Zenkov Cathedral | Ascension Cathedral [Almaty] Traditional Cache

Completed in 1907, it is the second tallest wooden building in the world. The cathedral is made of wood but without nails. It stands for 56 meters tall.

In the late 19th century the first bishops of the Turkistan eparchy discussed the need for a Russian Orthodox Church in Almaty. On September 26, 1903 the bishop of Turkestan and Tashkent, Paisii (Vinogradov) consecrated the foundation of the church. Construction lasted between 1904 and 1907. The belfry was erected on September 14, 1906. The cathedral survived the 1911 earthquake with minimal damage, even though it was built without any nails, which some bishops attributed to divine intervention.

The inner structure of the cathedral was made in the artistic workshops of Moscow and Kiev. The iconostasis was painted by N. Khludov. After the Russian Revolution the cathedral was used to house the Central State Museum of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. From 1930 to 1940 it was used by important public organizations. The first radio transmitters in Almaty were situated in the cathedral's belfry. Restoration work on the cathedral began in 1973 and lasted until 1976. In May 1995 control of the cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, and after additional restoration work it was reopened for religious services in 1997.