This is a list of tallest Orthodox church buildings in the world, all those higher than 70 metres (230 feet).
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 on individual churches often serve a symbolic purpose. One dome is a symbol of Christ or God, three domes are symbolic of Trinity, five domes symbolize Christ and Four Evangelists, seven domes reference the First seven ecumenical councils which formulated the basic dogmas of the Orthodox Church, 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, a 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 (ft) | Name | Image | Notes | Years of construction | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 135 m (443 ft) | People's Salvation Cathedral | It is the tallest (127m), longest (126m) and largest (by volume (323,000 m3) and area (7,200 m2)) Orthodox church building in the world. It is located in central Bucharest, facing the same courtyard as the Romanian Parliament Building. | 2010–present | Bucharest | Romania | |
| 2 | 122.5 m (402 ft) | 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 | |
| 3 | 103.4 m (339 ft) | 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 cathedral and second largest church building of the Russian Orthodox Church, having a capacity for some 10,000 people | 1995–2000 | Moscow | Russia | |
| 4 | 101.5 m (333 ft) | Saint Isaac's Cathedral | A masterpiece of late ClassicismThe largest church building in Russia (both by volume and area). Second largest Orthodox church building in the world (by volume and by area). | 1818–1858 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | |
| 5 | 96 m (315 ft) | 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 | |
| 6 | 95 m (312 ft) | Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces | 2018–2020 | Odintsovsky District | Russia | ||
| 7 | 93.7 m (307 ft) | 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 | |
| 8 | 90.5 m (297 ft) | Timișoara Orthodox Cathedral | Located in the very center of the city. The second tallest church in Romania | 1934–1946 | Timișoara | Romania | |
| 9 | 87.1 m (286 ft) | Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi | The main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church | 1995–2002 | Tbilisi | Georgia | |
| 10 | 87 m (285 ft) | 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 | |
| 11–12 | 85 m (279 ft) | Saint Trinity Cathedral in Baia Mare | Tallest cathedral in Maramureș, Romania | 2003– | Baia Mare | Romania | |
| 85 m (279 ft) | Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh | Built in the Russian Revival style in Pervomaysky (former City) Garden – a place where never before was the church | 1998–2009 | Voronezh | Russia | ||
| 13 | 82 m (269 ft) | Cathedral of the Nativity | Located in Mărășești-Zamca neighbourhood, near the city center. The tallest cathedral in the Moldavia region. | 1991–2015 | Suceava | Romania | |
| 14 | 81 m (266 ft) | 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 | |
| 15–16 | 80 m (260 ft) | Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg | The dome was reconstructed after the 2006 fire | 1828–1835 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | |
| 80 m (260 ft) | Annunciation Cathedral in Kharkiv | In 1997 a fire damaged the dome and the cross of the bell tower | 1888–1901 | Kharkiv | Ukraine | ||
| 17 | 79 m (259 ft) | Church 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 | |
| 18–19 | 78 m (256 ft) | Trinity Cathedral in Pskov | Located in the Pskov Krom (or Kremlin) | 1682–1699 | Pskov | Russia | |
| 78 m (256 ft) | Săpânța-Peri Monastery | Tallest wooden church in the world | 1998–2003 | Săpânța | Romania | ||
| 20 | 77 m (253 ft) | 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 | |
