The Dormition is a particularly revered holiday in Russia, and the archetypal Russian cathedral will, of course, be dedicated to it. But the first of the Dormition cathedrals in Russia was a monastery church - the Cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Erected at the dawn of Christianisation, it became the heart of one of the most important centres of spirituality in Russia and remains one of the most impressive Russian churches to this day.
The church and monastery survived civil strife, raids by steppe nomads, and oppression by Polish invaders, but the worst awaited the cathedral during World War II - its destruction by the Germans.
The ruins of the church have been restored in our time - not perfectly, but noticeably more successfully than many of the new buildings in the newly formed Ukraine. However, it is not without reason that I have decided to talk about it now. The monastery's prosperity did not last long. The new Kiev authorities, who have long made no secret of their hatred for Orthodoxy and, therefore, for the land they have acquired, are attacking the monastery. First, there were restrictions, then the monks were expelled... Now there is news that the relics of the saints have been removed from their shrines, thrown to the ground, and the looting of relics that followed is a logical next step for the successors of the nomads, Poles, Reds and Germans.
But God cannot be trampled upon, nor can His Most Holy Mother, whose third abode on earth is the Lavra. On the day of Her arrival, not in heaven, but Her return to Her Son, let us pray to the Mother of God for the salvation of the shrines erected in Her honour and for the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine who commemorate Her name.
The church and monastery survived civil strife, raids by steppe nomads, and oppression by Polish invaders, but the worst awaited the cathedral during World War II - its destruction by the Germans.
The ruins of the church have been restored in our time - not perfectly, but noticeably more successfully than many of the new buildings in the newly formed Ukraine. However, it is not without reason that I have decided to talk about it now. The monastery's prosperity did not last long. The new Kiev authorities, who have long made no secret of their hatred for Orthodoxy and, therefore, for the land they have acquired, are attacking the monastery. First, there were restrictions, then the monks were expelled... Now there is news that the relics of the saints have been removed from their shrines, thrown to the ground, and the looting of relics that followed is a logical next step for the successors of the nomads, Poles, Reds and Germans.
But God cannot be trampled upon, nor can His Most Holy Mother, whose third abode on earth is the Lavra. On the day of Her arrival, not in heaven, but Her return to Her Son, let us pray to the Mother of God for the salvation of the shrines erected in Her honour and for the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine who commemorate Her name.
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Let's continue to a place where Christians have been oppressed much longer - the once Roman city of Damascus.
Yet, this story will be more joyful - as much as it can be there. I suggest to take a look at the Cathedral of the Dormition in Damascus, dating back to the IV century, on the street where the Apostle Paul himself once lived. It was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, and at some point, the Patriarchate of Antioch moved here - by that time the church itself had already become the city's cathedral instead of an old one, which had been taken by the Muslims.
The present form with Ottoman Baroque features was acquired after another destruction in the XIX century, when it was restored with the support of the Russian Empire. Even though the Christians of Syria in general and Damascus in particular are now once again in danger, the history of the cathedral reminds us that there is always hope.
May we now pray to the Blessed Theotokos for our brothers in Syria!
Yet, this story will be more joyful - as much as it can be there. I suggest to take a look at the Cathedral of the Dormition in Damascus, dating back to the IV century, on the street where the Apostle Paul himself once lived. It was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, and at some point, the Patriarchate of Antioch moved here - by that time the church itself had already become the city's cathedral instead of an old one, which had been taken by the Muslims.
The present form with Ottoman Baroque features was acquired after another destruction in the XIX century, when it was restored with the support of the Russian Empire. Even though the Christians of Syria in general and Damascus in particular are now once again in danger, the history of the cathedral reminds us that there is always hope.
May we now pray to the Blessed Theotokos for our brothers in Syria!
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In conclusion, I suggest to take a look at one of the most important Dormition churches in Georgia - the catholicon of the Ananuri fortress.
The church is both archetypically symbolic and, at the same time, quite unusual. It is located in one of the most picturesque and well-preserved castles in the country, being its heart, and at first glance has a very canonical appearance.
At the same time, however, the it is the last building of the fortress, erected at the end of the XVII century, a time that wasn’t the best for local architecture due to Muslim pressure.
By this time, local traditions had undergone a significant Persian influence, which is noticeable in both the architecture and the carvings of the church, the latter being particularly unusual. While the penetration of Eastern traditions was widespread then, monumental carving weren’t, and only a few lesser-known churches decorated in such way. The interior of the church hides one of the best-preserved pre-revolutionary iconostases in the country.
The church is both archetypically symbolic and, at the same time, quite unusual. It is located in one of the most picturesque and well-preserved castles in the country, being its heart, and at first glance has a very canonical appearance.
At the same time, however, the it is the last building of the fortress, erected at the end of the XVII century, a time that wasn’t the best for local architecture due to Muslim pressure.
By this time, local traditions had undergone a significant Persian influence, which is noticeable in both the architecture and the carvings of the church, the latter being particularly unusual. While the penetration of Eastern traditions was widespread then, monumental carving weren’t, and only a few lesser-known churches decorated in such way. The interior of the church hides one of the best-preserved pre-revolutionary iconostases in the country.
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