List of tallest Orthodox church buildings
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This a list of tallest Orthodox church buildings in the world, all those higher than 70 metres.
Traditionally, an Orthodox church building is crowned by one or several domes with Orthodox crosses on the top of each. The overall height of the temple is measured by the highest point of the cross above the main temple.
The number of domes is symbolical. One dome is a symbol of Christ or God, three domes are symbolic of Trinity, five domes symbolize Christ and Four Evangelists, seven domes are often used because seven is a holy number, and thirteen domes correspond to Christ and his twelve Apostles. Other numbers are also encountered.
An Orthodox church building may also have a bell tower or zvonnitsa, either a part of the main church building, or standalone structure. Typically, bell tower is higher than the main temple.
This list is divided into two sections, one listing the highest temples and the other listing the highest bell towers or zvonnitsas.
Churches and Cathedrals
Rank | Height (m) | Name | Image | Notes | Years of construction |
Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 103 [1] | Cathedral of Christ the Saviour | The original Cathedral had been built in 1839–1883, but was demolished during the Soviet period on Stalin's orders in 1931. Rebuilt once again, it is the main and largest cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church, having a capacity for some 10,000 people | 1995–2000 | Moscow Russia | |
2 | 101,5 [2] | Saint Isaac's Cathedral | A masterpiece of late Classicism | 1818–1858 | Saint Petersburg Russia | |
3 | 98 [3] | Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi | The main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church | 1995–2002 | Tbilisi Georgia | |
4 | 96 [4] | Khabarovsk Metropolitan Cathedral | The location of the cathedral was chosen by the patriarch Alexis II of Moscow during the helicopter flight over Khabarovsk | 2001–2004 | Khabarovsk Russia | |
5 | 93,7 [5] | Smolny Cathedral of the Resurrection | The original project also included the 140 metre high standalone bell tower, that was never built | 1751–1835 | Saint Petersburg Russia | |
6 | 87 [6] | Alexander Nevsky Novoyarmarochny Cathedral | Located on the spit of Oka and Volga rivers. Built in commemoration of the visit of Nizhny Novgorod Fair by Emperor Alexander II of Russia | 1867–1880 | Nizhny Novgorod Russia | |
7 | 85 [7] | Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh | Built in the Russian Revival style in Pervomaysky (former Сity) Garden - a place where never before was the сhurch | 1998–2009 | Voronezh Russia | |
8 | 83,7 [8] | Timişoara Orthodox Cathedral | Located in the very center of the city. The tallest church in Romania | 1934–1946 | Timişoara Romania | |
9 | 81 [9] | Church of the Savior on Blood | The name refers to the blood of Tsar Alexander II of Russia, who was assassinated on that site in 1881. Also known as the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ | 1883–1907 | Saint Petersburg Russia | |
10 | 80 [10] | Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg | The dome was reconstructed after the 2006 fire | 1828–1835 | Saint Petersburg Russia | |
11 | 79 [11] | Cathedral of Saint Sava | Located on the place where the remains of Saint Sava are thought to have been burned in 1595 by the Ottoman Empire's Sinan Pasha | 1935–2004 | Belgrade Serbia | |
12 | 78 [12] | Trinity Cathedral in Pskov | Located in the Pskov Krom (or Kremlin) | 1682–1699 | Pskov Russia | |
13 | 78 [13] | Săpânța-Peri Monastery | Tallest wooden church in the world | 1998-2003 | Săpânța Romania | |
