Helsinki Attractions

Uspenski Cathedral

Many travellers have compared Helsinki to the beautiful Russian city of St Petersburg which is a close neighbour across a short strait of water, and the exotic red-brick Orthodox cathedral Uspenski, designed by Aleksei Gornostayev of St Petersburg in the late 1800s, cements the Russian connection. The cathedral sits atop a rocky outcrop on the Katajanokka peninsula opposite the fish market, fronted by a statue of Tsar Alexander II, as a memento of Russia’s occupation of Finland until 1919. The magnificent Byzantine edifice is topped with a characteristic golden onion dome, and the interior is opulently decorated with valuable icons.

Address: Unioninkatu 39 A 19, Katajanokka; Telephone: (0)9 634 267; Transport: Tram 4; Opening time: Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4pm (closed on Mondays from October to April); Saturday 9.30am to 2pm; Sunday 12pm to 3pm; Admission: Free