St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg

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

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

The very first cathedral I visited after arriving in St. Petersburg was St. Isaac's Cathedral. Even though St. Petersburg leans heavily toward Europe (it's just an hour from Finland), the dominant religion here is Russian Orthodox. Naturally, all the cathedrals here are Russian Orthodox as well. During the communist era, religion was banned and persecuted, leading to the destruction of many churches during those dark times, but many were rebuilt after the transition to democracy.

Front view of the grand St. Isaac's Cathedral with its golden dome standing out against a blue sky — St. Isaac's Cathedral

Out of countless saints, it was named after St. Isaac to honor Peter the Great, as the saint shares the same birthday as the tsar. Since it's a cathedral dedicated to Peter the Great, the sheer scale of the exterior automatically draws gasps of awe. As you step closer, the intricate details of the statues on the building will make you marvel all over again. Because it's an absolute must-see, the area is packed with tourists and tour buses. It's best to mentally prepare yourself for the crowds when buying tickets or entering.

When entering, there are separate tickets for the interior and the colonnade observation deck beneath the dome. I recommend buying both. As for the audio guide, if you just came from listening to the excellent Korean commentary duo at the Hermitage Museum, you might be pretty disappointed here. I don't highly recommend the audio guide, but I strongly suggest buying the observation deck ticket in advance. Also, if you aren't in a rush, I recommend grabbing a coffee and relaxing in the garden outside (Alexander Garden is right behind it) to admire the exterior of the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral before heading inside.

Exterior of St. Isaac's Cathedral

Several tour buses parked in front of St. Isaac's Cathedral

Upper part and golden dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral against a clear sky and clouds — Summer is peak season in St. Petersburg, and this blue sky is exactly why.

St. Isaac's Cathedral blurred behind purple lilac blossoms

Bronze statue of a winged angel standing on the corner of the exterior wall of St. Isaac's Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

Interior ceiling and pillars of St. Isaac's Cathedral shining with ornate gold decorations and large chandeliers

Grand interior of St. Isaac's Cathedral surrounded by intricate ceiling paintings and gold decorations

Ornate vaulted ceiling and wall paintings inside St. Isaac's Cathedral

Wooden architectural structure model displayed inside St. Isaac's Cathedral — This shows how the construction was carried out.

Ornate holy painting on the ceiling dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral

Grand dome ceiling and gold decorations of St. Isaac's Cathedral — The highly popular main dome. Taking a wide, circular shot with your face peeking in is a trendy photo here, so it's always crowded.

Dove decoration in the center of the dome ceiling of St. Isaac's Cathedral and surrounding holy paintings — The main dome depicts Jesus surrounded by his disciples, the 12 apostles.

Marble bust of a man displayed inside St. Isaac's Cathedral — Auguste de Montferrand, the chief architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral.

There are quite a few stories about St. Isaac's Cathedral and Montferrand. To share two famous ones: first, as you can guess from his name, Montferrand wasn't Russian. This famous architect was French. He wanted to be buried inside his masterpiece, but because he wasn't Russian Orthodox, that dream couldn't be realized. Instead, later generations of Russians created a memorial space for him inside the cathedral. The second story is that Montferrand believed he would die once the cathedral was finished. It's suspected that he intentionally delayed the completion because of this, and he actually did pass away shortly after the cathedral was finally completed. Source: Easy Russia

Cathedral architectural models displayed inside St. Isaac's Cathedral — It started as a small church, but after continuous expansions, it took on its current form under Montferrand.

Ornate altar and chandeliers inside St. Isaac's Cathedral

Fresco on the cathedral ceiling depicting Jesus, angels, and people

Ornate fresco on the cathedral ceiling with Jesus in red robes standing in the center

Cathedral interior walls and paintings featuring ornate gold decorations and arched structures — The wall currently under construction has been covered with a printed cloth like this.

Paintings of saints and ornate gold sculptural decorations on the arched structure below the dome

Altar and large stained glass depicting Jesus Christ seen through ornate gold carved doors

Stained glass showing Jesus Christ wearing red robes and holding a cross flag

Statues of saints and angels decorating a gold arch inscribed with Russian phrases

Ornate golden angel statue decorating the top of a pillar inside the cathedral

Four saints are painted in oval frames on a door ornately decorated with gold.

Grand cathedral interior with massive chandeliers hanging below ornate gold pillars and vaulted ceilings.

Mosaic artwork intricately depicting a bearded saint with a halo using small pieces. — The interiors of many St. Petersburg cathedrals are made of mosaics like this. It's said they were created this way because the frequent rain makes it hard to preserve traditional paintings.

A dove is painted in the center of the cathedral dome ceiling, surrounded by depictions of saints on clouds.

St. Isaac's Cathedral Wikipedia

Expenses

Breakfast Pyshki 114R
Water 65R
St. Isaac's Cathedral 250R, Colonnade Observation Deck 150R, Audio Guide 100R = 500R
Subway 70R
Dinner Shawarma, Kvass 289R

Total Expenses 1038RUB

Total Trip Expenses 525,936 KRW + 40,593RUB + $152.26