One of the largest orthodox churches in the world is the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. Being based on the site of an earlier church of the same name built in the 19th century to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon and having 44 years of construction that produced a magnificent history, it had to be destroyed in 1931 by the Soviet government under Joseph Stalin’s rule and carved into the Palace of the Soviets.
The documents state that the foundation was to blow up and the territory was cleaned for nearly 18 months, and transformed into a new open-air swimming pool building. The Palace of the Soviets was never built. After World War II and with the end of Soviet rule, the Russian church started rebuilding the cathedral of Christ the Saviour. There were donations from both Russian and foreign companies along with contributions from ordinary people until completion in 2000 after 6 years. The cathedral is now a marvel sight most visited by citizens and tourists.
