An old building of a city treasury and a financial chamber in Tambov, Russia, reminiscent of a castle.

The ancient Georgian fortress of Kveshi, which may have appeared as long ago as the early Middle Ages and was abandoned only in the XVIII century.

The only existing photograph and reminder of the Hagia Sophia of Adrianople, which was finally destroyed in the XX century.

A real factory-palace - the Khludov cloth plant in Egoryevsk, Russia.

Today, the Church commemorates one of the twelve great feasts - the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord, established in honour of the discovery of the Cross by Saint Helena during the archaeological excavations she organised. I used such modern words to describe it for a reason: to this day, no one has been able to reliably refute even one of Helena's findings, which truly testifies that these searches were guided by the Lord Himself.

In addition, the holiday is also associated with the return of the Cross by Emperor Heraclius, who recaptured it from the Persians and finally defeated their empire. Despite its significance, not many churches are dedicated to this holiday, and most of them are Russian. Therefore, I suggest taking a look at one of the most impressive among them: the catholicon of the Belogorsky (which translates as "of White Mountain") Monastery, also known as the Ural Athos. This enormous neo-Russian temple towers above the deserted hills, becoming a real white mountain among them.

A cafe under the canopy of ancient arches in the old town of Limassol, Cyprus.

An imperial period tombstone in the medieval Chkondidi cathedral in Georgia.

A fragment of the Gulevich estate in Udelnye Uty, Russia, perfectly demonstrating the vivid classicism of the XVIII century.

Bell tower of the Serbo-Byzantine Revival church of Saints Peter and Paul in Jagodina, Serbia. As many buildings in this style, constructed in the XIX century, it also features neo-Romanesque elements.