Cathedrals and Monasteries of Moscow

The Orthodox Church played a vital role in Russian life for hundreds of years, only to be forced underground during the Soviet era, during which time thousands of churches were either destroyed or used for other purposes. Since the late 1980s, under a program of restoration, hundreds of churches have been either re-opened or rebuilt. So today in Moscow it is possible to not only see many different and quite beautiful Orthodox churches, but also to attend services at them as well.