Europe
World’s Largest Orthodox Church Opens Doors to Divided Romania
The new cathedral in Bucharest costs more than $300 million, but the church transcends financial constraints in one of Europe’s most pious countries.
The National Cathedral, also known as the People's Salvation Cathedral, on Spirea's Hill in Bucharest on Oct. 10.
Photographer: Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty Images
With its gilded domes glistening on Bucharest’s skyline, more mosaics than anywhere else in the world and capacity for as many as 5,000 worshippers, the People’s Salvation Cathedral exudes power and opulence.
Yet after 15 years of construction, this weekend’s opening of the biggest Orthodox church on the planet comes at a less auspicious time for Romania.