People's Salvation Cathedral
| People's Salvation Cathedral | |
|---|---|
Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului | |
The cathedral in April 2025 | |
| 44°25′33.26″N 26°4′56.37″E / 44.4259056°N 26.0823250°E | |
| Location | 13 September Ave (4–60), Sector 5, Bucharest |
| Country | Romania |
| Denomination | Eastern Orthodox |
| Website | catedralaneamului |
| History | |
| Status | Under construction |
| Consecrated | 25 November 2018 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Neo-Byzantine |
| Groundbreaking | 15 December 2010 |
| Construction cost | €270 million (March, 2025) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 7,000 323,000 m3 |
| Length | 126.1 m (interior) 140.7 m (stairs) |
| Width | 67.7 m |
| Nave width | 25.7 m (colonnades-int) 78.3 m (length-int) |
| Height | 134 m (ground-cross) |
| Nave height | 44 m (interior) |
| Floor area | 6,100 m2 8,100 m2 (stairway) |
| Dome height (outer) | 127.1 m (ground-top lantern) 120.3 m (floor-top lantern) |
| Dome height (inner) | 106.3 m (floor-dome ceiling) |
| Dome diameter (outer) | 29.4 m (colonnade) |
| Dome diameter (inner) | 16.8 m (inner) |
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The People's Salvation Cathedral (Romanian: Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului; People's Liberation Cathedral is an alternative translation of the name), also known as the National Cathedral (Romanian: Catedrala Națională), is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral under construction in Bucharest, Romania, to serve as the patriarchal cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church. It is located in central Bucharest on Spirea's Hill (Arsenal Square), facing the same courtyard as the Palace of Parliament which is the heaviest building in the world, the cathedral having a one-tenth of its weight and about one-fifth of its volume. Situated behind the Palace of Parliament, this will make it 50 metres taller than the palace and will help to make the cathedral an iconic landmark in the city. The People's Salvation Cathedral to 134 metres (440 ft) height (ground-cross), holds a dominant position in Bucharest's cityscape, being visible from all approaches to the city.
It is the tallest and largest Eastern Orthodox church building by volume, and area, in the world. The People's Salvation Cathedral will have the largest collection of church mosaics in the world (interior decoration) when it is completed, having about 18,000 square meters, including the mosaic of the altar is about 3,000 square meters. The mosaic of the National Cathedral contains glass tesserae from Venice, and Carrara stone from Pietrasanta, Italy. Also the People's Salvation Cathedral has the world's largest Orthodox iconostasis (23.8 meters length and 17.1 meters height) and the world's largest free-swinging church bell.
The cathedral is dedicated to the Ascension of Christ, which in Romania is celebrated as Heroes' Day, and to Saint Andrew the Apostle, protector of Romania. The cathedral was consecrated on 25 November 2018 by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, Patriarch Daniel of Romania and Metropolitan Chrysostomos (gr) of Patras from the Greek Orthodox Church. On the same day as the consecration, the very first church service of the cathedral took place and was led by both Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Daniel. The first patronal feast of the People's Salvation Cathedral was celebrated on 30 November, on the day of Saint Andrew the First Called, and the liturgy was officiated by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and Patriarch Daniel of Romania. The first Te Deum of the cathedral was celebrated on 1 December 2018.