Uspenski is the Slovenic church term for "Mother of God." It's the name of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe, and sits on a hill in Katajanokka peninsula, just a short pedestrian bridge away from touristy Market Square in central Helsinki.
Uspenski is quite a contrast from the austere white Lutheran cathedral that sits on the next hill over. Uspenski, consecrated in 1868, was built with warm red brick, most of which was left over from buildings destroyed during the Crimean War.
The inside seems suprisingly small, but boasts massive granite collonades adorned with paintings of the apostles, and a sky-blue cupola. The front altarpiece is a wall of saints and angels. Jesus hovers over the "royal doors" which are only opened by clergymen during holidays.
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