During Great Lent, artists of the Romanian National Cathedral are working on scenes depicting the Passion of the Lord. The icon of the Resurrection is scheduled to be installed around Holy Pascha. Meanwhile, construction teams are completing the upper levels of the cathedral to allow the dismantling of the current crane and the installation of another crane, which will place the cross atop the main dome.
By mid-March, artists were working on the second register of the Passion scenes, part of the iconographic project of the northern apse. This series culminates in the vault of the apse with the icon of the Resurrection of the Lord. The entire mosaic in the northern apse is scheduled for completion by July 1, 2025.
The painters are also decorating the vestry, the diaconicon, and the prothesis—auxiliary spaces of the Altar—as well as developing the iconographic program for the narthex, which will be painted after the cathedral’s consecration on October 26, 2025.
How the Interior Will Look at the Consecration
For the consecration service, the team will install printed canvas reproductions of the iconographic program in the narthex, ensuring visual and liturgical cohesion for the festive occasion, according to church painter Daniel Codrescu, cited by Lumina Newspaper.
The designs for these surfaces must be finalized within the next two months. A team of 220 painters is working at an intense pace under Codrescu’s coordination, with a target of completing at least 340 square meters per month, including work on Saturdays.
“We want the entire iconographic program to be shaped by a harmonious vision, which is why the painting works are progressing with intensity and dedication,” said Daniel Codrescu.
Main Cross to Be Installed in April
Meanwhile, construction crews are preparing for a key moment—the installation of the large cross atop the main dome, scheduled for early April.
“To this end, emphasis is placed on completing both exterior and interior works at the upper levels, which require the vertical transport of large and heavy materials,” explained engineer Petre Chiuță, patriarchal advisor for church monuments and construction within the Patriarchal Administration.
Chiuță listed several works at the higher levels: screed pouring at +97.00 m and +92.00 m; ceiling installations at +92.00 m; stained-glass window mounting in the northern apse; prefabricated concrete finishes and stone capping at +36.00 m.
Completing these will allow the current crane to be dismantled and a new one installed, which will lift the cross onto the cathedral’s central tower.
Additional Construction Works
Interior plastering is underway in the narthex area, and installations are in progress on all levels. The niches of the Altar are being plastered, the surface of the southern terrace at -2.30 m is being prepared for waterproofing, and the base stone is being installed.
“The final concrete pour for the curved portico structures and domes at the main entrance has been completed. Next, the metal roofing framework will be installed,” added Petre Chiuță.
Access to the National Cathedral’s courtyard will be through two porticos, each with a dome bearing messages of gratitude: one honouring the nation’s heroes and the other all donors of the sacred building.
Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral – By the Numbers
- 350,000 names of known Romanian heroes are inscribed in the base of the Holy Table
- 25,000 square meters will be covered in mosaic art
- 10,000 tesserae per square meter of mosaic
- 406.98 sqm: size of the iconostasis – the largest Orthodox iconostasis in the world
- 392 windows
- 120 meters high
- 27 electric doors equipped with fire safety systems
Donation Options
- Online at www.pictamcatedrala.ro via card (LEI or EUR)
- In person at any parish of the Romanian Orthodox Church (receipt marked “For the painting of the National Cathedral”)
- By SMS: Text Pictura to 8822 (2 EUR donation; no VAT; available via Vodafone, Orange, Telekom)
Bank transfer or cash deposit to the following Romanian Patriarchate BCR accounts:
In LEI: RO91RNCB0075004895030395
In EUR: RO64RNCB0075004895030396
In USD: RO26RNCB0075004895030110
Contact Information:
Phone: +40 799 887 955
Email: [email protected]
Photo: Lumina Newspaper / Mihnea Păduraru
