This magnificent cathedral was a prime restoration project of Moscow's Mayor Luzhkov. The original 19th-century cathedral at the site (commemorating Russia's victory over Napoleon) was dynamited in 1931 on Stalin's orders to make way for a gigantic skyscraper topped by a 10-story statue of Lenin. When the ground at the site was found to be too soft for such a project, the area was turned into a giant swimming pool. The gold-and-white exterior of the rebuilt, onion-domed structure is especially impressive. Daily 10 am-6 pm, closed the last Monday of the month. A tour of the cathedral, including entrance to a sightseeing platform at the top, is available for 20 rubles. 4 Volkhonka Ulitsa (a few blocks south and west of the Kremlin, near the Kropotkinskaya Metro station), Moscow. Phone 495-201-2847 for tours; 495-202-4743, ext. 331, or 495-602-4717 for museum. http://www.xxc.ru.
