Large Christian church. The largest Orthodox churches in the world

Cathedral of Christ the Savior

height: 103 meters

Saint Isaac's Cathedral

height: 101.5 meters

Transfiguration Cathedral

height: 96 meters

The Transfiguration Cathedral is an Orthodox cathedral in Khabarovsk, built on the steep bank of the Amur in 2001-2004. According to a number of sources, it is the third tallest church in Russia after the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow and St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, as well as the tallest building in Khabarovsk.
The height of the domes of the Transfiguration Cathedral is 83 meters, the height with crosses is 95 meters. For comparison, the height of the Radio House, located next to the temple, is a little over 40 meters. The temple was designed by architects Yuri Zhivetiev, Nikolai Prokudin and Evgeny Semyonov. The frescoes inside the temple (on the dome of the Almighty Savior and the Apostles) were made by a group of Moscow artists, specially invited to Khabarovsk on this occasion by Bishop Mark of Khabarovsk and Amur. Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral is able to simultaneously receive three thousand parishioners.

Smolny Cathedral

height: 93.7 meters

Smolny Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Smolny Cathedral) is part of the architectural ensemble of the Smolny Monastery, which is located in St. Petersburg on the left bank of the Neva on Smolnaya Embankment. It is also a concert venue for classical music.
According to the layout of the ensemble of the Smolny Monastery (stored in the Museum of the Academy of Arts), a high 140-meter five-tiered bell tower was to be built. Thus, the height of this bell tower by 18 meters would exceed the height of the spire of the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, and could become the tallest building in Europe. The first tier of the bell tower was supposed to serve as a triumphal arch - the main entrance to the monastery, the second - the gate church, and the belfries were to be located in the remaining three. The bell tower was to be completed by a small turret with three round windows and a dome with a cross crowning it.
However, contrary to popular belief, the ensemble of the Smolny Monastery was left without a bell tower at the behest of Rastrelli himself, and not because of a lack of funds (the construction of the bell tower was suspended in 1756, before Russia entered the Seven Years' War), although both of these facts could become decisive.

and here is the layout of "Smolny"

Alexander Nevsky New Fair Cathedral

height: 87 meters

The Cathedral of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky (Novoyarmarochny) is an Orthodox cathedral (since 2009) in Nizhny Novgorod. It was built in 1868-1881 according to the project of the architect L.V. Dahl.
In the protruding western vestibule, on the choirs of the large cathedral, there is the winter church of Macarius Zheltovodsky and Unzhensky.
In 1856, the fair merchants expressed a desire to build a second Orthodox fair temple in memory of Emperor Alexander II's visit to the fair and applied for the construction of a new cathedral to Bishop Anthony of Nizhny Novgorod, who, in turn, to Governor A. N. Muravyov. Donations were collected. The necessary funds (454 thousand 667 rubles 28 kopecks) were collected over 10 years.
On September 8, 1864, a symbolic laying of a stone in the foundation of the future temple took place. By 1864, the project of the provincial architect R. Ya. Kilevein was ready. It had to be reworked due to insufficient strength; after that, it turned out that there was not enough funding for such a project. The new project proposed by the young architect L.V. Dahl was also not approved.
On November 18, 1865, the project of the church was approved by the government. The authorship of the government-approved project has not yet been established accurately. In 1866, L. V. Dal returned to Nizhny Novgorod for permanent residence from abroad and finalized the design of the cathedral.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

height: 85 meters

Cathedral of the Annunciation is an Orthodox church of the Russian Orthodox Church, located in the center of the city of Voronezh. It was built according to the project of the architect V.P. Shevelev in the Russian-Byzantine style. The cathedral is located on Revolution Avenue on the territory of Pervomaisky Garden. Construction was carried out from 1998 to 2009. The construction of the temple was blessed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II during his visit to Voronezh.
In Voronezh, the Annunciation Cathedral (until 1836), the Smolensk Trinity Cathedral (closed in 1932), and the Intercession Cathedral (from 1948 to the present) had the status of a cathedral. The first two cathedrals were destroyed in their time.
Different researchers give different dates for the founding of the Cathedral of the Annunciation. Metropolitan of Kiev Eugene (Bolkhotnikov) believed that it was founded in 1620. Others believed that the date of foundation should be taken as 1586, that is, the year the city of Voronezh was founded.
Initially, the Church of the Annunciation was built of wood. Due to frequent fires, the temple was rebuilt, sometimes even moved to another place.

