Russia
15 Best Religious Sites in Russia
Saint Basil's Cathedral leads, and the rest of Russia's best temples, churches and sacred sites follow, ranked by real visits.
Order reflects review volume from real travelers in Russia. Refreshed monthly.
Saint Basil's Cathedral
Religious site · MoscowSaint Basil's Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, is a vibrant symbol of Russia.
Read our full guide →Kazan Cathedral, Saint Petersburg
Religious site · Saint PetersburgKazan Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox cathedral on Nevsky Prospekt in Saint Petersburg, dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan, one of Russia's most venerated icons.
Read our full guide →Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
Religious site · MoscowThe Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is Moscow's largest Orthodox church and a prominent landmark on the Moskva River.
Read our full guide →Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Saint Petersburg
Religious site · Saint PetersburgThe Peter and Paul Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox cathedral inside the Peter and Paul Fortress on Hare Island along the Neva River.
Read our full guide →Church of the Great Ascension
Religious site · MoscowFree entryThe Church of the Great Ascension, also known as the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, is a prominent Russian Orthodox church situated on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street within Moscow's Garden Ring.
Read our full guide →Simonov Monastery
Religious site · MoscowFree entrySimonov Monastery, located in the Danilovskiy district of Moscow, is a tranquil religious site steeped in history.
Read our full guide →The Church of Saint Nicholas on Tverskaya Zastava
Religious site · MoscowFree entryThe Church of Saint Nicholas on Tverskaya Zastava is a serene religious site located in Moscow's Central District, near the bustling Belorussky Railway Station.
Read our full guide →Nativity of God's Mother Convent
Religious site · MoscowFree entryNestled within Moscow's bustling Garden Ring, the Nativity of God's Mother Convent offers a peaceful retreat from the city's energy.
Read our full guide →Church of The Beheading of John The Baptist By Bohr
Religious site · MoscowFree entryThe Church of The Beheading of John The Baptist By Bohr is a beautiful Russian Orthodox church situated in the historic Zamoskvorechye district of Moscow, just inside the Garden Ring.
Read our full guide →Synagogue On Bolshaya Bronnaya
Religious site · MoscowFree entryThe Synagogue on Bolshaya Bronnaya is a prominent Jewish religious site located in the Garden Ring area of Moscow.
Read our full guide →Moskovskoye Podvor'ye Valaamskogo Muzhskogo Monastyrya
Religious site · MoscowFree entryMoskovskoye Podvor'ye Valaamskogo Muzhskogo Monastyrya is a tranquil religious site located in the Tverskoy district of central Moscow.
Read our full guide →St Vladimir's Church in Staryh Sadekh
Religious site · MoscowFree entrySt Vladimir's Church in Staryh Sadekh (Old Gardens) is a serene Orthodox place of worship tucked away on Starosadsky Pereulok, just inside the Garden Ring.
Read our full guide →Church of Three Saints
Religious site · MoscowFree entryThe Church of Three Saints is a Russian Orthodox church located in central Moscow, just inside the Garden Ring.
Read our full guide →Chapel of the Holy Prince Igor of Chernigov
Religious site · PushkinFree entryThe Chapel of the Holy Prince Igor of Chernigov is a small but significant religious site located in the town of Pushkin, just outside St.
Read our full guide →Chernigov Mikhail and Fedor Church
Religious site · MoscowFree entryThe Chernigov Mikhail and Fedor Church is a beautiful Russian Orthodox church located in the historic Garden Ring area of Moscow.
Read our full guide →
Good to know
What is the best-known of the temples, churches and sacred sites in Russia?
Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow is the most reviewed, with 12,444 traveler reviews and a 4.7 rating. That makes it the safe choice if you are only fitting in one.
Which of Russia's temples, churches and sacred sites is worth going out of your way for?
Kazan Cathedral, Saint Petersburg in Saint Petersburg rates highest at 4.6 out of 5 across 4,185 reviews. Smaller crowds than the headline entry usually explain the gap.
Which city in Russia has the most temples, churches and sacred sites?
Moscow, with 12 on this list, ahead of Saint Petersburg on 2. The list spans 3 cities in total, capped at three per city so one big city cannot crowd out the rest of the country.
Are any of these temples, churches and sacred sites free to visit?
Yes, 11: Church of the Great Ascension, Simonov Monastery, The Church of Saint Nicholas on Tverskaya Zastava and others. That is based on each place's own visiting information, not an assumption about the category.
How is this list of temples, churches and sacred sites ranked?
By how many travelers reviewed each place, filtered to those rated well enough to be worth your time, drawn from 552 tracked places in Russia. No one pays to appear on it, and the order is refreshed monthly as new reviews land.
Rather have a human do the planning? A Local Friend can build this trip for you, at local prices.