| 21 | 76 m (249 ft) | Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan in Stavropol | Located at the highest point of the city. | Stavropol | Russia | ||
| 22 | 75.6 m (248 ft) | Trinity Cathedral in Morshansk | 1836–1857 | Morshansk | Russia | ||
| 23 | 75 m (246 ft) | Dormition Cathedral in Astrakhan | Located inside the Astrakhan kremlin | 1698 | Astrakhan | Russia | |
| 24 | 74.6 m (245 ft) | Ascension Cathedral in Novocherkassk | Cathedral of the Don Cossacks Army | 1805–1905 | Novocherkassk | Russia | |
| 25–26 | 74 m (243 ft) | All Saints Monument Church | Monument Church dedicated to All Saints and the memory of those who unjustly perished | Minsk | Belarus | ||
| 74 m (243 ft) | Ascension Cathedral in Yelets | Inside the cathedral there is a rich iconostasis with gilded wood carvings | 1845–1889 | Yelets | Russia | ||
| 27 | 73 m (240 ft) | Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Kaliningrad | Located on the central square of the city | 2004–2006 | Kaliningrad | Russia | |
| 28 | 72 m (236 ft) | St. Michael's Cathedral in Cherkasy | Built in the Neo-Byzantine style, 136 metres tall belfry under construction | 1994–2002 | Cherkasy | Ukraine | |
| 29 | 71.5 m (235 ft) | 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 | |
| 30 | 70.6 m (232 ft) | Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt | The cathedral was designed especially high to serve as a landmark for those in the sea | 1902–1913 | Kronstadt | Russia | |
| 31–33 | 70 m (230 ft) | Cathedral of the Lord's Ascension, Bacău | Still in construction | 1991– | Bacău | Romania | |
| 70 m (230 ft) | Alexander Nevsky Cathedral | Built in the style of classicism | 1818–1823 | Izhevsk | Russia | ||
| ~ 70 m (230 ft) | 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 |
Bell towers
| Rank | Height m (ft) | Name | Image | Notes | Years of construction | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 122.5 m (402 ft) | Peter and Paul Cathedral | The three-level bell tower is 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 | 116 m (381 ft) | Transfiguration Cathedral in Rybinsk | Five-storey bell tower crowned by a gilded spire. | 1797–1804 | Rybinsk Russia | |
| 3 | 107 m (351 ft) | Monastery of Our Lady of Kazan | Tallest Christian structure in the Central Federal District of Russia. | 2009–2011 | Tambov Russia | |
| 4 | 106 m (348 ft) | Resurrection Cathedral in Shuya | A standalone Orthodox bell tower. Tallest in the Ivanovo Oblast. | 1810–1832 | Shuya Russia | |
| 5 | 97 m (318 ft) | Annunciation Cathedral | Built in the Pseudo-Russian style. | 1998–2009 | Voronezh Russia | |
| 6 | 96.52 m (316.7 ft) | Great Lavra Belltower | Located in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, part of a World Heritage Site | 1731–1745 | Kyiv Ukraine | |
| 7 | 93.7 m (307 ft) | Peter and Paul Church | The highest rural bell tower in Russia. | Porechye-Rybnoye Yaroslavl Oblast Russia | ||
| 8 | 93 m (305 ft) | Nikolo-Ugresha monastery | The bell tower is adjacent to the other buildings of the monastery. | 1758–1763, rebuilt in в 1859 г. | Dzerzhinsky Russia | |
| 9 | 90.3 m (296 ft) | Nikolo-Berlyukovsky Monastery | In old Russian measures, the height of the bell tower is equal to 127 arshin and 4 vershoks. | 1895–1899 | the village of Avdotyino Moscow Oblast Russia | |
| 10 | 89.5 m (294 ft) | Assumption Cathedral in Kharkiv | About 3.5 million bricks and 65.5 tons of iron were used for construction. | 1821–1841 | Kharkiv Ukraine | |
| 11 | 88 m (289 ft) | Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius | Five-storey bell tower. | 1740–1770 | Sergiyev Posad Russia | |
| 12 | 83.2 m (273 ft) | Assumption Cathedral in Ryazan | Built by several different architects. Located in the Ryazan Kremlin. | 1789–1840 | Ryazan Russia | |
