Temple of the Archangel Michael - the oldest church in Sochi

Russia Krasnodar region Sochi Cathedral of the Archangel Michael (Sochi) Map is loading…

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43.579563; 39.722361

Russia, Krasnodar region, Sochi, Central microdistrict, Moskvina street, 12

Sochi, Krasnodar region

Russia

Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Michael

- the main Orthodox church in the city of Sochi, Krasnodar region, Russia. Center of the Sochi Deanery of the Ekaterinodar Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.

History[edit]

This is the first Orthodox church in the Black Sea region. Built in memory of the end of the Caucasian War (1864). The beginning of the construction of the cathedral is associated with the direct order of the Grand Duke and Governor of the Caucasus, Mikhail Nikolaevich. The head of the Black Sea District, General D.V. Pilenko, played a significant role in organizing construction.

The temple was erected on the territory of the former Navaginsky fortification in Dakhovsky Posad. The builder of the cathedral was the state councilor agronomist A.V. Vereshchagin, who undertook to build it with private funds. Initially, the work was financed by the large Black Sea landowner N. N. Mamontov. The plan and drawings of the temple were carried out by the Moscow architect A. S. Kaminsky. The foundation stone of the church took place on May 26, 1874.

Four years later, the construction of the stone walls of the church and the refectory with an iron roof was completed. Due to various circumstances, the construction of the temple was delayed for many years, despite the help of the famous philanthropist S.I. Mamontov, Count F.F. Sumarokov-Elston. On 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 being formed around the temple. The parish property included: a parish school, a parish 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.

In 1929, a campaign to close the cathedral began. Already in 1931, the temple was closed and then transferred to a warehouse, where it was located until the start of the Great Patriotic War.

The temple was returned to believers in 1944 without compensation for church property. Throughout its history, the temple changed its appearance and internal appearance. In the post-war period, the building was rebuilt, losing the features of A. S. Kaminsky’s structure.

In 1981, the cathedral building was placed under state protection as a monument of religious architecture.

In 1992-1994, the cathedral was restored according to the design of Sochi architect F. I. Afuksenidi, who returned the temple to its original architectural appearance.

Schedule of services

In the Sochi Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, daily services are held (except for days designated for cleaning the temple). On weekdays, including Saturday, the morning Liturgy is celebrated at 08:00, and the evening service begins at 17:00.

On Sunday morning Liturgies can be attended at 06:30 (Iveron Church) and at 08:30 (Church of the Archangel Michael). Evening service is held at 17:00, as on weekdays.

Times of Divine Services in the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael

Cathedral complex, © Julia Alisova

Current state[edit]

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 Iveron Icon of the Mother of God (founded on December 19, 1995).

Description[edit]

The temple building is made in the shape of a four-pointed cross with an elongated façade branch. The branches of the building's cross are covered with vaults, and the center is covered with a dome. The length of the building is 25.6 meters, the width is 17.1 meters, the height, including the cross on the bell tower, is 34 meters. In 1993-1994 the cathedral was restored.

Activities of the parish[edit]

At the temple there are:

• Sunday School
• Library
• Children's choir
• Iverskaya Church

Interior decoration

The walls, vaults and columns of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael are richly decorated with paintings. They depict biblical scenes, images of saints and wide ornamental patterns. The gilded background gives the interior space a special solemnity.

The altar area of ​​the temple and the iconostasis were reconstructed in 2010.

Interior decoration, © Julia Alisova

History of construction

According to legend, the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael owes its appearance to the holy apostles Andrew and Simon the Canaanite, who arrived on the Black Sea coast to preach the good news.

The Black Sea coast was formed under the rule of Byzantium, Abkhazia and Georgia. In 1453, the fall of Constantinople opened the way to the Black Sea coast for the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish sultans spread their power along the entire Black Sea coast, starting a series of wars with Russia, which lasted from 1568 to 1829, when, according to the Andreapol Peace Treaty, the coast from the Kuban River to the city of Poti came under the rule of the Russian Empire.

The North Caucasus has become a protective stronghold against bandit raids and civil strife.

In 1838, Major General Andrei Simborsky, as a result of a successful landing, founded Fort Alexandria near the Dakhovsky post, which in 1896 was renamed Sochi, after the river flowing nearby.

