St Clement's Church, Moscow

St. Clement's Church (Храм Священномученика Климента, Папы Римского) is one of the two Orthodox churches in Moscow dedicated to a Roman Pope, St. Clement I. The massive five-domed two-storey church used to dominate the skyline of Zamoskvorechye. It was built between 1762 and 1769 on the site of a church erected in 1720.^[1]

The church is considered a major example of Elizabethan Baroque, but the architect is unknown. It has been often attributed to Pietro Antonio Trezzini, the architect of St Sampson's Cathedral in St. Petersburg.^[1] The belfry and refectory were designed by Dmitry Ukhtomsky and built in 1756—1758.^[2][3]

The church is renowned for its glittering Baroque interior and iconostasis, as well as a set of gilded 18th-century railings. The parish was disbanded in 1934 and the original free-standing gate was demolished.^[1] The Lenin State Library stored its books in the building throughout the Soviet period. It was not until 2008 that the building reverted to the Russian Orthodox Church.