slothis · English

Inside Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia

2016-09-21 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →
A plate of salad, a plate with french fries and a meat patty, and a red drink are placed on a wooden table.
A brunch that cost a whopping 292R. I guess buffet-style restaurants just aren't for me.

Today's cathedral tour kicks off at Kazan Cathedral. It's not that I particularly love churches or temples, but religious buildings are usually the most prominent landmarks when traveling. Unless the natural scenery is exceptionally stunning, I tend to focus my itinerary around them.

In St. Petersburg, there's a building that looks like it belongs in Italy rather than Russia: Kazan Cathedral. As I've seen so far, Russian architecture has its own unique style, especially those iconic swirling onion domes. But Kazan Cathedral features a grand colonnade that makes it look more like a Greek or Roman structure. Sitting right on Nevsky Prospect, it's impossible to miss. The lawn in front of the cathedral is so beautifully maintained that I've always wanted to take a break there.

Cars and people are passing on the road in front of an ornately decorated stone building featuring a glass dome roof.
Dom Knigi (House of Books). As I mentioned before, this was the first building in Russia to have an elevator installed. It's the most eye-catching building in the vicinity.
A magnificent cathedral with a massive dome and a semicircular colonnade is seen beyond a green lawn and a small fountain.
The scale is so massive that even when taking a photo from outside, you can't capture the whole thing. It's also one of the rare places with a low fence around the front lawn.
Sunlight is shining on the facade of a grand cathedral building lined with massive Corinthian columns.
Antique European-style buildings stand behind two people walking along a park promenade with a spouting fountain.
Looking toward Dom Knigi from the cathedral.
A bronze statue of a man holding a large wooden cross stands inside an arched space on the wall.
Massive stone columns lined up in a semicircle form a magnificent curve.
A wooden door with a cross decoration is open between massive stone columns, revealing a glimpse of the interior.

There are a few reasons why Kazan Cathedral is so famous, but the most prominent is the icon of the Virgin Mary. The specific icon kept in Kazan is so renowned that even the Catholic Church, not just the Russian Orthodox Church, has replicas of Our Lady of Kazan. This icon wasn't painted by someone; it was discovered by a child who witnessed an apparition of the Virgin Mary, and it ultimately united a religiously and ethnically divided Russia. Perhaps that's why, when you step inside Kazan Cathedral, there's always a long line of people waiting to kiss the icon and offer their prayers.

An icon refers to a religious painting in Christian denominations. You can think of the murals on cathedral walls or the paintings of Jesus and Mary in museums as falling into this category.

People are waiting in line facing the altar inside a dark cathedral.
The line of people waiting to pray before the icon of Our Lady of Kazan. You have to wait about 20 minutes to see it.
People are looking around inside a cathedral with massive columns and ornate chandeliers.
Looking up at the vaulted ceiling dome of the cathedral and the ornate chandelier hanging below it.
People are gathered in front of an ornate altar featuring a golden sun-shaped decoration.
A person wearing a scarf is praying in front of an ornately decorated holy icon.
Our Lady of Kazan
A holy icon of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus decorated with jewels.
A person wearing a scarf is bowing their head in front of an ornate holy icon.

I thought I would judge whether the painting of Our Lady of Kazan was well done or not once I saw it in person, but I didn't even have the luxury to do that—I was too busy hastily making my wishes. Because the painting doesn't feel intimidating, I think people are able to pray more comfortably and for longer periods. When you're actually there standing in line, it doesn't look like anything spectacular from a distance. Yet, it's a mysterious icon that makes you want to wait a long time just to say a single prayer in front of it.

The grand interior of a cathedral featuring high columns, a dome ceiling, and an ornate altar.

While other cathedrals have a strong touristy vibe where you can freely take photos, chat, and enjoy yourself, this particular cathedral—among those that charge an entrance fee (though it's free for Russian Orthodox believers)—is uniquely dominated by a profound solemnity. Even if you wanted to speak loudly, your voice naturally drops to a whisper when you see the people praying around you. (Except for the Chinese tourists.) There are also guards inside the cathedral to maintain the solemn atmosphere, so any noise is quickly hushed. Despite all this, a crying baby, a kindergarten-aged child running around, and taking photos are all perfectly fine. It truly is a fascinating country.

Personally, I highly recommend stopping by Kazan Cathedral. You don't even need to listen to an audio guide to witness the true solemnity and religious faith of the Russian Orthodox Church. Because it's not just a cathedral for tourists, you might find yourself suddenly filled with religious reverence, and you'll have the rare opportunity to pray before the internationally revered Our Lady of Kazan.

A portrait of a man in a gold frame and a basket of white lilies placed below it.
Andrey Voronikhin, the architect who built this cathedral. Despite being born a serf, he was said to be so naturally gifted in architecture that he was able to construct a grand cathedral like this.
A fountain under park trees with a semicircular stone decoration and water flowing from a human face sculpture.
A massive classical-style building with columns is seen behind a park lined with green trees.
A lawn and purple lilac flowers in front of a cathedral with a semicircular column arrangement and a massive dome roof.
A cathedral featuring a round dome and a long line of columns next to a blooming lilac tree.

Expenses

Total Expenses 1660RUB

Total Trip Expenses 525,936 KRW + 42,253RUB + $152.26