The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia, is the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the country and the third tallest in the world. It stands near the Kremlin on the northern bank of the Moskva River. The original 19th-century cathedral, built to commemorate Russia’s victory over Napoleon, was demolished in 1931 under Stalin’s orders to make way for the Palace of the Soviets—a project that was never completed due to World War II. The site was later turned into a massive outdoor swimming pool during the Soviet era.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian Orthodox Church received permission in 1990 to rebuild the cathedral. Reconstruction began in 1995, funded largely by public donations from Muscovites. The new cathedral, designed as a near-replica of the original, was completed in 2000. It now includes a large hall beneath the church for assemblies, several chapels, and a monument to Alexander II. A footbridge was also constructed to improve access to the site.

Since its reopening, the cathedral has hosted major religious and national events, including the canonization of Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 2000 and the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion in 2007. It also served as the site for the funeral of former president Boris Yeltsin. In 2012, it drew international attention when members of the punk group Pussy Riot staged an anti-Putin protest performance, leading to the arrest and imprisonment of three participants.