Savior on Spilled Blood

height: 81 meters

The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on Blood or the Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg is an Orthodox memorial single-altar church in the name of the Resurrection of Christ; It was built in memory of the fact that on this place on March 1, 1881, as a result of an assassination attempt, Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded (the expression on the blood indicates the blood of the king). The temple was built as a monument to the Tsar-Martyr with funds collected from all over Russia.
It is located in the historical center of St. Petersburg on the banks of the Griboedov Canal next to the Mikhailovsky Garden and Konyushennaya Square, not far from the Field of Mars. The height of the nine-domed temple is 81 m, the capacity is up to 1600 people. It is a museum and a monument of Russian architecture.
On March 1, 1881, on the embankment of the Catherine Canal, Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded as a result of an attack by the Narodnaya Volya terrorist I. I. Grinevitsky.
Already on March 2, at an emergency meeting, the City Duma asked Emperor Alexander III, who had ascended the throne, "to allow the city public administration to erect ... a chapel or a monument at the expense of the city." He replied: "It would be desirable to have a church ... and not a chapel." However, it was still decided to build a temporary chapel.
The project was entrusted to the architect L. N. Benois. The work was carried out quickly, so that on April 17, 1881, the chapel was consecrated and commemorative requiems began to be held in it. It cost practically nothing to the Duma: it was installed by the merchant of the 1st guild Gromov, the construction work was paid for by the merchant Militin, who also became the headman. This chapel remained on the embankment until the beginning of the construction of the temple - until the spring of 1883, after which it was moved to Konyushennaya Square, where it stood for another 9 years and was finally dismantled.

Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral

height: 80 meters

Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral (Trinity Cathedral) - Orthodox Cathedral on Trinity Square in the Admiralteysky district of St. Petersburg. The full name is the Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment.
The parish of the temple belongs to the St. Petersburg diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, is part of the Admiralty deanery district. Rector - Archpriest Gennady Bartov.
Under Emperor Peter I, a wooden chapel stood on this site.
After the flood, the architect V.P. Stasov was asked to develop a project for a new stone church. At the same time, the old wooden church should have remained a model.
The laying of the new church was made on May 13 (25), 1828 by Metropolitan Seraphim (Glagolevsky). The celebration was attended by Empress Maria Feodorovna and Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich. The construction was carried out at the personal expense of Emperor Nicholas I and government money. The cost of building the cathedral was 3 million rubles. Four years later, the building was rough ready and interior decoration began. During the construction process, it was necessary to restore the dome, which was torn down by a storm on February 23 (March 7), 1834, and rewrite some of the images.

Trinity Cathedral

height: 78 meters

The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Pskov is an Orthodox church, the cathedral of the Pskov and Velikoluksky diocese. It is part of the architectural ensemble of the Pskov Krom and is its main building.
Today's fourth building of the cathedral was built in 1699, in the same place where the previous temples stood. The first cathedral, built in the 10th century, by order of Princess Olga, was wooden, and stood until the first half of the 12th century, when it was destroyed by fire. The second cathedral was already made of stone and, according to church legend, was founded in 1138 by the holy noble prince Vsevolod Mstislavich.
In 1363 the vault of the temple collapsed and in 1365 a new cathedral was laid on the old foundation. In 1609, during a strong fire, a gunpowder warehouse exploded in the Kremlin, and the third building of the cathedral was destroyed by the blast wave. In 1699, the construction of the fourth cathedral, which has survived to this day, was completed.

Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery

height: 77 meters

Nikolo-Ugresh Monastery is an Orthodox male stauropegial monastery. Located at the address: Moscow region, mountains. Dzerzhinsky, St. Nicholas Square, 1 (m. Lyublino).
The monastery was founded in 1380 by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy on the site of the appearance of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. According to legend, it was in this place that the army of the Grand Duke stopped to rest on the way to the Kulikov field. The appearance of the icon strengthened Dmitry Donskoy with faith and hope, which is why the Holy Blessed Prince said “This is all sinning my heart” (“It all warmed my heart”). Since then, this place has been called Ugresha, and the monastery itself has been called Nikolo-Ugreshsky.
The monastery was repeatedly burned and ruined, but quickly restored. In 1521, the monastery was burned to the ground during a raid on Moscow by the Crimean Khan Mehmed I Giray, but, as in previous cases, it was quickly restored.

