Kronshtadt, a small island city on the Finnish Gulf, was initially built as a fortress however is now known all over Russia for its naval cathedral. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century with a wide variety of specialists from all over taking part in its construction. The tall building was meant to be a monument to fallen sailors and to serve as a landmark to those returning from sea. Evgenia Altfeld set off to check out the history of the cathedral’s construction, also learning about the life of Father John Sergiev, later canonized under the name of John of Kronshtadt. It was much due to this preacher that the cathedral was built. In the late 19th-early 20th century Kronshtadt became one of Russia’s spiritual centres.