The Russian Orthodox Cathedral, first constructed in the 11th century, is the only Byzantine church with an octagonal plan. Though small in size, the high dome gives the interior an impressively lofty feel, enhanced by the gold stars and icons which glitter throughout the space. Adding to this, the neoclassical icons by well-known portrait painter Nikiforos Lytras, a student of the School of Fine Arts in the mid-1800s, bring a slightly disconcerting realism to the cathedral.