- Address: Brīvības bulvāris 23, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia;
- Architect: Chagin, Nikolay Mikhailovich;
- Construction: 1877-1884;
- Website: sobor.lv;
- Phone: +371 67 212 901.
In the heart of Riga , in Espaland, the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ is towering majestically. The building is the largest Orthodox church in the Latvian capital. During the Soviet Union, the cathedral was used as a planetarium and a restaurant, however, after the return of Latvia's independence, the church was restored and today believers gather in its walls.
History of the Cathedral
The construction of the Nativity Cathedral was started on July 3, 1876 under the leadership of the Bishop of Riga Seraphim. The original plan of the temple did not provide for the presence of a bell tower. However, Emperor Alexander III decided to give the church 12 bells, and so the church had to acquire another additional dome.
The grand opening of the Nativity Cathedral took place in October 1884. The cathedral quickly turned into a recognized spiritual center not only among the residents of the capital, but throughout the region. According to some reports, in the Nativity of Christ in Riga, John of Kronstadt himself conducted divine services, which today is ranked among the saints.
Temple today
Today Christ Cathedral is a majestic building with blue domes made in neo-Byzantine style. The interior decoration of the interior is remarkable for its extraordinary luxury. The iconostasis of the temple consists of 33 icons, written in the best traditions of icon painting of the 17th century by Andrei Rublev and Theophanes the Greek. Of course, these paintings have no direct relationship to the famous artists, since the entire iconostasis was created at the Sofrino enterprise.
Visit the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ today stands for the unique wall murals belonging to the family of Mironovs, that painted the Pochayiv Lavra in Kiev. Worthy of attention and the floor of the temple, which is laid out with stunning Italian tiles.
Thanks to the current restoration work, every visitor of the temple can see the cathedral in its original form. The central and side towers of the building were made to recover in a historical color scheme - in shades of yellow and red.
Interesting Facts
- A new floor covering of the temple was laid on top of the old one, which raised the floor level by almost 30 cm. Some experts say that this significantly worsened the acoustics of the temple.
- During the Soviet era, one of the side altar rooms of the church turned into a cafe, which in the people became known as "God's ears."
- To restore the iconostasis, more than 1000 sheets of gold leaf were used.
- Complete reconstruction of the temple will cost Latvia 570 thousand euros. A quarter of the amount (150 thousand) has already been collected through donations from the parishioners of the church.
- In October 2003, the relics of the holy martyr John Pommerin were transferred to the church, which were previously stored in the Pokrovsky cemetery church.
How to get there?
The cathedral church is located right in the center of Riga , on Brivibas Boulevard, 23. As a landmark, you can use the Freedom Monument , which is near the temple. The cathedral works around the clock, and you can reach it even by public transport. Trolleybuses №1, 4, 7, 14 and 17 go to the church.