Uspenski Cathedral

This striking red-brick cathedral is Helsinki’s Orthodox church, built in 1868 to serve the city’s Russian community during the reign of Tsar Alexander II, known as “the Liberator.” It rises here on Katajanokka Island, one of the capital’s most iconic districts. With its vivid green roofs topped by golden onion domes—hallmarks of Russian architecture—Uspenski Cathedral never fails to impress. In fact, it’s the largest Russian Orthodox church in Western Europe. A true 19th-century relic, it stands as a reminder of Russian rule over Finland between 1809 and 1917. The cathedral was designed by Russian architect Aleksey Gornostaiev, who gave it a Byzantine style and a richly adorned interior filled with gold accents and statues—a sharp contrast to the more minimalist Tuomiokirkko Cathedral.