Peter and Paul Cathedral

The Peter and Paul Cathedral is located inside the Peter and Paul Fortress along the Neva River in St. Petersburg. It is the oldest building in St. Petersburg and the second tallest after the television tower.

The Peter and Paul Fortress, built by Peter the Great in 1703, is the first and oldest landmark in St. Petersburg. The Peter and Paul Cathedral was consecrated on April 1, 1704.

The original Peter and Paul Cathedral was made of wood, but construction on the current stone cathedral began in 1712. It was consecrated on June 29, 1733, the shared feast day of Peter and Paul.

Designed by the architect Domenico Trezzini, it was the first cathedral built out of stone in St. Petersburg. Its Baroque style, influenced by Protestant churches of western Europe, was a dramatic departure from traditional Orthodox church architecture.

The needle-like spire rising from the bell tower of Peter and Paul reaches a height of 404 feet and provides a spectacular view of the city. The angel holding a cross at the top of the spire is one of the most important symbols of St. Petersburg.

Inside the cathedral are the extravagant tombs of almost all the Russian rulers since Peter the Great. People still leave fresh flowers on Peter's grave. The last to be buried here was Nicholas II and his family, who were re-interred here on July 17, 1998.

But the highlight of the interior is the fantastic iconostasis, constructed by more than 40 Moscow architects under Ivan Zarudny from 1722-1727.