Naval cathedral of Saint Nicholas

The Naval Cathedral in the fortress town of Kronstadt was laid on 1 (14) September 1902, by order of the Emperor Nicholas II in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Russian Navy. The prayer service for the construction of the temple was held by St. John of Kronstadt. The author of the project, Professor V. Kosyakov, took as a model the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The construction of the Cathedral was attended by the commander of the Kronstadt fort Vice Admiral N. Kaznakov, Vice-Admiral S. Makarov and other outstanding Russian naval commanders. Conceived as a monument to all the sailors who died for their country in battle or from wounds, the Nicholas Church is rightly regarded as the spiritual center of the Russian Navy.