Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

This grandiose neo-Byzantine Russian Orthodox church was completed in 1861 by tsar Alexander II’s architect Roman Kouzmine, who was also responsible for the Fine Arts Academy in St Petersburg. The cathedral was envisaged as a social hub at a time when Russian emigration towards Paris was on the rise, and it continues to be the nucleus of the city’s Russian community today. The building has welcomed all sorts of high-profile guests in its time, with Picasso’s marriage to Olga Khokhlova and Vassily Kandinsky’s funeral both taking place here. The church is open to visitors on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays from 3pm-5pm.