St. Sophia Cathedral

One of Vologda’s main attractions. The cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1568. Inside have survived 17th-century frescoes created by a team of Yaroslavl masters. On the western wall is the “Last Judgment” composition — the largest fresco of its kind in Russia, covering 400 square meters. The cathedral endured many trials — fires, looting, and the Soviet years, when it housed a museum of atheism with a Foucault pendulum. After restoration from 1999 to 2007, the ancient church regained its 17th-century appearance and became the jewel of the Vologda Kremlin.