Ascension Cathedral

height: 74.6 meters

The Ascension Military Cathedral is an Orthodox church in Novocherkassk, the second cathedral of the Rostov and Novocherkassk diocese and the main temple of the Don Cossacks. The remains of the Don atamans M. I. Platov, V. V. Orlov-Denisov, I. E. Efremov, Ya. P. Baklanov are buried here.
After the Ruski brothers left Russia in 1818, the construction of the cathedral was continued by the architect Amvrosimov. In 1846, during the reduction of the main dome, part of the temple suddenly collapsed. The same thing happened in 1863 with the second version of the cathedral, built according to the project of I. O. Valprede.
Initially, all the domes of the cathedral were covered with pure gold, and the main cross was inlaid with rock crystal. The height of the central dome with a cross reaches 74.6 meters. In Soviet times, the gilded copper coating was removed from the domes, instead the temple was to be covered with sheets of iron, but this was not done for a long time and the building was constantly exposed to the elements of nature - it was flooded, covered with snow, and the heating system was also disabled. In 1903-1923 the priest-martyr Zacharias (Lobov) was the dean of the cathedral. In 1934, the Ascension Cathedral was closed, the building itself was used as a warehouse.
The cathedral was reopened in 1942, during the German occupation. In the post-war years, a food warehouse was located in the basement, and church services were held upstairs. In 2001, large-scale restoration work began. In 2005, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Novocherkassk and the 100th anniversary of the opening of the cathedral, the restoration of the facade of the building was successfully completed. A system of lighting and projections of biblical scenes on the facade is equipped. In 2010-2011, the domes were again covered with gold sheets, and a rock crystal stone was inserted into the cross.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior

height: 73 meters

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is the main Orthodox church in Kaliningrad, designed by architect Oleg Kopylov. Designed for 3,000 people. Height (up to the cross) reaches 73 meters. The temple is located on the central square of Kaliningrad - Victory Square. The temple was built in the style of Vladimir-Suzdal temple architecture.
It has been under construction since 1995 (the foundation stone has been installed). In 1996, the President of Russia B. Yeltsin and Metropolitan Kirill laid a capsule with earth taken from the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior at the base of the building. The construction was actively promoted by the governor of the region L. Gorbenko.
The upper Church of the Resurrection of Christ was consecrated on September 10, 2006 by Patriarch Alexy II, the consecration was timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the opening of the first Orthodox church in Kaliningrad.
The lower temple serves as a temple of military glory and is a memorial temple in memory of Russian soldiers who died in the Seven Years' War, Napoleonic Wars, World War I and World War II in East Prussia, the current Kaliningrad region.

Cathedrals and churches have always been built on a special scale. The main task of any architect was the construction of a majestic, unusual and eye-catching building. There was a serious struggle for who would build a taller and larger structure. I suggest you get acquainted with the highest and largest cathedrals in the world

We have already talked in detail about each of these cathedrals, so the article will provide links to a more detailed description. Let's arrange all these structures in descending order:

1. The tallest religious building in the world is Ulm Cathedral - its height together with the spire is 161.5 meters. It is also notable for the fact that its construction dragged on for more than 5 centuries, from 1377 to 1890, when the spire was completed.

4. The fourth largest, immortalized by Claude Monet, Rouen Cathedral in France. Its construction was started in 1020, height - 151 meters

5. On the 5th place, not restored after the Second World War, is St. Nicholas Cathedral in Hamburg. Its height is 147 meters

7. Located in Poland The Basilica of the Blessed Mary of the Virgin of Lichen, its height is only half a meter lower than the Strasbourg Cathedral - 141.5 meters

8. The height of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna is 136.4 meters. The Gothic Cathedral is the main attraction of Vienna, which is not surprising

9. The new cathedral in Linz rises to 134.8 meters. Was built in 1924

10. The famous St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican closes the top ten. Its height is 136.4 meters, which is not much lower than the rest of the second five cathedrals, but in terms of area it is one of the largest in the world.

As an addition, I want to add another cathedral to this list, which impressed me a lot. This is St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, although its height is only 96.5 meters, it is no less majestic than the rest of the buildings on this list. In addition, it is one of the longest cathedrals in the world, with a main nave 124 meters long.

Religious communities of the world staged a tacit competition, which of them will be able to build the most beautiful and largest temple. Later, these churches turned into architectural masterpieces, attracting crowds of tourists. The most majestic temples were created by great architects of different eras, and their construction sometimes dragged on for centuries. This review helps to find out which is the largest church in the world?

