Of the twenty or so places of Orthodox worship in Paris and the Paris region, the Saint-Alexandre-Nevsky Cathedral and the Sainte-Trinité Cathedral are by far the most important.
The first, located in rue Daru a few steps from the Arc de Triomphe, was consecrated in 1861 and today is part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. It is known for having been the place in which Pablo Picasso and the Russian Dancer Olga Koklova were married in 1918, and where the funeral of the painter Wassily Kandinsky took place in 1944.
In December 2016, the Patriarch Cyrille consecrated a new place of worship: the Cathédrale de la Sainte-Trinité, a marvellous work of contemporary architecture designed by architects Wilmotte & Associates. With its five golden cupolas and minimalist style, it is the administrative centre of the diocese of Chersonese, which includes the Russian Orthodox parishes of France, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.
The Cathedral is also part of a larger ensemble, the Russian orthodox spiritual and cultural centre, comprising notably a cultural centre and an educational centre.
