Komi. St. Stephen's Cathedral. Cathedrals of Syktyvkar St. Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral in Syktyvkar is the center of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Komi Republic. Construction of the cathedral began in 1896 in honor of St. Stephen of Perm, who was the first preacher who brought Orthodoxy and the Christian faith to the ancient Komi people. The completion of construction was timed to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the death of the saint.

Located in the city center, the temple was the tallest building in the pre-revolutionary period. All buildings and houses in the city at that time were mostly one-story, so the temple was clearly visible from anywhere in the city. In 1932, the temple was dismantled by order of the Bolsheviks. The restoration of the temple began again only a hundred years later and was completed by the 600th anniversary of the death of Stephen of Perm.

Unlike the first temple, which was made in a rather restrained and inexpressive architectural manner, the modern temple is made with great sophistication. The walls of the cathedral are made of solid brick, the roof is covered with sheet copper. Inside, the floors and choir panels are lined with polished granite.

We know how to destroy temples,
We know how to create.
Then we are all big boors,
Those are the angels again.

An example of this is our Syktyvkar: 1
Stephen's Cathedral. – 2
Construction took forty years. - He got up
And it pleased everyone's eyes.

Demolished. - Dismantled to the ground.
Construction continued for five years.
They raised it twice as high. – 3
The new one sparkles proudly.

There is no bell tower yet,
There is only a plan for now.
The light will see it too
And centuries will mature.

This is the Divine command.
And the devil never
He won't win. - The Savior will erect. –
Will put it forever.

Stefan is very happy in heaven, 4
That the temple is worth it,
And his relics lie in him,
And people rush to them.

And he believes that soon the ringing will sound
There is news over Syktyvkar,
That the bell tower rose in height
And gives good news.

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1 Syktyvkar is a city (from 1780, until 1930 it was called Ust-Sysolsk) of republican significance in Russia. The capital and administrative center of the Komi Republic. Located on the left bank of the Sysola River. First mention - 1586. Population - 245,313 people. (2017).
2 St. Stephen's Cathedral, an Orthodox church in Syktyvkar, is the cathedral of the Syktyvkar and Komi-Zyryan diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. The project for the construction of the temple was approved in 1852 by Emperor Nicholas I and in 1856 its construction began. In 1883, the lower temple was consecrated, and on April 24, 1896, in the year of the 500th anniversary of the death of Stephen of Perm, the great consecration of the temple took place. The cathedral was five-domed, 47 m long, 26 m wide and 35 m high. The temple was located in the central square of the city, called Stefanovskaya. In 1929 the temple was closed, and in 1932 it was completely dismantled.
3 From 1996 to 2001 Construction of a new building of this temple was underway. The modern building of the cathedral was consecrated by Bishop Pitirim of Syktyvkar and Vorkuta on August 26, 2001. During its construction, due to the development of the city, the location of the temple was changed compared to the previous building. The height of the cathedral to the cross of the main dome is about 64 m; it is planned to erect a separate bell tower. On October 6, 2013, Metropolitan of Saransk and Mordovian Barsanuphius, Bishop of Syktyvkar and Vorkuta Pitirim and Bishop of Kotlas and Velsk Vasily performed the great consecration of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
4 Stefan of Perm (Stepan, worldly name unknown; 1340s, Veliky Ustyug - April 26, 1396, Moscow) - bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church. He preached Christianity in the Komi lands, created an alphabet for them and translated the main church works into their language. In 1383 he was appointed the first bishop of the Perm diocese formed as a result of his missionary activity. Revered by the Russian Church in the ranks of saints, commemorated on April 26 (May 9). In this temple lie the relics of this saint.

Syktyvkar Cathedral in the name of St. Stephen of Great Perm Syktyvkar diocese

The City Duma approached the Vologda governor in April of this year with a proposal to build a church in the name of Stephen of Perm in Ust-Sysolsk (now Syktyvkar). The church construction project was approved by Emperor Nicholas I in the year. The foundation was laid this year.

Under Soviet rule, the church was closed twice: in (in 1924 the decision to close the church was canceled) and in the year, and in the year the cathedral was dismantled.

