Description of the attraction
The main Roman Catholic church in the city of Nikolaev and the region is the Church of St. Joseph, which is located on Dekabristov Street, 32.
The Church of St. Joseph was erected in 1896 according to the project of the famous Odessa architect V. Dombrovsky. The foundation stone of the temple took place in 1890 to celebrate the centenary of the city of Nikolaev. The construction of the church was carried out at the expense of Catholic parishioners, Nikolaev residents, as well as residents of neighboring villages.
The building harmoniously combines Art Nouveau forms and details of Gothic architecture. The windows of the church were decorated with colored stained-glass windows, and the throne was made of white marble. The wealth of the temple was completed by a huge organ. The organizer of the construction was the rector Nikodim Chernyakhovich. The ceremony of consecration of the church was attended by Bishop Anthony Cerr of Tiraspol and representatives of the clergy of Kherson and Odessa.
During the stormy revolutions and the Civil War, the temple was closed, after which the spiritual life in it stopped for many years. At first, the church was transferred to the Nikolaev Museum of Local Lore and History, and when the museum was plundered, a slaughter for cattle was arranged in the former shrine. After the end of World War II, the church was used for clubs, first for builders, and later for young people. The church was returned to the believers only in 1992.
To date, the Catholic Church of St. Joseph has been restored and services are being held in it again. An organ was installed in the church in 2007, due to which organ music concerts are regularly held here.
On the territory of the Church of St. Joseph is the Nikolaev Regional Museum of Local Lore, founded in 1803. This is one of the first museums of antiquity on the territory of the former Russian Empire.
