Harbin is one of China's more beautiful cities. Blessed with grace and character, the city is renowned for its unique, Russian-influenced architecture. Remnants from the days when Harbin was a crucial stop on the Russian Manchurian Railroad, the dome-shaped structures are nostalgic throwbacks to pre-revolutionary Russia. The strong Russian flavor continues to permeate the city today due to burgeoning trade and tourism between Harbin and Russia. On the streets of Harbin, a fair amount of the foreigners are Russian. The city's mixture of grandiose historical buildings with the growing number of sleek and slick modern commercial and office buildings reflect the intriguing juxtaposition of Harbin's history and future
Saint Sophia Church is the largest Russian Orthodox church in Far East Asia. In March, 1907, Saint Sophia Church was built for the Russian troops. The original one was built with wood. In September 27, 1923, it was torn down and on the same site the new one was constructed with bricks. It took nine years to finish and was completed in 1932.
The church occupies a floor space of 721 square meters and measures 53.35 meters in height.
The huge dome stands 48.55 meters high and 10 meters in diameter. There are four smaller domes of different sizes.
At the front gate, there is a bell tower with seven bells. Each bell has a special tune. During the holidays, they struck beautiful tunes and its sound could be heard more than 50 kilometers away. Today, the church used as an architecture museum in Harbin. It mirrors the history of the Harbin city.
