Saint Sophia Cathedral, a former Russian Orthodox Church which located in Harbin is the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the Far East. The church was established in 1907 with the total height of 53.35 meters and floor space of 721 square meters. It is the most perfectly preserved typical Byzantine building in china at present. The building with the history of nearly 100 years is full of attractive colors. The wall paintings, the ceiling lamps, the bell tower, the dome and the choir all reveal the colorful human landscapes and the artistic characteristics with the special inventive mind. It has the great historical and cultural value and architectural art viewing value. The majestic and grand dome and the simple, unsophisticated and elegant wall decoration represent the amorous feelings of Europe.
In addition, there are seven bells with different sizes and tones that stored within the bell tower over the entrance. During the past times, the bells would be tolled with ropes that tied to the hands and feet of the ringer when having religious festivals taken place. However, the church was no longer in use and was renamed as Harbin Art Gallery nowadays. The magnificent Russian painted murals that adorned the arched walls of the church were destroyed as well and were replaced by topically new murals that depicting the architectural history of Harbin. Anyway, it is a respectable landmark for the locals of Harbin as well as for tourism.