For over a century, it was just a dream on paper, a ”National Cathedral” to symbolize Romania’s unity after the War of Independence. Today, it is a 135-meter reality of concrete, masonry, and gold that dwarfs the surrounding apartment blocks and stares down the nearby colossal Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest.
While St. Peter’s remains the ”emperor” of Christian churches in terms of sheer footprint and volume, the new Romanian cathedral competes closely in height, actually surpassing the Hagia Sophia significantly and rivaling St. Peter’s vertical dominance.
🇷🇴 People’s Salvation Cathedral🇻🇦 St. Peter’s Basilica🇹🇷 Hagia Sophia (Grand Mosque)Total Height135 meters136.6 meters56 metersLength126 meters220 meters82 metersWidth68 meters150 meters73 metersInterior Area~6,000 m²~15,160 m²~7,500 m²Capacity~6,000 people~20,000 (seated) / 60,000 (total)~30,000 (standing)Main Dome Height104 m (interior vault)118 m (interior vault)46 m (interior vault)
The scale: A record-breaker in numbers
The cathedral is not just big; it is engineered to be a fortress of faith. Designed to withstand earthquakes of up to 8.5 on the Richter scale, it is a ”super-structure” in every sense of the word.
- Height: 135 meters (443 ft) from ground to the top of the cross. This makes it taller than a 30-story building.
- Length: 126 meters.
- Width: 68 meters.
- Total Surface Area: The main building covers a footprint of roughly 6,000 square meters.
- Capacity: The main hall can hold 5,000 to 6,000 worshippers simultaneously.
The ”golden” interior: World records in mosaic
While the exterior imposes with sheer mass, the interior dazzles with detail. The cathedral is currently being fitted with the largest mosaic collection in the world, as approximately 25,000 square meters of mosaic artwork will cover the interior walls.
The artwork uses gold leaf and Venetian glass, and the Orthodox altar screen (iconostasis) is the largest in the world, measuring 23.8 meters wide and 17.1 meters tall, fully covered in mosaics.
The titan bell
One of the most impressive, and heavy, features of the cathedral is invisible from the outside. The building houses the largest free-swinging church bell in the world, with a weight of 25.2 tons.
The bell dimensions are 3.3 meters high and 3.3 meters wide. It was cast in Innsbruck, Austria, and bears the relief of Patriarch Daniel, the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Its toll can be heard roughly 15 to 20 kilometers away on a clear day.
The cost: A price tag divided
Estimates vary, but reports suggest the total investment exceeds €200 million (approx. $215 million), with some projections pushing toward €300 million upon final completion of all artistic works and annexes. The costs were covered through a mix of State budget allocations (Government and local mayoralties) and private donations from parishioners.
Construction timeline
The foundation stone was laid in 2007, but major construction began in earnest in 2010, and the Altar was consecrated in November 2018 (marking 100 years of Romanian unification), a ceremony attended by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.
While the cathedral is open for major liturgical events and visitors, interior works (specifically the massive mosaic project) have continued through 2025, with the final reception of works marking the full opening of the complex.
