Église Russe
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What's on here
Why go
- Nine gilded domes crown the church, representing the nine orders of angels.
- Giacomo Donati’s gold-background dome fresco depicts Christ Pantocrator surrounded by seraphim.
- The single-tier, five-arched iconostasis was carved in Florence from white Carrara marble.
Opening hours
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Don't miss
- Holy Face iconThis 16th-century icon is housed in a silver reliquary.Inside the church
- Tombs of bishops Léonty and AntonyThe brothers led the Geneva vicariate and archdiocese.Narthex
- Risen Christ stained-glass windowJules Monard and Jacques Wasem created this Art Nouveau window in 1927.Above the iconostasis
Know before you go
- Open daily, 09:00–17:00.
Services and visiting hours
- Religious life
- The church remains in active use under the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and serves Orthodox worshippers from diverse backgrounds. Russian monks from Mount Athos donated two large icons for its iconostasis. On 23 January 2016, Patriarch Kyrill I led the first patriarchal service in the cathedral’s history.
Interesting facts4
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The white building stone came from Seyssel in Haute-Savoie.
L’histoire de la cathédrale | Eglise russe de Genève -
Six massive pillars separate the main nave from two side naves.
L’histoire de la cathédrale | Eglise russe de Genève -
1979
The church became a cultural property of national importance in 1979.
Cathédrale de l'Exaltation-de-la-Sainte-Croix de Genève - Wikipedia -
Twenty-two stained-glass windows complete the interior decoration.
Cathédrale de l'Exaltation-de-la-Sainte-Croix de Genève - Wikipedia
Shorts
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Église Orthodoxe Russe de GenèveShabnam Sketch
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Église Orthodoxe Russe de GenèveShabnam Sketch
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Eglise Russe.. beautiful church in GenevaRitz Creativity
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Pope delivers stern warning to leader of Russian Orthodox Church over…CNBC Television
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Église Russe, Genève.Jairo Cardoso
History
Construction was funded by donations collected across Russia, including a substantial contribution from the imperial family. Among the church’s visitors were Nikita Magalov, Alexandre Soljenitsyne and Mstislav Rostropovich.
- 1854The Orthodox community began meeting in a rented house on Rue des Eaux-Vives.
- 1862Geneva authorities gave the community land for a church.
- 26 September 1863The church’s foundation stone was laid.
- 26 September 1866The church was consecrated.
- May 1868Sonia, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s first daughter, was baptized there; her funeral took place months later.
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- 1896Painter Mikhaïl Vroubel married opera singer Nadejda Zabela in the church.
- 1916The three naves were enlarged, and a bell tower with five bells was added above the central porch.
- 1966–1989Restoration began in 1966, paused for lack of funds, resumed in 1983 with public grants, and finished in 1989.
- 2014–2017A further restoration repaired water damage, replaced lower sections of the domes and restored the interior paintwork to its 1916 design.
Sources: Russian Church, Geneva - Wikipedia · Eglise russe de Genève | · L’histoire de la cathédrale | Eglise russe de G… · L’histoire de la cathédrale | Eglise russe de G… · Cattedrale dell'Esaltazione della Santa Croce (… · Kreuzerhöhungskathedrale (Genf) - Wikipedia · Cathédrale de l'Exaltation-de-la-Sainte-Croix d… · checked 29 Sep 2026
- Website
- eglise-russe.ch/
- Phone
- +41 22 346 47 09
Questions and answers
What are Eglise Russe’s opening hours?
Eglise Russe is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
Where is Eglise Russe in Geneva?
The address is Rue Rodolphe-Toepffer 9, 1206 Geneva, at the corner with Rue François-Le-Fort.
How do visitors enter Eglise Russe?
The entrance porch leads through the vestibule to the nave and side aisles.
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