Cathedral (Sobornaya) Square is located in the upper part of Komsomol Avenue on the high bank of the Kama river. It is the place where it will be most convenient to start all tours of the sights of Perm.
The high bell tower (67 m) of Transfiguration Cathedral is on Sobornaya Square. Now the cathedral is occupied by an art museum. The most interesting collection of wooden sculptures of Christ known as «Perm Gods» is stored at the museum. If you come to Perm, you must visit this museum.
A huge complex of Perm Institute of Space-Rocket Forces is opposite the art gallery. Formerly, the building was occupied by Perm seminary. A memorial plaque is on the corner of the building. It is devoted to Bazhov, Mamin-Sibiryak and Popov who studied at the seminary. Today the building facing Sobornaya Square is occupied by Bazhov business center. In the Soviet time Sobornaya Square bore the name of Mamin-Sibiryak, but in our days it was returned its former name.
Near the cathedral belfry is the Metropolitan Podvorye, which still was not restored and belongs to Perm local history museum. The monument of Saint Nicholas is in the center of Sobornaya Square. Komsomol Avenue – the main street of the historical center of the city – begins on Sobornaya Square.
