CATHEDRAL TURNED INTO A SWIMMING POOL - in Moscow for National Geographic

Join NatGeo reporter Sergey Gordeev as he travels to Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior - which was built in 1883 as the main cathedral of Russia, destroyed by the communists in 1931, and turned into the world's largest outdoor swimming pool. Meet Sergey's mom and follow the cathedral's history to 1994, when the pool was closed and the church rebuilt, almost entirely on donations from the Russian people.

ABOUT THE SERIES: In the summer of 2017, as the world turned its attention to Russia for the FIFA Confederations Cup, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC partnered with Fox Sports to go beyond the matches and showcase some of the country’s most unique people, places, history, and culture. Follow along as NatGeo reporter and Moscow native Sergey Gordeev takes you on a daily journey through his home country.

Videos originally broadcast during Fox Sports coverage of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.

Original air date: June 25, 2017.

Host: Sergey Gordeev

Producers: Mark Ruberg, Anastasia Okulova

Camera: Slava Titov

Sound: Igor Ushankov

Light: Alexey Morozychev