Orthodox Cathedral

An amazing landmark is the Uspensky Russian Orthodox Cathedral, just a few blocks east of the huge Lutheran Cathedral on Senate Square. Completed in 1868, when Finland was part of the Russian empire, it is reportedly the largest Orthodox Cathedral in the Western world.

The Cathedral has thirteen spires, and is located high on another hill. According to the tourist books, the current population is barely 1% Russian Orthodox. I counted three huge tourist buses in the lot, and you can understand the attraction.

The interior is filled with icons and statues - and tourists.

Here's another shot of the interior.

The view of the harbor and central Helsinki from the Cathdral grounds is worth the trip, too. This one looks to the north.

At the aesthetics conference, I learned that Helsinki is spending a million Euros a year to keep the city free of graffiti. I spotted this behind the Cathedral, but have been otherwise struck by the graffiti-free structures all over the city. If I have time, I'll have to check back in a few days to see if it's been cleaned up.

NOTE: Click on any image in this blog to see it full-size.