St. Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg: Photos, Reviews & Location

1818 Russian Orthodox cathedral & museum with gold-plated dome & an opulent, multicolored interior.

At a glance

#5 of 35 Tourist attractions in St Petersburg #2 of 12 Museums in St Petersburg

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.90

0.9 km from the center of St Petersburg

Rating breakdown

5 ★92%
4 ★6%
3 ★1%
2 ★0%
1 ★0%

St Isaac's Square, 4, St Petersburg, Russia, 190000

cathedral.ru

+7 812 315-97-32

Photos of St. Isaac's Cathedral (182)

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St. Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg – photo 1

St. Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg – photo 2

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St. Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg – photo 12

Quick facts

What is the rating of St. Isaac's Cathedral?: St. Isaac's Cathedral is rated 4.9 out of 5 based on 48,407 reviews.
How does St. Isaac's Cathedral rank in St Petersburg?: St. Isaac's Cathedral is #5 of 35 Tourist attractions in St Petersburg by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is St. Isaac's Cathedral located?: St Isaac's Square, 4, St Petersburg, Russia, 190000 — 0.9 km from the center of St Petersburg.
How can I contact St. Isaac's Cathedral?: Phone: +7 812 315-97-32 · Website: cathedral.ru

Reviews (8)

CK Cheong 2024 Jan 10

Large and grand landmark building in St Peterburg. It took 40 years to construct this cathedral, under Montferrand's direction, from 1818 to 1858. It is the largest church in St Peterburg and renowned for its lavish interiors, as well as superb views of the city from its colonnade.

Lincoln I 2023 Nov 30

This place is a mind blowing architecture! From top of the building you can actually see the whole St P. Amazing view - I went in summer and few times in winter and it did not disappoint. I would go back again

Aleks Matveev 2023 Sep 04

This cathedral is an active church where you can go to the service, the time and days need to be specified. The cathedral itself is an architectural structure built in 1818-1858, the cathedral survived the years of the war of 1941-1945, near which potatoes were grown. You can get to the museum part inside the cathedral with a ticket at the entrance at the box office or online on the website, and there is also an additional opportunity to enjoy the view of the entire central part of the city by climbing the colonnade - an observation deck and take cool shots against the backdrop of the city.

Samil Yalcin 2023 Jul 19

One of the must see places when you visit St.Petersburg. Especially when you go upstairs of the done there is perfect to see the whole city from there.

Preechavut Khumsab 2023 Jun 02

This sanctuary is the must place you've to visit in Russia.

Then you'll like the most beautiful architecture both outside and many hundred years of history inside this place.

Let the pictures tell you more.

ERMIONI MITSIOU 2021 Jun 25

One of the best cathedrals I've ever been to. Remarkable architecture. Amazing exterior and interior.
The panoramic view from the top of the cathedral is indeed remarkable and It offers a magnificent view over the Neva River, the St. Isaac’s and the Palace Squares as well as the Peter and Paul Fortress.
Make sure that you take into account the fact there is no elevator that could take you up there and will have to mount 262 steps of the spiral staircase by foot. You will be 43 meters above the ground and it could get windy.
Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is an absolute must-see tourist attraction in Saint Petersburg. I strongly recommend that you go and see this masterpiece with your own eyes.
St. Isaac's Cathedral was originally the city's main church and the largest cathedral in Russia. It was built between 1818 and 1858, by the French-born architect Auguste Montferrand, who was building it for 40 years. Monferrand passed away a month after he finished the creation to which he dedicated all his life..It was one of the most impressive landmarks of the Russian Imperial capital.
To decorate the interior it was necessary 882 lbs of gold, 16 tonnes of malachite and a thousand tonnes of bronze. The mosaic area took 7108 square yards. The exterior strikes with its imposing appearance, the effect is created by the massive columns and the huge dome (it later influenced the design of the Capitol in Washington, DC). The dome is gilded with 100 kilograms of gold. The golden dome can be seen from any part of the city, and in clear weather, even from the outskirts.
Currently functions as a museum with occasional church services . It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great, who had been born on the feast day of that saint .

Dejan Braki 2021 Apr 26

St. Isaac's is still the world's largest Orthodox Shrine (the bigger future one in Bucharest is not yet finished) and the fourth largest Cathedral in the world.
It was built in 1858 by aristocracy funding in honor of Isaac the Dalmatian who was a patron saint of city founder Peter the Great. They didn't spare which is visible from outside and specially inside.
The exterior is adorned with a huge golden dome (which later inspired the US Capitol) and a total of 112 single hewn pink granite columns (you can see a movie and a model of building inside).
The interior is simply amazing, so lavish and rich it's hard to say what's more beautiful.
As all others in Russia it was banned for religion during the Communist regime and converted into a museum. Interesting fact is that St. Pet citizens refused being a Church again on a referendum, so it's still a museum (an outstanding one) with only occasional Church services.
As in any museum there's an entry fee, with a separate fee if you want to climb the dome, which I strongly suggest for great views.

Romeo Noproblem 2018 Apr 19

Amazing human’s made architecture . beautiful paintings on the walls & roof. every paintings had some interesting stories. lots of peoples all the time. Models describe how to build the cathedral. should spend more than 1 hour inside. suitable for everyone. should be quiet and don’t use flash when take a picture.