Trinity Cathedral

A stunning Russian Orthodox cathedral in St. Petersburg with sky-blue domes and gold stars — the former garrison church of the Imperial Guards, away from the main crowds.

The Trinity Cathedral — also known as the Izmailovsky Cathedral — is one of the most imposing Russian Orthodox cathedrals in St. Petersburg and among the city's most visually distinctive buildings. Built between 1828 and 1835 in the Russian Classicist style, it was originally constructed as the garrison church of the Izmailovsky Guards Regiment of the Imperial Army. Its striking pale-blue body topped by five blue domes studded with gold stars makes it immediately recognisable. Secularised and used as a warehouse during the Soviet era, the cathedral was returned to the church in the 1990s and gradually restored. Today it is an active parish church and draws visitors who seek out Imperial-era St. Petersburg beyond the main tourist trail.