| ✈✈✈ List of open countries during coronavirus. ✈✈✈ Where to go on vacation abroad ✈✈✈ |
1 205
In this post:
- Location.
- Fascinating story.
- Attractiveness for tourists.
- How to get (get there) to the Church of St. Catherine in Feodosia.
- Photo.
- Photo inside.
- Exact location on the map, GPS coordinates: 45°03'30.2″N 35°23'20.7″E (45.058380, 35.389095).
Feodosia is a glorious city, famous for its endless, very clean and comfortable beaches. Beautiful buildings, architectural monuments, which, without exaggeration, include the Church of St. Catherine. I was simply amazed by its grandeur and beauty.
Church of St. Catherine
Exciting story
First of all, the history of the creation of the cult complex evokes admiration. Just think - the first part took almost 70 years to build (from 1808 to 1875), which is called “the whole world.” The church itself, the foundation of which was laid in 1892, was built much faster.
It is noteworthy that the Holy Synod allocated only 3 thousand for construction. The rest of the money was collected by city residents. Many Feodosians came to work for free on weekends. Not only local merchants, who helped with building materials, but also the so-called “city nobility” made a great contribution to the sacred cause.
Doctor of Mathematics Lapshin and founder of the Feodosia Railway took an active part in the process. The head of the committee monitoring the construction process was the director of the gymnasium, Vinogradov. The activity of the temple continued until 1937, until it was “successfully” closed by the authorities. What is most interesting is that the church was opened by the Germans during the years of occupation, during the Second World War, in 1941. It was they who began to restore the temple.
Since then it has functioned; after the war, no one began to close the shrine. At the end of the nineties, another building was built - the Church of John the Baptist. In the same building there was a Sunday school and a baptismal room.
Already at the beginning of 2000, on the territory of the church, they not only carried out a major reconstruction, but also added additional structures, adhering to the style of Russian architecture of the 17th century. Relatively recently, another building was completed - a baptismal room with the possibility of full immersion. Also in 2002, the following appeared on the territory of St. Catherine’s Church:
- Sunday School;
- Library;
- Methodological office;
- Hotel for believers.
This is an amazing place, has a lot of advantages, and has a very beautiful majestic view. And it can easily be included in the list of the main attractions of the city.
St. Catherine's Church
Patronal holidays
Due to the fact that the cathedral is a large complex, several patronal feasts are held here.
Patronal feast days of St. Catherine's Cathedral:
- December 7 is the Day of Remembrance of the Great Martyr Catherine.
- July 7, September 19 and January 20 are the main holidays in honor of St. John the Baptist.
- December 16 - the memory of the first rector, Hieromartyr Andrei of Feodosia. He is also commemorated at the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia on the first Sunday after February 7.
Attractiveness for tourists
First of all, admiration is caused by the presence of a huge number of decorative details and flashy elegance. The temple has a base in the form of an equal cross, which is, in principle, characteristic of Orthodox churches. You can get inside from the west side, through the entrance decorated with a portico. The belfry is not very large, decorated with small columns.
The base is quite large, with columns in the corners. A notable feature of the temple is its five domes. The main decoration is numerous carved kokoshniks on top of the walls and on the roof. Narrow lancet windows only add harmony to the structure. It is worth noting the large capacity - 300 visitors can be in the room at the same time. Naturally, the entire complex can accommodate significantly more parishioners.
The courtyard also amazes with its beauty. There are many flowers, exotic and southern plants. There is a wonderful fountain, and comfortable benches are provided for tired travelers. There is a lot of luxury inside, the faces of the saints are framed in gilded frames, a lot of glitter. The main place is given to the huge icon of the Great Martyr Catherine.
A unique atmosphere of calm, tranquility and grandeur reigns here. You can write about the temple complex for a very long time, but, in my opinion, it is better to come to Feodosia and see everything with your own eyes.
Find housing in Feodosia (daily)
Educational activities of the temple
A children's parish school and library operate successfully on the territory of this attraction.
The school was founded in 2007. The school accepts children from the age of 5. Currently, the number of its students is more than thirty children of different ages. Classes are held weekly on Saturdays. During classes there are also conversations between the priest and the parents of the students.
School subjects studied:
- fundamentals of Orthodox doctrine;
- basics of Russian language and culture;
- creation;
- music;
- develop thinking;
- literary reading (takes place in the library);
- Since 2013, a subject has been added - Russian as a foreign language.
Children attending school also participate in the Divine Liturgy and receive the sacrament of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
During the school year, the school holds children's parties dedicated to the main church celebrations.
On June 19, 2021, the first lesson of the Sunday school of the City Cossack Society “Stanitsa Feodosiyskaya” took place on the territory of St. Catherine’s Cathedral. This event was carried out on the initiative of the rector of the church, Archpriest Vadim Sinichkin.
At the Sunday school, a course of lectures was given and seminars were held on various issues. During the classes they talked about how to pray when there is not enough time, and provided a comparative analysis of world religions.
The complex also has a library. Within its walls, classes on the subject “Literary Reading” are often held, during which school students read and discuss interesting books on theology, Orthodoxy and other topics.
In general, it should be noted that the educational activities of the church are very fruitful and intense.
How to get (get there) to the Church of St. Catherine in Feodosia
I already wrote above that the church is located in close proximity to the bus station and the Aivazovsky railway station. You can walk from the bus station in a straight line, or by moving along the street. Turetskaya, turn left onto Lunacharsky.
Address: Crimea, Feodosia, st. Fedko, 95
Phone: 8 365 627 1058.
If you are traveling in your own or rented car, use the exact coordinates on the map below.
Are you hungry? Not far from the church, on Lunacharsky 26a, there is a good canteen “Eda” (photo of my receipts and food)
All food establishments in Feodosia
Photo
Photo inside
Exact location on the map, GPS coordinates: 45°03'30.2″N 35°23'20.7″E (45.058380, 35.389095)
All sights of Feodosia
I cannot say that I am a deeply religious person, but visiting St. Catherine’s Church was a real holiday for me. Many tourists come to this place to have an exceptional experience. See a temple that has “seen a lot” in its lifetime. But thanks to human efforts, it has not lost its greatness. After visiting the church, I recommend going to Pearl Beach.
How are the services held?
Church services:
- Almost every day the Divine Liturgy is served at 9:00, on Sundays at 10:00.
- On Thursdays, an akathist is read to Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen at 17:00.
- On Saturdays the All-Night Vigil is served at 17:00.
- Every Sunday, an akathist is read to the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, the patroness of the cathedral.
A more detailed schedule on holidays can be found on the official website of the cathedral https://stcaterina.com.
Many people come to the church to pray, but it should be remembered that this building is also one of the main attractions visited by tourists.
Visiting the church is free. For those who come here not only for prayer, you need to remember and follow some rules.
Rules for visiting the courtyard:
- Clothing - skirts below the knee, shoulders must be covered.
- Headdress - women must cover their heads with a headscarf.
- It is forbidden to visit the cathedral in summer clothes, shorts or a tracksuit.
- It is not advisable to inspect the church during the service.
It is also important for visitors to know that the Holy Great Martyr Catherine is the patroness of knowledge. Therefore, all pupils and students visiting the cathedral can ask the saint for help in studying or in exams. The icon also helps teachers, lawyers, as well as girls looking for a groom and married women in childbearing and maintaining marriage.
