Ascension Cathedral

Top choice in Western European Russia


Designed by Konstantin Ton (1794–1881), the genius behind Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Kremlin Armoury and the Grand Kremlin Palace, this beautiful cathedral lords over Yelets from the foot of ul Kommunarov. Beneath the cathedral’s gleaming golden dome, the eye-popping, multicoloured interior glitters with gilt-framed iconography stacked high on each wall.

At 74m in height (including the golden cross), this is one of the tallest cathedrals in Russia. Its looming glory is visible from almost anywhere in Yelets, but you can catch the best view from the bridge crossing the Sosna, just east of town.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Western European Russia attractions

1. Vvedenskaya Church

0.14 MILES

This jewel-box of a church stands near a cluster of photogenic late-17th- and early-18th-century wooden houses. Follow the road from the church to the…

2. Khrennikov Museum

0.18 MILES

Successful Soviet composer Tikhon Khrennikov grew up and first studied music in this rust-red wooden house. Original furniture, photos and artefacts are…

3. Great Count’s Church

0.22 MILES

Built during the early 1900s, this inventive piece of religious architecture has distinctly modernist, art nouveau flair, with an exotically tiled…

4. House Museum of Yelets Lace

0.37 MILES

This quaint, bright-blue building contains an exquisite collection of Yelets lacework displayed in elegant surrounds. The 2nd floor has a collection of…

5. Regional Museum

0.37 MILES

Housed in a sweet blue-and-white 19th-century building, this surprisingly diverse museum is worth visiting. Among the miscellany, you'll find a room of…

6. City Park

0.39 MILES

This park has a summertime Ferris wheel, a concert stage, amusement rides and a statue of writer Ivan Bunin. Next to the main entrance is the antique red…

7. Ivan Bunin Museum

0.49 MILES

The writer, poet and 1933 Nobel laureate Ivan Bunin (1870–1953) spent some of his childhood in Yelets, studying at the town’s gymnasium. This small museum…

8. Znamensky Monastery

0.87 MILES

There are fine views across town from this restored early-19th-century hilltop monastery. The white steeple and gold-domed church are easily recognisable…