Design. Build. Bless.
Every sacred space starts with a vision. I help you shape it — with beauty, tradition, and purpose.
Aleksandr Molodin, PhD
An architect with a graduate degree in architectural history, specializing in Orthodox church architecture in the United States. For over 20 years, I’ve been designing sacred spaces — from small roadside chapels to full parish churches — rooted in tradition and built for today’s communities.
Now based in the U.S., I focus on creating, adapting, and studying Orthodox architecture. I’ve written books on the history of Orthodox churches in America and continue to work closely with individuals and parishes to bring their vision of worship to life — with beauty, reverence, and purpose.
Download the Albums of Exemplary Church Designs
The 1851 Album of Konstantin Thon
In 1851, legendary Russian architect Konstantin Thon, creator of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, published the album Exemplary Orthodox Church Designs at the request of Emperor Nicholas I. It featured 13 church designs, followed by a second volume in 1854 with 13 more.
In total, Thon presented 26 model Orthodox churches — timeless designs that embody the best of traditional Orthodox architecture. Over thousand churches around the world were built based on these plans.
Today, his vision is more relevant than ever.
Discover Thon’s designs and download a digital copy to inspire your own church project.
Coming Soon: The 2025 Author’s Album of Contemporary Orthodox Church Designs
The album showcases some of my finest architectural work — designs I’m especially proud of. Adapted for modern technologies and materials commonly used in the U.S., they fully comply with all current building codes and standards. It’s the fastest and most effective way to begin planning and launching your church or chapel project.
Each design is rooted in the canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church and developed with pastoral guidance and reverence for sacred architecture. Every project can be adapted to meet your specific needs. The download will be available soon — leave your contact, and I’ll send you the album as it’s released.
Let’s Get in Touch
Every sacred project begins with a word — with vision shared and ideas spoken aloud. Let’s start discussing your future church right now. I would be honored to devote my heart, knowledge, and skills to your holy vision. Together, we can create something truly exceptional — I promise.
Tell me about your needs. Describe your situation and what you hope to achieve by working with me. The more detail you provide, the better I can prepare and guide our conversation.
Don’t hold back. Words give birth to vision — and vision becomes the design that shapes the church to come.
Testimonials
The best proof of my expertise lies in the words of those I’ve worked with. Here are just a few of the many heartfelt testimonials from colleagues and clients…
Because of Sasha’s dedication to our vision, his attention to detail, his architectural expertise, and his commitment to follow through on all details, this chapel we have built with him brings glory to God and honors our daughter, Lily, memory eternal. — (LTC, Ret) Alex and Jessie Braszko
Aleksandr is a leading expert in Orthodox church architecture in North America. His efforts to promote the beauty of Orthodoxy in the New World are widely respected across the United States. — Igumen Nikodim (Balyasnikov), Chancellor of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA
Aleksandr Molodin is one of the foremost experts-if not the leading authority—on Orthodox church architecture in America. In addition to advanced academic training, he was raised among Russia’s sacred spaces and perceives their essence and nuance with great clarity.— William Brumfield, U.S. historian of Russian architecture and a professor at Tulane University.
Publications
Orthodox Domes of America. Vol. 1. Russian churches across the USA.
“Here is the Russian Spirit…”: One Hundred Special Places in the USA
Insights
Stories, insights, and ideas on Orthodox church design
This sacred space holds a story that had to be…
This sacred space holds a story that had to be told. For the past few months, I’ve been completely wrapped up in a true labor of love: writing a book on the profound heritage of St. Tikhon, timed to honor the 100th anniversary of his repose. At the very heart…
What if the tallest Orthodox church almost stood? Back in…
What if the tallest Orthodox church almost stood? Back in 1986, in what was then Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), a massive TV tower began to rise—sharp, raw, and reaching 235 meters into the sky. But time ran out before the project did. The USSR collapsed, funding dried up, and the structure…
Think you’ve seen it all in Orthodox church design? Then…
Think you’ve seen it all in Orthodox church design? Then let me take you to the banks of the Seine, where something bold, beautiful, and unmistakably sacred rises over Paris. Opened in 2016, the Holy Trinity Cathedral isn’t just a church—it’s a whole spiritual and cultural center, a rare fusion…
What do you really know about canonical church form-making? Ever…
What do you really know about canonical church form-making? Ever heard of a church nicknamed “Kulich and Paskha”? That’s what the locals called this breathtaking ensemble the moment it was built in 1785—and the name stuck like honey to sweet bread. But behind this charming nickname lies one of the…
They Built a Log Church in Antarctica—Like a Giant Lego…
They Built a Log Church in Antarctica—Like a Giant Lego Set Yes, a real wooden church. In Antarctica. Not a hut, not a module—but a hand-crafted log chapel, hauled across the planet and assembled like sacred Lego on the icy edge of the world. The Holy Trinity Church stands near…
A church too powerful for memory alone. That’s how locals…
A church too powerful for memory alone. That’s how locals remembered the Russian Memorial Church in San Stefano—now a ghost of stone and silence in the dusty annals of Istanbul. On a bright morning in 1914, a deafening boom tore through the air. When the smoke cleared, the sacred monument—once…