The positioning of this magnificent, onion-domed Russian Orthodox cathedral (completed in 1900) at the heart of the country's main administrative hub was no accident: many such churches were built in the last part of the 19th century as part of a general wave of Russification in the empire’s Baltic provinces. Orthodox believers come here in droves, alongside tourists ogling the interior’s striking icons and frescoes and snapping its eye-catching profile. Respectful, demurely dressed visitors are welcome, but cameras aren't.
The cathedral's 11 bells include one 15-ton behemoth, Tallinn's largest.