National Cathedral of Romania

National Cathedral of Romania
Catedrala Națională a României
The cathedral in November 2025
National Cathedral of Romania
44°25′33.26″N 26°4′56.37″E / 44.4259056°N 26.0823250°E / 44.4259056; 26.0823250
Location13 September Ave (4–60), Sector 5, Bucharest
CountryRomania
DenominationEastern Orthodox
Websitecatedrala-nationala.ro
History
StatusCompleted
Consecrated25 November 2018
Architecture
StyleNeo-Byzantine
Groundbreaking15 December 2010
Completed26 October 2025
Construction cost€270 million (March 2025)
Specifications
Capacity7,000
323,000 m3
Length126.1 m (interior)
140.7 m (stairs)
Width67.7 m
Nave width25.7 m (colonnades-int)
78.3 m (length-int)
Height127 m (interior-cross)
133 m (ground-cross)
Nave height44 m (interior)
Floor area6,100 m2
8,100 m2 (stairway)
Dome height (outer)126.3 m (ground-top lantern)
Dome height (inner)106.3 m (interior-dome ceiling)
Dome diameter (outer)29.4 m (colonnade)
Dome diameter (inner)16.8 m (inner)

The National Cathedral (Romanian: Catedrala Națională), also known as the People's Salvation Cathedral (Romanian: Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului), is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Bucharest, Romania, built to serve as the patriarchal cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church. It is located in central Bucharest on Spirea's Hill (Arsenal Square), facing the Palace of Parliament. At 133 metres (436 ft) tall, the cathedral occupies a dominant position in Bucharest's cityscape, being visible from all approaches to the city.

It is the tallest and largest Eastern Orthodox church building by volume, and area, in the world. The People's Salvation Cathedral will have the largest collection of church mosaics (interior decoration) in the world when it is completed, covering about 25,000 square meters. Also the People's Salvation Cathedral has the world's largest Orthodox iconostasis (23.8 meters long and 17.1 meters high) and the world's largest free-swinging church bell.

The cathedral is dedicated to the Ascension of Christ, which in Romania is celebrated as Heroes' Day, and to Saint Andrew the Apostle, the protector of Romania. The cathedral was consecrated on 25 November 2018, by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, Patriarch Daniel of Romania and Metropolitan Chrysostomos (gr) of Patras from the Greek Orthodox Church. Subsequently, Patriarch Bartholomew I and Patriarch Daniel, returned to jointly consecrate the cathedral's mosaic on 26 October 2025 which also marked permanent opening of the place of worship after 15 years of construction.