In the center of the fort, the ruins of a stone church were found, the foundation of which dates back to the Middle Ages.

During the distribution of lands for development and restoration, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov issued a decree, according to which it was decided to restore the church of Dakhovsky Posad in honor of the end of the Caucasian War. P. Vereshchagin took upon himself the organization of construction and the search for financing, and later his brother was involved in the improvement of the Black Sea coast.

Based on the drawings of the capital's academician of architecture A. Kaminsky, construction began, which lasted 16 years, and in 1890 a new temple was built on the site of the ruins.

Holy spring at St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral

The new cathedral complex included:

• temple;
• Bell tower;
• church premises;
• refectory;
• wells.

On October 7, 1891, a solemn service was held on the occasion of the consecration of the Church of the Archangel Michael, which was led by Bishop Azafodor of Sukhumi with the participation of the bishop of the priesthood and parishioners of the city. The only church in the city with magnificent, shining golden domes has become a landmark and the pride of Sochi.

Until 1917, 20 more churches grew in the vicinity of the city.

Years of devastation

Revolutionary confrontations did not spare the Sochi coast either. In 1929, the anti-religious campaign also affected St. Michael's Cathedral, in 1931 the bells fell silent, and in 1934 a decision was made to destroy the Orthodox pearl.

The mercy of the Lord worked through parishioner Alexandra, who was serving in the city government at that time. The woman managed to convince the party activists of the advisability of using the building as a grain storage facility .

• In 1943, St. Michael's Church was returned to Orthodox believers. The first services were held at the end of the same year; in parallel, work was carried out to restore the church, the bell tent was updated and a cross was installed on the dome.
• In 1947-1948, while undergoing treatment in Sochi, divine services were performed by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Rus', in the presence of Bishop Flavian of Krasnodar and the rector of the church, Archpriest George.
• In 1978-1994, the St. Michael's Shrine was under the leadership of rector Konstantin Korobov, the future Bishop of Saratov and Volsky Nekratius.

How to get to the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in Sochi

The nearest public transport stop, “Organ Hall,” is located on Kurortny Prospekt, 250–280 meters from the temple. You can get there:

• by buses - No. 1, 2, 3, 14, 22, 23, 86, 103, 105, 105k, 105s, 120, 121, 125, 125p, 125s;
• minibuses - No. 19, 37, 38, 41, 43, 45, 83, 87, 92, 94, 95, 98, 113, 122, 180.

Traffic diagrams for public transport passing through the Organ Hall stop can be viewed on a special website. You can also get to the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael using the services of mobile taxi services Uber, Yandex.Taxi, Gett, Maxim, etc.

Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in Sochi - video

Consecration of icons in our church.

On Sunday, February 23, in our church, after the divine liturgy, the solemn consecration of the icons of the Tsar Martyr Nicholas II and the holy Royal Family, acquired by the church for the parish, took place. All parishioners, both adults and children, prayed with the rector at the ceremony of consecration. Life-size icons of the Royal Passion-Bearers fit very harmoniously into the interior of the temple and are already hanging for veneration by all believers in the right wing of the temple.

Also on this day, another equally important event took place in the temple. Parishioner of the R.B. Church

Lyubov, having visited her homeland in Togliatti, brought as a gift to the temple an icon of St. Nicholas the Myra of Lycia the Wonderworker from the temple on Nikolskaya Mountain, which is located in the Sursky region near the Sura River, near which there was a miraculous appearance of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. I will tell you about this story in this article.

Parishioner of the temple of R.B. Lyubov, having visited her homeland in Togliatti, brought as a gift to the temple an icon of St. Nicholas the Myra of Lycia the Wonderworker from the temple on Nikolskaya Mountain, which is located in the Sursky region near the Sura River, near which there was a miraculous appearance of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. I will tell you about this story in this article.

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Basic information about the cathedral for tourists

All tourists who are going to Sochi on vacation and find themselves in this cathedral intentionally or accidentally should know the following facts:

• On the territory of the complex there is a huge library, which contains numerous works of Orthodox authors, as well as modern and long-gone classics of literature. The library is open only 3 days a week - Wednesday from 9:00 to 12:00, Saturday from 15:30 to 17:00, Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. More information about the library is available here. However, it should be remembered that in November restoration work begins in the temple and the program of events may be postponed.
• You should come to the temple on Sunday, since during this period of time tourists can not only explore the beautiful complex and the adjacent park, but also participate in various events held on this day of the week.