1. Ulm Cathedral, Germany (161.5 m)

The laying of this grandiose temple took place in 1377. The construction, which was led by Ulrich von Enzingen, began in 1392, and already in 1405 it was basically completed, after which the church was consecrated and regular services began to be held there. Although at that moment the construction had to be interrupted due to the miscalculations of the architect - the side aisles could not withstand the weight of the vaults. Initially, it served as a Catholic church, but when the wave of the Reformation swept across Europe, the church came under the control of the Lutherans.
Already under the Lutherans in 1530-1543, construction was finally continued, and then its spire rose 100 meters. After that, due to lack of funds, construction was interrupted for centuries. Finally, the third stage of construction took place in 1817-1890, when the church was finally completed. In 1944, as a result of the bombing, most of the historical center of Ulm was destroyed, but the church miraculously survived.
By the way, this is a church, not a cathedral, because the status of a cathedral is awarded to a temple in which there is an episcopal residence. But the high priest of Ulm lives in Stuttgart, which has been customary since medieval times. And they call this church a "cathedral" solely because of its colossal size, which makes a strong impression.

2. Notre Dame de la Paix, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast (158 m)

This basilica is remarkable from several sides at once. It is located on the Black Continent, and in fact there only a fifth of the population is Christian. We are used to seeing such buildings in old Europe, which has a lot of majestic Gothic. But in 1983, President Felix Bouani decided to move the country's capital to the city of Yamoussoukro and build this majestic basilica there. His goal was to build the largest church in the world and thereby perpetuate his name. Therefore, on its stained-glass windows, next to Christ and the apostles, the face of Buani is also visible.
The construction of the basilica lasted from 1985 to 1989, and it cost the treasury 300 million dollars. But although North Dame de la Paix surpasses the famous St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican in area and height, its interior space turned out to be much more modest - it can accommodate no more than 18 thousand believers, while in the main Catholic church this number is much higher. The then pontiff John Paul II put forward one condition for his participation in the consecration ceremony of the temple - that a hospital be built next to it. He was promised this, after which he laid the symbolic first stone not far from the place where the church now stands. The stone still lies there, but the hospital did not exist, and still does not exist.

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3. Cologne Cathedral, Germany (157.4 m)

The official name is the Cathedral of St. Peter and the Holy Virgin Mary, although for most it is known simply as Cologne Cathedral. It serves as a global reference for High Gothic architecture. At the time of construction, it became the tallest building in the world and remained so for another 4 years. Its dominants are two majestic towers. The area of ​​the cathedral occupies approximately 7914 square meters. m. The Cathedral is the main temple of the Cologne Archdiocese, and its construction was divided into two historical periods: the first stage fell on the years 1248-1437, and the second - 1842-1880.
The exterior and interiors of the temple have a typical Gothic style. Particular attention is drawn to the largest choirs in Germany, where 104 singers can sing. There are also two armchairs in the temple, always free during worship: one of them is intended for the Pope, and the other for the Emperor. Here is also the famous relic - the cancer of the three kings (Magi) - a golden sarcophagus, which contains the ashes of the very three Magi who, judging by the Bible, brought gifts to the newborn Christ in Bethlehem. For Christians, this is an incredibly attractive object for pilgrimage; every year millions of believers come to pray to them in the Cologne Cathedral.

4. Rouen Cathedral, France (151 m)

Notre Dame Cathedral is located in the ancient French city, it has become a monument of the country's national heritage. Until the completion of the Cologne Cathedral in 1880, it was Rouen Cathedral that was the tallest building in the world. It is clear that he still holds the title of the highest temple in France and is at the same time a masterpiece of the Gothic style of architecture. Its oldest part is the northern tower of Saint-Romain, which was built in 1145. In 1944, it was almost completely burned out as a result of the bombing, only stone walls remained.
The South Oil Tower is much younger (1485). The current nave of the church appeared in 1200, because the previous Romanesque nave collapsed as a result of a fire. Among the original architecture, only the northern portal of John the Theologian has survived, which depicts scenes from the life of John the Baptist and John the Theologian. After 1769, the portal was repeatedly restored. And two more portals in the 16th century were badly damaged. The archbishop's palace, which is part of the complex with the cathedral, is as old as the Gothic temple itself.

