While walking in the 8th arrondissement we looked up a narrow street where we were surprised to be confronted by this magnificent church with onion-shaped domes on top of its five towers.
Paris is always full of surprises, but finding what appeared to be part of Russia in the city, was astounding.
Closer inspection revealed that the church had was the first Russian Orthodox place of worship in the whole of France and had been consecrated in 1861.
This church was where Pablo Picasso married Olga Khokhlova in 1918 - a ceremony witnessed by among others, Jean Cocteau and Guillaume Apollinaire.
The church is named after Saint Alexandre Nevsky (1220 - 1263) who was the Prince of Novgorod, Grand Prince of Kiev and Grand Prince of Vladimir in the 13th century - a time of great turmoil in that part of the world.
We were not allowed to take photographs in the church, but I can recommend a visit!
OJ
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