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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

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

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

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

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

This place holds a special place in my heart. The work of Montferrand has always meant a great deal to me—it helped shape my sense of beauty and deeply influenced my path as an architect. Today, I want to share another

While in Belgrade, I felt it was absolutely essential to visit the Holy Trinity Church—built by Russian émigrés in 1924 and steeped in meaning and memory. Before 1944, this very church was home to the miraculous Kursk Root Icon of the