An extraordinary, enormous, church is being built at a furious pace right in the heart of Moscow
This post first appeared on Russia Insider
An enormous new church has been built in record-breaking time in central Moscow a few blocks from the historic KGB headquarters on Lyubanka Square. The church commemorates Christian victims of the revolution and subsequent persecution.
The church is being built on the territory of the Sretensky Monastery on the initiative of Bishop Tikhon, the abbot of the monastery. Tikhon is a massive celebrity in Russia due to the runaway success of his book Everyday Saints, which is available in English in an excellent translation by the American writer Julian Lowenfeld, famous for his translations of Russian poetry. (Amazon) Everyday Saints is by far the best-selling book in Russia in decades, selling in the 10s of millions of copies.
The church is being financed from sales of the book, the monastery, and donations from the public. Construction commenced in early 2014, and the church will open its doors in March of 2017.
The picture below which shows the church relative to a human being, gives an idea of its size. Further pictures showing the ornate interiors follow.
The Sretensky monastery was founded in 1397 and is one of the five oldest monasteries in Moscow, playing a crucial role in the history of the city.
This post first appeared on Russia Insider
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