Ascension Cathedral
Andrey P. Zenkov · Almaty, Kazakhstan · 1907
Almaty’s Ascension Cathedral is a richly colored timber Orthodox church built within Panfilov Park. Andrey Zenkov developed the structure using an elaborate wooden system capable of responding to seismic movement, a concern of exceptional importance in the region. Multiple roof tiers, domes and towers create a highly vertical exterior, while the interior is organized around a dense iconostasis and painted decorative program. Completed in 1907, the cathedral survived the devastating 1911 earthquake and remains both an important engineering achievement in timber and one of Almaty’s most significant pre-Soviet architectural landmarks.