5. St. Nicholas Cathedral, Hamburg, Germany (147.3 m)

The neo-gothic church of St. Nicholas became one of the five Lutheran churches in Hamburg and the second tallest building in this city after the memorial to the victims of the arbitrariness of the Nazi regime and the last world war. A wooden church was built here in the 11th century, and in 1335 the construction of a stone building began. Centuries-old construction was completed only in 1874 under the leadership of the Englishman George Scott. 2 more years after the completion of construction, the church was the tallest building in the world.
In 1943, massive bombardments hit the port of Hamburg, as a result of which only the tower remained from the temple. The church continued to crumble after the war (1951). Only in 1990, its restoration began, managed by the "Salvation of the Church of St. Nicholas" Foundation. Now instead of the church there are ruins, called a memorial to the victims of World War II. In 2005, an elevator was built there, in which visitors can go up to the top of the church, where a platform is installed under the spire, from which there is an excellent view of Hamburg.

6. Strasbourg Cathedral, France (142 m)

The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, now the French city of Strasbourg, has been the tallest building in the world for over two centuries. It is still considered unfinished, but this does not prevent it from being one of the most beautiful Gothic buildings in Europe. It stands on a low hill where the ancient Roman temple used to be. During the construction, red Vosges sandstone was used. The construction of the cathedral began in 1015, and over the following centuries it was repeatedly transformed and completed. The east wing of the building, the choir stalls and the south portal are built in the Romanesque style, while the nave and the famous west facade, which is decorated with thousands of sculptures, are recognized as Gothic masterpieces. Due to the unfinished south tower, the cathedral looks asymmetrical.

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7. Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of Lichen, Lichen Stary, Poland (141.5 m)

This basilica has become a spiritual symbol of the new revival of Poland and the largest church in this country. Contrary to tradition, this church was built in just 10 years (1994-2004) in the Polish village of Likhen-Stary, and an extensive architectural and park complex spread around it. The place for construction is not accidental - according to legend, in the 19th century, it was here that the Mother of God appeared to two Poles, after which, in 1852, a miraculous icon appeared in the local parish church. Now from afar you can see the impressive dome of the basilica covered with gold (height 45 m, diameter 25 m). It is supported by a two-level reinforced concrete colonnade supported by 4 reinforced concrete pillars. 7,000 sitting or 10,000 standing parishioners can pray in the temple, and there is enough space for 250,000 people in the square in front of the basilica.

8. St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, Austria (136.4 m)

The luxurious Viennese temple - St. Stephen's Cathedral is the residence of the cardinal-archbishop, and its 137-meter tower has become one of the symbols of the capital of Austria. The very first temple on this site arose in 1137-1147, and it increased to its current size during the 13th-15th centuries, until it acquired its modern look in 1511.
The bombings of World War II, fortunately, did not affect him, as did the offensive of the Red Army. It was later plundered and set on fire by marauders. A group of volunteers restored the base of the cathedral in 1948, but the restoration work here has not stopped to this day. Catacombs were dug under the building, in which the dead were buried in the era of Charles VI, who forbade the burial of the dead in the old cemeteries located within the city. To this day, the highest representatives of the clergy are buried in the bishop's crypt inside the cathedral, the last time this happened in 2014.

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9. New Cathedral, Linz, Austria (134.8 m)

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary or simply the New Cathedral is a Catholic church located in Linz, Austria. In Austria, it has no equal in capacity - 20,000 people. Its Gothic-style construction began in 1855 under the patronage of Bishop Franz Josef Rudiger. True, the first stone was laid only in 1862. After construction was completed in 1924, the church was consecrated by Bishop Johannes Maria Gfollner. It is noteworthy that this cathedral has 5 chapels, each of which is decorated with marble altars and beautiful marble statues. Some of the stained glass windows were damaged during the last war, especially the southern portal of the cathedral. They were never restored in their original form, and stained-glass windows on modern themes appeared instead.

10. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican (132.5 m)

This main Catholic temple of the world is the pearl of all Rome. The basilica was named so because, according to legend, under it is the tomb of the Apostle Peter. Inside this grandiose temple, many large European temples could fit entirely. The height of the dome of the basilica, crowned with a cross, is 136 meters. No building should be built above it in Rome. The construction of the cathedral took half a century, and it was completed in 1607. It was created by different generations of the greatest masters of the Renaissance: Raphael, Bramante, Michelangelo, Bernini. The cathedral can accommodate up to 60,000 people and another 400,000 will fit in St. Peter's Square.

