Stock photography, photos: Russian Cathedral at Dusk Stock photos of Cathedral of Christ the Savior at Dusk. This cathedral was originally built under Tsar Alexander I to celebrate Napoleon's defeat in 1812 in gratitude to Christ the Saviour for saving Russia from the doom that overshadowed Her and as a memorial to the sacrifices of the Russian people. After several designs and redesigns, and the relocation of an existing convent and church, construction began in 1839, ending in 1860; interior frescos required another 20 years to complete. The Cathedral was consecrated May 26, 1883, the day Alexander III was crowned. In 1931, under the Soviets, following the revolution, the Cathedral was razed, to be replaced by a huge sculpture of Lenin. When funds were unavailable for project, the site became a huge public swimming pool. When the Soviet regime ended, at the request of the Russian Orthodox Church, reconstruction of the Cathedral began in 1992 and ended with its consecration on August 19, 2000. Its elevated location makes it visible from all of central Moscow. Photograph: © Bernard Epstein Click for a larger image and more information Keywords associated with this stock photo: Russia, Moscow, Chirst, Savior, Saviour, religion, religious, Orthodox, church, deity, god, golden, domes, gilded, River, reflections, Benrie Epstein