Restoration of the cathedral

In November, a competition was announced to develop a project for St. Stephen's Cathedral. 15 teams of authors took part in the competition. On April 26, the resolution of the board of trustees approved the decision of the competition jury to award first prize to the project of the Architectural Studio "Menam Kerka".

The foundation of the cathedral of the newly established Syktyvkar diocese was laid by Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Rus' on May 9, on the 600th anniversary of the repose of St. Stephen. Stephen's Cathedral, as the main spiritual center of the Komi Republic, was also erected as a tribute to the memory of all compatriots who suffered during the repressions of the 1930-40s, as a reminder of the persecution for faith that the Church in the Komi region suffered in those years.

The facility was rushed to be completed in time for the 80th anniversary of the republic that year, and its completion was announced that year. However, as a result of haste, design and construction errors were made. Subsequently, as the temple was used, many defects were revealed: the waterproofing of the walls was poorly done, the designers did not provide for drainage pipes from the roof at three entrances and the roof of the altar. Believers eliminated the consequences of the flood twice a year. Due to irregularities in the drainage system, water flowed down the walls. As a result, the unique wall paintings, made in the Byzantine style by Bulgarian artists, were severely damaged. The hole in the dome led to the accumulation of moisture, and the promises of the government of the republic and the administration of Syktyvkar to begin repairs to the cathedral were not fulfilled.

With the onset of spring in the year, the cathedral was again under threat of flooding. Bishop of Syktyvkar Pitirim (Volochkov) and the clergy of Komi sent an appeal to the governor of Komi Vladimir Torlopov and the mayor of Syktyvkar Roman Zenishchev with a request for help in resolving the current situation.

St. Stephen's Cathedral (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The snow-white St. Stephen's Cathedral is visible from many points in Syktyvkar, its gilded domes shine brightly in the sun. This is a functioning Orthodox church, owned by the city and district dioceses. It is dedicated to St. Stephen of Perm - the saint of the indigenous Komi people - the Zyryans, who in the 14th century converted pagans to Christianity, and also gave the Komi language the alphabet. Liturgies are performed here, you can light candles and order a prayer service. The relics of the saint rest in the Moscow Kremlin, in the Cathedral of the Savior on Bor.

The new cathedral was built on the site of the old one, destroyed during the revolution by the Bolsheviks. Since its opening was planned for the 600th anniversary of St. Stephen of Perm, many construction mistakes were made in a hurry. Because of them, the temple was flooded several times with groundwater and flood waters, became damp, and its frescoes were damaged in places.

A little history

While in Ust-Sysolsk (the former name of Syktyvkar) in 1848, Bishop Evlampy was surprised that Stephen of Perm was not immortalized in the temple. Representatives of the City Duma decided to correct the unfortunate mistake and sent a petition to the governor to build a church using public funds.

The townspeople were reluctant to flock to the cathedral, and its construction dragged on for almost 40 years. As a result, a new temple was built, which became the tallest building in the city. Under Soviet rule in 1929 it was turned into a workers' club with a canteen, and in 1932 it was completely dismantled into bricks.

The reconstruction of the cathedral took place at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, its foundation was lit by the Patriarch of All Rus', and the first liturgy was celebrated there in 2001 by the Bishop of Syktyvkar and Vorkuta.

Cathedral from above

Architecture and interior appearance

The modern temple was built in an elegant manner: the walls are made of white bricks, the roof is covered with copper sheets, and the domes are gilded. On the territory of the cathedral there is a bell tower, sculptures of Saint Stephen of Perm, Saints Cyril and Methodius, as well as Peter and Fevronia, and in the corner of the temple there is a single-domed chapel of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.

Inside, in the main hall, where festive services are held, there is rich decoration: polished granite floors, a gilded iconostasis. On ordinary days, services are held in the lower hall of the cathedral, where it is rather cramped and cool.

In a one-story building, the local Sunday school offers classes for children from 6 to 16 years old on weekends and continues all year round.

Practical information

Address: Syktyvkar, st. Svobody, 60.

Travel by buses No. 3, 4, 18, 44 to the Svobody Street stop.