14 | 77 [14] | Transfiguration Cathedral in Nikolo-Ugresh monastery | The monastery was often visited by the young Peter I of Russia. The cathedral is the main one in the monastery and has a space for some 7000 people. | 1880-1894 | Dzerzhinsky Russia | |
15 | 76 [15] | Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan in Stavropol | Located at the highest point of the city. | Stavropol Russia | ||
16 | 75,6 [16] | Trinity Cathedral in Morshansk | 1836-1857 | Morshansk Russia | ||
17 | 75 [17] | Dormition Cathedral in Astrakhan | Located inside the Astrakhan kremlin | 1698 | Astrakhan Russia | |
18 | 74,6 [18] | Ascension Cathedral in Novocherkassk | Cathedral of the Don Cossacks Army[19] | 1805–1905 | Novocherkassk Russia | |
19–20 | 74 [20] | All Saints Monument Church | Monument Church dedicated to All Saints and the memory of those who unjustly perished[21] | Minsk Belarus | ||
19–20 | 74 [22] | Ascension Cathedral in Yelets | Inside the cathedral there is a rich iconostasis with gilded wood carvings | 1845–1889 | Yelets Russia | |
21 | 73 [23] | Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Kaliningrad | Located on the central square of the city | 2004–2006 | Kaliningrad Russia | |
22 | 72 [24] | St. Michael's Cathedral | Built in the Neo-Byzantine style | 1994–2002 | Cherkassy Ukraine | |
23 | 71,5 [25] | Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg | According to the wishes of the Emperor Paul of Russia, the cathedral was modelled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome | 1801–1811 | Saint Petersburg Russia | |
24 | 70,6 [26] | Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt | The cathedral was designed especially high to serve as a landmark for those in the sea | 1902–1913 | Kronstadt Russia | |
25 | ~ 70 [27] | St. Peter and Paul's Cathedral in Peterhof | Modelled after St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, but has a more pyramidal form | 1894–1904 | Peterhof Russia | |
26 | 70 [28] | Ascension Church in Bacău | Still in construction | 1991- | Bacău Romania |
Bell towers
Rank | Height (m) | Name | Image | Notes | Years of construction |
Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 122,5 [29] | Peter and Paul Cathedral | Three-level bell tower is a part of the church. It is crowned with a gilded spire. The figure of a flying angel is at the very top of the structure | 1712–1733 | Saint Petersburg Russia | |
2 | 106 [30] | Resurrection Cathedral in Shuya | The tallest standalone Orthodox bell tower | 1810–1832 | Shuya Russia | |
3 | 96,52 [31] | Great Lavra Belltower | Located in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra | 1731–1745 | Kiev Ukraine | |
4 | 93,8 [32] | Transfiguration Cathedral in Rybinsk | Five-level bell tower, crowned by a gilded spire | 1797–1804 | Rybinsk Russia | |
5 | 93,7 [33] | Peter and Paul Church | The highest rural bell tower in Russia | the settlement of Porechye-Rybnoye Yaroslavl Oblast Russia | ||
6 | 93 [34] | Nikolo-Ugresha monastery | The bell tower is adjacent to the other buildings of the monastery | 1758–1763, rebuilt in в 1859 г. |
Dzerzhinsky Russia | |
7 | 90,3 [35] | Nikolo-Berlyukovsky Monastery | In old Russian measures, the height of the bell tower is equal to 127 arshin 4 vershoks | 1895–1899 | the village of Avdotyino Moscow Oblast Russia | |
8 | 89,5 [36] | Assumption Cathedral in Kharkiv | About 3,5 million bricks and 65,5 tons of iron were used for construction | 1821–1841 | Kharkiv Ukraine | |
9 | 88 [37] | Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius | Five-level bell tower | 1740–1770 | Sergiyev Posad Russia | |
