Zenkov Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Holy Ascension — universally called the Zenkov Cathedral after its architect Andrei Zenkov — stands in the middle of Panfilov Park as one of Almaty's most recognisable and beautiful structures. Built in 1904 in the Russian Orthodox tradition, it rises 54 metres and is painted in vivid greens, blues, and creams that make it look almost confected against the backdrop of the Tien Shan mountains.

The cathedral survived the 1911 earthquake that destroyed most of the surrounding city, and it survived the Soviet period too — repurposed as a museum and then as a concert hall before being returned to the Orthodox Church after independence. Step inside to see the frescoed interior and the candles burning before the iconostasis. The surrounding park is pleasant for a stroll whatever the season, with the Eternal Flame memorial to the 28 Panfilov Guardsmen nearby.

things to do sight architecture
A story
The Zenkov Cathedral was built in 1904 entirely from wood, without a single nail in the structural frame — a traditional Slavic timber technique. When an earthquake struck in 1911 with a magnitude measured at around 8 on the Richter scale, devastating much of Verny (as Almaty was then called), the cathedral stood firm. It is today considered one of the finest wooden buildings in the world.