The Russian Compound in Jerusalem is one of the ancient districts located in the city center. The area is located not far from the old part of the city and is one with the Russian Palestinian Society. About the Russian Compound, Trinity Cathedral, their history and interesting facts will be written in this essay.
Compound History
The Russian compound in Jerusalem covers an area of about 6.8 hectares. On its territory are the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission and Trinity Cathedral. The compound was built from 1860 to 1872. The need for its construction was caused by the need to place Russian pilgrims in Jerusalem (Holy Land).
In 1872, the Compound included the building of the Russian Mission, Trinity Cathedral, the hospital building, the Imperial Consulate, as well as the Mariinsky and Elizabethan courtyards. In 1889, the Mariinsky and Elizabethan courtyards and the hospital were given over to the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society.
Compound in the XX-XXI century
In the same year, the construction of the Sergievsky Compound, and later, in 1905, of Nikolaevsky began at an accelerated pace. All new buildings belonged to the Russian Compound in Jerusalem. In 1964, all buildings (with the exception of the Trinity Cathedral and the Spiritual Mission) located on its territory were sold by the USSR government to the state of Israel. The deal received the unspoken title of “orange,” and its legality is still controversial. Negotiations are regularly held to declare the transaction null and void and return all the buildings of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 2008, the building of the Sergievsky Compound, which was used by the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, as well as an environmental organization, was returned to the ownership of the Russian Compound.
History of the Holy Trinity Church
The Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Russian Compound in Jerusalem is the main church of the Spiritual Mission. The cathedral church in honor of the Holy Trinity was solemnly laid at the end of August 1860 on the Maidama Square in Jerusalem.
The design of the cathedral was created by the famous Russian architect M. Eppinger. Initially, it was supposed to consecrate the future cathedral in honor of Alexander Nevsky, who was the patron saint of Emperor Alexander II. However, later it was decided to consecrate the cathedral in the name of the Holy Trinity.
The construction of the temple was completed in 1863, but it was consecrated only after nine years. At the end of the same year, the main bell was installed on the bell tower, and daily services began.
From 1895 to 1897, the church was renovated. The roof that had become unusable was repaired, and old paint was removed from the walls. The walls were painted white and also covered with frescoes with biblical subjects. During the first Arab-Israeli war, the cathedral was seriously damaged, but was gradually restored.
Architecture and decoration of the cathedral
The main cathedral of the Russian Compound in Jerusalem is a temple with ten domes, created in the Neo-Byzantine style. Each dome of the church is crowned with Orthodox crosses. The church itself turned out to be magnificent and subsequently turned into one of the recognizable symbols of Russian Orthodoxy in Jerusalem. The lightness of a rather large building is given by the pale pink stone, which is lined with the external walls of the cathedral.
Inside the temple is striking in the beauty of the wall paintings and rich gilt utensils donated to the cathedral by Moscow churches. One of the main values of the church is a carved iconostasis, as well as altar gates, which were given to the church by Prince Konstantin Nikolaevich.
Especially revered shrines of the cathedral are two icons that are considered miraculous among believers. This is the icon of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The latter was presented to the temple by Russian pilgrims. While they were heading to the Holy Land together with the icon, they fell into a storm, but were saved by the power of prayer to the face of the Miracle Worker. It is known that St. Nicholas is the main patron of sailors and sea travelers. Today, traces of this storm remained on the icon.
Spiritual Mission Building
In the photo of the Russian Compound in Jerusalem, you can see a big architectural difference with the cathedral. In general, all other buildings on the territory of the compound do not differ in sophistication of style. They have strict clarity of lines and shapes. The Mission building is square-shaped and has two floors. Inside the quadrangular building, which is formed by the external walls, is the church of St. Alexandra. This temple is the first Russian church in the Holy Land.
Currently, the building is occupied by a magistrate’s court, and until 1992 the Israeli Supreme Court was located here. In the recent past, discussions began on a project to add another two floors and create a hotel in these rooms. However, it’s too early to talk about this, since quite complicated negotiations are underway on the return of all buildings to the ROC.
Opening hours of the Russian Compound in Jerusalem
Holy Trinity Cathedral is an active church, where services are held, but it can also be visited as one of the sights of Russian history and architecture. Opening hours:
- From Tuesday to Friday: from 9-00 to 13-00.
- On Saturday: from 8-00 to 12-00 and from 16-30 to 20-00.
- Sunday and holidays: from 8-00 to 12-00.
- Pre-holiday days: from 16-30 to 20-00.
The cathedral is visited not only by pilgrims, but also by numerous tourists. Everything here is saturated with the history and culture of Russia. Many pilgrims come here specifically for services on major Christian holidays, as well as for weddings.
The opening hours of the Russian Compound in Jerusalem and the time of the services are somewhat different from our temples. Divine services at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Jerusalem are held on Saturday evening from 17-00 (Night Vigil). On Sundays and public holidays (Orthodox holidays) from 8-00 to 19-00.
Once in Jerusalem and visiting its many attractions that have a long history, you should definitely visit the Russian Compound. You can get acquainted with its rich history and enjoy the beauties of the cathedral and the aesthetics of other buildings.