Saint Basil's Cathedral
Moscow
One of my favorite parts of our trip was getting to explore a lot of Orthodox cathedrals. Words fail to describe how stunningly gorgeous they are and unfortunately I was only able to get pictures inside one of them. Their outsides are covered with ornate decorations and murals of Christ, his Mother and the saints. The roofs are onion-shaped, topped with crosses and often covered with gold (the symbol of heaven and eternity) or a mix of blue paint and gold accents (blue being the color of piety and humility). But it was the inside of the churches that truly took my breath away. From the moment I stepped in the door, my eyes were overwhelmed by the beauty and color. Chandeliers and gold accents threw light on walls covered from ceiling to floor in brightly colored murals. Every inch of the building was a theological statement, meant to convey some truth about God or teach lessons through the lives of holy men and women. One can only imagine the enormous financial and physical effort put into making these buildings. In Saint Basil's alone, the murals took 350 years to complete.
Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Moscow
The Soviets blew it up and turned the resulting low ground into a public swimming pool. It was recently rebuilt.
In contrast to all this heavenly beauty was the knowledge we gained about the Soviet occupation of Russia. We learned how the atheistic Soviet regime oppressed religion in Russia. Churches were blown up, the great bells were stolen and melted down, stained glass windows were taken from Moscow churches and used to decorate the metro stations. In Saint Petersburg, our guide told us how the cathedral of St. Isaac was turned into a museum of atheism which the government used to show people in an attempt to turn them against the church. Tour groups were brought into the church and Soviet officials spoke derisively about the great waste of resources used to make these churches that honor a God who the regime insisted didn't exist. Our guide explained that monasteries were also treated as tourist sites and the monks there were openly mocked by visitors for living lives devoted to a non-existent Deity. The more I thought about all this, the more one question became a recurring theme in my head. What do Orthodox cathedrals have to teach me about the nature and worship of God?
While I was in Russia, an American friend posted this article to facebook that helped me articulate what I had been feeling all week. In it, Orthodox Bishop Kallistos Ware explains the reason why the Church makes their buildings so ornate. They are trying to emulate the beauty of heaven, to help the congregation worship with another, realer, more beautiful realm in mind. Legend says that when the Russian prince Vladimir l sent out emissaries to explore and report on the main religions of the time he decided upon Eastern Orthodoxy in part because of their description of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. "We knew not," they said, "whether we were in heaven or on earth. For surely there is no such beauty anywhere on the earth. Only this we know: that God dwells there among humankind and that their worship surpasses the worship of all other places; for we cannot forget that beauty." I can honestly say I know the feeling. It is a humbling thing to stand in the presence of such beauty and realize that this is what the Orthodox church thinks of God. He is great and glorious enough to be worthy of magnificent cathedrals that sparkle with gold and jewels, of painstaking artwork and staggering amounts of money and labor. The Soviets would say all that time and money would be better spent making life better for the common people. Perhaps they were half right. God certainly wants us to give our time and resources to help those in need. He would never want His people to spend all their time building pretty buildings and ignore the needs of His greatest creation, humankind. However, I've come to the conclusion that extravagant displays of devotion are not always a waste. Like the Tabernacle of the Old Testament, they serve to remind us just how truly wonderful God is. I found myself wondering if I honestly believe that about God. I give lip service to His greatness, but I would ever be willing to devote my money and talents to making something as exquisite as these churches?
Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Saint Petersburg
I was speechless in Russia's cathedrals more times than I can count. Over and over again I found myself in awe of the faith they revealed and the majesty they proclaimed. I also began to wonder what effect they had on visitors during Soviet times. The regime may have used them for anti-religious propaganda, but surely some of the people who entered felt the same sense of wonder I did. In the same article, Bishop Ware quotes Russian author Theodore Dostoyevsky, "Beauty will save the world". The cathedrals of Moscow and Saint Petersburg have stood for centuries, with a golden-domed glory that outlived Stalin. The elderly people I saw in prayer services, old enough to remember the Soviet Union yet participating in the service with the familiar air of lifelong devotion, are proof that they continued to point people's hearts towards God and Heaven, even in the darkest of times. They continue to serve their purpose well. They pulled my heart heavenwards too.
Cathedral of the Savior of Spilled Blood, Saint Petersburg
It's been turned into a museum so I was able to take pictures of the inside.
"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."
Revelation 4:11
