There are many Byzantine churches in Chicago that are distinguished by their large central domes and their icon screens, but none are as impressive as St. Nicholas, "The Wonderworker." The parish, founded in 1906, quickly outgrew a small wooden church. The current building was modeled after the 11th-century St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine. The Neo-Byzantine, Cossack-Rococo edifice has 13 green cupolas topped with gold crosses rising 167 feet into the sky, representing Christ and his 12 apostles. St. Nicholas is recognized for its magnificent icons, mosaics and stained-glass windows designed by Munich Studio of Chicago. Hanging from the highest dome in the center of the cathedral is a brilliant nine-tiered golden chandelier from Greece equipped with 480 lights.
