Five domes
Silver and gold.
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Saint Sophia Cathedral is a white stone church inside the Novgorod Kremlin, crowned with five silver-grey domes around a central golden one. Its walls are thick, its windows narrow, and its shape plain and imposing. It was built between 1045 and 1050 to replace an older wooden cathedral, and it is 38 m high. It is the oldest church in Russia outside the Caucasus and one of the oldest buildings in the country still in use. The name refers not to a saint called Sophia but to the Holy Wisdom of God, in imitation of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The main dome was gilded in 1408, and a sixth dome tops a tower leading to the upper galleries. You walk around the cathedral to see the domes from every side and stop at its old bronze west door. It is still a working church with regular services. It is about 350 m in a straight line from the city centre. Dress modestly; women should cover their heads to enter. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.
Silver and gold.
Old bronze.
Thick and plain.
Inside the Novgorod Kremlin, Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod Oblast
Yes, with regular services.
Modest clothes; head cover for women.
