Transfiguration of Our Lord Russian Orthodox Cathedral

Transfiguration of Our Lord Russian Orthodox Cathedral is a historic Russian Orthodox cathedral at 228 North 12th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Built between 1916 and 1921 in a Russian Byzantine style, it is one of the most visually distinctive church buildings in New York, with five copper domes and a silhouette that stands out clearly in the surrounding streetscape. It was designated a New York City landmark in 1969 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The cathedral appears in Seinfeld (1989–1998), House on Carroll Street (1988), and Elementary (2012–2019). It is best known on screen as the church used in Seinfeld, where it stands in for the Latvian Orthodox church visited by George Costanza during his attempted conversion. The cathedral’s own history also notes its appearance in House on Carroll Street, and IMDb lists it as a location in the Elementary episode “Whatever Remains, However Improbable.”

In Seinfeld (1989–1998), the cathedral appears in the episode “The Conversion” (1993). It is used for the exterior of the Latvian Orthodox church where George converts to Latvian Orthodoxy in order to continue seeing a woman he is dating. The building is seen when George visits the church as part of that storyline. Also Sister Roberta wants to leave the order because Kramer got the Kavorka.

In House on Carroll Street (1988), the cathedral is one of the real Brooklyn locations used in the film. Its distinctive domes and historic exterior fit naturally into the film’s period New York setting.

In Elementary (2012–2019), the cathedral appears in the episode “Whatever Remains, However Improbable.” The building is used as a church location in the series’ contemporary New York setting.

Seinfeld (1989–1998)

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