The Dormition Cathedral

It is famous for its peculiar grandeur and beauty. By its size, it surpasses almost all the buildings of Ancient Rus. It’s is the highest and the most extensive of all old Russian cathedrals. This is a colossal structure (the cathedral area is 1600 square meters, the height is 72 meters), larger than St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow and higher 13 meters higher than the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The cathedral was erected in 1699 by Ryazan architect Yakov Bukhvostov. The cathedral is designed in Naryshkin Baroque style. Intricate carvings on white stone, which decorated the windows and other elements of the cathedral, had no analogues in the XVII century. The interior is of equal beauty. It includes a 27-meter iconostasis - one of the highest in Russia. 155 icons are arranged in 7 tiers in a wooden carved frame, being a real masterpiece of Russian art.