The Russian Church in Nice

Nice has a long history with Russia's rich and famous, and the Tsars (plus entourage) regularly came to Nice to escape the bitter Russian winters. They bought their religion with them, eschewing French Catholicism for Russian Orthodoxy, and the Cathedral of Saint Nicolas was built as a worthy place for a Tsar to worship. Note the abundance of Romanov eagles.

These days, the Russian community in Nice is still a strong one, and restaurants and estate agents often advertise their ability to speak Russian. The Cathedral of Saint Nicolas remains a focal point for the Nicois Russian community, despite a recent effort by the Russian State to claim that the church and its land belongs to them.

This site tells me:

[The church] has 6 onion domes and is built in the form of a Greek cross (ie. 4 equal arms). The exterior is richly decorated in mosaic. The style is based on the Laroslavl church in Moscow. Particularly striking is the large representation of the Turin Shroud held aloft by an angel. Before this made its way to Turin it was one of the holiest relics of the Russian Orthodox Church, kept in the city of Odessa on the Black Sea. There is a small charge to go inside. The interior is also richly decorated, with icons in silver gilt cases and jewel-encrusted treasures.

We didn't go inside - on principle, I dislike buildings that charge a fee to go inside, particularly churches - so I will take their word for the description of the inside; photos of the outside follow, though... Isn't it pretty?