Annunciation Cathedral, Kharkiv

The Annunciation Cathedral is a large late nineteenth-century church in Kharkiv, immediately recognisable for its bold striped brickwork of red and cream and its tall, slender bell tower. Built in a neo-Byzantine style, it can hold a very large congregation and long ranked among the biggest churches in the region. It stands near the river and a busy market district on the western side of the centre. Visitors are drawn by the vivid banded exterior, the spacious interior with its high dome, and the panorama the tower adds to the skyline.