Iconostasis

The first words of the Book of Genesis read: "God created the heavens and the earth."
The iconostasis divides the altar into two worlds, the visible and the invisible. This boundary simultaneously separates and unites both the earthly and heavenly as well as the temporal and the eternal.
Listen to what the senior priest of the cathedral, Archbishop Michael, has to say:
"The first thing a person sees when he enters the cathedral is the iconostasis. He does not always understand this iconostasis. I am often asked: 'What is behind the iconostasis? Why is such a screen used in the church? Is there something behind it?'
Therefore, I think that the structure of the cathedral itself should be clear to the person who enters it. And, being Orthodox, this person should understand what it is that covers the altar. The iconostasis is there not to create a barrier for the people, but rather to create a space where the holy of holies is kept. This is the way it has always been. It is true that, in early Christian times, iconostases were not closed. At that time, they were low, symbolic partitions. Afterwards, icons appeared, and then rows of icons, but the screen was not placed there in order to close off space. Rather, it was established to create a shrine and a place for the body of Christ, which is sacrificed in the Roman Eucharist ritual. This is the main thinking behind the iconostasis."
You will agree that the iconostasis was created according to the design of the sculptor Henneberger, which consists of five tiers and looks like a single work of art. The painted icons can be easily perceived from afar, and the color scheme is created through the use of contrasting colors: white marble, dark cypress wood and gilt decoration.
The "Tsar's Doors", located in the center of the iconostasis, symbolize the gates to Paradise and the Kingdom of Heaven. They are only opened during the liturgy for the removal of the Blessed Sacrament. On either side of the Tsar's Doors can be found the north and south doors that lead to the vestry and altar.
The Tsar's Doors, as well as the north and south doors, which are made of carved cypress wood inlaid with gold leaf, are the elegant work of the master Dufour. The depictions of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Michael by the artist Rubio impart a certain solemnity to the Tsar's Doors.
You can see a depiction of the Last Supper above the Doors. The painting depicts the last meal of Jesus and his farewell to his disciples on the eve of his procession to Calvary.
A large white cross with a monogram of Christ completes the architectural composition above the Tsar's Doors. The carved inscription beneath the cross reads: "In hoc signo vinces."
Even higher up, above the cross, you will find a bright, artfully executed stained glass window depicting the Resurrection of Christ.
The two biggest icons on the iconostasis, to the right and left side of the Tsar's Doors, depict Christ and the Virgin Mary, painted by Nikolay Koshelev, a famous artist and member of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. The tone of his painting is energetic and lacks dry formalism. In addition, his brush strokes are light and lack sweetness. They justly inspire admiration.
Somewhat further ahead are holy icons framed in white marble from the island of Mt. Athos, the gifts of Russian monks. To the right is the Icon of Our Lady Who is Quick to Hearken, and to the left is the Icon of the Holy Martyr St. Pantaleon.
The marble icon cases found in the cathedral were donated by the Duke and Duchess Golitsyn.