Description of the attraction
St. Nicholas Cathedral is located in the city of Murmansk. Belongs to the Murmansk diocese and is its main temple. The ensemble includes several buildings. It consists of St. Nicholas Cathedral, the Church of Tryphon of Pechenga, the Chapel of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Conqueror of Breads", several administrative buildings, several residential buildings, outbuildings and a territory. This is a whole complex that was built between 1986 and 1989. The temples of this complex were the first large-scale temples that were built in Russia since the 1917 revolution.
The appearance and roughness of the silhouettes reflects the typical features of the buildings inherent in that time. The walls were built of silicate bricks.
The history of St. Nicholas Cathedral is closely related to the history of Murmansk. The founding date of the cathedral is the official opening day of the city. However, the cathedral was never built. Instead, a temple was built in honor of the same saint. It was a gift from Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. When Soviet power came to the Kola Peninsula, the church was closed in 1924. A gym and a dormitory for seasonal workers have been set up in the church premises.
The period when the city was left without a single church lasted until the end of the Great Patriotic War. After the end of the war, in 1945, the Murmansk Orthodox community sent an appeal to Bishop Leonty (Smirnov) of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogorsk with a request to send a priest to Murmansk. The request was granted. In March 1946, Priest Vladimir Zhokhov and his wife were sent as bishop. The enthusiasm of a young but gifted priest, who grew up in a pious family and went through the entire war, in a short period of time rallied the fragmented community. His service in Murmansk lasted only one year. However, much has been done in the parish during this time. During this period, a church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built in a small wooden house located on Kotovskogo Street (today - Zelenaya). The building was bought by the believers of the community.
It must be said that this saint enjoys great love among the inhabitants of Murmansk, since he is considered the patron saint of sailors. Within three months, the prayer house acquired the appearance of an Orthodox church. It was completed, a bell tower appeared, in addition, a three-tiered iconostasis was installed inside. On December 19, 1946, Bishop Leonty consecrated the church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The service was crowned with a procession of the cross. Until the mid-1980s, it was almost the only temple in the city of Murmansk.
The 1980s were marked by the beginning of a period of revival of the Orthodox faith in Russia. Everywhere, including Murmansk, active construction of new and restoration of old churches begins. On the eve of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus, it was decided to resume the construction of St. Nicholas Cathedral. New walls were built around the existing temple. Construction lasted from 1984 to 1986. Priest Georgy Kozak supervised the work. The cathedral was consecrated by Bishop Panteleimon of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk in October 1986.
After some time, other buildings appeared nearby. The temple in honor of Tryphon of Pechenga was also built of white brick. This saint is considered the founder of Orthodoxy on the Kola Peninsula. He came to the peninsula at the beginning of the 16th century to educate the local people who were pagans. The consecration of the temple of Tryphon of Pechenga took place in December 1989. Bishop Panteleimon of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk also consecrated.