10 | 83,2 [38] | Assumption Cathedral in Ryazan | Built by several different architects. Located in Ryazan Kremlin | 1789–1840 | Ryazan Russia | |
11 | 82 [39] | All Saints Cathedral in Tula | At the corners of the first level there are sculptures of angels with trumpets | 1776–1825 | Tula Russia | |
12 | 81,6 [40] | Saint Trinity Monastery in Alatyr | The bell tower is included in the Russian Book of Records | the monastery is founded in 1584 | Alatyr Russia | |
13–14 | 81 [41] | Ivan the Great Bell Tower | Located on the Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin | 1532–1543 | Moscow Russia | |
13–14 | 81 [42] | Saint Assumption Sarov Monastery | In the good weather the buildings of the Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery are seen from the bell tower | 1789–1799 | Sarov Russia | |
15–16 | 80 [43] | John the Evangelist Monastery in Poschupovo | The monastery is situated on the right bank of Oka River | 1901 | the settlement of Poschupovo, Ryazan Oblast Russia | |
15–16 | 80 [44] | Annunciation Cathedral in Kharkiv | In 1997 a fire damaged the dome and the cross of the bell tower | 1888–1901 | Kharkiv Ukraine | |
17 | 79.9 [45] | Dormition Cathedral in Astrakhan Kremlin | The height of the bell tower is 37 sazhen. The cross is 7 metres high |
Astrakhan Russia | ||
18 | 79.5 [46] | John the Baptist Church | The bell tower was built in the Neo-Byzantine style after the project of engineer Kulchitsky. Sponsored by the merchant Diomid Mitrofanovich Khutaryov | 1891–1895 | Serpukhov District of Moscow Oblast Russia | |
19 | 78.5 [47] | St. Sophia Cathedral in Vologda | The bells of the tower were made by Dutch, Russian and German bellmakers in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries | 1869–1870 | Vologda Russia | |
20 | 78 [48] | Novospassky Monastery | The monastery played a crucial role in repelling the attack of Crimean Tatars in 1591 | 1759–1795 | Moscow Russia | |
21 | 77 [49] | Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa | The bells are controlled by an electric device, capable of playing some 99 melodies | 2000–2001 | Odessa Ukraine | |
22–23 | 76 [50] | Resurrection Cathedral in Kashin | The church is under restoration | 1816–1886 | Kashin Russia | |
22–23 | 76 [51] | Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev | UNESCO World Heritage Site | Kiev Ukraine | ||
24 | 75,6 [52] | Tobolsk Kremlin bell tower | The only stone kremlin in Siberia | 1794–1809 | Tobolsk Russia | |
25–27 | 75 [53] | Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos | The bell ringing is heard in the radius of 42 verst around the tower | Rostov-on-Don Russia | ||
25–27 | 75 [54] | St. Nicholas Church in Venyov | The church was demolished in 1950s but the bell tower still stands | 1801–1843 | Venyov Russia | |
25–27 | ~75 [55] | The Church of Saint Myrrhbearers in Kaluga | The construction cost was 64500 rubles | 1818–1820 | Kaluga Russia | |
28 | 74,5 [56] | The Flooded Belfry | Now the bell tower stands amid the waters of Uglich Reservoir, which covered the old city center of Kalyazin in 1939 | 1796–1800 | Kalyazin Russia | |
29 | 74 [57] | Epiphany Cathedral in Kazan | There is a temple on the second level of the bell tower | 1895–1897 | Kazan Russia | |
30–33 | 72 [58] | Novodevichy Convent | The bell tower consist of six octagonal levels | 1690 | Moscow Russia | |
30–33 | 72 [59] | Monastery of the Deposition in Suzdal | The bell tower was built to commemorate the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 | 1813–1819 | Suzdal Russia | |
30–33 | 72 [60] | Cathedral of Saint George the Martyr | The total weight of the bells is 18.5 tons | Odintsovo Russia | ||
