolginsk in East Siberia is home to Russia's most important Buddhist monastery and a miracle - the body of the last Khambo Lama, who died in 1927, remains upright and undecayed today.
• Andronikov Monastery
  Moscow, Russia
  Named for its first abbot, Andronikov monastyr was founded in 1360 by Metropolitan Alexei in fulfillment of a vow. The famous icon painter Andrei Rublev (d. 1430) was a resident here.
• Cathedral of the Epiphany
  Moscow, Russia
  One of the oldest monasteries in Moscow, Bogoyavlensky Sobor was founded in 1342. Today only its cathedral remains.
• Cathedral of the Annunciation
  Moscow, Russia
  Blagoveschensky Sobor was built 1484-1489 by Russian architects and was the personal church of the royal family until the 20th century.
• Cathedral of the Archangel
  Moscow, Russia
  Arkhangelsky Sobor was built 1505-08 by an Italian architect. Inside are frescoes by Russian artists from the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Cathedral of the Assumption
  Moscow, Russia
  Uspensky sobor in the Kremlin was built 1475-79 by an Italian architect. The relatively austere gray facade hides an interior covered in frescoes on every available space.
• Cathedral of Christ the Savior
  Moscow, Russia
  The khram Khrista Spasitela may well be the largest Orthodox church in the world. The building is magnificent, but not as old as it looks: it was rebuilt in 2000 after the original was demolished by Stalin.
• Choral Synagogue
  Moscow, Russia
  Built in 1886, this Orthodox synagogue represents the turbulent status of Moscow's Jewish community over the years. The interior is a fine example of Moorish synagogue architecture.
• Danilov Monastery
  Moscow, Russia
  Danilov was founded in the late 13th century by Prince Daniil Aleksandrovich and restored by Ivan the Terrible in 1560.
• New Jerusalem Monastery
  Moscow, Russia
  New Jerusalem Monastery is located on the river Istra outside Moscow. It was founded in 1656 by Patriarch Nikon, who patterned it after Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• Novodevichy Convent
  Moscow, Russia
  The New Maiden's Convent was founded in 1524 by Tsar Vasily III to commemorate the capture of Smolensk from Lithuania. Thanks to its magnificent buildings and historic cemetery, it is a very popular tourist destination.
• Novospassky Monastery
  Moscow, Russia
  The New Monastery of the Savior was founded in 1491 but entirely rebuilt by the Romanovs in the 1640s. Its cathedral contains frescoes by the best 17th-century painters.
• St. Basil's Cathedral
  Moscow, Russia
  This famously colorful cathedral was built by Ivan the Terrible between 1534 and 1561 to commemorate a military victory. It consists of nine chapels built on a single foundation.
• Holy Trinity Lavra
  Sergiev Posad, Russia
  Founded in 1345 by St. Sergius and containing his relics, this is the most important monastery in Russia and the spiritual center of Russian Orthodox Christianity.
• Solovetsky Islands
  Russia
  Located on the frontiers of northern Russia, Solovki is home to a 15th-century walled monastery, a 20th-century Soviet prison camp, and mysterious ancient labyrinths.
• Alexander Nevsky Monastery
  St. Petersburg, Russia
  Founded in 1710 by Peter the Great to house the relics of the military hero-saint Prince Alexander of Novgorod, this is one of only four Russian monasteries to be given the highest rank of lavra.
• Church of the Savior on Blood
  St. Petersburg, Russia
  This magnificent cathedral, full of color inside and out, was begun by Alexander III in 1883 in memory of his father, who was killed on this spot. Used as a warehouse in the Soviet era, it is now a museum.
• Peter and Paul Cathedral
  St. Petersburg, Russia
  Built 1712-33 in the heart of the Peter and Paul Fortress, this yellow cathedral is characterized by unique Protestant-influenced Baroque architecture. It is the oldest and second-tallest building in St. Petersburg.
• St. Isaac's Cathedral
  St. Petersburg, Russia
  This gigantic Neoclassical cathedral was built 1818-58 under the direction of Tsar Alexander I. In Soviet times, it was turned into a museum of atheism and a Foucault pendulum was installed in place of the dove.