- Address: Geneva, 9, rue Rodolphe Toepffer
- Phone: +41 22 346 47 09
- Website: www.diocesedegeneve.net/
Switzerland is not only the Alps and a first-class ski holiday , and Geneva , by the way, is not only an important political and economic hub in the development of world relations. All this is also an interesting and picturesque place, where there are such interesting sights as the Cross Exaltation Cathedral in the city of Geneva .
What is interesting about the cathedral?
To begin with, the cathedral is not one of the usual spiritual buildings, but the cathedral of the Western European Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia. And its location in modern Geneva is somewhat symbolic. The current rector of the church since 2006 is Archbishop Michael (Donskov), the tenth one since the foundation of the church.
Interestingly, the land on which the cathedral stands is allocated specifically for the church needs of the Russian mission, but the building and decoration of the building was carried out at the expense of the treasury of the Russian Empire and the donations of compatriots. By the way, for the descendants of famous families and families, the temple has a special meaning: many sacred and famous marriages of Russian subjects, as well as baptism and funeral services were made here.
What you should pay attention to?
The temple is built of real white stone in the usual Russian style and is crowned with five gilded domes. The north and south walls are decorated with marble gray crosses of 1.4 meters high. On the western side, the porch was set up in the form of a covered arched gallery, which rests on six columns. Above the gallery is comfortably arranged a one-tiered belfry with a gilded commander's head. The main entrance to the temple is decorated with images of the holy princes Vladimir and Olga, the entrance from the north door - St. Alexander Nevsky, on the south side you will find the image of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
The interior of the temple from the inside is visually divided by columns into three parts, the walls are beautifully painted and decorated in Byzantine style with floral ornament, simple figures from geometry and the monogram of Christ "XP". The temple's vaults are made in sky-blue color and decorated with golden stars. The main dome is decorated in the image of the Savior in a gold background, it is surrounded by seraphim, and below, in the frieze, are painted the faces of the Evangelists. All the windows are decorated with stained glass, and the temple itself is also full of valuable icons.
Of special relics, it is worth paying attention to:
- Icon of the Savior of the Holy Face of the 16th century;
- Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God "Skoroposlushnitsy" and the Great Martyr Panteleimon;
- Icon of the Mother of God of the Tikhvinskaya beginning of the 12th century in an expensive salary;
- Icon of the Mother of God with the life and text of the Akathist of the 18th century;
- The altar cross, made of wood with a particle of the life-giving tree of the Lord, received as a gift from the Jerusalem Patriarch Cyril II;
- The Ark with the image and particle of the relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon, the icon of Seraphim of Sarov with a cloth of his clothes and a medallion with part of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Along the perimeter, the cathedral's building is surrounded by a lattice with ornamentation of gilded crosses, and around the temple is a neat garden. Unfortunately, political cataclysms in the world are damaging to many monuments of history and culture, and the Cross Exaltation Cathedral in Geneva was no exception. At present, the building needs a historical and vandal-proof restoration.
How to get to the Holy Cross Cathedral in Geneva?
The easiest way to reach the cathedral is by bus number 36, the Eglise Russe stop, it stops just a couple of steps from the destination. If you are not in a hurry, you can take buses Nos. 1, 5, 8, 25 - stop Muséum or Nos. 1, 5 and 8 to the stop Florissant. But in both latter versions you will have to walk a couple of blocks. You can get to the Holy Cross Cathedral by taxi or by yourself on a rented car by coordinates.
As in any functioning religious institution, onlookers are not allowed, but you can get to the service without any problems, their schedule should be specified on the cathedral's website. Basically all services are conducted in Russian and only occasionally in French.
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