Uspenski Cathedral

우스펜스키 대성당

Uspenski Cathedral is the main cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Finland, in Helsinki. It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, which is the falling asleep of the Virgin Mary. The name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word uspenie, which means dormition.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: Finland
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Built: 1868
Height: 52 m
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Uspenski Cathedral?

Uspenski Cathedral is in Helsinki, Finland.

When was Uspenski Cathedral built?

Uspenski Cathedral was built in 1868.

How tall is Uspenski Cathedral?

Uspenski Cathedral is about 52 m tall.

A red-brick Eastern Orthodox cathedral on a rocky hill in Katajanokka, topped with gilded onion domes.

It is the largest Orthodox church in Northern Europe. The cathedral stands on a hillside on the Katajanokka peninsula, with views over the city. It was designed by the Russian architect Aleksei Gornostaev and was inaugurated on 25 October 1868. About half a million tourists visit it each year.

Why a Russian-style church in Helsinki?

After Helsinki became the capital of Finland in 1812, Emperor Alexander I decided in 1814 that part of the salt import tax would pay for two churches, one Lutheran and one Orthodox. The growing Orthodox parish needed a larger church than the Holy Trinity Church it had used since 1827.

The cathedral was largely paid for by parishioners and private donors, with big gifts from Crown Prince Alexander III and Moscow merchants. Its dedication to the Dormition followed the wishes of Alexander II, who ruled Finland as Grand Duke. A plaque for him is on the back of the building.

Built from an old fortress

Gornostaev died in 1862, the year construction began, so the architect Ivan Varnek led the work until 1868. About 700,000 bricks were brought by barge from the Bomarsund Fortress, which had been demolished in the Crimean War.

The icon screen, called an iconostasis, was painted by Pavel S. Shiltsov. Below the cathedral is a crypt chapel named after Alexander Hotovitzky, a priest in Helsinki from 1914 to 1917 who was later made a saint.

Treasures and visiting

The cathedral has valuable icons. A 19th-century icon of St Nicholas the Wonder Worker was stolen in daylight in 2007 and has not been found. Another icon, stolen in 2010, was recovered in 2011 from a hiding place in the ground, in nearly perfect condition.

Entry was free for a long time, but since May 2025 adults pay 5 euros outside service times, and the money goes to restoration. The cathedral is closed on Mondays.

Fun facts

It was designed by the Russian architect Aleksey Gornostayev and built from 1862 to 1868.
It is the largest Orthodox church in Northern Europe.
Its architect, Aleksei Gornostaev, died in the year building began.
About 700,000 of its bricks came from a demolished fortress called Bomarsund.
A stolen icon was found after eight months buried in the ground.