| 13 | 82 m (269 ft) | All Saints Cathedral in Tula | At the corners of the first level there are sculptures of angels with trumpets. | 1776–1825 | Tula Russia | |
| 14 | 81.6 m (268 ft) | Saint Trinity Monastery in Alatyr | The bell tower is included in the Russian Book of Records. | the monastery is founded in 1584 | Alatyr Russia | |
| 15–16 | 81 m (266 ft) | Ivan the Great Bell Tower | Located on Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin. | 1532–1543 | Moscow Russia | |
| 81 m (266 ft) | Saint Assumption Sarov Monastery | In good weather the buildings of the Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery can be seen from the bell tower. | 1789–1799 | Sarov Russia | ||
| 17 | 80 m (260 ft) | John the Evangelist Monastery in Poschupovo | The monastery is situated on the right bank of the Oka River. | 1901 | Poschupovo, Ryazan Oblast Russia | |
| 18 | 79.9 m (262 ft) | Dormition Cathedral in Astrakhan Kremlin | The height of the bell tower is 37 sazhen. The cross is 7 metres high. | Astrakhan Russia | ||
| 19 | 79.5 m (261 ft) | 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 | |
| 20 | 78.5 m (258 ft) | 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 | |
| 21 | 78 m (256 ft) | Novospassky Monastery | The monastery played a crucial role in repelling the attack of Crimean Tatars in 1591. | 1759–1795 | Moscow Russia | |
| 22 | 77 m (253 ft) | Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa | The bells are controlled by an electronic device capable of playing some 99 melodies. | 2000–2001 | Odesa Ukraine | |
| 23–24 | 76 m (249 ft) | Resurrection Cathedral in Kashin | The church is under restoration. | 1816–1886 | Kashin Russia | |
| 76 m (249 ft) | Bell Tower of Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv | Part of a World Heritage Site | Kyiv Ukraine | |||
| 25 | 75.6 m (248 ft) | Tobolsk Kremlin bell tower | The only stone kremlin in Siberia. | 1794–1809 | Tobolsk Russia | |
| 26–28 | 75 m (246 ft) | Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos | The bell ringing is heard in the radius of 42 versts around the tower. | Rostov-on-Don Russia | ||
| 75 m (246 ft) | St. Nicholas Church in Venyov | The church was demolished in 1950s but the bell tower still stands. | 1801–1843 | Venyov Russia | ||
| ~75 m (246 ft) | The Church of Saint Myrrhbearers in Kaluga | The construction cost was 64,500 rubles. | 1818–1820 | Kaluga Russia | ||
| 29 | 74.5 m (244 ft) | The Flooded Belfry | Now the bell tower stands amid the waters of the Uglich Reservoir, which covered the old city center of Kalyazin in 1939. | 1796–1800 | Kalyazin Russia | |
| 30 | 74 m (243 ft) | Epiphany Cathedral in Kazan | There is a temple on the second level of the bell tower. | 1895–1897 | Kazan Russia | |
| 31–34 | 72 m (236 ft) | Novodevichy Convent | The bell tower consist of six octagonal levels. | 1690 | Moscow Russia | |
| 72 m (236 ft) | 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 | ||
| 72 m (236 ft) | Cathedral of Saint George the Martyr | The total weight of the bells is 18.5 tons. | 1848–1872 | Odintsovo Russia | ||
| 72 m (236 ft) | Valaam Monastery | The monastery is situated on the Valaam Archipelago in Karelia. | 1896 | Valaam Russia | ||
| 35 | 70.3 m (231 ft) | Serafimo-Diveevsky Monastery | In Soviet times the bell tower was used for TV transmissions. | 1848–1872 | Diveyevo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Russia | |
| 36–37 | 70 m (230 ft) | Ascension Monastery in Tambov | 2007–2012 | Tambov Russia | ||
| 70 m (230 ft) | Trinity Cathedral in Gus-Zhelezny | Built in the, rare for Russia, Gothic Revival style. | 1802–1868 | Gus-Zhelezny Russia |
See also
- List of tallest churches
- List of tallest domes
- List of tallest buildings in Russia
- List of Russian church types
- List of large Orthodox cathedrals
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