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 of private chapels and backyard…
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 out, to impress, to innovate….
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 around you the moment you…
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 a classic cross-in-square layout and…
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. In the early 1900s, he…
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 masterpiece. Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the largest domed churches in the world,…
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 Mother of God, one of the most revered relics of the Russian diaspora. And…
Saint Sava Church reimagines Hagia Sophia for a new era. In the heart of Belgrade, this monumental church doesn’t just nod to tradition—it boldly reinterprets the architectural soul of Constantinople’s Hagia Sophia. Built on the very site where Saint Sava’s relics were burned by the Ottomans, the structure transforms a place of sorrow into a…
Two Cathedrals, One Spirit. On opposite sides of the world, a sacred echo resounds. In the heart of Manhattan, St. Nicholas Cathedral isn’t just a parish—it’s the beating heart of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA. Built in 1907, this soaring sanctuary once dazzled with frescoes by Italian artist Santino and Moscow’s own Sokolov. But…
The father of skyscrapers also built an Orthodox church… and nailed it. Everyone knows Louis Sullivan as the father of skyscrapers, the trailblazer of the Chicago School, the pioneer of American modernism, and the man whose famous phrase “form follows function” is etched into the DNA of every modern architect. But did you know he…