Holy Virgin Cathedral

The Holy Virgin Cathedral also known as Joy of all who Sorrow is a cathedral in San Francisco of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. It is the largest of the six cathedrals of that church which has over 400 parishes worldwide. 

The cathedral was designed by Oleg N. Ivanitsky, and features five onion domes covered in 24 carat gold leaf. The "incredible beauty" of the interior, which is "lined by icons, religious paintings, and mosaics, and lit by a voluminous chandelier" can be seen only by those who attend religious services. The cathedral is not otherwise open to the public, and interior photography is not permitted. Rector of the cathedral is His Eminence, The Most Reverend Kyrill (Dmitrieff), Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America. The archbishop is a San Francisco native and a graduate of the University Of San Francisco. The Cathedral operates a K-12 school, The Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy, as well as a bookstore and senior citizen housing.