Temples have long been seen as the place where earth meets heaven. The architects sought to make this connection more tangible, which is why there are many very tall churches in the world.

1. Height 161.5 m Ulm Cathedral (1377-1890) Ulm Germany

High temples made the connection tangible between earth and sky

The tallest temple is Ulm Cathedral. Height 161.5 m

3. Height 157.4 m Cologne Cathedral (1248-1880) The highest church in the world with two identical towers. 533 steps lead to a height of 100 meters. Koln. Germany

4. Height 151 m Rouen Cathedral (1877). The tallest cast iron tower in the world. Rouen. France

5. Height 147.3 m Cathedral of St. Nicholas (1874). Not restored after World War II, left as a monument. Hamburg. Germany

6. Height 142 m Strasbourg Cathedral (1439). From 1625 to 1874 the tallest structure of mankind. Strasbourg. France

7. Height 141.5 m Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of Lichen (2004). Likhen-Stary. Poland

8. Height 136.4 m St. Stephen's Cathedral (1433). Vein. Austria

9. Height 134.8 m New Cathedral (1924). Linz. Austria

10. Height 132.5 m St. Peter's Cathedral Petersdom (1626) Vatican

11. Height 132.2 m St. Peter's Cathedral First built in 1516. Restored after the Hamburg fire in 1878. Hamburg. Germany

12. Height 132 m Church of St. Michael (1786). Called colloquially "Michel". Hamburg. Germany

13. Height 130.6 m Cathedral of St. Martin (1500) Landshut. Germany

14. Height 129 m Oratory of St. Joseph (1917-1967) Montreal. Canada

15. Height 125.4 m Church of St. Jacob (1962) Hamburg. Germany

16. Height 124.9 m Church of St. Mary (1350) Lubeck. Germany

17. Height 124 m Cathedral in Maring (1959-1972) Maring. Brazil

18. Height 123.7 m Church of St. Olaf (1267) At the turn of the 16th century, the height reached 159 meters, which allowed it to be considered the tallest building in the world from 1549, when the tower of Lincoln Cathedral collapsed, until its own misfortune, a fire in 1625 Tallinn. Estonia

19. Height 123.5 m Church of St. Peter (1209-1690). Riga. Latvia.

20. Height 123.1 m Salisbury Cathedral (1220-1258). Salisbury. Great Britain

Ulm is a German city with the tallest cathedral in the world. Also in Germany, in the cities of Cologne and Hamburg, there are two more of the five highest churches on the planet.

These include the French cathedral at Rouen and the grandiose basilica at Yamoussoukro, the capital of the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire. The article provides a brief description, history and photographs of the highest cathedral in the world, as well as four churches that have slightly lost to him in this championship.

Ulm Cathedral

With a stunning Gothic (total height of 162 m) is located in the center of the German city of Ulm, on the spacious Marktplatz square. This cathedral is the highest in the world, it rises above all other city buildings, it can be seen from the Danube and even areas located on the opposite bank. The laying of the Catholic church took place in 1377. The predominant part of the building was erected in the period from 1392 to 1405, after which the consecration ceremony was performed, and the church received the first parishioners. Although Ulm Cathedral remained unfinished according to plan, construction work stopped as the vaults reached the maximum weight that the walls of the side aisles could support.

After the resumption of construction in 1530-1543, the building, together with the bell tower, reached a height of 100 m. Due to the strengthening of Protestantism in Germany, the cathedral became Lutheran by the middle of the 16th century, which it still remains. The last stage of construction work took place from 1817 to 1890, after which the completed temple with its openwork tent of the bell tower became the tallest cathedral in the world. During the bombing by American aircraft in 1944, the city turned into ruins, but the building remained untouchable and was not damaged at all. Its magnificent architecture and interior design invariably attract many tourists to Ulm, which is not rich in sights.

Notre Dame de la Paix

This 158-meter basilica lacks a little more than four meters to be revered as the tallest cathedral in the world. But the 30,000 sq. meters is considered the largest church on the planet, which is recorded by the World Book of Records. It is located in Yamoussoukro, the new capital of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, once called the Ivory Coast. Erected in honor of the Mother of God of the World, the church became a copy of the Roman Cathedral of St. Peter, surpassing it in height and area, as well as striving to compete with the main temple of the Vatican in beauty and luxury.

The construction of such a large-scale Catholic sanctuary in a very poor African country, where Christians make up 33% of the population and Muslims 39%, was the decision of President Felix Houphouet-Boignype. From the beginning of construction in 1985 to its completion in 1989, about 300 million US dollars were spent, which doubled the republic's external debt per capita, exceeding the similar indicators of all African countries.

