SAINT ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL

Russian Isaakiyevsky Sobor, iron-domed cathedral in St. Petersburg that was designed in Russian Empire style by Auguste de Montferrand. Covering 2.5 acres (1 hectare), it was completed in 1858 after four decades of construction. The granite and marble building is cruciform, and its great dome is one of the earliest examples of the use of iron as a structural material. The interior is decorated in a florid imitation of medieval ornamentation.