- Address: Jerusalem, Israel;
- Discovery: 1888;
- Architect: David Ivanovich Grimm;
- Website: jerusalem-mission.org;
- Phone: +972 2-628-4371.
The Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Israel , is a Russian Orthodox church. It was built in honor of the Empress Maria Alexandrovna, the wife of Alexander II. The church was named after one of the most important saints in Russian Orthodoxy - Mary Magdalene. The temple is located in the ROCA department, with it is a nunnery.
History of creation
The idea of building a church in honor of the Empress was filed by Archimandrite Antonin. They also selected a site on the slope of the Mount of Olives , acquired in the autumn of 1882.
The first stone was laid in 1885, the author of the project was the architect David Grimm. The work was carried out under the supervision of the archimandrite, the Jerusalem architects. All the children of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, including Emperor Alexander III, allocated funds for the construction of the church.
In 1921 in the church buried the bodies of the martyred martyrs of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and her cell-mate Barbara. In 1934 the Scotch Maria Robinson, who converted to Orthodoxy, founded the women's community in the name of Christ's Resurrection, it exists to this day. The monks who live here take care of the garden and decorate the chapels on the great Christian holidays.
Architecture and interior of the church
The golden domes are conspicuous everywhere in Jerusalem . For registration, the Moscow style was chosen, the church of St. Mary Magdalene (Gethsemane) is crowned with seven "bulbs". For construction was used white and gray Jerusalem stone.
At the church there is a small bell tower, white marble was used to create an iconostasis, which is also decorated with bronze ornaments, and the floor is made of multi-colored marble. In the church are kept the icons "Hodegetria", Mary Magdalene, reverend elders of Optina. Many of them, as well as murals on the walls belong to famous Russian painters. To get to the church, you need to go from the garden of Gethsemane .
How to get there?
Finding the church is extremely easy, you just need to go from the Lion Gate to the road to Jericho. It is necessary to pass in the direction of the Church of All Nations, then turn right at the first corner.
If the walk is too tiring, then you can use public transport - bus number 99.