It is curious that the consecration of the cathedral took place after the completion of its construction in 1989. At the request of the president to consecrate the temple, the Pope put forward a condition: a state hospital should be built near Notre Dame de la Paix. After the president's promise to build a hospital, the pontiff himself laid a stone near the completed church, which served as the foundation for the building and is usually considered the first in temple construction. The consecration ceremony took place in September 1990, personally conducted by John Paul II, and a month and a half later, the Vatican decided to give the cathedral the honorary position of a minor basilica.

Cologne Cathedral

The 157-meter temple, which took the third position in the list of the tallest, again directs attention to the medieval Cathedral in rich and powerful Cologne, was originally conceived as a large-scale and majestic structure that overshadows other temples. It was supposed not only to be the main cathedral and the residence of the archbishop, but also as a repository of the remains of the Three Kings (Holy Magi). The relic was received from the emperor Barbarossa in gratitude for the service by the military leader Rainald von Dassel in 1164, after which he moved it to Cologne. From precious metals and stones for the relics, a shrine was built for ten years, which is considered a masterpiece of Romanesque art. This shrine, along with no less valuable relics, the staff and monstrance of St. Peter is still kept in the cathedral.

In 1248, the first stone was laid by the Archbishop of Cologne, which marked the founding of the cathedral. This was followed by the first, almost two-century stage of construction, which lasted from 1248 to 1437. The structure was erected in accordance with the design of Gerhard von Riehl, the first and main architect of the Cologne Cathedral. Separate work on the installation of the roof continued until the beginning of the 16th century. However, the cathedral was without towers, and a number of works remained unfinished.

Financing and construction resumed from 1842, and in 1863 the construction of two identical towers began. By mid-October 1880, they were completed and reached a height of 157 meters. On this, the construction of the Cologne Cathedral, which as a whole lasted 632 years, was completely completed. The building is included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list, it impresses with its ancient grandeur and Gothic beauty, although it is not the tallest cathedral in the world. Photos only remotely convey its legendary splendor and monumentality.

Rouen Cathedral

Reaching 151 meters, this temple is famous for being crowned by the world's tallest cast iron tower. The history of the Rouen Cathedral is marked by a series of destruction and restoration. Among the tallest churches on the planet, this building, perhaps, can be called the most ancient.

The construction of the Romanesque building began in the 1020s; the crypt has been preserved from the architecture of those times. The Romanesque nave collapsed after a fire, and after 1200 a new, Gothic one took its place. All parts of the church were gradually replaced, and the current image of the cathedral is fully consistent with the architectural canons of the Gothic. In the XVIII century, significant damage was caused by a strong hurricane. But the largest destruction was caused by air strikes on the city during military operations in the spring of 1944. The most ancient element of the Rouen Cathedral was the tower of Saint-Romain built in 1145, from which, after the bombardment on April 1, only the charred walls of the base remained. An explosion on 19 April severely damaged the chapels and nave, and the north tower burned out on 31 May. The last damage to the building was the damage to the bell tower after the December 1999 storm. Due to the frequent destruction of the temple is subject to constant reconstruction. Today, the current Rouen Cathedral is a monument of French national heritage.

Cathedral of Saint Nicholas

The architecture of most Christian churches includes bell towers, spiers and towers. The vertical dimensions of the temples are mainly indicated by their height. The tallest cathedrals in the world include a 147-meter tower in the German city of Hamburg. It belonged to the Lutheran church of St. Nicholas, the ruins of which have been preserved from war times as a reminder of the victims of the arbitrariness of 1933-1945. Inside the tower there is an elevator that takes you up to the observation deck, located under the very spire. And nearby in the pavilion is a museum of the history of the temple. In terms of height, the tower structure is considered the second building in Hamburg and the fifth among the tallest cathedrals on the planet.

Orthodox churches

The highest Orthodox cathedral is the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. It reaches 122.5 m and ranks 22nd in the world ranking of the tallest churches. Once Russian tsars were buried in it, now it is an inactive temple and an architectural monument. Until the middle of the last century, the cathedral was the highest building in Russia, and until 2012 - in St. Petersburg. Among the active Orthodox (103 m) in Moscow is considered to be the highest today. It is followed by St. Isaac's Cathedral (101.5 m) in St. Petersburg.