prior to the eighteenth century, the russian orthodox church did not assign any particular symbolism to the exterior shape of a church. nevertheless, onion domes are popularly believed to symbolise burning candles. in 1917, noted religious philosopher prince yevgeny trubetskoy argued that the onion shape of russian church domes may not be explained rationally. according to trubetskoy, drums crowned by tapering domes were deliberately scored to resemble candles, thus manifesting a certain aesthetic and religious attitude. another explanation has it that the onion dome was originally regarded as a form reminiscent of the edicula (cubiculum) in the church of the holy sepulchre in jerusalem.