Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, near Ulitsa 1905 Goda metro station, is the largest Catholic cathedral in Russia and the seat of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God at Moscow. The neo-Gothic brick building was constructed between 1901 and 1911 for the then growing Polish, German and French Catholic community of Moscow, paid for mainly by Polish donations. Architect Tomasz Bogdanowicz-Dworzecki took inspiration from the west facade of Westminster Abbey. The Soviets closed the church in 1938; it served as a warehouse, with extra floors inserted, so the church space disappeared inside. Only in 1996 was it returned to the Catholic community, and restoration was finished by 1999. Today Mass is celebrated here in ten languages, including Polish, English, Spanish and Korean, while the Kuenemann organ draws a paying concert audience.