Zenkov Cathedral (Almaty)
A colourful 1907 Russian Orthodox cathedral built almost entirely of wood, which survived a major earthquake in 1911.
About
The cathedral stands in the middle of Panfilov Park, a tall, tiered building painted in pastel yellow, green and pink, with golden domes and a slender bell tower. It looks more like a toy palace than a church.
Inside, the walls are covered with icons, and the air smells of candles and incense. Services are held regularly, and visitors may enter if they dress modestly and keep quiet. The park around it has a war memorial and a market-like bustle on weekends.
History
The Ascension Cathedral, known as the Zenkov Cathedral, was built between 1904 and 1907 to a design by the architect Andrei Zenkov, when Almaty was the Russian garrison town of Verny. It is made of wood, using Tien Shan spruce, and it is often said to have been built without a single nail, with the beams fitted together by joints. In January 1911, a powerful earthquake destroyed much of Verny, but the wooden cathedral survived with only minor damage, which was seen as a proof of its sound construction. After the Russian Revolution the church was closed in 1929 and used for other purposes, including as a museum and as a radio station, and the bells were removed. In 1995 the cathedral was returned to the Orthodox Church and restored, and it is now an active place of worship and a major tourist attraction. At about 56 metres tall, it is one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world.