The Archcathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul

Source: Wikipedia

The Archcathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul in Poznań is one of the oldest churches in Poland and the oldest Polish cathedral, dating from the 10th century. It stands on the island of Ostrów Tumski north-east of the city centre.

The cathedral was originally built in the second half of the 10th century within the fortified settlement (gród) of Poznań, which stood on what is now called Ostrów Tumski ("Cathedral Island"). This was one of the main political centres in the early Polish state, and included a ducal palace (excavated by archaeologists since 1999, beneath the Church of the Virgin Mary which stands in front of the cathedral). The palace included a chapel, perhaps built for Dobrawa, Christian wife of Poland's first historical ruler, Mieszko I. Mieszko himself was baptised in 966, possibly at Poznań – this is regarded as a key event in the Christianization of Poland and consolidation of the state. The cathedral was built around this time; it was raised to the status of a cathedral in 968 when the first missionary bishop, Bishop Jordan, came to Poland.

Source: Wikipedia

Thanks to Bartosz via PostcardUnited for the beautiful view.

Sent:  11 December 2015   Received: 28 December 2015   Travelled: 17 days

Church of Ascension

Kolomenskoye  is a former royal estate situated several kilometers to the southeast of the city center of Moscow, Russia, on the ancient road leading to the town of Kolomna (hence the name). The 390 hectare scenic area overlooks the steep banks of the Moskva River. It became a part of Moscow in the 1960s.

Source: Wikipedia

thank you Elvira via Postcard United for this beautiful view!

Sent: 10 November 2015   Received: 26 November 2015   Travelled: 16 days

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Petrus, Latin: Ecclesia Cathedralis Sanctorum Petri et Mariae, English: High Cathedral of Saints Peter and Mary) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.[4] It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day.

Construction of Cologne Cathedral commenced in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880.The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires (after Ulm Minster. See info-box below.) Its two huge spires give it the largest façade of any church in the world. The choir has the largest height to width ratio, 3.6:1, of any medieval church.

Cologne's medieval builders had planned a grand structure to house the reliquary of the Three Kings and fit its role as a place of worship for the Holy Roman Emperor. Despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, Cologne Cathedral eventually became unified as "a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value" and "a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe".
Source: Wikipedia

Thank you Silva for this beautiful Unesco card from you travels!

Sent: 20 September 2015   Received: 24 November 2015   Travelled:

Kronstadt Cathedral

The Naval cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Kronstadt is a Russian Orthodox cathedral built in 1903–1913 as the main church of the Russian Navy and dedicated to all fallen seamen. The cathedral was closed in 1929, was converted to a cinema, a House of Officers (1939) and a museum of the Navy (1980). The Russian Orthodox Church reinstalled the cross on the main dome in 2002 and served the first Divine Liturgy in the cathedral in 2005. In 2013, the Patriarch of all Russia, with Prime Minister Dmitriy Medvedev and his spouse attending, conducted the ceremony of grand reconsecration in the now fully restored cathedral.

Source: Wikipedia

Thank you Elena for this Cathedral card and Naval stamps!

Sent: 20 November 2015   Received: 18 December 2015   Travelled: