500px Photo ID: 160021107 - Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky cathedral in Toompea, Old Town, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tallinn, Estonia, Baltic States, Europe

robertharding / 500px

Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral

Old Town

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The positioning of this magnificent, onion-domed Russian Orthodox cathedral (completed in 1900) at the heart of the country's main administrative hub was no accident: many such churches were built in the last part of the 19th century as part of a general wave of Russification in the empire’s Baltic provinces. Orthodox believers come here in droves, alongside tourists ogling the interior’s striking icons and frescoes and snapping its eye-catching profile. Respectful, demurely dressed visitors are welcome, but cameras aren't.

The cathedral's 11 bells include one 15-ton behemoth, Tallinn's largest.

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