The colonnade of Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral on Nevsky Prospect may look familiar. Constructed between 1801 and 1811, it was inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, but the arms of this colonnade encircle a small garden and fountain. The cathedral was intended to be the principal place of worship for the Russian Orthodox Church, but after the Revolution it became the Museum of Religion and Atheism. (Since the fall of the Soviets, “atheism” has been dropped from the museum’s name and it has been returned to the church.)
