Ohhh... I've been there 3-4 times...even during the seemingly ongoing reconstruction, it was still a breathtaking sight in Russia's most beautiful city. Sad. One of a few historic facts about the Troitsky Cathedral in SPb: 1. One of the few major architectural treasures in SPb designed and built by a Russian, Vasily Stasov. His other major contributions were the Moscow Triumphial Gates and the Narva Triumphial Gates in Piter, as well as the reconstruction of the Church of the Tithes in Kyiv. ( I'm assuming that is a Uniate Church in Kyiv? Ukies, help me out here.) 2. The Troitsky Cathedral was the original home of the Izmailovsky Regiment, one of the most storied and famous military units (2nd only to the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Peter the Great's Own...or so they say, the historical society of the Semeonovsky Regiment may have somewhat of a different opinion) of the Imperial Russian Army. Sad, so sad. 'Twas a beautiful building and was not so far from full reconstruction