Many churches in Cleveland were founded by immigrant or ethnic groups defined by nationality. St. Theodosius was less homogenous from the start, catering to a number of ethnicities seeking Eastern Orthodox Catholicism. Formed in 1896, St. Theodosius was the earliest Orthodox Catholic congregation in Cleveland. By 1901, the church ministered to a multi-national group comprised of Rusyns (a Slavic ethnic group who come from multiple countries throughout the Carpathian Mountains), Syrians, Greeks and Russians. The land for the current building was secured by funding from parishioners, and legend has it the Russian Czar Nicholas II donated to the construction of the church. Completed in 1913, the church was designed by Frederick Baird, who used photo references of the Church of Our Saviour in Moscow as inspiration. The central onion dome represents Jesus, surrounded by the 12 cupolas symbolizing the 12 apostles. Stunning fresco paintings by exiled Russian painter Andrej Bicenko and elaborate iconography are found throughout the sanctuary. The Tremont church has become a recognizable icon in Cleveland, made more famous as a location for the 1978 Academy Award-winning film “The Deer Hunter.”