For almost 250 years the Orthodox Cathedral of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist has stood on one of the islands of the Neva delta in St. Petersburg. The elegant church on Kamenny Island is reminiscent of the gothic style with its pointed arched windows, doors and bell tower, along with its open-style brickwork. Such architecture is untypical for St. Petersburg churches, nevertheless the church’s appearance is heavily associated with the personality of the founder of the city itself, Peter the First. In the past, many of the parishioners of this church were those considered arbiters of the fate of the Fatherland such as famous Russian poet and playwright Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin and respected and undefeated commander Alexander Sergeevich Suvorov. The cathedral also shares its history with who is perhaps Russia’s most revered and beloved poet, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.