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Cathedral of Archangel Michael is a modest Russian Orthodox church constructed in the late 19th century in Sochi. Cathedral of Archangel Michael was constructed in 1873- 1891 under supervision of architect A. S. Kaminsky and decree issued by Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia. It was dedicated Archangel Michael spiritual protector of Grand Duke to victorious conclusion of the Caucasian War that the Russian Empire led against the tribes of the Caucasian mountain range. Most of resources were donated by rich merchant Savva Mamontov and Count Felix Felixovich Sumarokov- Elston. Cathedral of Michael Archangel was opened on 24 September 1891. During Soviet rule the church was closed in 1929 and turned into a warehouse, however World War II changed that. As it happened in many other parts of former Soviet Union atheist government agreed to return some of the religious buildings to the faithful. Cathedral was returned in 1944 and in the 90's its interior and exterior was reconstructed.
Building - the beginning of the XX century
This is the first
Orthodox church in the Black Sea region. Built to commemorate the end of
the Caucasian War (1864). The beginning of the construction of the
cathedral is associated with a direct order from the Grand Duke, Viceroy
of the Caucasus, Mikhail Nikolayevich. A significant role in organizing
the construction was played by the head of the Black Sea District,
General Dmitry Pilenko. A temple was erected on the territory of the
former Navaginsky fortification in Dakhovsky Posad. The state councilor
agronomist A. V. Vereshchagin acted as the builder of the cathedral,
undertaking to build it at private expense. Initially, the work was
financed by a large Black Sea landowner N. N. Mamontov. The plan and
drawings of the temple were carried out by the Moscow architect
Alexander Kaminsky. The laying of the church took place on May 26, 1874.
Four years later, the stone walls of the church and the refectory with
an iron roof were completed. Due to various circumstances, the
construction of the temple dragged on for many years, despite the help
of the famous philanthropist Savva Mamontov, Count Felix
Sumarokov-Elston. October 25, 1890 the construction of the temple was
completed. On September 24, 1891, the solemn consecration of the new
cathedral took place. By the beginning of the 20th century, a spiritual
center was formed around the temple. The parish property included: a
parochial school, a parochial house with outbuildings, a chapel, a
garden and park complex with a plant nursery. This entire complex bore
the unofficial name of the Church Quarter.
Closing - Return to
the Faithful
In 1929, a campaign began to close the cathedral.
Already in 1931, the temple was closed, and then transferred to a
warehouse, where it was located until the start of World War II.
The temple was returned to believers in 1944 without compensation for
church property. Throughout its history, the temple has changed its
appearance and internal appearance. In the post-war period, the building
was rebuilt, having lost the features of the structure of A. S.
Kaminsky.
In 1981, the building of the cathedral was placed under
state protection as a monument of religious architecture.
In
1992-1994, the cathedral was restored according to the design of the
Sochi architect F. I. Afuksenidi, who returned the temple to its
original architectural appearance.
Nowadays
Nowadays, the
Cathedral of the Archangel Michael is the main temple not only of the
Central District, but of the whole of Sochi.
The building of the temple is made in the form of a four-pointed
cross with an elongated facade branch. The branches of the building's
cross are covered with vaults, and the center is covered with a dome.
The building is 25.6 meters long, 17.1 meters wide, and 34 meters high,
including the cross on the bell tower. In 1993-1994 the cathedral was
restored.
Baptismal Church of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of
God
A temple complex was built next to the cathedral, including a
Sunday school named after Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal to the
Apostles and a baptismal center in the name of the Iberian Icon of the
Mother of God (founded on December 19, 1995).