Seaport

• In addition, every traveler can purchase Orthodox goods and high-quality Sochi souvenirs at average market prices, as well as a detailed map of the Church Quarter itself in specialized shops operating directly on the territory of the temple.
• According to the poster for services given above, there is a children’s church choir in the cathedral, for participation in which church staff have been preparing the youngest parishioners for a long time, and every visitor has the opportunity to listen to any performance.

In conclusion, it should be said that any tourist heading to Sochi must include a visit to the temple complex as one of the goals of his trip, since this building is not only a beautiful place for walking and an architectural monument. The Church of the Archangel Michael - Sochi is imprinted by the history of the city itself and the entire Krasnodar region, and the energy emanating from the many-year-old buildings amazes the imagination of any person who finds himself on its territory.

Worship in the temple

The week of the Last Judgment.

Map of Sochi in detail with streets, houses and districts

I cordially congratulate you all on Sunday. Today is a special day - it is Sunday, which in the language of the church calendar is called Meat Week. We are separated from Great Lent by one week - today is the contract for meat food, the days of Maslenitsa are coming up, and then Great Lent.

There are three preparatory weeks for Lent, and each of these weeks, each of these Sundays is called upon to serve the believer, preparing his soul to enter the field of Lent. Today's Sunday reading was the reason why this Meat Week is called Sunday of the Last Judgment - in the Gospel of Matthew we heard the Lord's story about the judgment that every person will go through after death.

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Sunday School

At the Cathedral of St. Archangel Michael operates a Sunday school for adult parishioners and children of different age groups. Classes are held weekly in the parish meeting hall of the Iveron Church.

Sunday School opening hours:

• for adults - Saturday at 15:30 and Sunday at 11:00;
• for children from 3 to 7 years old - Sunday at 10:15;
• for children from 7 to 14 years old - Sunday at 10:00.

The school hosts clubs for children aged 4–8 years, where children are taught drawing and handicraft skills. In addition, young parishioners aged 5–15 are invited to take part in the children's choir. As part of the classes, they are prepared for church singing during services.

Shrines

Cross men's desert (Solohaul):

• particle of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord
• icon of St. Simeon the Myrrh-Streaming with a piece of healing vine growing from his tomb
• miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Three-handed” in a robe decorated with precious stones
• Holy Spring of the Great Martyr Panteleimon (Solokhaul)
• source of the twelve apostles of Christ (located 2 km from the monastery)
• source of the icon of the Mother of God “Life-Giving Spring” (located 4 km from the monastery)
• the source of the prophet John the Baptist and Baptist of the Lord (located 4 km from the monastery).

Trinity-St. George Convent (Lesnoye):

• particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
• particles of the relics of the blessed Peter and Fevronia of Murom
• particle of the relics of the blessed Matrona of Moscow
• particle of the relics of St. Luke Voino-Yasenetsky
• particles of the relics of the Diveyevo saints.

Church of St. John Chrysostom (Sochi):

• Ark with a particle of the holy relics of St. John Chrysostom
• Temple icon of St. John Chrysostom
• Ark with a particle of the holy relics of St. Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon
• Ark with a particle of the holy relics of St. Martyr Boniface of Tarsus
• Ark with a part of the Mamrian oak under the shade of which forefather Abraham met the Holy Trinity
• Icon with a particle of the holy relics of St. Pitirim, Bishop of Tambov the Wonderworker
• Icon with a particle of the holy relics of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea
• Icon with a particle of the relics of St. Innocent, Bishop of Irkutsk
• Icon with a particle of the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara
• Icon with a particle of the relics of St. Martha of Tambov.

Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Sochi):

• icon with a particle of the relics of the supreme apostle Peter
• icon with a particle of the relics of the Apostle Thomas
• icon with a particle of the relics of St. Tikhon
• icon with a particle of the relics of the Patriarch of Moscow
• icon with a particle of the relics of the Great Martyr George the Victorious
• icon with a particle of the relics of St. Matrona of Moscow
• slippers of St. Spyridon of Trimythous.