St. Nicholas Cathedral, Washington, D.C., United States

St. Nicholas Cathedral is the primatial cathedral of the Orthodox Church in America. The original parish church was founded in 1930 as the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas. In 1949 the Synod of Bishops authorized the parish to be the church's National War Memorial Shrine and a national campaign to build a monumental Orthodox church in the capital of the United States was begun. The property upon which the cathedral is built was purchased in 1951. The substructure (basement) was completed in 1954 and was used for church services until the superstructure was completed in late 1962. A bell tower commemorating the millennium of Christianity in Russia was dedicated in 1988.

The cathedral architecture is based on the 12th century St. Demetrius Cathedral of Vladimir, Russia. Beginning in 1991, dedicated iconographers from Moscow led by Alexander Maskalionov painted icons throughout the nave in the traditional style. This work was completed in 1994.

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User Reviews

Федор Глуган (11 months ago)
good afternoon, I’m from Ukraine, I’m looking for a sponsor to come to the USA, who can help, I’ll be grateful

Blair Benz (13 months ago)
Beautiful Cathedral. The clergy and members of the parish are extraordinarily kind and welcoming. We are so fortunate to be a part of this community.

Jager Mitchell (2 years ago)
Visited on Labor Day 2023. Very beautiful cathedral, with icons painted on every interior surface.

Марина Концевич (2 years ago)
Good afternoon ! My name is Dmitry, I am 37 years old, I have a daughter of 11 years old, and a wife of 37 years old. Because of the war in Ukraine, I am looking for asylum for myself and my family in the USA. I believe that this country will become my home during the war in Ukraine. I want to ask help from kind and caring people, become my sponsor under the U4U program. If you can be one please contact me. Thank you for your attention !

Frank Andrews (2 years ago)
While the exterior is exquisite, the cathedral remained locked during the time for access given on the internet. I very disappointed that I could not go inside.

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