The main entrance to the temple is “The Tsar’s Porch “– an open porch with a tile roof and the ogee arch which relies on a massive spherical ” kubyshka “column.
The Tsar’s porch. The Empress Maria Fedorovna on the consecration of the Cathedral (January 15, 1914)
The Porch in 2007
The porch during the restoration works (2012)
The Tsar’s porch in 2013, restoration complete
Two pairs of doors which lead separately into the upper and lower churches are also notable decoration of the Cathedral, being recreated in place of the old ones. Their massive wings, covered with copper, are decorated with a complex combination of panels incorporating bronze rosettes of various patterns. The doors to the upper Church depict scenes of the Twelve Great Feasts.
Archive photos of the original doors