The Cathedral of St. Nicholas

The Cathedral of St. Nicholas
Originally uploaded by jakeyd.

Today I went for a long walk, longer than intended, because I got turned around on the way back. The destination was the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, which is a lot homier than the Cathedral of the Holy Ascension in Panfilov Park. Since I was intimidated about taking pictures inside the church or of people visiting, you’ll have to take a written description …… grandmas sitting outside in the sun frowning at my shorts, grandmas inside polishing the brass and scrubbing the floors, newly (re?)painted walls covered in murals of saints and New Testament stories, one small “wing” under renovation, the other little wing open and sunshine-filled with flowers in vases, paintings everywhere, brass everywhere, everything scrubbed and shiny and decorated. The feeling of a church that matters to its community. Years ago, it was used as a stable by the Bolshevik cavalry.