St. Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Edmonton

Saint Barbara’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral is as one of the 25 parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Canada. The presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in Edmonton dates back to 1897 when the first Russian Orthodox missionaries arrived via Alaska. The inaugural Russian Orthodox liturgy in the region occurred 122 years ago in Wostok, a community 50 miles northeast of Edmonton.

The first liturgies of Saint Barbara’s were held in 1902 in a modest frame house on the current cathedral's site. By 1908, a wooden church had been constructed, which was eventually replaced by the existing cathedral completed in 1958. Today, Saint Barbara’s boasts a membership of about 250 individuals. The services, known as liturgies, are conducted in a mixture of English and Russian to accommodate both recent immigrants and long-established members, some of whom are second, third, or even fourth-generation Canadians.

Architecturally, the cathedral is notable for its cross-shaped design and the numerous cupolas adorning its roof. Inside, it features a richly decorated altar and a specially constructed iconostasis, or screen, where sacred icons are displayed.