Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in the city and one of the largest domed buildings in the world. It was designed by the French-born architect Auguste de Montferrand for Tsar Alexander I and built over four decades from 1818, as the fourth church on the site, and it was consecrated in 1858. The exterior is covered with granite and marble, and it is topped by a gilded dome, which is visible from many parts of the city. The interior is lavishly decorated with mosaics, paintings and malachite and lapis lazuli columns. During the Soviet era it served as a museum, and it remains primarily a museum today, with services held on special occasions.
Before and after
- 15 April 1858Birth of Émile Durkheim
- 23 April 1858Birth of Max Planck
- 15 May 1858Construction of Royal Opera House
- 16 May 1858Treaty of Aigun
- 30 May 1858Construction of Saint Isaac's Cathedral
- 2 June 1858Discovery of Comet Donati
- 1 July 1858Darwin and Wallace present natural selection to the Linnean Society
- from 1 September 1858 to 5 June 1862Cochinchina campaign
- 27 October 1858Birth of Theodore Roosevelt
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1792Publication of La Marseillaise
- 7 May 1824Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premieres
- 26 November 1865Publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- 1871The Internationale
- 19 March 1882Construction of Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family
- from 1886 to 1905Rise of Post-impressionism
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.