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.
What Are You Looking For?
Whether you need a ready-made plan, expert adjustments, or a one-of-a-kind custom design — I’m here to help bring your vision to life.
Pre-Designed
Design Adjustments
Custom Design
Start with a Pre-Designed Chapel
Each design blends classic church aesthetics with materials from your nearest Home Depot. Fully code-compliant and ready to build—no guesswork, just grace. Work volumes are pre-calculated, and each chapel includes multiple finish options you can mix and match for a unique, personalized look. You can even preview your chapel on-site using Augmented Reality.
Model One
A simple and reliable 12′ x 12′ framed chapel that can be finished with brick veneer and decorative elements. This compact family chapel, built in the traditional tent-roof style, stands 37 feet tall with a total area of 164 square feet. Designed to accommodate up to 22 people for occasional services, it offers a graceful blend of beauty, intimacy, and timeless Orthodox character.
Coming Soon
A simple and elegant 9′ x 9′ chapel, designed to accommodate up to 10 people for occasional services. Compact enough to fit in almost any backyard, this small chapel follows traditional Russian design and fully respects the canons of the Orthodox faith. It offers a harmonious blend of sacred purpose, authenticity, and timeless spiritual presence.
Coming Soon
A 17′ x 17′ stone chapel with 288 square feet of interior space, designed to hold up to 41 people. Built in the traditional Pskov-Novgorod style, it features a helmet-shaped dome on an octagonal drum and a floor plan in the form of an equilateral Greek cross. The chapel can serve as a small parish church with an apse, or as a standalone prayer chapel without an altar.
Testimonials
The best proof of Aleksandr’s expertise lies in the words of those who have worked with him. 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 is one of the foremost experts—if not the leading authority—on Orthodox church architecture. A PhD with outstanding academic training, he was raised among Russia’s sacred spaces and perceives their essence and nuance with unmatched 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
When Orthodox tradition meets Hemel Hempstead carpentry… This is what…
When Orthodox tradition meets Hemel Hempstead carpentry… This is what happens when an architect takes on a church project squeezed between a condo and a shed. The Belarusian Memorial Chapel in North London may charm the design world with its CNC-cut ribs and lyrical shadows—but from the standpoint of Orthodox…
A new—or well-forgotten—concept: “Backyard Church.” Once upon a time, only…
A new—or well-forgotten—concept: “Backyard Church.” Once upon a time, only aristocrats like Count Sheremetev could afford to build a private church on their estate (see photo). But today, across the U.S., a quiet revolution is turning that old-world privilege into an everyday reality. In the past 15 years, the number…
Where does tradition end and innovation begin? That question has…
Where does tradition end and innovation begin?That question has haunted me ever since I began working with Orthodox church architecture. I’ve seen bold, even brazen designs—especially outside of Russia—where churches are drafted with the same indifference as a warehouse or condo. It’s not hard to understand: architects want to stand…
One of my all-time favorite churches in the U.S. St….
One of my all-time favorite churches in the U.S. St. Theodosius Cathedral in Cleveland holds a special place in my heart. It’s not just the architecture—though those eleven onion domes against the sky take my breath away every time. It’s the feeling. The kind of deep, quiet awe that wraps…
Khaki doesn’t make it holy. The Cathedral of the Resurrection…
Khaki doesn’t make it holy. The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ — the so-called “Main Church of the Russian Armed Forces” — was built five years ago and is dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Victory in WWII. Standing 95 meters tall, it’s designed in a Russo-Byzantine style with…
One architect, three eras, countless masterpieces. Aleksei Shchusev is a…
One architect, three eras, countless masterpieces. Aleksei Shchusev is a rare phenomenon in architecture—equally brilliant in Imperial Russia, early Soviet avant-garde, and Stalinist monumentalism. His career reads like a mirror of Russia’s turbulent 20th century, and yet, through it all, his language was architecture—bold, layered, and deeply rooted in tradition….