30–33 | 72 [61] | Valaam Monastery | The monastery is situated on the Valaam Archipelago in Karelia | Valaam Russia | ||
34 | 70,3 [62] | Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery | In Soviet times the bell tower was used for TV transmissions | Diveyevo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Russia | ||
35 | 70 [63] | Alexander Nevsky Cathedral | Built in the style of classicism | 1818–1823 | Izhevsk Russia |
See also
- List of tallest churches
- List of tallest buildings in Russia
- List of Russian church types
- List of large Orthodox cathedrals
References
- ↑ Храм Христа Спасителя (Russian)
- ↑ Исаакиевский собор (Russian)
- ↑ Кафедральный Собор Святой Троицы (Russian)
- ↑ Спасо-Преображенский кафедральный собор в Хабаровске (Russian)
- ↑ Музей четырёх соборов (Russian)
- ↑ Собор Александра Невского (Russian)
- ↑ Названа дата официального открытия Благовещенского собора в Воронеже ИА «Regnum» 09.11.2009 г. (Russian)
- ↑ Кафедральный собор в Тимишоаре (Russian)
- ↑ Храм Воскресения Христова на Крови (Russian)
- ↑ Троице-Измайловский собор (Russian)
- ↑ Храм светог Саве (Serbian)
- ↑ Троицкий собор в Псковском Кремле. (Russian)
- ↑ (Romanian)
- ↑ Собор Спаса Преображения (Russian)
- ↑ Собор Казанской иконы Божией Матери (Ставрополь) (Russian)
- ↑ Свято-Троицкий собор (Russian)
- ↑ Успенский собор в Астрахани (Russian)
- ↑ Вознесенский кафедральный собор (Russian)
- ↑ Чудеса России. Вознесенский Войсковой Кафедральный собор (Russian)
- ↑ Храм – Памятник в честь Всех Святых в память безвинно убиенных во Отечестве нашем (Russian)
- ↑ Всехсвятский храм-памятник(Russian)
- ↑ Елец. Вознесенский собор. (Russian)
- ↑ Собор Христа Спасителя в Калининграде (Russian)
- ↑ Свято-Михайловский Собор (Russian)
- ↑ Казанский собор в Санкт-Петербурге (Russian)
- ↑ Морской Никольский собор (Russian)
- ↑ Собор Петра и Павла (Russian)
- ↑ (Romanian)
- ↑ Петропавловский собор (Russian)
- ↑ Колокольня Воскресенского собора (Russian)
- ↑ Великая лаврская колокольня (Russian)
- ↑ Старый Рыбинск. История города в описаниях современников XIX–XX веков. ― Рыбинск: Михайлов посад, 1993. ― С. 154 (Russian)
- ↑ Историческая справка о селе Поречье-Рыбное (Russian)
- ↑ Николо-Угрешский монастырь. Дзержинский – История (Russian)
- ↑ Николаевская Берлюковская пустынь (Russian)
- ↑ Успенский собор (Russian)
- ↑ Троице-Сергиева лавра (Russian)
- ↑ Рязанский Кремль (Russian)
- ↑ Всехсвятский Кафедральный собор (Russian)
- ↑ Свято-Троицкий монастырь (Russian)
- ↑ Кремлевская колокольня и ее история (Russian)
- ↑ Свято-Успенская Саровская пустынь (Russian)
- ↑ Иоанно-Богословский Пощуповский монастырь (Russian)
- ↑ Харьков. Кафедральный собор Благовещения Пресвятой Богородицы (Russian)
- ↑ Успенский кафедральный собор (Russian)
- ↑ (Russian)
- ↑ Архитектура города Вологды (Russian)
- ↑ Новоспасский монастырь (Russian)
- ↑ Спасо-Преображенский кафедральный собор (Russian)
- ↑ Воскресенский собор (Russian)
- ↑ Колокольня Киево-Софийского собора (Russian)
- ↑ Тобольский кремль/Архитектура (Russian)
- ↑ Рождества Пресвятой Богородицы собор (Russian)
- ↑ Николаевская церковь (колокольня) (Тульская обл., г. Венёв) (Russian)
- ↑ Церковь св. Жен-Мироносиц (Russian)
- ↑ Колокольня (Свято-Никольский собор) (Russian)
- ↑ Богоявленский собор (Russian)
- ↑ Новодевичий монастырь (Russian)
- ↑ Ризоположенский монастырь (Russian)
- ↑ Собор Святого Великомученика Георгия Победоносца (Russian)
- ↑ Валаамский монастырь (Russian)
- ↑ Свято – Троицкий Серафимо – Дивеевский женский монастырь (Russian)
- ↑ Ижевск. Кафедральный собор Александра Невского (Russian)